I’ve been quiet on social media for a while.
Not because nothing was happening – but because too much was.
Looking back at 2025, my wellbeing didn’t collapse overnight. It eroded slowly. A cumulative overload eventually tipped the scale: blood pressure spikes, gastritis, disrupted sleep.
On one side of that scale, I kept adding weight – clinical work with increasingly complex patients, running two households, long-distance commuting, weekend seminars, and the revival of CreatePositive.
On the other side, I tried to manage my wellbeing – but in an oddly aggressive way. Earlier mornings, more yoga, more running, more discipline. Everything squeezed in, done at speed.
What quietly disappeared were the things that truly restore me: time with friends, visits to my mum, slow walks, lake swims, unhurried evenings. Rest became something I collapsed into, not something I chose.
The irony is not lost on me. I teach wellbeing. I recognise burnout instantly – in others. Yet I overrode my own warning systems, driven by familiar beliefs: my value lies in achievement, others need me, I must keep giving. I could see myself losing ground, with my eyes wide open.
The turning point came during a CreatePositive call with my business partner and friend, Georgie McIntyre. She dropped all politeness and said: “I’m seriously worried about you. You don’t look well… What if you missed something important with a patient – could you live with that?”
She took a screenshot so I could see what she was seeing. That image landed.
Within a week, I resigned from my clinic role and applied for a closer placement. It was one of the hardest professional decisions I’ve made – full of guilt, fear, and uncertainty.
Shortly after, I left for a demanding trekking journey in the Himalayas that I had booked way back. Against doctoral advice to “take it gently”, something in me knew this was right. The steady walking, the vast landscape, the shared effort and stillness brought me back into my body – and into perspective.
I felt safe in myself again.
Clear.
Grounded.
Connected to purpose.
Coming home was harder than expected. Insight doesn’t erase patterns. But something had shifted. A steadier inner voice formed – one offering compassion instead of self-criticism, and accountability instead of denial.
It reminded me why CreatePositive exists: to support women in reconnecting with themselves, each other, and their inner strength – so they can contribute sustainably to a world that urgently needs care and courage – just like me.
What This Year Taught Me
- Wellbeing is not soft. It requires skill and courage.
- It erodes slowly – often before we notice.
- Prolonged stress shows up physically. Ignoring it has consequences.
- Staying well requires difficult decisions.
- Our identities can push us past our limits.
- We need allies willing to tell us the truth.
- Intentional time in nature can reset us profoundly.
I’m still learning to take my wellbeing seriously – and I want other women to do the same.
Falling over the edge isn’t noble.
Stop overcommitting. Question inherited expectations. Decide consciously where your energy goes. This world needs us well – not burnt out at the edge.