There’s a moment, right after the spilled coffee, just before the overdue bill, and somewhere between “I forgot to thaw dinner” and “why is the dog licking the wall”, where it happens…
She arrives.
Your evil twin.
Not evil in a villainous way (she’s not plotting world domination). No, she’s more chaotic neutral. She forgets her affirmations, rolls her eyes at gratitude practices, and suddenly can’t remember why she walked into the room. She’s impatient, short-tempered, sarcastic, and dangerously close to downloading another self-help app just to delete it again.
And if we’re being honest… she’s also us.
Stress doesn’t create our evil twin. It reveals her. She’s the version of us that hasn’t had her needs met, sleep, nourishment, connection, a solid cry in the car. She’s not here to ruin our lives, she’s waving a red flag, screaming, “Something’s not right!”
So how do we deal with her?
Not by shaming her. Not by pretending she doesn’t exist. Instead, by recognizing her, and then making space for recovery.
When we treat ourselves like the villain during stressful times, we’re missing the plot. The evil twin isn’t our enemy. She’s our warning signal. A living, breathing “check engine” light with mascara smudges and a short fuse!
Let’s look at this honestly, with a little humor, because sometimes that’s the only thing standing between you and a grocery store meltdown, am I right?! 🤷🏻♀️
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YOU vs. YOUR STRESS TWIN
A totally scientific, not-at-all chaotic comparison chart (also see illustration above)
Grounded You / Stress Twin You
Remembers to breathe / Forgets how lungs work
Meal preps with quinoa / Eats 7 cheese sticks over the sink
Uses kind words / Mutters insults at the printer
Responds with curiosity / Reacts like a dragon guarding treasure
Embraces imperfections / Thinks missing socks = personal failure
Practices gratitude / Gives the side-eye to inspirational quotes
Asks for help / Hisses like a cat when offered support
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Reclaiming the Wheel
We don’t get to banish our stress twin, but we can befriend her. We can slow down, hydrate, nourish, unplug, and say, “Thanks for showing me I need a break.”
And when she shows up again (because she will), maybe we greet her with a hug and a snack instead of shame and silence.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that we don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. We just need to notice when we’ve switched into survival mode… and then gently guide ourselves back home.
Yard 2 Yield! 