I know something's not right, but I don't know what

You're lying awake again, exhausted but unable to settle. During the day, you notice you're not fully present, you're there, but not really there. There's this tightness in your chest, a sense that something's wrong, but you can't put your finger on what it is. Anyway, you've got so many blessings and so many people have it worse.

When you can't name what's wrong

It might start with physical sensations, a tightness in your chest that won't shift, a sense that even the air doesn't feel as fresh as it should. You notice you're holding tension in your body, but you're not sure why.

Then there's the anger (maybe). It comes out of nowhere, disproportionate to whatever triggered it. You snap at people you love. You slam doors. You find yourself reaching for food or drink more than usual, not because you're hungry or thirsty, but because you need... something.

Self-care falls away. The fitness stops happening. You're tired all the time, but sleep doesn't help. You go through the motions, but there's this constant background hum of unease that you can't quite identify or shake off.

You know something's not right. But when you try to put your finger on what it is, there's nothing concrete to point to. Just this nagging, nebulous sense that something's shifted and you don't have a map for where you are anymore.

Your body knows before you do

These responses aren't signs that you're failing or falling apart. They're your body's way of trying to tell you something important is happening, even when your mind can't quite grasp what it is yet.

Our bodies often know before we have the words for it. When something significant is happening beneath the surface that we can't name, our nervous system starts signalling. The physical sensations, the emotional responses, what we thought we'd left behind, they're not evidence of weakness. They're evidence that your body is trying to get your attention about something that matters.

You're not alone in this

This experience of knowing something's not right but not being able to name it,  it's more common than you might think. Lots of people sit with this nagging unease quietly, thinking they should be able to figure it out on their own, or that it's not "enough" to warrant help.

Many people wait until they can clearly articulate what's wrong before reaching out. Sometimes the most important work happens when we're still in the fog, when we can't see the full picture yet but we know we need someone to sit with us while it emerges.

Making sense of the shapeless

You don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out. Sometimes the work is in creating a safe enough space for those nebulous feelings to gradually take shape. If this feels familiar and you'd like some support, you don't have to figure it out alone. You're welcome to get in touch.