If You Feel Like You’re Back at Square One, Read This
A new perspective on healing, self-trust, and the wisdom of the messy middle.
“Sometimes we go back and repeat an old mistake just so we can remember why we moved forward.”
A Note from Me
Hi, I’m Jessica.
If there’s one thing I wish we talked about more in healing spaces, it’s this: Progress doesn’t always look like progress.
Sometimes it looks like doubt. Like slipping back into old patterns or wondering if you’ve actually changed at all.
But healing isn’t about becoming untouchable.
It’s about becoming more honest—and more equipped to return to yourself when things get messy again.
I wrote this for the version of you who feels like you’re down spiraling or slipping or “should be further along.”
You’re not broken and you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just in the part no one likes to post about and it still counts!!
Healing isn’t Linear—And That’s Not a Problem. That’s The Process
“I thought I was past this.”
“Why is this coming up again?”
“I should be further along by now.”
If you've ever said one of these out loud—or just silently spiraled in your head while by yourself—you’re not alone. You're also not defeated.
One of the most harmful myths in modern mental health and functional wellness is this:
Healing is linear and that if you're doing it “right,” things should always be getting better and that progress should look like a straight line: step-by-step, up-and-up.
However, it doesn’t look like that.
Healing loops, spirals, stutters, and brings you back to the same pain, again and again—only this time with slightly more self-awareness.
And if you don't know that? You might mistake progress for failure or you might give up when you're actually mid-breakthrough.
Let’s Be Honest About What Healing Really Looks Like
There will be days when you feel like you're back at square one—even though you've done all the work.
There will be moments when old symptoms return, when you fall back into old habits, when your body replays the trauma tape even after all the journaling, cold plunges, work outs, meditation, supplements, or therapy.
That doesn’t mean you’re regressing.
It means your nervous system is cycling through another layer. It means you’re in integration—not collapse.
Because here’s what they don’t say enough:
Healing doesn’t erase the past. It rewires your relationship to it.
You may still revisit the wound, but how you meet it and react to it changes everything.
The Spiral Path: A New Model for Healing
I’ve come to see healing not as a ladder, but as a spiral.
Each time you circle around a familiar challenge, you’re doing it from a new vantage point—with a little more compassion, regulation, and capacity.
You may still feel anxious—but now you notice it sooner.
You may still overextend—but now you recover faster.
You may still feel tired—but now you rest without guilt.
That’s progress. That’s healing. Even if it doesn’t feel sparkly or worthy of a before-and-after photo.
What I Believe Instead
I don’t believe healing is about becoming someone else.
I believe it’s about returning to yourself—beneath the coping, the chaos, and the conditioning.
Rest is part of healing.
So is stillness and so is the quiet period where nothing feels like it's working—but deep inside, something is.
I believe we don't talk about these parts enough because they're not marketable.
They don’t sell, but they’re everything.
Final Thoughts: If You’re in The Down Spiral, You’re Not Off Track
I wrote this because I needed to hear it once, too:
You’re allowed to come undone. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re shifting.
If life feels harder right now than it did a month ago, that doesn’t mean you’re going backwards.
It means you're still in it, still showing up, and still alive to the process. And that? That’s the hardest, bravest part!
You don’t need to escape the down spiral. You just need to stay with it.
That’s where the rewiring happens. That’s where you meet yourself again.
If this article met you where you are, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
And if you know someone who's spiraling in self-doubt, send this to them as a reminder:
“You’re not failing. You’re healing.”
“We don’t do perfect here. We do honest.”
✍️Journal Prompt:
“What part of my healing have I mistaken as failure—when it was actually a return, a reminder, or a lesson in disguise?”
Let your thoughts move without judgment. Notice what still feels unresolved—and what’s already come further than you thought.
Thank you for reading this article.
Until next Sunday,
—Jessica
Your 2am friend who actually gets it
“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” —Robin Sharma
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MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
Thanks for posting this. Needed.
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