Do You Like Cheese?

Winnie’s love for cheese and some tips for emotional grounding.

If you’ve ever met my dog, Winnie Bea, you know two things to be true:

She is sweet, loving, and mostly well-behaved around the people she trusts.
And she can also be… a little bit crazy.

“Crazy” in the way that makes it clear something is happening between her ears in her little doggy brain.

I can usually tell the second her mind starts to wander. Her body is still in the room, but mentally she’s gone to that place — where logic takes a break and reality gets a little blurry. When fear shows up, I can almost hear her thoughts racing: Is this safe? Should I run? Hide? Start barking  like a lunatic?

Her ears go back, her eyes widen, and her body braces as if something terrible is about to happen. She stops responding to what’s happening and starts reacting to what she imagines might happen.

Sometimes it’s the unknown like a sudden noise or someone unexpected and her brain begins to fill in the blanks with danger. Other times, it’s not fear at all, just temptation. The “no dogs in the bed” is a rule she knows perfectly well. Logic fades, impulse wins, and suddenly she’s sprawled out among my pillows very confident this was an excellent idea.  Rules be gone!

In those moments, she’s lost in her own little world. Her thoughts get loud, her brain plays tricks, and from the inside it all feels completely real — even when it isn’t.

That’s when I know exactly what to do.

I simply ask one question:

“Do you like cheese?”

Instantly — ears up.
Eyes on me.
Body still. Focused.
Connection restored.

Winnie has safely landed back in the present.

Not because cheese magically fixes everything, but because that phrase interrupts the spiral. It brings her attention back to now.

It works with humans too.

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We All Have Our Triggers

Just like my dog, we get pulled off course all the time.

A comment.
A text.
A memory.
A look.
A tone.

In an instant, we’re no longer fully present. Before we know it, we’re replaying the past, catastrophizing the future, reacting instead of responding.  We are snapping, shutting down, or spinning. During times of stress, transition, or heartbreak, this happens even more easily. Our nervous system is constantly scanning for danger, even when there isn’t any.  Hasty and impulsive decisions may feel like the best choice – even if they defy “rules”.

That’s when we need our own version of “Do you like cheese?”

Because when a human gets triggered, the same thing happens. Our mind wanders to that place where fear overrides reason, old memories feel current, and worst-case scenarios feel inevitable. Logic takes a backseat. Emotions take over. And suddenly, we’re acting in ways that don’t reflect who we truly are or what is in our best interest.

It’s not that we don’t know better. It’s that, in those moments, we’ve temporarily lost our footing. We’re not misbehaving. We’re dysregulated.

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The Power of an Interrupting Phrase

An interrupting phrase isn’t about forcing yourself to “calm down” or pretending everything is fine. It’s about creating a pause and a moment of choice. A gentle way to say, Come back here. You’re safe right now. Just like with my dog, the goal is reconnection. The blur coming back into focus.

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What’s Your “Cheese Phrase”?

Here are a few examples my clients often use:

• “Pause. Breathe.”
• “I’m safe right now.”
• “This is uncomfortable, not dangerous.”
• “I don’t have to solve this today.”
• “Come back to the present.”
• “What’s actually happening right now?”

Some people place a hand on their chest.
Some take one slow breath.
Some repeat the phrase silently until their body settles.

The words matter less than the meaning. Your phrase should interrupt the spiral, ground you in the present, and bring your attention back to you.

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So – Do you like cheese?

The next time you feel yourself getting pulled away by worry, anger, sadness, or overwhelm, pause and ask:

👉 What’s my version of “Do you like cheese?”

Then use it. Consistently.

Because coming back to yourself is a skill.
And like all good training… it gets easier with practice.

And hey, cheese is delicious.