I got sick recently.
Nothing major — just one of those slow-down-or-your-body-will-make-you kind of sick.
And even though I knew I needed to rest, I still caught myself doing it...
Trying to power through.
Feeling guilty about what I wasn’t doing.
Wondering if I’d “earned” the right to lay down, cancel plans, and do nothing.
Feeling guilty about what I wasn’t doing.
Wondering if I’d “earned” the right to lay down, cancel plans, and do nothing.
Sound familiar?
It hit me like a second wave of symptoms:
Rest is not something we have to earn.
You don’t have to prove you’re worthy of slowing down.
Rest is not something we have to earn.
You don’t have to prove you’re worthy of slowing down.
🧠 Why Rest Feels So Hard
For so many of us — especially women — rest feels like a luxury.
We’ve been taught that productivity equals value.
That if we’re not doing, helping, or moving, we’re falling behind.
We’ve been taught that productivity equals value.
That if we’re not doing, helping, or moving, we’re falling behind.
But the truth is: you are not a machine.
You are a living, breathing human being with a body that heals only when it slows down.
Rest is not laziness. It’s biology.
You are a living, breathing human being with a body that heals only when it slows down.
Rest is not laziness. It’s biology.
When we deny ourselves rest, here’s what we’re also denying:
- Proper immune function
- Blood sugar regulation
- Hormonal balance
- Nervous system recovery
- Emotional processing
- And basic dignity
You don’t need to wait until your body breaks down to give it what it’s been asking for.
💬 Who Needs to Hear This?
If you’re in a season where your energy is low, your motivation is scattered, or your body is asking for a break — listen to it.
You don’t need to do one more thing to be “deserving” of rest.
You already are.
You already are.
Whether you're recovering from an illness, emotional stress, or just burnout from life, this is your permission slip:
✨ You can stop proving. You can just rest.
✨ You can stop proving. You can just rest.
💡 Try This for Your Own Reset
Take 5 minutes today and ask yourself:
What would rest look like for me right now?
What would rest look like for me right now?
Then actually do it — even if it’s 10 quiet minutes on the couch, a nap, or canceling something that’s too much.
Sometimes healing doesn’t look like green smoothies and supplements.
Sometimes it looks like lying down and not apologizing for it.
Sometimes it looks like lying down and not apologizing for it.
📩 Want to learn how I support my body gently — especially in seasons of stress or recovery?
Just message me. I’m happy to share the tools that have helped me restore energy, lower inflammation, and heal.
Rachel xoxo
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Let’s talk about stress — the kind that slowly builds until it’s running the show.
You feel it in your body, in your energy, in your relationships.
You snap more easily. You lose your patience. You feel disconnected — not just from others, but from yourself.
You snap more easily. You lose your patience. You feel disconnected — not just from others, but from yourself.
And yet, most of us just keep going.
Giving. Serving. Pushing through.
Convincing ourselves it’s “just a busy season” or that we’ll rest later.
Giving. Serving. Pushing through.
Convincing ourselves it’s “just a busy season” or that we’ll rest later.
But here’s the truth:
Stress isn’t just emotional — it’s biological.
Stress isn’t just emotional — it’s biological.
💥 What Stress Is Doing to Your Body
When you’re under stress, your body releases cortisol, your main stress hormone.
And when cortisol stays high for too long, it disrupts everything:
- Raises your blood sugar
- Increases insulin resistance
- Messes with your sleep and energy
- Triggers cravings (hello, comfort food)
- Causes mood swings and anxiety
- Makes it nearly impossible to lose weight — especially belly fat
- Weakens your immune system
But the effects go deeper than physical.
Chronic stress impacts how we show up in the world — how we parent, how we partner, how we treat ourselves.
Chronic stress impacts how we show up in the world — how we parent, how we partner, how we treat ourselves.
It makes our world feel heavier.
It dims our light.
It dims our light.
🧘🏼♀️ Why Self-Care Isn’t Optional
We say things like, “I don’t have time for myself.”
But what we really mean is: “I’ve gotten used to ignoring my own needs.”
But what we really mean is: “I’ve gotten used to ignoring my own needs.”
That’s not selfish — it’s survival mode.
And here’s what I want to lovingly remind you:
✨ You can’t pour from an empty cup.
✨ If you don’t take care of you, no one else can do it for you.
✨ If you don’t take care of you, no one else can do it for you.
Self-care isn’t bubble baths or spa days (though those are great too).
It’s nervous system regulation. It’s insulin support. It’s coming back home to yourself.
It’s nervous system regulation. It’s insulin support. It’s coming back home to yourself.
💡 What Helps Me Reset Stress (Simple, Not Overwhelming)
Here are a few gentle tools that help bring me back when stress takes the wheel:
✅ 5-minute walk outside (no phone, just breath)
✅ Grounding meals — protein + fiber + fat, nothing fancy
✅ Magnesium before bed — especially for sleep + muscle tension
✅ Journaling for 5 minutes: “What do I need right now?” or even a simple "brain dump."
✅ Saying no — without overexplaining
✅ Fasting windows — to give my body a break from the sugar rollercoaster, this helps stabilize my mood.
✅ A moment of stillness — eyes closed, hand on heart, deep breath in and out
✅ Grounding meals — protein + fiber + fat, nothing fancy
✅ Magnesium before bed — especially for sleep + muscle tension
✅ Journaling for 5 minutes: “What do I need right now?” or even a simple "brain dump."
✅ Saying no — without overexplaining
✅ Fasting windows — to give my body a break from the sugar rollercoaster, this helps stabilize my mood.
✅ A moment of stillness — eyes closed, hand on heart, deep breath in and out
You don’t have to fix everything in one day.
Just start by checking in with yourself.
Just start by checking in with yourself.
Stress will always exist — but it doesn’t have to own you.
You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are worthy of care — not just after you’ve earned it, but because you exist.
You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are worthy of care — not just after you’ve earned it, but because you exist.
📩 Want to learn how I used these simple practices (along with fasting + natural support) to balance blood sugar, lose 30 lbs, and feel better than I have in years?
Just message me — I’m happy to share.
You’re not alone in this.
Rachel xoxo
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This week’s reset moment comes from my duck, Tilly.
It’s been 90 degrees outside, and for two days, a brand-new, bigger pool sat in the backyard — full, ready, and waiting. But did she use it? Nope. Not once.
Instead, she paced. Stared. Stayed dry.
So today, I gave in. I pulled out her old pool, the one she knows. Within minutes, she jumped right in, splashing around like she’d found water for the first time.
And it hit me: how often do we do this too?
We stick with what’s comfortable.
We stay “small.”
Even when something better — bigger, more freeing — is sitting just a few steps away.
We stay “small.”
Even when something better — bigger, more freeing — is sitting just a few steps away.
Why? Because it’s unfamiliar. Because we’re afraid to try.
Tilly had the opportunity to enjoy something so much better, but she couldn’t get past her comfort zone.
Sound familiar?
We do this all the time.
That new job you haven’t applied for.
The lifestyle change you keep saying you’ll “start Monday.”
The creative dream you haven’t touched because it feels too scary, too big.
But what if… you just tried?
Today, I want to gently challenge you:
Do the thing.
Try the scary new thing you’ve been thinking about.
Maybe it’s a 24-hour fast.
Maybe it’s journaling, moving your body, or finally standing up for yourself.
Maybe it’s journaling, moving your body, or finally standing up for yourself.
Because here’s what I’ve learned: growth lives on the other side of the unfamiliar.
I’m not the same person my husband Ed married 32 years ago.
Since then I’ve become a mom, a caregiver, a nurse, an author, a health advocate, and a business owner.
But before all of that — before nursing school at 38 — I was nothing like this.
I didn’t even fly because I was scared.
Since then I’ve become a mom, a caregiver, a nurse, an author, a health advocate, and a business owner.
But before all of that — before nursing school at 38 — I was nothing like this.
I didn’t even fly because I was scared.
I used to be like Tilly.
But now? I’m not afraid to dip my toe — or jump headfirst — into the bigger pool.
Because I’ve learned: amazing things are always just beyond the edge of your comfort zone.
If you feel moved, share your story with me.
What’s your “bigger pool” moment?
I’d love to hear it — and cheer you on.
Rachel xoxo
PS — A Little Tilly Update 7/16/25 🦆
Well her old pool got a leak, and we had to toss it. I tried again with the bigger pool — no luck.
So we bought her another small round one, similar to what she was used to (they only had a lighter color though).
And guess what she did?
She stared at it. For five days.
She stared at it. For five days.
But then? She jumped in and did her signature zoomies — splashing, spinning, and loving every minute.
So maybe bigger isn’t always better… but with a little patience and encouragement, change can still bring joy.
So maybe bigger isn’t always better… but with a little patience and encouragement, change can still bring joy.
Tilly’s living her best summer life now — and maybe, just maybe, that’s your sign too. 💛
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Your body always knows. The question is: are you listening before it has to scream?
For years, I ignored the signs. The brain fog. The fatigue. The chronic hives and joint pain. I chalked it up to stress, age, hormones — all the usual suspects.
But my body was trying to tell me something deeper.
I was stuck in a loop of caring for everyone else — my patients, my family — while silently falling apart inside. It took me hitting a wall to realize: I couldn’t keep living this way.
What changed everything wasn’t some big overhaul. It was choosing to listen. To slow down. To support my body instead of ignoring it.
Unfortunately there were many years in between, trying to figure out why I was still feeling this way and seeing doctors who often made me feel like I wasn't seen or heard because my labs were "normal."
Four years later, I found a natural protocol with Yerba Maté extract, diverse plant fiber, and intermittent fasting. And within weeks, my body started responding:
- My blood sugar normalized
- My cholesterol came back into range
- My restless leg, leg cramps and inflammation improved
- My perimenopause symptoms faded - goodbye hot flashes
- I lost 30 lbs without even trying
But more than the numbers — I felt like me again. Clear, energized, calm.
You don’t need to hit a crisis to start caring for yourself. Your body is already speaking. The Rooted Reset is about finally listening and getting to the root cause.
Take 5 quiet minutes today and ask: What has my body been trying to tell me lately? What have I brushed aside?
Then choose one small way to respond. Maybe it’s resting. Hydrating. Saying no. Moving. Asking for support.
Tiny acts of care create powerful shifts.
If you're ready to start feeling better — I’d love to show you what worked for me.
No pressure. Just a real conversation about how I got my blood sugar, cholesterol, and symptoms back to balance — naturally, and without any diets or pills.
💛 This is just the beginning. Let’s get to the root of the matter and rebuild from the inside out.
Rachel xoxo
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Healing doesn’t always start with a diagnosis. Sometimes it starts with a whisper — a nudge that says, “Something has to change.”
This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.
The beginning of paying attention. Of noticing what your body has been trying to tell you for years. Of honoring your energy, your desires, your dreams.
It’s the beginning of listening — maybe for the first time in a long time — to you.
I’ve been there. In the messy middle. Burned out. Sick. Trying to keep all the pieces of my life together while my body and soul were unraveling.
I had to come to terms with who I really was — outside of all the titles and roles. Nurse. Mom. Caregiver. Professional. I realized I was more than the job that was draining me. More than the identity I clung to. I needed to re-invent myself.
At 50, I finally did something I’d always dreamed of: I wrote a book. First, I collaborated with 26 incredible women in The Truth About Success. Then I published my own: Confessions of a Hospice Nurse — The Journey of Life and Death and the Lessons in Between.
That creative expression was part of my healing. So was slowing down. (Although, let’s be honest — my body forced me to slow down.)
I had ignored the signs: the chronic hives, the fatigue, the brain fog. I pushed through until I couldn’t anymore.
Walking away from my job wasn’t easy. But it was necessary. I realized the company I gave everything to would replace me in a heartbeat. They didn’t even honor a $600 bonus I had earned. That told me everything.
My health had suffered. My family had been impacted. My soul was tired.
So I chose me.
And five years later, I can say this: I feel better than I have in decades. My health is thriving. My energy is back. And I’m doing work that aligns with my purpose.
If you’re at a breaking point — or a beginning — I want you to know: it’s okay to re-invent yourself. It’s okay to start again. It’s okay to listen to the whisper.
This isn’t your end. It’s your beginning. And choosing you might just be the most powerful decision you ever make.
Rachel xoxo
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