The Stove Has Six Burners

May 29, 2026

I realized my life feels a lot like learning how to cook on a stove with six burners and a sensitive smoke detector.

And honestly? That analogy explains my anticipation anxiety perfectly.

For a long time, my nervous system operated like every burner needed to be on at the same time.

One burner was:

And honestly? I became so accustomed to emotional overstimulation that I thought constant mental activity meant I was being productive.

But then there is the smoke detector.

The smoke detector is my nervous system.

Sensitive. Reactive. Quick to sound alarms. Sometimes before there is actual danger.

And honestly? When you live in anticipation long enough, even normal situations begin feeling emotionally urgent.

A phone call. A conversation. An errand. A request.

Suddenly everything feels like: “What if this turns into something bigger?”

But lately, slowing down has been teaching me something important.

Not every burner needs full heat all the time.

And honestly? That realization is changing how I live.

I am learning:

Because now I understand: If I try managing every burner emotionally at once, eventually the smoke detector will keep sounding alarms.

And honestly? That is exhausting.

But slowing down has allowed me to:

And honestly? That feels healthier.

The stove was never really the problem.

The problem was trying to emotionally cook everything simultaneously while fearing smoke before anything was even burning.

And honestly? I think many of us live like that.

But healing is teaching me: peace sometimes looks like turning a few burners down.

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything…”

Isaiah 30:15 “In quietness and trust shall be your strength.”