It’s Sunday night. Dinner is done, and so is the clean-up. After another busy weekend of catching up on housework, running errands, and trying to get ahead of work before Monday morning, you finally sit down to relax. But you’re hit with…

The Sunday night dreads.

Your stomach knots, your heart races, and a headache starts. You feel restless, weighed down by a mix of anxiety, frustration, and helplessness that makes it hard to think clearly.

Instead of relaxing, you’re worrying about completing that big project you’ve been struggling with, stressing over Friday’s deadline, and feeling anxious about Wednesday’s meeting with your boss.

While the Sunday blues are common, if they show up often—or stretch into the rest of your week—your body is sending a warning signal.

It’s telling you something’s out of balance, and that you need to address it. It's your body’s way of protecting you.

It’s your body’s way of saying that your routines, roles, or commitments aren’t quite in sync with who you really are.

So instead of pushing it aside, take a deep breath, and listen to what it's trying to tell you.

What does your mind and body want you to know?

For many of us, trying to figure it out is a frustrating experience. We know that our bodies are trying to tell us something, but it’s as if they’re speaking a different language. We know something is off, but we can't put our finger on it. We want to do something about it, but don’t know where or how to start.

I felt this way for years… almost two decades in fact. Even in high school and university, I knew my body was trying to tell me something, but I had no idea what. And boy, was my body sending me signals:

• I was often anxious, and I stressed out about everything

• I had unexplained headaches and stomach aches

• I had difficulty getting a good night’s sleep because my mind was constantly racing

Thinking I was listening to my body, I switched faculties, majors, and minors three times during my Bachelor's degree. It didn't help—I still felt lost after graduating. I escaped to Europe, thinking travelling would help me figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

While I learned more about myself while overseas, the only thing I got clear on was wanting financial security. So I went back to school to get a degree with a guaranteed job at the end: teacher.

It made sense.

A lot of my friends had gone into education, my dad worked in the faculty, and I’d worked with kids since I was 13.

But from the very beginning, I felt stuck in a career that wasn't aligned with who I really was.

As a perfectionist and a high achiever, I got caught in the burnout cycle from the start. And I stayed there for 18 years, locked in my golden handcuffs, scared to leave the security behind.

Most summers, I would travel, with the plan to reflect and ‘figure it out’. What did I really want? Who did I want to be?

But I would put it off all summer (too busy enjoying the experience) and every fall I’d end up back in the classroom.

I knew something was missing, but I didn’t know how to find it on my own. So I kept doing what I had been doing, hoping that one day I’d figure it out.

Holding yourself back from figuring out what you really want and going after it is more common than you think.

Most of us are too stuck in our heads, where self-doubt, fear, and guilt keep us safe.

We’re scared about finding clarity because it might mean leaving our comfort zone behind (even if we’re not entirely happy there, it feels safer than changing).

So we keep our heads down, letting life pass us by.

But what if that clarity gave you the direction needed to start creating a life you love instead of staying stuck where you are?

What if it propelled you forward toward your dreams and gave you insight into how to achieve those goals you’ve always had on your heart?

What if instead of letting fear pull you back into a false sense of security, you gathered a spark of courage and stepped beyond your comfort zone? Let it nudge you toward a truer version of yourself. Let it help you become who you were always meant to be.

Breaking free from fear and self-doubt and discovering who you are can be tricky, but two practices that help me find clarity are journal writing and visualization.

A journalling prompt I return to often is asking myself, “What do I want?” I free write whatever comes to mind, and when I think I’m done, I write “What else?” and keep going. Sometimes I’ll repeat this several days in a row.

This exercise really helps me clarify what I want and what direction I’m heading. I use this prompt when I’m feeling unsure of what I’m doing, or where I’m going, as a check-in. Do I still want this? Am I on the right path?

Another practice that helped me find clarity when I felt truly stuck and at a crossroads in my career was a suggestion by my doctor.

He asked me to visualize my 80-year-old self sitting in her rocker, looking back over her life. What did I think she’d regret more: staying with teaching until she retired, or resigning from teaching to do something different?

It took less than 30 seconds to know in my bones, in my heart of hearts, that if I stayed teaching until retirement, I’d regret it.

It wasn’t the right thing to do, despite the financial security it provided.

While the realization was quick, the courage to act on it took another 3 months. Fear and self-doubt crept back in. I was scared, and hesitated to write the resignation letter that would make it permanent. What if it was the wrong choice?

But after sending the email, I only felt relief.

And even with the consequences of resigning early, I have absolutely no regrets 4 years later. It’s still the best decision I've made in my career and in my life.

Looking back, this choice has given me some of my greatest gifts—my loving partner, my improved health, and my amazing son.

What gifts are waiting for you on the other side of admitting you’re stuck and taking action to find clarity?

I invite you to take 5 minutes to think about your 80-year-old self. What would she regret, looking back over her life?

Write it down in a journal. Get curious and be open-minded (don't judge yourself for what comes up; let your intuition guide you).

This is how you start making your hopes, dreams, and aspirations your reality.

Step by step, you can reclaim your confidence, your energy, and your joy, so you can find your path and live a life you love, a life you deserve.

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