The Body Keeps the Score — But So Does the Mind

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The Body Keeps the Score — But So Does the Mind

You may have heard the phrase “The body keeps the score.” It’s the title of a now-iconic book that explores how trauma imprints itself physically in our bodies. But here’s something we often overlook:

The mind keeps score too. Quietly. Constantly. Relentlessly.

From a missed opportunity in our twenties to a hurtful comment from a parent… from unresolved guilt to unspoken grief — our minds hold onto emotional IOUs that nobody else can see. And if the body manifests trauma through tight muscles and migraines, the mind plays its own game: anxiety, perfectionism, self-doubt, overthinking, burnout masked as ambition.

The Unseen Ledgers We Carry

You may not even realize how long your mind has been collecting dues.

That time you were told, “Don’t cry. Be strong.”

When you failed once and silently decided, “I’m not good enough.”

The betrayal that you “moved on” from — but never really healed.


Each moment scribbled into a mental ledger, shaping how we show up in relationships, careers, even parenting.

And one day, you find yourself exhausted — not because of workload, but because of the emotional tabs left open for years.

Healing Isn’t Just Physical

In a world obsessed with fitness trackers and nutrition labels, we often forget to check in on our emotional metabolism. What are you consuming mentally? What are you storing? What are you suppressing?

Therapy is one way. Journaling is another. Talking helps. So does silence.
But above all, it’s the act of becoming aware — of recognizing that not all fatigue comes from the body. Some of it is debt the mind has been quietly paying for years.

You Deserve a Clean Slate

This is not about pretending it never happened. It’s about acknowledging that it did, and that you’re no longer obligated to carry it.

Start small:

Forgive yourself for what you didn’t know back then.

Reframe that one sentence you’ve repeated in your head for a decade.

Speak kinder to yourself, even in the privacy of your own mind.


Because the mind keeps the score — but it can also learn to let go.


What emotional score are you still keeping? And is it time to write it off?

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