When People Treat Me Like Background Noise

There’s a specific kind of disrespect that doesn’t shout.

It hums.

It looks like delayed replies. Half-acknowledgments. Being convenient until you’re not. Lack of basic respect and decency. Treating you like it’s your privilege and honor to do something nice for them.

Like you’re there… but not seen.

So I stopped reacting.

And started moving…

1. I returned to myself

First thing I did was to ground myself. Be in the now.

I inhaled for 4. Held for 2. And exhaled for 6.

Then I went to the next best thing that calms me down- water. Cold water.

After drinking some ice water, I went down to wash my face and remove the day.

As I watched the water drain, so did some of the negative energy I got from the people around me today.

2. I managed my home

Of course those things are not enough when you’ve had a really annoying, upsetting night.

So, I channeled some of that anger into doing chores.

And now we have zero unclean underwear and red articles of clothing. 😏 And that’s 2 tasks off my list tomorrow.

3. I created space where there was none

The biggest issue tonight was space. It was a simple thing to solve.

But there was friction…where there shouldn’t be.

So I stopped. Took a breather and did some mental Tetris to figure out where things would go.

And in no time, there was space.

Plus, I decluttered and figured out how to save on our garbage bag expenses during the process. Score! 😁

4. I cooked

Now, I have this rule to never cook when I’m angry or upset or feeling any negative vibes. I feel like they get transferred to the food and in turn get transferred to the people who will eat them.

So, I chose to do this when I only had some residual negative vibes left.

Plus I only cooked rice and placed chicken in the oven. That’s it. I didn’t have a lot of time handling the food.

5. I chose beauty anyway

We had some pampering today - salon and shopping.

I have plenty of shopping bags today and opened the first one I could reach and just inhaled the scent and relieved the memory of my conversation with my good friend who recommended these today.

Beautiful things always lighten up my mood.

6. I listened to music.

Need I say more? Music is a big part of our lives.

It lives in our blood.

One of my grandfathers was a famous Filipino composer. My other grandfather was a choir tenor and played the guitar. My mom sang in the choir, too. I played the melodica in grade school and studied some piano. My son has been playing the piano since 6 years old. He composes and arranges, too.

But even if it doesn’t, I believe music is a very healing medium for everyone.

7. I wrote and returned to myself. Fully.

So here I am now, music in my ear, writing and having a conversation with a very good, very loving friend, with no residual negative energy from the people who treated me like background noise today.

Because when people reduce me to background noise…
I don’t get louder.
I get clearer.

And suddenly…
I’m no longer available for those who only listen when it’s convenient.

---

I painted this feeling.

'Til my next post,

Stay soft. Stay strong. Stay Glowing.

LET'S GLOW.

With elegance and quiet fire,

Lady E

Exhibitor and speaker at the Philippine Book Festival 2026

💌 Connect with me on Insta: behind-the-scenes, daily sparks, and more.

📚 Created by a registered NBDB author, these children’s books and homeschool workbooks are made to help your child learn with ease.

💻 Grab your copies now on Gumroad

🍽 Craving comfort food stories and recipes? Visit my food blog: Lady E Eats

🛒 🎁 Looking for learning materials, school supplies, and thoughtful finds? Visit my Shopee: Isaac's Gift Shop

💫 I write, I cook, I create — with love, always.

✈️ Our Binondo staycation was featured by Ramada by Wyndham Manila Central! Read about our Soft Luxe experience here 💖

P. S.

Don't forget to get your Glow Cards!

👉 Grab your Glow Cards here – available now on Gumroad

👉 Get your very own Pantry Ledger here.

🤝 For Collaborations & Features

If you’re a brand, PR agency, or fellow creative who believes in adding beauty, meaning, and intention to everyday life, I’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a product you’d like me to try, a place you’d love me to experience, or a story waiting to be told — let’s create something lovely together.

📩 Send me a message on:

✨ Instagram

💖 Facebook

Or simply leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Soul Notes: For Your Journal Tonight

Come sit with me for a while. I have my journal open, and tonight I’ve been thinking about something I suspect I do more often than I realize. I turn healing into another thing I need to accomplish. I want to know when I’ll be over something. When I’ll stop thinking about it. When something that hurt will finally stop hurting. When I’ll feel like myself again. And somewhere along the way, healing quietly becomes another deadline. Another invisible date on a calendar. Another thing I can somehow be late for. But maybe healing doesn’t work particularly well under project management. Maybe there are things I will understand quickly and things I’ll have to revisit again and again. Maybe I’ll feel completely fine one day and unexpectedly tender the next. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone backwards. It means I’m still moving through it. I remember one day, many years ago, when I had fibromyalgia. I lived in constant pain. I just couldn’t get a good day. And then one day, in the office...

Part 1: I Finally Had Enough of My Dry Feet and Did Something About It

I have been annoyed with my feet for months. Not because there was anything particularly wrong with them. They were just dry . Really dry. And you know I have a problem with dryness (hello skin, lips). And somehow, despite noticing this constantly, I kept doing absolutely nothing about it. The moment that gets me every time is when I’m waiting for my son at piano class. I’ll sit down, cross my legs, look down at my slip-ons or sandals and there they are. My dry, flaky feet. Then I become painfully aware that there are other people sitting beside me who can probably see them too. 😂 Every time, I think, I really need to do something about this. And then piano class ends, life resumes, and apparently my feet are no longer part of my jurisdiction. Eventually, I had enough. I found this Mond’Sub Chamomile Foot Peeling Spray at KKV and decided that my poor neglected feet were finally getting some attention. The process wasn’t glamorous. There was peeling skin involved. There were bits...

Used to the Last Drop: The Ones I’d Already Told You About

There’s something particularly satisfying about finishing a product you’ve already written about. Not testing it. Not forming first impressions. Not wondering whether I’ll still like it three weeks from now. Finished. My Molang Honey sheet masks and this body scrub both made it all the way to the end. (Finally for the Molang sheet masks, right?) I’ve reviewed both before, so I won’t review them all over again here. But perhaps using something until there is nothing left to use is its own kind of review. Beauty products come through my bathroom rather frequently. Some are lovely for a week. Some get pushed to the back of a shelf. Some simply stop working for me. And then there are the ones that quietly disappear because I kept reaching for them. Maybe an empty container is the shortest review of all. I liked it enough to finish it. If you want to read my thought about these products, just type them on my search bar. —- With elegance and quiet fire, Lady E Founder, Glow by Lady E...

Glow by Lady E

Search This Blog