Whether it’s personal development or professional success, most of us have internalized the idea that change should be fast. That there should be a clear turning point. A breakthrough moment. Something big and shiny that says:
“You’ve made it.”

But that’s not how healing — especially the kind that happens in your nervous system — actually works.

The reality is quieter. Slower. Often invisible.
It looks like:

• Saying “no” and not spiraling about it later

• Taking a breath before jumping in to fix or help

• Not overexplaining yourself in every email or text

• Feeling your shoulders relax without even noticing they were tense

These are the small shifts that signal real progress. But they don’t usually come with fanfare.