Welcome to Another Shot at Life

This publication is all about healing childhood emotional neglect, unlearning survival patterns, and reclaiming the parts of you that were never allowed to exist.

Hello! I’m Akanksha.

Welcome to my Substack publication, ‘Another Shot at Life. ’

My mission is simple:

To help you heal the hidden wounds of childhood emotional neglect, so you can finally feel safe being yourself.

What does this mean?

It means creating a life where you no longer have to prove your worth by overachieving, pleasing everyone, or pretending nothing hurts. Together, we’ll unpack the patterns that keep you stuck—self-doubt, perfectionism, overfunctioning—and learn to replace them with compassion, safety and self-trust

Each week, as you dig into my writing, you’ll:

• Set boundaries without guilt

• Stop feeling like you're never enough

• Feel safe showing up as your full self

• Turn down the voice that always tears you apart

• Let go of perfectionism, self-doubt, and people-pleasing

These are exactly the shifts that help you heal from childhood emotional neglect, unlearn survival patterns, and reclaim the parts of you that were never allowed to exist.

If you’re tired of holding it all together, this is your place to lay it down.

Sign up now so you can start this journey with me sooner.

About me

At 30, I had a quiet crisis:

The life I worked so hard for looked perfect on the outside. But inside? I felt empty.

I was living someone else's idea of success—a high-position job, travel, parties, and more. But deep down, none of it made me happy. I convinced myself I should feel grateful because I had achieved what I thought I wanted.

But you know what?

Pretending everything was fine only made me miserable. I’d wake up with no motivation, feel disconnected from everyone I love, and struggle to sleep as I wondered, "What is wrong with me?"

It’s lonely when people surround you, yet all you hear is your voice tearing you apart. And for the first time, beneath layers of fake smiles, motivational quotes, and a facade of holding it together, I saw my vulnerability.

It hit me then…

I needed to show up for myself. I needed to heal the wounds I was never allowed to name.

So, I began prioritising my mental well-being, healing my inner child, and saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities.

This led me to quit my engineering job and write this Substack to you. It is the most rewarding experience of my life, and I do it with all my heart.

My biggest realisation has been that it’s never too late to say, “This isn’t working for me,” and take a different path. And that’s exactly what I want more people to do.

If you’re exhausted from performing, overthinking, or proving you’re enough, come join me. Together, let’s take another shot at life—unlearn, heal and rebuild.

Sign up now so you can start this journey with me sooner.