How to Know When You Need Support (Even When You Swear You’re Fine)

Ever tried to carry all your groceries in one trip just to prove a point? And then, five feet from the door, a rogue bag gives out, and your avocados roll dramatically down the driveway? That’s kind of how stress works. We juggle, we push through—until something gives, and suddenly, we’re chasing runaway emotions like they’re wayward produce.

As someone who’s spent over 25 years in healthcare, providing 25,000+ acupuncture sessions and mentoring other practitioners, I’ve noticed a pattern: people don’t realize they need support until they’re knee-deep in exhaustion, frustration, or physical symptoms that can no longer be ignored. And hey—I’ve been there, too. Even while immersed in health and wellness, there have been moments (okay, months… maybe years) when I needed someone to tap me on the shoulder and say, “You don’t have to do this alone.”

So, consider this your tap on the shoulder. If you’re unsure whether you need support, let’s check in. No judgment—just some honest questions to ask yourself.

How’s Your Physical Health?

• Can you take a deep breath that actually reaches your belly?

• Are you sleeping well, or do you wake up feeling like you fought a small war in your dreams?

• Is your digestion happy, or does it resemble a chaotic food science experiment?

• Do you find yourself relying on “coping tools” (coffee, snacks, wine, scrolling, repeat)?

• Are you moving your body in a way that feels good—or at all?

How’s Your Mental Health?

• Do you replay conversations in your head like a courtroom drama?

• Ever feel like your brain has too many browser tabs open?

• Are simple decisions starting to feel like monumental tasks?

• Noticing changes in your appetite, energy, or mood?

• Avoiding social interactions because it’s just too much?

How’s Your Brain Health?

• Is focusing on a task harder than herding cats?

• Memory feeling a little… wait, what were we talking about again?

• Brain fog showing up at inconvenient times—like when someone asks for your phone number, and you suddenly forget how numbers work?

How’s Your Emotional Health?

• Feeling overwhelmed but can’t pinpoint why?

• Do certain people or situations consistently trigger big emotions?

• Are you fully experiencing and processing emotions, or are they getting stuffed down like laundry in an overfilled suitcase?

Okay, But What Is Overwhelm?
It’s when life throws too much at you at once, and your brain, body, and emotions go, “Nope.” It can show up as anxiety, exhaustion, irritability, or the urge to build a blanket fort and hide indefinitely.

If you answered yes to any of these, pause. Breathe. You’re not broken, and you’re definitely not alone. But it might be time to give yourself some support—before the metaphorical grocery bag of your well-being splits wide open.

Recognizing when you need support is step one.
Step two? Doing something about it. That’s where the B.R.A.I.N.S. Technique™ comes in—a simple, neuroscience-backed method designed to move you from overwhelm to clarity, stress to stability, and frustration to resilience.

Because support isn’t just something you give—it’s something you deserve.