Years and hundreds if not thousands of dollars’ worth of gym memberships, "healthy" shakes and supplements that, you guessed it, never worked, and other chronic occurrences in the last decade or so led to frustration and feeling stuck with my health. So, I'd love to share some valuable things I finally learned on this latest little wellness excursion I embarked upon a couple of years ago after struggling with some health issues a few years prior to that. Most of us make some drastic changes to our lifestyle only after some significant low point and that's sort of what happened in my case as well. Besides the issues I just mentioned, which we’ll go into another time, I struggled with other things. Perhaps the most significant one was overworking, which led to lack of physical exercise, lack of energy and ultimately chronic burnout. Playing sports, specifically tennis, was always a big part of my life growing up. Coaching tennis became my full-time job through my late teens and twenties and on and off through my thirties. Even after having my 3 kids, I could say I bounced right back to some of my fittest and healthiest years by playing and coaching tennis. Then, I made the decision to go to graduate school and work. So, 3 kids under four (complete with breast feeding, potty training, entertaining, and educating), graduate classwork, and an amazing job opportunity, was pretty much the beginning of that very slow but very steady downward spiral. It took about a decade, a couple of promotions and a couple of medical diagnoses to lead to that cold turkey decision to go back to a life of wellness as I was approaching 40. Now don't get me wrong, I am beyond proud of my graduate education and my professional career. Those were amazing years of growth, amazing experiences, and professional success I still enjoy today. I just definitely needed a big reset in my mindset, both for physical and mental wellness, and to develop a healthier relationship with work. So, me being me... once I committed, I read and researched and read some more and I'm still reading and researching all I can about wellness, fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, and mindset, which, no surprise; it's all connected. It all goes hand in hand. The great news is there is no shortage of content to learn from in the fitness/wellness/nutrition industry. It is, after all, a multi-billion-dollar industry with plenty of professionals each dedicated to different specific expertise. The not-so-great news is there is no shortage of content or professionals out there with different specific expertise. So, in my educational quest, I quickly realized that for every piece of advice you come across, there is a counter advice pretty much telling you the exact opposite. You have professional A telling you “You must do these things for X results…” then, you turn around and you have professional B saying, “if you’ve been doing these things to get X results, you’ve been doing it wrong!” Then, you have professional C having a third thing to say about it all. And the more I read, the more videos I watched, and the more research I did, the more I started to realize I was back to square one; not really knowing specifically what to do, where to start, what to commit to. Now, I think it’s human nature to want to find the thing, right? The one thing I need to do to get to my goal weight, my ultimate fittest, my ultimate healthiest. Just give me a list! From A to Z and tell me exactly how long it will take to get there. Oh, and please say it will be insanely quickly. The thing is that this whole wellness deal is not a one size fits all. There is no single formula to plug and play. I know that should be obvious, but, most often, it isn’t. For me, that was both the toughest and the most liberating thing to realize. You can’t just copy exactly what someone else is doing and expect their exact results. That was soul crushing because that would be a simple thing to do. However, at the same time, it was such a relief to finally see that the reason I wasn’t getting results wasn’t because there was something wrong with me. It is really a trial-and-error journey you must be willing to endure to find just what will work for you. What Works Here are 4 things that kept showing up consistently in my research, which can serve as gauges, if you will. You can monitor and rely on them, so no matter how you design your own wellness routine, if you apply these 4 pillars, the chances for success increase exponentially. Accountability – develop a system for showing up every day. Whether you schedule it in your planner, post about it so others keep you accountable or pair up with an accountability partner, make sure you choose something that works for you to keep you honest. Consistency – tracking your activities daily and accurately is key. If you stuck to your plan that day, document it. If you didn’t, be honest and document that, too. The one thing to avoid is to be a month in and rely on memory because you’ll either be very hard on yourself and feel like you had zero consistency, or very generous and feel like you killed it! Being consistent and honest about how consistent you’re being is really the only way to figure out if your plan is working. Patience – whatever plan you commit to, do it for a significant amount of time. What is a significant amount of time? I’ve seen ranges anywhere from 30 to 90 days before you can decide if you’re on the right track. Could it happen sooner? Of course! But can start to see progress sooner than that. But finding something you like that you can stick to, finetune it to your needs, and finally see progress, takes time and patience. Community – team up with people who have similar goals, desire to learn, and willingness to help. Having a community where you can get inspiration, share challenges, exchange knowledge, and just have fun, truly makes a difference. We tend to overlook this as part of our education, but this is one powerful free resource we should take advantage of more often. The next few posts in this series will explore specific topics related to nutrition, exercise, and mindset, using content I’ve learned from some of my favorite sources. I will also share my challenges with overworking, chronic burnout, and other unhealthy lifestyle choices and how I overcame them. My hope is that the content you find here serves as just another source of information from a different perspective because I’ve found that you can hear the same advice in different ways from many different people before someone presents it in a way that finally just clicks. More importantly, I hope you find this as a source of motivation to get you on your own way to wellness. Thank you so much for spending time here. I’ll see you next time! Until then, express gratitude often, pay it forward when you can, and be kind to everyone… especially yourself.

A personal reinvention — even a small and superficial one — can teach you everything you need to know to take on big, bold, and purposeful career pivots in midlife. Personal and professional reinventions at any stage of life are more interconnected than we think, and one of the biggest factors keeping us from taking action is thinking we need to somehow become confident first. But the truth is, confidence is never a requirement for successful and meaningful reinventions. After a few successful pivots, I’ve learned that confidence is always earned. It’s built along the way. It’s a byproduct of taking action. It’s an end result, not a starting point. Pivots are about identifying who you want to be in a given season of life and determining how you’re going to show up as her today and every day until you become her. I accidentally learned this much earlier in life and in a pretty unexpected way. Confident Reinvention in Your 40s My First Reinvention: The Straight-Hair Girl Growing up with wavy, very frizzy hair, not only did I not have one photo I didn’t cringe at, but I was very self-conscious. My mom, who’s a saint, tried hard to learn how to style my hair, but she would always end up just brushing it, which always ended in a tearful commute to school — iykyk. I was so unhappy with my appearance that by age 15, I decided I would be a straight-haired girl. I think this was my first conscious reinvention, although I didn’t even know the word reinvention back then. I didn’t know what it would entail to become her, how much work it would be, or how difficult it would be to learn to straighten my hair. I just knew I was going to be her. I was going into my junior year of high school as the girl with neat, straight, non-frizzy hair, every single day. My frizzy, puffy, messy (to me) hair days were over for good (until my 30s of course, when maturity allowed me to embrace my curls from time to time) And confidence? Why would I have any if, in 15 years, there was zero evidence of a single good hair day? I was not relying on confidence to take that on. Just a really, really strong desire to make it happen and a crystal clear vision of what it would look like. While some girls show up as straight-hair girls thanks to genetics, what did it mean for me to show up as a straight-hair girl before I was one? It meant practicing straightening my hair every chance I got (sometimes multiple times a day). It meant failing at it often. It meant crying to my friend on the other side of the phone. It meant burning myself or my hair with various tools. It meant sore arms and wrists from doing it so much. It meant going to bed later or waking up earlier to get it done. Eventually, I was seeing results. My hair was looking more acceptable to me. It was looking more like the straight-haired girl I was envisioning. And I was becoming much more proficient at it, too. Soon, friends, tennis teammates, and sigh finally, boys were complimenting my looks — shallow, I know, but this is high school we’re talking about. Confidence was nowhere to be found when I started, but it sure started showing up as I got more skilled and consistent at achieving my new look. Confidence peaked when I was no longer a girl who straightened her hair — I was a straight-hair girl. Ever since, I have applied the same rigor to every other pivot or reinvention I’ve gone through personally and professionally, including my current one. The common denominators each time were the same: A powerful desire and/or why. A crystal clear vision. If those two were present, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I would pivot successfully even if I didn’t have the whole plan or steps mapped out. If they weren’t there, it was only a matter of time before I would realize that what I was chasing wasn’t truly for me. Confidence didn’t come first — it came through the commitment. My Second Reinvention: From TV to Project Management Fast forward a couple of decades. I had built a successful television career — exciting, fast-paced, and incredibly demanding. But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling aligned. I was burned out. I loved what I did, but the demands of the industry were sucking the life out of me. I started to crave a different kind of impact — one with more structure, more growth, and more personal meaning. So I set my sights on pivoting into project management. Again, I had no formal confidence — just a strong pull toward a new path. And once again, I had to become the version of me I envisioned: I woke up early to study before work I joined and volunteered at my local PMI chapter I read everything I could about becoming a PM I immersed myself in the identity before I ever held the title A year later, I landed a job as a Marketing Project Manager, and two years after that, I earned my PMP certification. Some people were project managers because they already were. I became one because I chose to be — long before anyone paid me to do it. That’s the power of intentional reinvention. My Third Reinvention: From Corporate to Entrepreneur That’s the midlife reinvention I’m currently in. As I write this, I’m actively in the messy beginning of it. And I’m doing it somewhat publicly this time. I want to be able to share, in real-time, the challenges, the wins, the setbacks — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Stay tuned for more on this one in future content. So, how do you build confidence when you're in the middle of a pivot? Not the glossy version. Not the “I totally know what I’m doing” version. But the kind that keeps you moving forward even when you feel like an impostor? Here’s what I’ve learned — both as a straight-hair girl in high school and a midlife woman reinventing her career and life from the inside out: 1. You don’t need confidence to start — just a clear vision. What matters most is why you’re doing it — not how good you are at first. You don’t have to believe in your ability yet. You just have to believe it’s worth figuring out. 2. You’re not starting from scratch — you’re starting from wisdom. Even if your new path feels unfamiliar, you are not. You’re bringing decades of grit, discipline, emotional intelligence, and resilience with you. That’s your launchpad — not your limitation. 3. Identity is built through action. You become the person you want to be by doing what that person would do — Straightening your hair every day, studying before work, howing up scared. Identity follows behavior, not the other way around. 4. Confidence grows through evidence. Every time you take a small brave step, you build internal proof: “I can do this.” It stacks. Slowly at first — then exponentially. Your confidence is just your brain learning to trust you. 5. You get to reinvent yourself as many times as you need. Reinvention isn’t a crisis. It’s a sign of growth. You’re allowed to evolve. You’re allowed to want more. You’re allowed to become someone you’ve never been before. Final Thought If you’re in a season of change or starting something new — please don’t wait for confidence. It’s not a signal to begin. It’s a reward for showing up anyway. You’re not too late. You’re just in the middle of becoming. And that’s a beautiful place to be.

Recently, I wrote about the power of accountability, consistency, patience, and community as gauges for measuring progress and reaching success on our way to wellness. You can read that post here . Today, I remembered a story that was kind of an aha moment as I was thinking about mindset and how it affects performance. It connected some dots for me, and although it may not be some huge revelation, it may be an important reminder about how powerful your mindset truly is. When I was in college, not sure if late teens or early 20s (aka freaking eons ago) I was playing a competitive tennis match. My opponent and I had played many times before and were pretty evenly matched. In this particular match, I was losing badly. I lost the first set 6-3 and was losing the second set 5-0. It was my serve. One more game and she would win the match 6-3, 6-0. In my head, I had already lost. But I didn’t want my score to be zero in the second set. Or, in tennis speak, I didn’t want to get “bageled”. Anything but a bagel! I had seconds to figure out what to do to get at least one game in. I looked up at the sun trying to see if I could adjust my toss. Maybe that was the issue. I was reaching. Then, I noticed my vision was partially blocked and wasn’t sure why. I was wearing a hat that day because so many people (aka mom and grandma) kept warning me against sun damage. It was the first time I wore a hat to play an actual match because they often gave me headaches. So, I took the hat off. I thought to myself - that’s probably it! “You’re not used to the hat and it’s blocking the line of sight,” I told myself. "That’s totally it!" Was it though!? Who the heck knows! And did it matter? I went on to win that game. It’s now 5-1, her serve. It’s a long, long way for me to come back. But, in my head, I believed I had solved the issue. I had come up with the reason I was losing. That belief, together with a more positive attitude plus action to focus on one point at a time, then one game at a time; led me to come back and win that set 7-5. And then went on to win the match in a third set tiebreak. I went from not believing I could win to, little by little, believing that I could. The reason didn’t seem to be of much consequence. The difference is that instead of using the hat as an excuse for losing, I chose to use it as the solution to turn things around. Why did it take me twenty-plus years to understand and apply this in life more often? Mindset and belief are way more powerful than we sometimes give it credit for. Perhaps we don’t realize that focused, small actions, repeated consistently, over time - done with a positive mindset and belief that things can be achieved - often lead to seemingly impossible results. But it happens all the time and I’m willing to bet most of us can think of similar stories when we dig deep into our experiences. It took a long time for me to believe that but if you really search, you’ll find plenty of evidence that anything is possible. Will it always work? No, but it will always be worth a try. Thank you so much for spending time here. I’ll see you next time! Until then, express gratitude often, pay it forward when you can, and be kind to everyone… especially yourself.

The next time you’re tempted to skip your workout or morning routine, think about this: personal discipline isn’t just about building healthy habits—it’s a foundational skill for developing strong leadership abilities. The habits you nurture in your personal life create a ripple effect, shaping how you lead, inspire, and tackle challenges in your career. Small promises to yourself lead to big impacts on your leadership. Here are three key ways personal discipline strengthens your leadership abilities: 1. Integrity Starts With You When you consistently keep promises to yourself—whether it’s finishing your workout or sticking to your morning routine—you strengthen your integrity. Integrity is about doing what you say you’ll do, even when it’s hard. It’s the same principle that builds trust with your team. When you honor commitments to yourself, you’re building the muscle to honor commitments in the workplace. Personal accountability and self-discipline go beyond enhancing your overall wellness and are skills that are directly transferable to your leadership at work.  Action Tip:  Start with one manageable habit, like committing to a 10-minute meditation or walk every morning, and hold yourself accountable. Small wins build momentum! Leadership starts when no one is watching. 2. Lead by Example Great leaders don’t just set expectations—they live them. When you show up for the hard things (like exercising on a tough day), you are subconsciously strengthening your leadership habits through personal growth. Most importantly, you cultivate the kind of character that inspires trust and respect.  When I first started to take self-care seriously, I thought it was something I was doing for myself. It felt anonymous. But my coworkers, supervisors, and senior leadership noticed it right away and what’s even more rewarding - they wanted to take their own health more seriously because of it.  This is about modeling the behavior you want to see in others. Your personal discipline can set a standard that uplifts your team, family, or community. Action Tip:  Share how a personal habit (like journaling or gratitude practice) positively impacts your energy or decision-making with your team. Inspiration is contagious! Lead by example by leading from the front. Do what you lead others to do. 3. Fuel Creativity and Energy Starting your day with intentional habits like exercise, gratitude, or learning supercharges your brain for success. These activities release endorphins, boost focus, and spark the creativity needed to solve complex problems. For years, I dealt with chronic career burnout and constantly found myself spending the better part of the morning in a fog, blankly staring at my computer screen.  Once I started my days with an intentional wellness routine, I started to see a direct correlation to how much more productive and creative my days in the office were right from the start.  My problem solving abilities improved tremendously and effortlessly as well.  The truth is your energy fuels your team’s energy, and it all begins with the rituals you commit to daily. Action Tip:  Experiment with a morning routine that includes at least one habit for your mind (reading), body (exercise), and spirit (gratitude). Notice the difference in your focus and mood. Start your day right; lead your life boldly. The Virtuous Cycle of Discipline and Leadership The power of personal discipline in developing professional leadership and relation between the two isn’t one-directional—it’s a powerful cycle. Every time you stay consistent with personal habits, you’re training yourself to lead with integrity, energy, and resilience. And as your leadership grows, so does your commitment to staying disciplined. When you’re tempted to hit snooze or skip your self-care, remember: these small actions are building the leader you’re meant to be. Action Tip:  The reality is that your consistency with your personal discipline will fluctuate but as long as you don’t quit, there will come a point where the scales will tip in your favor and you’ll have longer periods of consistent action and less “falling off the wagon.” Share Your Thoughts  How do your personal habits impact your leadership style? Share your thoughts in the comments below or tag us on Instagram @Fit.Wellness.In to show how you're leading your life and team with discipline!

For midlife high achievers seeking a meaningful career change Most of us spent our early careers working tirelessly, trading our time, energy, and creativity in exchange for experience and opportunity – not always money, not always recognition. We paid our dues. We built careers. Achieved great things we once only dreamed about. Now, at midlife, we’re feeling stuck or in an endless hamster wheel, craving meaningful change. But the thought of starting over – even in the smallest way – can feel daunting. Maybe even terrifying. And, for most of us, our egos also get in the way. After all the work, the success, and the sacrifices to get here… do we really want to go back to square one? And yet – isn’t it human nature to sometimes wish for a do-over? How many times have we said: “If only I knew then what I know now…” The Hidden Power of Starting Over What many of us don’t realize is that becoming a beginner again – on our own terms – can be one of the most liberating experiences of our lives. To a certain extent, it could even feel like we’re gaining back a bit of the innocence we once had. The kind that allowed us to embark into the unknown with enthusiasm. When we allow ourselves to start fresh at something, we step back into a space of pure curiosity, creativity, and discovery. We shed the expectations. We quiet the inner critic demanding perfection. We open ourselves up to growth without pressure. We tap into what I like to call “Beginner Energy” – a powerful blend of humility, courage, innocence, and freedom. Learning Something New… Just for You After years (or even decades) of striving to be competent, credible, and impressive, becoming a beginner feels different. It feels lighter. It feels freer. It feels joyful and peaceful. When you’re a beginner again, the stakes are lower because nobody (especially you) expects you to be perfect or proficient. Instead of chasing success, you’re chasing experiences and knowledge. Instead of proving yourself, you’re developing yourself in a new way. And that alone is worth every second of the effort and embracing that beginner energy. A New Kind of Courage Starting something new later in life isn’t about erasing what you’ve accomplished. It’s about adding new layers to who you are becoming. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from wisdom, resilience, and experience. And that makes all the difference. Final Thoughts If you’ve been feeling the pull to try something new – a career pivot, a creative pursuit, a side project – but fear has been holding you back, I encourage you to consider this: What if becoming a beginner again isn’t a setback? What if it’s your next breakthrough? It’s never too late to start something new or become someone even greater. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to try, I’d love to hear it and cheer you on! You deserve to experience the freedom of being a beginner again.

Never in a million years did I think I’d be launching my first YouTube channel at 47! Yet, here I am, hitting “publish” on my first video as part of a journey I never saw coming. This unexpected twist is part of a bigger story—one of healing from chronic career burnout and reinventing myself outside of the corporate world. For years, I climbed the corporate ladder, chasing success but finding myself burnt out and unfulfilled. Although, truth be told, I've LOVED my corporate career at every stage.  I've met some of the most incredible mentors and colleagues, most of whom I still call friends today. Add to this the years of graduate school, amazing professional development trainings, and so much success along the way, it's hard for the sunk cost fallacy (and the high you get from extraordinary achievement) not to play a factor in why I stayed much longer than I wanted to.  Still, the anxiety, long hours, PTO left to expire, and guilt over taking time off, all led to serious physical and mental health decline.  In 2019, I began a journey to recover from chronic burnout and realized that the career I once thought defined me no longer aligned with my purpose. This realization was both freeing and terrifying. It was time to pivot, but how? Launching this YouTube channel became a critical piece of the puzzle. In this post, I’m sharing the 3 (or rather, 4) major reasons why I decided to launch my YouTube channel at 47 and how it’s helping me navigate this new chapter of my career. 1. Finding Purpose After Career Burnout Experiencing chronic career burnout was a wake-up call that I couldn’t ignore. It made me question my career choices and reevaluate my definition of success. I realized that I was chasing external validation and achievements that left me feeling empty. It was time for a change. Sharing my journey of recovery and transformation felt purposeful and meaningful. I wanted to help others who were silently struggling, just like I was. Launching my YouTube channel will be one vehicle to turn my experiences into something positive—a platform to inspire and guide others through career burnout and reinvention. Through my channel, as I've been doing with this blog, I’ll open up about my challenges, lessons learned, and the tools and practices that helped me heal, in a more personal and immersive way. I hope to build a community of like-minded individuals who are also seeking purpose, growth, and well-being in their lives. 2. Embracing Reinvention and Growth Starting a YouTube channel at 47 is pushing me out of my comfort zone in ways I never anticipated. It requires me to confront my fears, self-doubt, and the voice that constantly asks, “Am I too old for this?” But that’s exactly why I need to do it. Reinvention means stepping into the unknown and being willing to grow through discomfort. I realized that in order to truly pivot my career, I had to embrace change and challenge myself in new ways. Learning video creation, editing, and building an online presence is not just about content—it's about developing resilience, adaptability, and confidence. This journey is helping me grow not just professionally but personally as well. 3. Building Community and Inspiring Others One of the most fulfilling aspects of launching my channel has been connecting with others who resonate with my story. Career burnout and reinvention are deeply personal experiences, but they’re also incredibly common—especially for mid-career professionals. By sharing my journey authentically, I hope to inspire others to prioritize their well-being, pursue their passions, and not be afraid to pivot, no matter their age. I’m building a community where we can learn, grow, and support each other through these transitions. Knowing that my experiences and insights could help someone else feel less alone or inspire them to take action is incredibly motivating. This sense of purpose keeps me going, even on days when self-doubt creeps in. 4. Upleveling Essential Skills for My New Career One of the most strategic reasons I started my YouTube channel was to develop essential skills for my career pivot. Public speaking, presenting, researching, and synthesizing information are all crucial leadership skills for my new career path, and creating video content is a powerful way to hone them. Each video challenges me to organize my thoughts clearly, communicate effectively, and engage with an audience. It’s a practice ground for storytelling and building my confidence as a speaker. Additionally, the process of researching, scripting, and presenting complex topics in an accessible way is sharpening my ability to synthesize information—a skill that’s valuable in any field. I’m using my channel as a way to grow professionally while sharing valuable insights with my audience. It’s a win-win that’s helping me lay the foundation for my next career chapter. Nurturing Passion Through Purpose Launching my YouTube channel at 47 wasn’t just about trying something new—it was about finding purpose, embracing growth, building community, and strategically up-leveling my skills. It’s about transforming my burnout experience into a journey of reinvention and inspiring others to do the same. I have such a long road ahead but I'm excited and optimistic about this exciting new phase of my career reinvention.  If you’re feeling stuck in your career, experiencing burnout, or considering a big pivot, I hope my story encourages you to take the first step. It’s never too late to redefine your path and pursue a life that truly aligns with who you are. Thank you for joining me on this journey! If you found this post inspiring or relatable, I’d love for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow along as I continue to grow, learn, and share. Let’s navigate our midcareer together! And remember, it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

Have you ever had the nagging feeling that something's off with your energy, focus, or motivation, but you can't quite put your finger on it?  You're meeting your deadlines, showing up for your family, and going through all the motions of a successful life—yet inside, something feels hollow or exhausted. If this resonates, you might be experiencing burnout—but not the dramatic, can't-get-out-of-bed variety that gets all the attention.  Instead, you could be dealing with the subtle, insidious form of burnout that many high-achieving professional women experience but frequently dismiss. The Validation You Need Right Now Let me first say this: you're not imagining things .  That feeling of something being "off" is your body and mind trying to communicate an important message.  As professional women, especially in midlife, we've become experts at pushing through discomfort, minimizing our own needs, and soldiering on despite warning signs. In my own experience working in television and later as a project manager, I ignored numerous subtle burnout signals for years.  I attributed them to normal stress, the demands of being a working mother, or simply "the way things are." It wasn't until these subtle signs escalated into a full-blown crisis that I finally recognized what was happening. Today, I want to help you identify these hidden signs before they reach that point.  Let's explore 10 burnout symptoms that often fly under the radar—signs that don't always make it into mainstream articles but are very real indicators that your system needs attention. You're not alone 10 Hidden Signs of Burnout You Might Be Dismissing 1. The Sunday Scaries Have Become the Everyday Scaries The subtle sign:  That feeling of dread isn't just showing up on Sunday evenings anymore—it's become your constant companion, appearing randomly throughout your workweek. What's really happening:  Your nervous system is in a heightened state of alert, preparing for perceived threats that it associates with work situations. This chronic stress response is taxing your body and mind even when you're not actively facing a challenge. Relief strategy:  Schedule brief "worry appointments" with yourself. Set a timer for 10 minutes and allow yourself to fully feel the anxiety without judgment and, when possible, write down how you will resolve or prepare to deal with what’s worrying you or how you.  When the timer ends, consciously shift to a different activity. This contained approach helps prevent anxiety from spilling across your entire day. 2. Your Memory Has More Gaps Than a Middle School Smile The subtle sign:  You're forgetting things that would typically be easy to remember—appointments, commitments, or even what you were saying mid-sentence. As someone who would only bail on commitments if bedridden—and who takes pride in having the memory of an elephant—this one hit me especially hard.  What's really happening:  Chronic stress affects the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory formation. Additionally, mental exhaustion means your brain has fewer resources available for creating and retrieving memories. Relief strategy:  Externalize your memory systems completely. Rather than fighting against this cognitive effect, create robust external memory systems using digital tools, paper planners, or visual cues. Remove the pressure to remember everything and save your cognitive resources for more important tasks. 3. Small Decisions Feel Overwhelming The subtle sign:  Choosing what to eat for lunch, which email to respond to first, or what to wear suddenly requires enormous mental effort. What's really happening:  Decision fatigue has set in. Your prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, is overtaxed due to constant demands without adequate recovery. Relief strategy:  Create decision templates for recurring choices. Have standard meals, outfit formulas, and response frameworks ready so you're not starting from scratch each time. This conserves mental energy for truly important decisions. One of the first things I did was commit to meal prepping—because when left to decide on the spot, I’d often work straight through lunch and skip eating altogether.  Start small and maybe tackle one or two decision frameworks at a time. 4. Your Emotional Responses Feel Disconnected From Events The subtle sign:  You find yourself either overreacting to minor frustrations or feeling oddly detached when you should be excited or engaged. What's really happening:  Chronic stress disrupts emotional regulation. Your nervous system may be oscillating between hyperarousal (overreaction) and hypoarousal (emotional numbness) as a protective mechanism. Relief strategy:  Practice the "name it to tame it" approach. Simply labeling your emotions with specific words (e.g., "I'm feeling frustrated, disappointed, and overwhelmed right now") helps activate your prefrontal cortex and reduce amygdala activation, bringing your emotional responses back into balance. I know most people turn up their noses at journaling practices, but trust me, it works. 5. Your Physical Symptoms Mysteriously Come and Go The subtle sign:  You experience headaches, digestive issues, muscle tension, or other physical symptoms that medical tests can't explain or that appear and disappear unpredictably. I’ve seen cardiologists, worn a heart monitor, undergone endoscopies, and endured countless tests—only to be told everything was 'normal.' Meanwhile, I was fainting, having panic attacks, dealing with swollen glands, and battling relentless digestive issues.  The verdict? Years of chronic, intense stress.  And that was just the tip of the iceberg of what my life looked like for years. What's really happening:  Your body is expressing stress through somatic symptoms. The mind-body connection means psychological stress often manifests physically, particularly when the stress isn't being acknowledged consciously. Relief strategy:  Implement a body scan practice. Spend 3-5 minutes daily checking in with your body from head to toe, noticing areas of tension or discomfort without trying to change them. This mindful awareness often begins a natural relaxation response and helps you identify stress patterns earlier. 6. You're Constantly Tired Yet Struggle to Sleep The subtle sign:  Despite feeling exhausted all day, you find yourself unable to fall asleep at night, or you wake up at 3 AM with your mind racing. What's really happening:  Your stress hormones are disrupting your natural sleep-wake cycle. Elevated cortisol at night interferes with melatonin production, making restful sleep elusive even when you're exhausted. Relief strategy:  Create a sleep runway—a 30-60 minute period before bed completely free from work, screens, and stressful topics. This buffer zone gives your nervous system time to transition to rest mode. During nighttime wakefulness, keep a notepad by your bed to capture racing thoughts, telling your brain it's safe to let go of them until morning. It’s also worth noting that once I started incorporating even just 15 minutes of movement first thing in the morning, my insomnia drastically improved.  On the days I began with even a simple walk, I noticed the sleepless nights disappeared. 7. Things You Used to Enjoy Now Feel Like Obligations The subtle sign:  Activities or hobbies that once energized you now feel like items on your to-do list that you need to check off or avoid altogether. What's really happening:  Anhedonia—the reduced ability to experience pleasure—is a common but rarely discussed symptom of burnout. It occurs when your dopamine system becomes dysregulated due to chronic stress. Relief strategy:  Lower the bar for engagement. Instead of expecting the same level of enjoyment as before, commit to just 5 minutes of a previously enjoyed activity with zero expectations. Often, simply beginning without pressure can rekindle interest and pleasure naturally. 8. Your Inner Dialogue Has Turned Unusually Harsh The subtle sign:  The voice in your head has become increasingly critical, perfectionistic, or negative, often saying things to yourself you would never say to a friend. What's really happening:  Burnout erodes self-compassion, and the stress response activates critical self-talk as a misguided attempt to motivate or protect yourself from disappointment. Relief strategy:  Implement the "compassionate observer" technique. When you notice harsh self-talk, visualize stepping back and observing the situation as a kind, wise friend would.  What would this compassionate observer say about your situation and to you? This mental shift helps break the cycle of self-criticism. 9. You're More Withdrawn From Relationships The subtle sign:  You find yourself canceling plans, taking longer to respond to personal messages, or feeling depleted after social interactions that used to energize you. What's really happening:  Social withdrawal is both a symptom and a coping mechanism for burnout. Your energy resources are depleted, making social engagement more costly from an energy standpoint. Relief strategy:  Prioritize "low-effort, high-connection" interactions. Identify which relationships energize you despite minimal effort and which ones require significant emotional labor. During burnout recovery, consciously allocate your limited social energy to the former while temporarily reducing commitment to the latter. This is perhaps the most valuable relief strategy I’ve implemented in my burnout recovery. It helped heal my marriage from an 11-year separation and provided clarity around who to spend my time with and with whom to finally set boundaries.  The agonizing feeling of unread messages and dread around wanting to cancel plans—gone.  Now I spend 100% of the time with the people I love, and regaining that alone is priceless. 10. You've Lost Your Sense of Meaning and Impact The subtle sign:  You go through the motions of your work but have lost sight of why it matters or whether you're making a difference. What's really happening:  Burnout erodes your connection to purpose and meaning, particularly when organizational factors or workload prevent you from doing your work in alignment with your values. Relief strategy:  Create a "meaning minute" practice. Each day, take 60 seconds to write down one specific way your work positively affected someone else or aligned with a value that matters to you. These small moments of reconnection can gradually rebuild your sense of purpose even while addressing larger burnout factors. The Path Forward: First Steps When You Recognize These Signs Recognizing these subtle burnout signs is a crucial first step toward relief and recovery. Here's what to do next: 1. Remove the Self-Blame Burnout is not a personal failing or a sign of weakness. It's a normal response to prolonged stress, particularly in systems and cultures that prioritize productivity over wellbeing. The first step toward healing is to stop blaming yourself for experiencing a natural human response. 2. Start a Symptoms Journal For one week, keep a simple log of which burnout symptoms you experience, when they appear, and what might have triggered them. This data gathering helps you identify patterns and priorities for intervention without overwhelming yourself with a complete life overhaul. 3. Identify One Energy Drain to Address Based on your symptoms journal, choose just ONE energy drain to modify this week. Perhaps it's a particular meeting that always leaves you depleted, a relationship that requires too much emotional labor, or a self-imposed standard that's no longer serving you. Small, strategic changes often yield significant relief. 4. Implement a Minimum Viable Recovery Practice Choose one 5-minute recovery practice to implement daily, even (especially) when you feel you don't have time. This could be box breathing, a quick meditation, stepping outside, or simply sitting with a cup of tea and doing nothing else. Consistency matters more than duration here. 5. Consider Professional Support If these subtle burnout signs have been present for more than a few months, consider speaking with a healthcare provider. While burnout itself isn't a medical diagnosis, it can co-exist with treatable conditions like depression or anxiety, and professional support can accelerate your recovery. You're Not Alone in This Journey Countless professional women experience these hidden burnout symptoms while continuing to function at a high level. Your ability to push through doesn't mean you should—and recognizing these subtle signs before they escalate is a sign of strength, not weakness. In future posts, I'll share specific recovery strategies that worked for me and many other women I've connected with who have navigated this path from hidden burnout to renewed energy and purpose. Until then, I'd love to hear from you. Which of these subtle burnout signs resonates most with your experience? Drop a comment below or send me a message—your insight might help another woman realize she's not alone or imagining things. Remember: Recognizing burnout signs isn't admitting defeat; it's the first step toward reclaiming your wellbeing and the energy to pursue what truly matters to you.

Not all transformations are physical. The best ones happen on the inside. And the changes that improve quality of life are the ones that, for me, hold the most value. I look at that picture on the left — always exhausted, not always present, overworking and oversleeping, stressed and unhealthy — and I’m reminded that’s what coaching helped me transition out of. That’s why almost 3 years later I still show up and it’s my reminder not to ever go back to that. Side note: and so sad to admit, that photo below, on the left was taken during a trip to Universal when my kids were younger and I don’t really remember any of it. All I recall was taking the trip stressed, over only a day and a half because I never properly took time off from work. I wish I could go back to share the excitement with my kids I know I missed that day. When I began coaching I had all the fears in the world and overthought all the things. I was searching for something that would transform the way I sustainably approached fitness and nutrition. But I was fearful of failing, of not being good at it, of being judged. Despite those fears, I eased into it because I knew something had to change if I wanted to live differently. And little by little people started to tell me they were motivated by just watching me. I cannot begin to describe what an amazing feeling that is! When fear tries to creep back in, because it always does and always will… I go back to basics that got me started. I go back to the number one job I have as a coach, and that’s to put my wellness first. Now, I get to help others design a lifestyle that will not only make a positive impact in their own life but that will also set a good example for those around them. I couldn’t imagine not doing what I do and for that I’m forever grateful to the coaches that mentor me and I get to call colleagues and friends. My advice to you is simple: when an opportunity to learn from others presents itself and has the potential to change your life, go all in. Don’t wait for the perfect time (that doesn’t exist.) Don’t fear you’re not ready (no one ever is). We learn with one small step at a time and through imperfect action. Go for it.

Overworking and being overly busy can be, and often is, regarded as a badge of honor. A sign of a dedicated employee. A hard worker who’s truly passionate about what they do. And it’s not only difficult to identify, but also really hard to correct when you’re in the midst of it and love your job and the people you work with. How did I deal with chronic burnout? I didn’t. For years I had never even heard of the term burnout. It wasn’t until I began dealing with physical health issues that were unrelated to burnout but exacerbated by it that I began to learn about it. And the reason I didn’t realize I was experiencing chronic burnout was most likely denial. Some of the things I was subconsciously telling myself: This is just a phase - the heavy workload will decrease soon; you just have to stick it out a bit longer. Others are counting on you, and you can’t let them down. Just need that holiday break or weekend getaway to feel recharged. Keep it together! If you stress, you’ll stress others. I didn’t know at the time that each of those were blaring red flags that something is truly wrong. You shouldn’t look forward to holiday break just to recharge from overworking. And I’ve learned all the * insert any number here * tips to avoid burnout. They’re always the same: Make sure you get a good night sleep, Eat well (what does that mean?), Exercise, Take time off, and My favorite - ask for help! Ask for help? I didn’t even know I needed help! This is all great, well-intentioned advice; I’m not knocking it. It’s just that: number one, it’s easier said than done, and second, that’s too many things to do all at once. Here is what helped me: I implemented one very small change at a time. I started with waking up a little earlier and going for a 15-minute walk around the block. I did that for several months before building up to a whole morning routine. That very first change was immensely powerful in calming my anxiety and putting things into perspective. And most importantly, it kept me from compulsively starting to work as soon as I opened my eyes in the morning. The truth is that before I started implementing those small actions, I was very unhealthy. I skipped meals, I didn’t work out, I worked from when I opened my eyes until my head hit the pillow at night and did it all over again the next day. For years! The anxiety, stress, digestive issues, feelings of guilt, were all explained away and blamed on work. The benefits of adding physical activity slowly, working up to a full routine, adding small nutrition changes to my day were invaluable to my health, my work, and my confidence. Suddenly, I was sharper after that morning run. I felt more productive at work, had a clearer mind, and felt so much healthier and happier. My digestive issues slowly started to resolve as well. And, unintentionally, this new routine helped me set the boundaries I never could before. Everyone at work and at home knew I was embarking on this wellness journey. They respected it, helped me stay accountable and it even motivated them too. Thank you so much for spending time here. I’ll see you next time! Until then, express gratitude often, pay it forward when you can, and be kind to everyone… especially yourself.

Are you guilty of applying band aids when what you really need is a cast? I know that’s a strange analogy but hang with me for a sec while I try to make sense of it. But what I’m really asking is if you’ve ever felt on the verge of physical and mental exhaustion, ignored the red flags, and: Continued life and business as usual Continued to overwork Continued to overcommit at work and at home Continued to say yes to all things I am totally guilty, and I know many of us are. I don’t know if this is an eldest daughter thing, a catholic thing, a people pleaser thing or a combination thereof but my personal pattern during most of my professional career used be to ignore the signs, feel ill, and continue right through because I didn’t have any “real” signs of sickness – you know like a fever or a broken bone or other visible symptoms. What I would feel instead was acute stomach pain, headaches, severe fatigue, detachment, and other things that I would justify as a little stress – nothing a good tea and some ibuprofen couldn’t fix. Those were my band aids. But when you’re stretched so thin that you’re sprained; at that point, what you need to heal is a cast not a bandaid. What does a cast mean in this context? Rest. Time off. Stillness physically and mentally I had such trouble enjoying free time. All I felt was guilt and was completely incapable of taking a proper vacation. And then what would inevitably happen? The stress would become debilitating forcing me to take the time off I was avoiding. The sad part? What was supposed to be vacation was me avoiding people and sleeping to recover. The time off was the “cast” until I healed enough to head right back to work. Taking a day off for me used to be unthinkable! I took pride that in over a decade I could count the sick days I took with one hand. And if I told you all the weeks of vacation, I lost over the years... I don’t think you’d believe me. Or you’d feel really sorry for me. The worst part? I thought that was something to be proud of! I was tough, hard-working and loved what I did. I never recognized when I was approaching burnout or, even worse, when I was way past running on empty. That was definitely not the role model I wanted to be to those around me at work and at home. I slept away many significant moments in my kids’ lives. So, I started to research and anything and everything I could to learn why I was in this constant cycle of chronic burnout and how I could recover and prevent it for good. Over time, I started to recognize patterns and gain the self-awareness to discover the main two things that were contributing to my chronic burnout cycle: Lack of self-care and lack of boundaries. It took a while but once I made the decision to make self-care a non-negotiable part of my day, things shifted in a big way. Boundaries setting naturally came as a byproduct of my redesigned lifestyle. I started with baby steps, but my routine evolved slowly but surely into what it is today. Here is how I start and end each day to protect myself from ever falling into an overworking, chronic burnout cycle: I start my day with personal development. This could include reading, listening to audiobooks or podcasts, or doing a LinkedIn Learning course. I Exercise. I don’t have to tell you what those endorphins do for you, your mood, your energy, your work productivity, your mental clarity, and your confidence the rest of the day. I pay attention to my nutrition. I’m not a fan meal prepping but I do follow a nutrition plan that I prepare for every Sunday so it’s easy to stick to all week and there’s no room for guessing. I have a set bedtime. At 9pm, my phone turns to sleep mode and reminds me that bedtime is 10pm. The consistency of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps set you up for better sleep quality. I’m definitely still a work in progress but, these days, I’m much better at recognizing when I’m on the verge of burnout before ever needing that “cast.” I want my vacations to be intentional and enjoyable with friends and family. I want time off to help me recharge in a healthy way not to force me to not move. If you relate, I have two questions for you: have you learned to recognize the signs and, if so, what are your strategies for avoiding burnout?

When it comes to personal development, there are countless topics and strategies out there to explore depending on the specific goals you set for your own life. There are amazing books, courses, and podcasts to choose from, which will be a topic for another day because I can go on forever on those. No matter what topic or strategy you focus on, they all seem to relate to five major categories: mental, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual. When I got to a point in my career where I was putting in 16 to 18 hours a day, including evenings and most weekends, consistently for several years; it was no surprise I was not at my best. I was severely compromised in all five categories. Today, I want to share the personal development goals that I made part of my daily routine because they truly changed my life. I went from a career I loved with no life to a life I love that includes a career and two freelance businesses that make each day rewarding, fulfilling, and led to improve my relationships with family and friends. But the most important part to me is that these simple habits are setting an example I want my kids to witness and learn from. If you find yourself stuck in an endless cycle of overworking and exhaustion, feeling like you can’t possibly fit any wellness and self-care into your day; I hope you give the four personal development strategies below a try. They will not only show you how prioritizing your own wellness and development is absolutely possible and necessary, but they just might help improve your work-life balance like they did mine. This daily routine takes an hour or less of my day. Some days I do it all in one block of time, other days I get it in throughout the day. No matter how you approach it, the key to success is, you guessed it, to plan ahead. One last thing to note is to not try to implement all of the at the same time. Start with one and then add others gradually as you build these daily habits into a beneficial routine. 15 Minutes to Learn I start my days the same way each day. I read (or listen if it’s an audiobook or podcast) personal development content for 15 minutes. When I started this routine two and a half years ago, I desperately needed inspiration and strategies for changing the way I worked. So, I started with the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It’s a book I already owned because I had to read it back when I was in business school. It’s a fantastic book that you can refer back to over and over again and always learn something new you can implement. Implementing just a few minutes of learning into my day had one surprising and unexpected benefit. It gave me a great deal of introspection into what I loved about my career, what I was naturally good at, what I needed to improve on, and, ultimately, the insight I needed for a successful career change at the age of 40. Other resources I’ve loved throughout this journey are the podcast WorkLife by Adam Grant, the book The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, and the book The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. 15 to 30 Minutes to Exercise We all know the amazing benefits that come with moving your body. Yet, it is very easy to forget about them when we don’t prioritize exercise, or we fall off the wagon if we were exercising for a bit. It is so easy to blame work, hectic days, and the daily responsibilities of our adult lives as the reasons why we skip workouts. But something I go back to often to remain motivated is the distinct impact I felt when I simply started to add a 15-minute walk/run around the block to my morning routine. Prior to adding this activity to my morning, I would wake up with just enough time to get ready to run out the door for work. Most mornings I’d cut it so close, my morning was a hectic mess. By the time I was in front of my computer, I’d be in a mental fog that would take a good hour or longer to get out of. It wasn’t the physical benefits that were loudly manifesting. It was the mental clarity that came with this habit when I was able to stick with it regularly that made a great impact in my workday. I was sharper, had way more energy, felt way more confident, and thought quicker on my feet. Since then, I’ve graduated to a full variety of strength training workouts ranging anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes depending on the day. I either do it first thing in the morning when I have to go into the office or fit it in at lunchtime since I now work from home most days. No matter when it happens, I no longer can imagine my day without it. When days get tough (because they will) I go back to basics and take that 15-minute walk around the block. 10 to 15 Minutes for Gratitude and Journaling I’m sure you’re no stranger to the benefits of practicing gratitude. It has been highlighted and well documented, especially in recent years. It is as low hanging fruit as they come as far as healthy habits go and it’s said to decrease stress and increase self-esteem and overall happiness. Journaling goes hand in hand since gratitude is one of the best things to journal about. Other great things to journal about are your day to day, your vision for the future, and the most important things you want to accomplish today, this week, this month, this year… you get the idea. If you don’t know where to start, there are a number of guided journals and a vast number of free resources to learn from. A good place to start is to write down one thing you’re grateful for each day and why. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the introspection that comes from this simple habit and the impact it can have in your overall confidence. Pay It Forward Any Chance I Get I’ve been blessed with great role models in life and at work. From my parents to amazing bosses and colleagues, they all share one thing in common that I strive to always implement in my life. They all set the example when it comes to helping others. I love to take what I’ve learned from them and what I learn each day that contributes to my success, and make sure I share to contribute to someone else’s success. From taking five minutes to highlight a colleague’s strengths as they knock a project out of the park, to sharing my wellness knowledge with my friends and family members, to mentoring someone through a task; there is no better feeling than knowing you’re making a positive impact in someone’s life, the way others made in your life. Thank you so much for spending time here. I’ll see you next time! Until then, express gratitude often, pay it forward when you can, and be kind to everyone… especially yourself.