You don't have to be strong all the time. How can you allow yourself to be weak and breathe?

In the evening, I finally sat down. Silence. Just the clock and that familiar sound, as if time itself were tired. In my hands, a mug from which the tea had long since gone cold. I no longer had the energy to even scroll through the screen on my phone.

Nothing major happened—no crisis, no breakdown. I just felt like I couldn't fake it another day. I don't know if you feel the same way… That feeling of doing everything "right," and yet something inside you feels like it's shrinking.

Sometimes the strongest women are the ones who can say, "I've had enough."

From a young age, I was taught to be brave. Not to cry in front of others, not to complain, not to show weakness. To be the one who can handle things, the one who won't let me down. You know that? That "I have to"?

I have to get up, I have to get myself together, I have to smile. As if the world wouldn't turn without our smiles.

Until at some point, your body starts talking for you. You can't sleep, even though you're exhausted. Your heart beats faster even though you're sitting still. Your mind goes blank, or a hundred thoughts run through your head at once.

This isn't weakness. It's a sign you've been strong for too long.

A body that asks for a breath

I used to think I could sleep off exhaustion. That a weekend, a warm bath, and some quiet would be enough. But the body remembers more than it realizes. It retains every "nothing happened," every "it's okay."

Until finally he begins to speak: "Stop. Listen to me."

For a long time, I couldn't do it. I felt like if I slowed down, everything would fall apart. And yet... I was the one falling apart, trying not to lose everything.

Weakness is not a lack of strength. It's another form of strength.

Today I know that weakness isn't the opposite of strength. It's simply strength that needs rest. This is the moment when breathing becomes more important than the next to-do list.

You are not less valuable when you cry. You are not less courageous when you say, "I can't today." You are not less yourself when you let go.

A scent that reminds me that I am here and now

That evening, I poured a few drops of lavender oil into my diffuser. I did it without a plan, without any thought of a "ritual"—I simply needed the warmth and quiet. The steam rose slowly, as if teaching me to breathe again.

Lavender smells of peace that reminds you of home.

That's when I realized that aromatherapy isn't a luxury. It's a way for body and soul to connect again. It doesn't cure everything—but it allows for a moment where you can simply be.

If you want to learn more ways to use oils, check out the article: How to Use Essential Oils .

When I learned to let go

There wasn't a single epiphany. It was a process—quiet, slow, imperfect. I started with small things: a missed phone call, a computer shutting down at 8:00 PM, refusing a meeting I didn't have the energy for.

At first I felt guilty. And then I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time—relief.

The strength that comes from gentleness

I noticed that when I started being kinder to myself, the world seemed to become kinder too. Not because it had changed—but because I saw it differently.

I already know that I don't want to be strong "in spite of everything." I want to be at peace with all of this .

Aromatherapy as a ritual of returning to oneself

Today, every evening I spend has a scent. Sometimes grapefruit, sometimes lavender, sometimes patchouli. It's a moment when I stop and ask, "What do I need today?"

Because scent is a language. Delicate, true. The body understands it faster than thought.

Give yourself the right to be human

You don't have to be strong all the time. You don't have to figure everything out, endure everything, or prove yourself. You have the right to stop. You have the right to be weak. Because weakness isn't failure. That's where truth begins.

— Written from the heart by Aroma Łysoń 🌙