If you’ve ever had a CSR flare, you know the feeling.
That split-second of visual distortion.
The slight blur.
The panic rising in your throat—Is it happening again?
For me, it took a few cycles before I realized that how I respond in the first 24 hours makes a huge difference.
I don’t spiral.
I don’t search the internet.
I just ask myself three questions.
They’ve kept me level—and probably kept flares shorter than they would’ve been.
1. “What Changed in the Last 72 Hours?”
CSR doesn’t show up out of nowhere.
There’s always a trigger—sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious.
This question makes me scan my life like a detective:
- Did I skip sleep?
- Did I hammer three days of back-to-back screens?
- Did I deal with stress but pretend it didn’t affect me?
- Did I train too hard without recovery?
Nine times out of ten, the answer is yes to at least one.
Once I find the trigger, I reverse course immediately.
2. “Have I Actually Been Recovering—or Just Managing?”
Here’s the trap:
You think you’re healing, but really you’re just managing symptoms and continuing the same pace.
I ask this to check myself:
- Am I sleeping deep or just long?
- Am I doing breathwork or just scrolling wellness posts?
- Am I truly present—or just crossing off routines?
This question reminds me that CSR doesn’t care about effort.
It cares about the state your nervous system is in.
3. “If This Is a Flare, What Would I Change Right Now?”
This one puts me back in the driver’s seat.
It shifts me from fear into action.
My answers are usually simple:
- Cancel something.
- Close the laptop.
- Drop caffeine for a few days.
- Move slower.
- Block off an evening with no screens, no pressure.
The clarity comes fast once I stop negotiating with myself.
And sometimes—just answering this question stops the flare before it escalates.
Why These Questions Work
Because they cut through the noise.
They stop the spiral.
They force me to confront the patterns that actually matter.
And they remind me:
I’ve been here before. I know what to do.
CSR isn’t random.
It’s responsive.
And if you can respond early and clearly, you change the trajectory.
Bottom Line
The next time you feel a flare creeping in, don’t panic.
Ask yourself:
- What changed?
- Am I really recovering?
- What would I shift right now if this was a flare?
You don’t control the condition.
But you control your response.
And that makes all the difference.