For too long, many of us — especially Black women, women of color, and marginalized people — have been told in subtle and not-so-subtle ways to shrink.
- Shrink your voice.
- Shrink your needs.
- Shrink your body.
- Shrink your dreams.
This conditioning creates an internalized belief that taking up space is selfish, “too much,” or somehow wrong. But the truth is: you deserve to take up space — fully, unapologetically, and without guilt.
🌑 Why We Shrink
Messages from childhood, cultural expectations, racism, sexism, and even religion can train us to play small. Over time, these lessons show up as:
- Apologizing for existing or speaking up.
- Prioritizing others’ comfort over your own truth.
- Staying silent when your boundaries are crossed.
- Minimizing your accomplishments or deflecting compliments.
Living this way keeps you disconnected from your worth and trapped in survival mode.
🌱 Redefining Self-Worth
Therapy and intentional healing work can help you rewrite the story of your worth:
1. Recognize Your Conditioning
The first step is awareness. When you notice yourself shrinking, ask: Whose voice is this? Where did I learn that I’m “too much” or “not enough”?
2. Replace Guilt with Permission
Taking up space doesn’t mean being selfish — it means honoring your humanity. Therapy can help you learn to give yourself permission to rest, to dream, to say no, and to be visible.
3. Reclaim Your Body
So much of shrinking shows up physically — hunching your shoulders, avoiding eye contact, or making yourself “small” in rooms. Practices like mindfulness and somatic therapy teach you to inhabit your body with confidence and safety.
4. Speak Your Truth
Your voice matters. Healing makes it possible to express your needs, share your ideas, and advocate for yourself without shame.
5. Celebrate Your Existence
You are not valuable because of what you produce for others — you are valuable simply because you exist. Learning to honor your joy, creativity, and uniqueness is a radical act of liberation.
🌟 Living Unapologetically
Taking up space means showing up authentically in relationships, careers, and communities. It means refusing to shrink in the face of bias, oppression, or outdated expectations.
When you redefine self-worth, you stop measuring your value by someone else’s standards. Instead, you learn to stand tall, speak boldly, and live as though your presence is both powerful and necessary — because it is.
📌 Final Word
You deserve to take up space. Not the smaller version others are comfortable with, but the full, vibrant, expansive version of yourself. Therapy is one of the tools that helps you unlearn the lies, reclaim your worth, and step into that space unapologetically.
At The Social Work Concierge, LLC, we believe your healing is liberation. Let’s build a future where you no longer shrink — but instead, expand.
📞 Call/Text: (616) 345-0616
🌐 http://www.socialworkconcierge.com
The Social Work Concierge, LLC 
Leave a comment