There was a time Tea lived like a perfect clock: woke at 4:30 AM, drank water, made coffee, read until 8 AM then went to work. Afternoon 5K run, evening cooking, early bedtime. Everything in its place.
Then a series of setbacks hit: work stress, personal issues, emotional decline. Tea started staying up late scrolling on her phone, eating carelessly, skipping runs. Worst of all, falling into heavy drinking—some days not waking until 11 AM or noon.
One day looking in the mirror without recognizing herself. And the lesson echoed: "You must save yourself, no one can save you but you."
What Tea Did
- Rejoined the gym even on cold winter evenings. Restarted the Couch to 5K program.
- Reduced alcohol gradually – set a long-term goal of zero.
- Replaced phone with Kindle for earlier sleep, cutting blue light exposure.
- Sat by the window each morning, just to breathe and watch the street before diving into work.
- Allowed one "cheat meal" per day, the rest returning to healthy eating.
- Wrote in a journal, listened to healing podcasts – accepted that problems can't be solved overnight.
A year later, Tea wakes early again (7 AM, then 6 AM, then 5 AM). No longer feeling pressure to be perfect, just knowing she's heading in the right direction.
If you're in a downward slide, don't wait for a miraculous "push." Just change one small habit, then add another. Slow but steady, and remember: "You must save yourself."