I've Just Had a Deep Mental Shift

Today was one of those rare days when a deep mental shift hit me hard. It doesn’t happen often, maybe a couple of times a year, but when it does, it’s intense. I woke up feeling fine, nothing out of the ordinary. But as I was getting ready to meet a friend, something felt... off. I couldn’t shake this deep sense that I wasn’t fully myself. My senses were all heightened, and I felt this overwhelming urge to act and move in a way of my theriotype.

I grabbed my bag, started heading out the door, but as soon as I stepped outside, the shift hit me like a wave. My thoughts completely shifted into a more primal state. I wasn’t thinking like a human anymore; my animal side was fully in control. I could barely focus on anything but the sounds and smells around me. Everything seemed too loud, too bright, too much. I knew I couldn’t be around people like that, so I turned back, realizing I wouldn’t be able to function.

I went straight to my room, feeling like I had to hide away until I could regain control. My mind was racing, and I could barely think straight. I curled up on my bed, feeling frozen. It was that classic fight-or-flight response, but I couldn’t do either. I just felt stuck.

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That’s when I remembered one of the techniques I’d learned to manage these shifts: breathwork. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would help because I felt so lost in the shift, but I knew I had to try something. I started focusing on my breathing; slow, deep breaths in through my nose, holding for a few seconds, then releasing slowly through my mouth. It felt strange at first, like it wasn’t enough to pull me out of the shift, but I kept going.

After a few minutes, I could feel the intensity start to dial down a little. The fog in my head began to lift, and my human thoughts started creeping back in. I could feel the animal instincts slowly fading, retreating to the back of my mind. It wasn’t an instant fix, but I could feel myself coming back, bit by bit. Breath by breath, I felt more grounded and more aware of my surroundings in a human way, rather than an animal one.

Eventually, I could move again. I got up, shook off the last of that frozen feeling, and after about an hour, I felt like myself again. It wasn’t perfect, and it definitely threw off my morning, but the breathwork really helped bring me back to center. I learned that even when a deep shift hits unexpectedly, there are ways to manage it. It’s not about fighting the shift or ignoring it, but rather working with it, finding techniques that help you regain control.

By the time I left to meet my friend, I felt calm and grounded. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, remember to breathe. It sounds simple, but sometimes the simplest things make the biggest difference.