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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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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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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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
– Mary Oliver
It’s one of those quotes that stops you in your tracks.
Big, beautiful. A little intimidating.
It makes you think about dreams, purpose, passion, and legacy.
Big, beautiful. A little intimidating.
It makes you think about dreams, purpose, passion, and legacy.
But today, I want to bring it back to something more basic.
Your body. Your health.
Your body. Your health.
Because what you do with your one precious life… depends on the health of your one precious body.
🩺 “How Did I End Up Here?”
During my time working in hospice, there was one question I heard more than any other:
“How did I end up here?”
“How did I end up here?”
And it wasn’t about location.
It was about regret.
A quiet, aching question rooted in surprise… and sometimes helplessness.
It was about regret.
A quiet, aching question rooted in surprise… and sometimes helplessness.
No one ever expects their health to decline.
No one sees it coming until it’s already here.
And often, the decline starts long before we notice — slow, invisible, and unspoken.
No one sees it coming until it’s already here.
And often, the decline starts long before we notice — slow, invisible, and unspoken.
🧠 Why Don’t We Act Sooner?
Here’s what I’ve learned from both personal experience and years of supporting others:
We delay taking care of ourselves because we think we have time.
Because we’re busy.
Because we feel fine — for now.
Or because deep down… we don’t feel worthy of prioritizing our health until it’s urgent.
We delay taking care of ourselves because we think we have time.
Because we’re busy.
Because we feel fine — for now.
Or because deep down… we don’t feel worthy of prioritizing our health until it’s urgent.
But your body?
It’s not waiting for a crisis to start showing signs.
Fatigue. Brain fog. Cravings. Inflammation. Mood swings. Restless sleep.
Fatigue. Brain fog. Cravings. Inflammation. Mood swings. Restless sleep.
These aren’t nuisances. They’re whispers. Warnings. Invitations.
🛑 The Truth That Changed Everything for Me
If you don’t take care of your body — the only one you get —
it will eventually take control of your life.
it will eventually take control of your life.
Your energy, your choices, your freedom, your joy…
They all depend on your health.
This isn’t about fear.
It’s about empowerment.
It’s about empowerment.
Because here’s what I believe — and why I advocate for people the way I do:
✨ You are worth living a vibrant, joyful, fully present life.
✨ You are allowed to feel good in your body.
✨ You can start now — without waiting for a diagnosis or a breakdown.
✨ You are allowed to feel good in your body.
✨ You can start now — without waiting for a diagnosis or a breakdown.
💡 This Week’s Rooted Reset
Take 5 minutes today and ask yourself:
- What would “taking care of my precious body” look like today?
- Is there one area I’ve been ignoring — that I can gently begin to support?
Start small.
Start with love.
But start.
Start with love.
But start.
Because you only get one body. And one wild and precious life.
📩 If you're ready to take better care of your body — naturally, gently, and sustainably — I’d love to walk with you.
No pressure. No programs. Just real support and tools that helped me feel better than I have in years.
Just reply or message me. I’m here for you.
Rachel xo
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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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