Let’s talk about protecting your peace — and whether that’s really what you’re doing… or if you’re just getting your lick back in silence.

In this minisode, I’m breaking down the Room to Breathe Support Language™ — the kind of support that shows up as space, quiet, and the ability to step away without guilt. But I’m also naming the moments when we call it “protecting our peace,” and it’s really a low-key way of making somebody else feel the pain we didn’t say out loud.

I even share a moment with my therapist that made me pause and ask myself if I was healing — or just withholding.

If Room to Breathe is your Support Language, or if you’ve ever needed space but didn’t quite know how to take it without using it as a shield, this episode is for you. This episode is a reminder that space is sacred — but only when it's rooted in care, not control. You don’t have to go silent to feel safe. You can protect your peace and still stay connected to the people who love you right. Take your time. Take your breath. Just be honest about why you need it.

In this episode, I talk about:

What Room to Breathe actually looks like

When silence becomes a weapon instead of self-care

That one therapy session I’ll never forget

Why relief isn’t the same as revenge

How to know when your peace is real and when it’s rooted in proving

 

Resources to Support You:

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Take the Support Language™ Quiz. and learn how you actually receive support best.

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Shirl is the creator of Support Languages™ and host of Shades of Strong® — a movement shifting the narrative from Strong Black Woman to Supported Black Woman™ through language, rest, and real support.