Learning to Care for Ourselves
January 3, 2026
We all carry stories inside us — some tender, some heavy, some we’ve tucked away because life asked us to keep moving. Most of us were never taught how to care for our inner world, how to listen to the quiet signals of our body, or how to soften when everything feels tight and overwhelming.
For years, I believed that resilience meant pushing through. I thought strength was measured by how much I could carry without breaking. But the truth is, our nervous systems were never designed to hold everything alone. We are meant to pause, to breathe, to tend to ourselves with the same gentleness we offer others.
Wellbeing isn’t a destination. It’s a practice — a slow, steady returning to ourselves. Sometimes that looks like grounding your feet on the floor. Sometimes it’s naming a feeling you’ve avoided. Sometimes it’s choosing rest even when the world tells you to keep going.
My hope is that this space becomes a soft place for you to land. A place to learn small, sustainable practices that help you feel more rooted, more connected, and more at home in your own body. You deserve care, too — not as a reward, but as something that belongs to each and every person.
In strength and courage,
Michelle
About the AuthorMichelle Teskey is a registered social worker, trauma‑informed therapist, and former paramedic with more than twenty years of experience in healthcare and frontline work. She brings a grounded, compassionate approach to mental health and wellbeing, offering gentle guidance and practical tools through Root & Renew to help people reconnect with themselves and build lives that feel rooted and whole.