My Journey to a Wellness Shift – From Burnout to Balance

Hello and welcome! I’m Kara, and I’m so excited (and a little nervous) to kick off this blog. I want to start by keeping it real and sharing my personal journey – the story of how anxiety, people-pleasing, and perfectionism nearly broke me, and how I learned to rebuild my health and sanity. This is the wellness journey that inspired me to create The Wellness Shift, a place for women like us (busy working moms, entrepreneurs, women juggling all the things) to find balance in hormone health, mental wellness, fitness, and nutrition. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s get real about stress, health, and starting fresh.

Living in Overdrive (And Hitting a Wall)

For as long as I can remember, I was the classic over-achiever and people-pleaser. I said “yes” to everything, taking on extra projects at work, volunteering, trying to be the “perfect” friend, wife, daughter… you name it. On the outside, I held it together (barely). On the inside, anxiety was constantly bubbling. I’d lie awake at night with my mind racing about whether I had disappointed someone or failed at some task. If you’ve ever felt that pressure to “do it all” perfectly, you know exactly what I mean.

What I didn’t realize was how toxic chronic stress and anxiety were to my body. In 2019, life decided to send me a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore. After years of running on empty and ignoring the warning signs, I ended up in the ER with a ruptured stomach ulcer, yes, a literal hole in my stomach caused in part by extreme stress and anxiety. (Fun fact: stress doesn’t directly cause ulcers, but it can worsen them and slow healing. In my case, I’m convinced stress was the fuel on the fire that caused mine to blow up, literally.) This health crisis hit me right before I was due to have my daughter in early 2020. Talk about timing! Here I was, pregnant and planning for a baby, and suddenly I was also fighting for my own health.

Lying in that hospital bed, I had an epiphany: Something had to change. I realized I had been so busy taking care of everything and everyone else that I had completely run my own body into the ground. My constant anxiety and impossible quest for perfection weren’t just mental, they had become physical, in the most brutal way. It became crystal clear that if I didn’t transform my approach to stress, work, and self-care, I might not be around to take care of that little baby girl I loved so much already.

You Are Not Alone – The Pressure on Women Today

As scary as that experience was, I now see it as the beginning of a much healthier chapter in my life. And I want you to know: if you see yourself in my story, you are NOT alone. So many women in their 30s and 40s are living in a pressure cooker of stress. Did you know a recent poll found 42% of working moms have experienced depression and/or anxiety? Nearly half! And it’s not just moms employed by others, 87.7% of entrepreneurs in one survey said they struggle with at least one major mental health issue, like high stress, anxiety, or burnout. Women are often juggling full-time careers or businesses and the majority of household and family responsibilities. No wonder we feel stretched thin.

In my case, I had internalized this idea that I had to be “perfect” in every role. (Spoiler: perfection is a mirage, chasing it will only exhaust you.) I’ve since learned that many women are conditioned to people-please and avoid saying no, which makes it so hard to set boundaries and protect our own mental health. We’re taught to be caregivers and high achievers, and often we end up putting ourselves last on the priority list. The result? By our late 30s or 40s, we’re running on fumes, with stress and anxiety skyrocketing. In fact, women business owners report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression than men in similar roles, partly because we try to “do it all” and often feel we’re never doing enough. I feel this in my soul, and maybe you do too.

My turning point came when my body gave me no choice but to slow down. After surviving the ulcer and safely delivering my daughter (best day of my life, hands down!), I made a promise to myself: I will not live like this anymore. I was done with burning myself out. Instead, I became almost obsessed with learning how to actually take care of myself, body, mind, and soul, so I could be the healthy mom my daughter needed. I devoured information on hormones, stress, nutrition, fitness, and mental wellness. I worked with doctors and therapists. I started making small, sustainable changes to my lifestyle that added up to big improvements in how I felt. And guess what? It worked. Over time, my anxiety became manageable. My energy returned. I got stronger, mentally and physically. It wasn’t an overnight miracle or a straight line upwards (there were plenty of setbacks), but day by day I found balance.

A New Mission – Welcome to The Wellness Shift

This journey led me here, writing this first blog post to you. I realized that what I went through had a purpose: to light a fire in me to help other women who are feeling the same strain. That’s why I created The Wellness Shift. The name says it all, it’s about shifting our approach to wellness as busy, driven women. Instead of beating ourselves up, we’re going to build ourselves up. Instead of chasing unrealistic ideals (looking at you, diet culture and Instagram “snapback” expectations), we’re going to focus on feeling good and living well.

Here’s what you can expect from this blog:

• Real talk about hormone health, mental wellness, fitness, and nutrition specifically tailored for women around 35-45 who are juggling career and family. No fluff, no judgement, just evidence-based info and personal insights.

• My own experiences (the good, bad, and ugly) as I continue to navigate mid-life health changes, parenting, and entrepreneurship. I promise to keep it casual, conversational, and real, because who needs more fake perfection? Not us!

• Expert tips and research broken down into practical advice. I’ve done a ton of research (it’s basically my hobby now) and I’ll share the latest findings and how you can apply them. For instance, did you know that women today are often more stressed than ever, since many of us are raising kids, excelling in careers, caring for aging parents, and constantly plugged into social media – all at once? It’s true, the average modern woman has way more on her plate than past generations. No wonder our hormones and moods are all over the place!

Most importantly, The Wellness Shift is about community and support. I want you to feel seen and understood here. We’re ditching the guilt and the “shoulds.” This is a space to prioritize you without apology.

In future posts, we’ll dive deeper into topics like how your hormones might be impacting your anxiety or energy levels, what foods can help balance your mood (and hormones), and how to fit in effective workouts when you have zero time. But I thought it was important to start by introducing myself and why I’m so passionate about these topics. I’m not a guru on a mountaintop; I’m right there in the trenches with you, figuring it out one day at a time.

Before I wrap up this intro, I want to leave you with one thought: It’s never too late to make a change. I hit rock bottom at age 35 with that health scare, but it forced me to pivot to a healthier path. Wherever you are now – whether you’re feeling on the edge of burnout, or maybe you’re just starting to notice that something’s off and you’re not as vibrant as you used to be, it’s okay. You can make small shifts today that your future self will thank you for. I hope my story gives you a spark of inspiration to start your own “wellness shift,” even in the tiniest way.

Thank you for reading this far and for being here at the beginning of this journey. I genuinely can’t wait to share more with you and to hear your stories as well. Here’s to shifting toward wellness together, one step at a time, one day at a time. We’ve got this!

Stay tuned for the next post, where we’ll talk about hormone health and mental wellness, and why you might be feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster in your late 30s and 40s (hint: it’s not just in your head!).