The Teahouse of Dread
Dread waits at the threshold.
It knows something is coming, it just doesn’t know what.
Dread is not fear.
It’s a shadow of anticipation.
A future-heavy presence that makes the present tremble.
It coils in the gut. It wakes you in the night.
It imagines the worst before the worst even arrives.
But beneath it, there is a part of you trying to prepare to protect.
Dread says:
“Something is about to hurt.”
“You are not safe.”
“Brace yourself.”
What Is Dread Trying to Tell You?
- Your nervous system is scanning for danger, real or imagined.
- You’re anticipating loss, pain, or collapse without clarity.
- Something in your life feels fragile or unspoken.
- It’s asking for anchoring, not avoidance.
Invite Dread in for Tea
It may sit shaking, unable to make eye contact.
Don’t force it to calm just hold a safe space for it to speak.
Sometimes, naming it takes away its grip.
Ask it:
“What am I expecting to go wrong?”
“Where in my body do I feel this?”
“What would help me stay grounded right now?”
Dread softens when we stop running.
It wants you to find ground before the story takes over.
“You don’t have to believe everything your mind tells you.”