I was going to write "5 things I tell myself when my brain won't shut up." Then I sat with it and realized — I don't say anything.
When my mind is racing, I just breathe. No mantra, no pep talk, no list of phrases. Just breathing until the noise gets a little quieter.
I think we're taught that stress needs a clever comeback — the right words, the right mindset shift. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the only thing that works is doing the most basic thing your body already knows how to do, and waiting.