Image from webcam at San Diego Zoo during the earthquake.
When the 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego last week, a quiet camera caught something extraordinary at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Five African elephants stood basking in the morning sun. The ground trembled. The camera shook. And so did they, for a moment.
But then, their instinct took over.
The adults didn’t scatter. They didn’t freeze. They gathered.
They rushed toward the two calves, Zuli and Mkhaya, and formed what experts call an alert circle, the calves tucked safely in the middle, the adults facing outward, watching, waiting, protecting.
And they stayed like that, even after the shaking stopped.
One of the calves, eager to prove his bravery, crept toward the edge. But a teenage female, Khosi, nudged him back in with her trunk. A nonverbal whisper: Stay here. You’re safe.
Only when they were certain all was well did they slowly disperse.
That single moment holds everything we need to know about how to build healing habits in a chaotic world.
When the Ground Shakes, How Do You Respond?
We may not face earthquakes in the literal sense, but life shakes us all the time.
The diagnosis.
The loss.
The argument.
The exhaustion that won’t lift.
The moment your inner world crumbles quietly, even if no one sees it.
And when it happens, we often do the opposite of the elephants.
We scatter.
We isolate.
We power through.
We tell ourselves we should be “stronger” or “over it by now.”
We numb, we scroll, we avoid, we disconnect.
Not because we’re weak, but because we haven’t been taught another way.
But just like those elephants, we can learn to circle up instead of shutting down. And that begins with building healing habits—not heroic ones. Simple ones. Automatic ones. Ones that become your new instinct when the tremor hits.
How to Build Your Own “Healing Circle” Response
Let’s turn this from metaphor into method. Here's what that healing instinct looks like in real life—and how you can start practicing it right now.
Step 1: Know Your Earthquakes
The elephants didn’t wait until chaos hit to decide what to do. Their response was wired in.
We need the same.
Ask yourself:
What shakes your emotional ground most often?
What throws you off your center?
When do you typically retreat, overreact, or shut down?
This isn’t to judge. This is your cue. Healing begins by knowing what triggers the shake.
Try this micro habit:
Start a simple quake log. Write down the last 3 times you felt emotionally unsteady. Look for patterns. That awareness is your first healing habit.
Step 2: Create a “Circle Up” Ritual
The elephants didn’t just react, they had a system.
The young went in the center. The adults faced outward. They stayed until it was safe.
You need a default response too, something small, repeatable, and grounding.
Here’s how to build your own healing ritual:
Your Healing Circle =
One action that grounds you (a breath, placing hand on heart, saying “I’m here.”)
One boundary that protects you (stepping away, saying no, putting the phone down)
One anchor that connects you (text a friend, step outside, journal one thought)
This is how you start circling yourself with care instead of criticism.
Example Habit Stack:
When I feel overwhelmed → I put one hand on my chest → Take a breath → Say, “You’re safe.”
That’s your trunk-nudge. That’s you, guiding your inner child back to safety.
Step 3: Don’t Disperse Too Fast
One of the most powerful parts of the elephant story?
They didn’t scatter after the shaking stopped.
They stayed. Watched. Waited.
We often jump back into life too soon, before we’ve truly checked in.
Try this habit:
When the stress passes, linger for 1 more minute before returning to the day. Use that minute to ask: What do I need right now to feel safe and steady?
Step 4: Teach the Habit Before You Need It
You can’t build a fire drill during a fire. You build it in advance.
You don’t wait for the next “quake” to practice your healing circle.
You practice it daily, even when life feels calm. Especially when life feels calm.
Try this:
Each morning, do a 60-second check-in:
What emotion is present?
What would support me today?
What one habit can I use to stay grounded?
You're not waiting for chaos. You're becoming the kind of person who knows what to do when it comes.
Because Healing Is Not Just What You Do When You Break.
It’s what you build every day so you’re less likely to break.
You don’t need heroic changes.
You need healing habits so small, so consistent, they become your default.
And the truth is: You already have that wisdom inside of you.
The elephants didn’t hold a meeting. They didn’t check a chart.
They just moved—together, with purpose, with instinct.
That can be you.
You can become the kind of person who doesn’t panic when life shakes,
You pause.
You circle up.
You protect your peace.
And that’s what healing looks like.
Ready to Make This Who You Are?
Inside The Habit Healers Mindset’s Inner Circle, we help you build the exact kind of system the elephants showed us:
Simple, repeatable, science-backed healing habits
Micro actions you can do even on your hardest days
A circle of support and weekly guidance to keep going when life trembles
Every week, you’ll receive a habit guide like this, designed to rewire your daily instincts and help you become the grounded, calm, strong person you were always meant to be.
Because healing is not about avoiding the shake.
It’s about knowing exactly what to do when it comes.
Subscribe now and step into the Inner Circle.
Let’s build your healing habit system, together.
This is one of the best posts I’ve read in my time on Substack. Thank you!
Wonderful analogy of elephants' instinctual behavior. I've been journaling for several years to understand how my emotions and learned responses use up so much of my energy during challenging moments.