You Are SAFE to SOFTEN: Living with Love in a Hyper-Vigilant World is a gentle companion for every nervous system that has forgotten how to rest. A little calm for weary hearts: a medicine book of gentle whispers to quiet the noise, soften the strain, and bring you safely home to yourself.
If you rush through your days, brace for worst-case scenarios, sleep lightly, or carry a quiet sense of "always on guard," this book was written for you.
Through poetic reflections and practical, do-anywhere softening practices, author and artist Michael Patrick helps sensitive, overwhelmed, or chronically stressed readers release the "fight-flight" patterns of modern life and remember the calm that has never left them.
Inside, you'll discover:
A clear, compassionate look at hyper-vigilance-what it is, how it shows up in daily life, and why it's not your fault.
Soothing daily entries that name the hidden cost of constant bracing without increasing your fear or shame.
Tiny nervous-system resets-breath invitations, micro-pauses, and soft presence practices you can use anywhere to feel safer, slower, and steadier.
A loving rhythm of rest and belonging that shows you how to reclaim peace, connection, and enoughness without pushing or performing.
Written in a tender, steady voice, You Are SAFE to SOFTEN is not a clinical manual-it is a soft landing. Each page feels like an exhale, helping you shift from tension to trust, from vigilance to love, from exhaustion to the quiet joy of being.
Whether you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), live with anxiety, burnout, or chronic stress, or simply feel tired of the rush of modern life, this book will help you:
Feel seen and validated rather than "too much" or "too sensitive."
Release inherited patterns of fear and rushing.
Experience the power of slowing down, resting, and receiving love as your nervous system re-learns safety.
Become a gentle presence of calm for your family, children, and community.
Beloved, you are not broken. You are not behind. You are safe to soften.
About the AuthorMichael is the author of several of books blending awareness, creativity, and nervous-system healing. Through poetic daily guides and practical practices, his work helps readers soften contraction, restore peace, and live from the place of expanded awareness.
He writes and creates art in Las Vegas under the imprint Michael Patrick Studio. A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) himself, Michael's attuned nervous system has shaped his perception of the world and deepened his capacity to create art and writings that touch the subtle layers of human experience.
For over forty years he lived in a contracted state of fear that gave rise to intense anxiety, depression, and bipolar symptoms. This book emerges from his own healing journey and 16 years of private study in the world's wisdom traditions-a devoted effort to transform his suffering into calm, compassion, and inner peace.
(This book is not a substitute for professional therapy or medical treatment. It reflects the author's lived experience and daily practices, offered as gentle support for those who may wish to deepen their healing alongside professional care.)
