My Biggest Breakthrough Came Right After My Worst Breakdown

I didn't realize things were falling apart until I was already overwhelmed by it.

It starts slowly.

A few missed payments.

A credit card balance you keep telling yourself you’ll fix next month.

Groceries that feel heavier at checkout.

And then, one day, you’re standing in front of the cashier, praying silently that your card doesn’t decline.

That was me. Not ten years ago. Not during the Great Recession.

I’m talking about last year.

From the outside, my life seemed fine.

A modest business, a little savings, the illusion of stability.

But when things started unraveling when clients pulled back, when the bills piled up, when even breathing started to feel expensive I cracked.

But the strange thing about hitting rock bottom?

It makes you honest.

And clarity? It's both harsh and enlightening in ways you never imagined.

You Won’t See It Coming

No one ever really expects to break down.

You assume you’ll always have a grip. That you’re too smart, too cautious, too hardworking to ever find yourself gasping for air in a storm you didn’t create.

But recessions don’t ask for permission.

They don’t knock.

They barge in.

And when they do, they expose every weak point in your financial, emotional, and mental foundation.

For me, it started with a late invoice.

Then two.

Then my biggest client slashed their budget in half, and just like that, half my income vanished overnight.

I spiraled fast.

I sobbed quietly, hoping the sound would get lost in the water.

I stayed up at night calculating how many weeks I had left before rent became a question mark.

I canceled subscriptions, stopped ordering takeout, started ignoring friends’ invites not because I didn’t want to go, but because I couldn’t afford the gas.

And the worst part?

I still pretended everything was fine.

Why the Breakdown Was Inevitable

I wasn’t just broke—I was broken.

I had built my sense of worth around the ability to provide, to control, to keep up the illusion that I had it together.

The moment money slipped, so did my identity.

No one really says it out loud, but the truth is.... it only takes one major setback to shake everything we thought was stable.

A layoff.

An illness.

A failed business.

A recession.

And when the scaffolding falls, the only thing left standing is you—the raw, stripped-down version of you.

And that version either falls apart…

Or figures out how to rebuild.

What the Recession Taught Me (That No School Ever Did)

1. Panic is loud. Clarity is quiet.

When you’re surrounded by fear—yours, the media’s, your friends’—it’s easy to join the noise.

Sometimes, the only way to figure things out is to pause and really listen to what’s going on inside.

You need to sit still long enough to think clearly. That’s where the plan begins.

2. Your spending doesn’t reflect your value.

I thought I was successful because I could afford weekend brunches and new tech.

But the moment I couldn’t? I felt like a failure.

Truth is, success isn’t about what you spend it’s about what you keep, what you build, and what you survive.

3. Stress makes you stupid.

No offense. But under stress, we make reactive decisions.

We underperform at work because we’re scared of losing it.

We undersell to clients because we’re afraid of hearing “no.”

We ruin the very things we’re afraid of losing.

Figuring out how to stay calm might be the smartest money move you can make.

4. You can lose everything and still be valuable.

Read that again.

Your net worth doesn’t determine your human worth.

Your job, your home, your business they can all vanish, and you’ll still be someone who matters.

You’ll still have skills, stories, insight, and grit.

That’s what money can’t buy.

How I Rebuilt Without a Windfall, a Bailout, or a Lucky Break

Let me be honest:

There was no sudden check in the mail.

No investor knocking on my door.

No rich relative sweeping in to rescue me.

There was just me.

I started by getting painfully honest with myself.

I tracked every single expense down to the coins.

I canceled things I thought I “needed.”

I prioritized peace over pride.

I asked for help where I used to suffer silently.

And most importantly, I rebuilt my routine not just my finances.

I stopped doom-scrolling.

I chose to learn about money instead of running away from it.

I networked. I took side gigs.

I went back to basics.

And slowly, painfully, powerfully… things started moving.

So, What Can You Do If a Recession Hits?

Start now. Start preparing before everything starts falling apart.

Cut noise, not lifelines. Don’t cancel the very things that help you grow like mentorship, networking, or learning just because you’re scared.

Build a runway. Save. Even small amounts matter. Even a small amount saved can help you breathe easier when things get tough.

Deal with your stressors. Your brain cannot think creatively or strategically while in survival mode. Prioritize mental clarity.

Spot the opportunities. Recessions aren’t just about loss. They’re market resets. Fewer competitors. Cheaper ads. New needs emerging. Be the one who notices.

I thought the recession would destroy me.

But all it did was destroy my illusions.

It peeled away everything that didn’t serve me:

The overconsumption.

The self-worth tied to income.

The belief that I wasn’t allowed to struggle.

What remained was me—

A little more tired,

A lot more honest,

And stronger than I ever imagined.

Recessions might bend you.

But they don’t have to break you.

And sometimes…

Sometimes, the moment you fall apart is exactly when things start to come together.