Protecting Your Peace Isn’t Selfish — It’s Self-Care
Let me guess…
You’re tired. But you keep going.
You feel it in your bones that you need a break. But the list is long. The people are counting on you. The guilt creeps in.
You feel it in your bones that you need a break. But the list is long. The people are counting on you. The guilt creeps in.
So instead of slowing down, you keep pushing.
Because somewhere along the way, we were taught:
- Rest means we’re falling behind
- Saying “no” means we’re letting people down
- Pausing means we’re giving up
But what if the truth is the exact opposite?
🧠 Your Nervous System Needs You to Slow Down
Our bodies are incredible — they’re built to help us adapt, push through, and care for others.
But they’re also designed to rest, regulate, and recover.
But they’re also designed to rest, regulate, and recover.
When we’re stuck in stress — even low-level, background stress — our nervous system stays on high alert. And over time, this affects everything:
- Cortisol stays elevated
- Blood sugar becomes harder to manage
- Sleep gets disrupted
- Hormones shift and symptoms worsen
- Cravings, inflammation, and mood swings creep in
It’s not “just stress.”
It’s the foundation of your health.
It’s the foundation of your health.
🪞We Don’t Have to Earn Rest
I’ve had to learn this lesson many times:
You don’t have to reach your breaking point before you give yourself permission to stop.
You don’t have to reach your breaking point before you give yourself permission to stop.
And I see it in so many of the women I talk to.
They’re not “failing.”
They’re exhausted.
From the pressure.
The invisible expectations.
The caregiving.
The push to always keep going, even when their body whispers, “please… not today.”
They’re not “failing.”
They’re exhausted.
From the pressure.
The invisible expectations.
The caregiving.
The push to always keep going, even when their body whispers, “please… not today.”
If that’s you, you’re not alone.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
Here’s your gentle invitation:
Take 5 minutes and ask yourself:
- Where am I feeling stretched too thin right now?
- What’s one thing I can release, postpone, or soften this week — without guilt?
- What does protecting my peace look like today?
It doesn’t have to be a big change.
It just has to be honest.
It just has to be honest.
Maybe it’s going to bed earlier.
Maybe it’s letting yourself say “not today” to something you usually say yes to.
Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to feel tired without needing to fix it.
Maybe it’s letting yourself say “not today” to something you usually say yes to.
Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to feel tired without needing to fix it.
The pause is part of the progress.
Rest is healing.
And your peace matters.
Rest is healing.
And your peace matters.
📥 Want more tools to support your hormones, stress, and energy — naturally?
I’d love to share what helped me feel better than I have in years — especially in the most overwhelming season of my life.
No pressure. No programs. Just real support.
No pressure. No programs. Just real support.
Hit reply — and I’ll share exactly what worked for me.
Rooting for you,
Rachel xo
Rachel xo
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Ever found yourself...
- Mindlessly snacking late at night?
- Skipping your morning walk (even though you know it makes you feel better)?
- Scrolling instead of sleeping?
- Reaching for sugar or carbs even when you’re “trying to be good”?
Here’s the truth:
That doesn’t make you lazy, weak, or lacking discipline.
It makes you human.
That doesn’t make you lazy, weak, or lacking discipline.
It makes you human.
And what I’ve learned — personally and professionally — is this:
👉 Your habits are talking.
The question is… are you listening?
The question is… are you listening?
🧠 Habits Aren’t Random — They’re Messengers
We often beat ourselves up over behaviors we don’t like.
But what if those behaviors are actually signals?
- Reaching for sugar? Your blood sugar or hormones might be off.
- Too tired to move your body? Maybe your stress and sleep need support first.
- Avoiding routines you once loved? Could be a sign of burnout, grief, or disconnection.
Your body isn’t sabotaging you.
It’s communicating with you — the only way it knows how.
It’s communicating with you — the only way it knows how.
💬 What My Habits Taught Me
There was a season when I couldn’t seem to “get it together.”
No matter how hard I tried, I kept breaking promises to myself — over and over.
No matter how hard I tried, I kept breaking promises to myself — over and over.
It wasn’t until I paused and asked myself why that everything shifted.
I didn’t need another strict plan.
I needed to reconnect with my body.
To hear what she was trying to say beneath the cravings, the fatigue, and the resistance.
I needed to reconnect with my body.
To hear what she was trying to say beneath the cravings, the fatigue, and the resistance.
And what she said was:
“I need care. Not control.”
That was the turning point.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
If this resonates, here are 3 reflection prompts for your journal — or even just a quiet moment with your coffee:
- What’s one habit I keep repeating — and what might it be trying to tell me?
- Am I trying to fix my behavior… or understand it?
- What would a curious, caring response look like today — instead of a critical one?
You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to stay connected.
You just need to stay connected.
🛠️ One Gentle Step to Try This Week
Pick one habit that’s been frustrating you.
Instead of forcing change, ask:
👉 What’s the need underneath this?
👉 What’s the need underneath this?
Then meet that need in the smallest, kindest way possible.
This is how we build habits that heal — not punish.
📩 Ready to create new rhythms from self-respect — not shame?
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
In the Focus. Fiber. Fasting. community, we help support each other.
You’re always welcome to join us.
And if you ever want to know what helped me feel better (naturally!) — just hit reply. I’m happy to share.
Rooting for you,
Rachel xo
Rachel xo
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If you’ve ever said:
“I was doing so well… and then I fell off.”
“I just need to start over… again.”
“Why can’t I stick with it?”
You are not alone.
Most of us have been taught to think of wellness like a 30-day sprint:
✅ Follow the plan
✅ Get the result
✅ Be “fixed”
✅ Follow the plan
✅ Get the result
✅ Be “fixed”
But here’s the truth I’ve learned — both through my own journey and working with women just like you:
👉 Wellness isn’t a quick fix. It’s a relationship.
One that requires honesty.
One that thrives with consistency.
And one that doesn’t fall apart just because you missed a day — or even a whole week.
One that thrives with consistency.
And one that doesn’t fall apart just because you missed a day — or even a whole week.
🔄 The Time I “Started Over” for the 10th Time
There was a season in my life where I kept “starting over.”
Monday after Monday.
Monday after Monday.
Month after month.
New Year after New Year.
Each time I fell off track — with movement, fasting, self-care — I felt like I had failed.
And each time, I came back with more guilt, more shame, and more pressure to do it perfectly.
And each time, I came back with more guilt, more shame, and more pressure to do it perfectly.
But eventually, I realized… I wasn’t failing.
I was learning.
I was learning.
Every time I came back, I was choosing myself again.
And that’s not failure — that’s commitment.
And that’s not failure — that’s commitment.
💬 Small, Imperfect Actions Matter More Than You Think
You don’t need a “perfect” week to be well.
You need a rhythm — something you can return to, not something you have to restart.
You need a rhythm — something you can return to, not something you have to restart.
Think about the relationships that matter most in your life — the ones built on love, grace, and trust.
They aren’t perfect. But they’re strong. Because you show up again and again.
They aren’t perfect. But they’re strong. Because you show up again and again.
That’s the kind of relationship your body needs.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
Here are 3 relationship-based questions to ask yourself today:
- Am I showing up for my body like I would a friend — or like a critic?
- What small act of care can I offer myself today — not as punishment, but as respect?
- When I fall out of rhythm, do I extend grace or guilt to myself?
You don’t have to do it all today.
You just have to keep showing up — with honesty, with care, and with the kind of consistency that grows over time.
You just have to keep showing up — with honesty, with care, and with the kind of consistency that grows over time.
Wellness isn’t about “fixing” yourself.
It’s about building trust — with your body, your needs, and your future.
It’s about building trust — with your body, your needs, and your future.
📩 If you’re feeling like you’ve “fallen off” or lost momentum, I see you.
Let this be your gentle nudge back into rhythm — without shame, and without a reset button.
Let this be your gentle nudge back into rhythm — without shame, and without a reset button.
Need support figuring out what rhythm works for you? Just reply — I’d love to walk beside you.
Rachel xo
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If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent years — maybe even decades — believing you could keep things “on track” if you just tried hard enough.
Plan ahead.
Work harder.
Fix it for everyone.
Prevent the pain.
Predict the outcome.
Work harder.
Fix it for everyone.
Prevent the pain.
Predict the outcome.
Control it.
But here’s the truth I’ve learned — both in life and in loss, especially through my time as a hospice nurse:
👉 We are not in control of nearly as much as we think we are.
And oddly enough, that realization?
It’s become one of the most peaceful and freeing truths of my life.
It’s become one of the most peaceful and freeing truths of my life.
🧠 The Burden of Believing It’s All Up to Us
I used to carry a lot of weight that didn’t belong to me:
- The responsibility to fix things
- The belief that if I worried enough, I could prevent or predict the outcome
- The guilt of “maybe I could have done more”
But what I’ve come to see is this:
We take on control because it gives us the illusion of safety.
But in the end, it only creates stress, resentment, and exhaustion.
We take on control because it gives us the illusion of safety.
But in the end, it only creates stress, resentment, and exhaustion.
There is so much we are not meant to hold.
🕊 A Moment of Surrender in the Forest
One day, I was sitting quietly beside a stream, meditating and reflecting.
And in that stillness, nature had something to say.
And in that stillness, nature had something to say.
I heard the trees — or maybe it was just a quiet knowing inside me — say:
“You need to be bendable and just sway with it.”
And the stream whispered:
“You need to go with the flow. Resisting the current only makes things harder.”
I know it might sound strange, but in that moment… I believed them.
And I’ve carried that lesson ever since.
And I’ve carried that lesson ever since.
✨ When You Let Go, You Make Space for Peace
Letting go of control doesn’t mean apathy.
It means trust.
It means discernment.
It means honoring your part — and releasing what was never yours to carry in the first place.
It means trust.
It means discernment.
It means honoring your part — and releasing what was never yours to carry in the first place.
Since learning this, I’ve noticed something beautiful:
- Less guilt about the things I couldn’t change
- Less tension in my body
- More grace in my relationships
- And a deeper peace in situations where I used to spiral
It’s not about giving up. It’s about giving yourself back to the moment — fully present, fully open.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
Take 5 minutes and ask yourself:
- What’s one thing I’ve been trying to control that I may need to surrender?
- What would happen if I stopped resisting and started allowing?
- How would it feel to gently release what’s not mine to hold?
You don’t need to control it all.
You were never meant to.
You were never meant to.
And in that release — there’s room to breathe again.
📩 If you’re in a season where you feel like you’re gripping too tightly — to health, to outcomes, to expectations — I see you.
Sometimes just having a space to be honest about it is the first step.
If you need support, or want to hear what helped me through one of the hardest seasons of my life — just reply. I’d be honored to walk with you.
If you need support, or want to hear what helped me through one of the hardest seasons of my life — just reply. I’d be honored to walk with you.
Rachel xo
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At some point, many of us quietly wonder:
“Shouldn’t this be easier by now?”
Whether it’s health, relationships, work, family, or simply making it through the week — there’s often a subtle belief that life should feel smoother than it does.
But here’s something I’ve learned over the years:
I’ve never met a single person who’s had an easy life.
🎢 We All Have Our Seasons
Sure, some people seem to glide through with fewer storms — less loss, less grief, less chaos.
But when you really sit with someone, ask the deeper questions, and listen without judgment… you quickly learn:
Everyone has walked through something hard.
Some just hide it better. Others carry it quietly. But it’s there.
So maybe life isn’t meant to be easy.
Maybe it’s meant to grow us, shape us, stretch us — even when we didn’t ask for it.
💭 How Do You Handle the Hard Seasons?
The real difference I’ve noticed isn’t in how many hard things people face.
It’s in how they respond to those seasons.
It’s in how they respond to those seasons.
Do we let the grief, the change, the setbacks define us?
Or do we allow them to refine us?
It doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pushing past it.
You’re absolutely entitled to feel the weight of it all — fully, deeply, and honestly.
But there’s also power in asking:
What is this season teaching me?
Who am I becoming through this?
Sometimes the shift is subtle — but it can change everything.
👁 A Change in Perspective
What if we stopped expecting life to be easy?
Not in a negative or defeated way — but in a way that releases the pressure of perfection and “shoulds.”
What if we could meet life as it is — with all its hills and valleys, and find meaning in the mess?
When we stop chasing ease and start embracing growth, we become more resilient, more grounded, and more compassionate.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
Take 5 minutes today and ask yourself:
- What’s one hard season I’ve been through — and what did it teach me?
- What part of life do I keep wishing was “easier,” and how might that belief be holding me back?
- What would it look like to grow through this instead of just survive it?
You are not weak for struggling.
You are human for feeling.
And you are strong for choosing to grow through what life throws your way.
📩 If you’re walking through something hard right now — I see you.
You’re not alone. And you don’t have to navigate it without support.
If you’re ready to take small steps toward healing, clarity, or just feeling better in your body — I’d love to talk.
Just reply or reach out. I’m here.
Rachel xo
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