Soulful

Most people think selective mutism is a childhood disorder — something a shy child eventually “outgrows.” I used to think that too. Until I realised I was living with its echo well into adulthood. Selective mutism doesn’t always vanish. Sometimes it evolves. Sometimes it becomes quieter, harder to recognise, easier to hide — especially when you learn to build a life around speaking as little as possible. As adults, we carry these silences into workplaces, relationships, and moments where our voice matters most. And because there is so little awareness, people assume we’re uninterested, unconfident, passive, or disengaged. They see the silence but never the storm behind it. The Adult Version No One Describes Adult selective mutism doesn’t look like the dramatic freeze-ups we imagine. Often, it’s much subtler: Saying only the bare minimum in meetings even when your mind is overflowing with ideas. Practising sentences in your head but never speaking them out loud. Feeling your...

William Wordsworth wrote - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 or 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛, would be more appropriate in my case 😄. When I watched 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑦 years ago, one thing stayed with me: despite all her strength and conviction, Margaret Thatcher was advised to undergo voice coaching—something that ultimately supported her rise to the top of her political career.

🎧 Listen to the Podcast Episode Before you read further, you may want to listen to  Episode 1 of  Unmuted  — a spoken version of this story, shared in my own voice. 🎙️  Listen on Spotify:   This post expands on the reflections shared in the episode and offers space to pause, read, and return whenever you need quiet company.