For many years, the demands of work had overshadowed the need to prioritize my self-care and mental health until I realized that integrating mental wellness practices into a busy professional life is not only possible but essential for long-term success and fulfillment. Here, I share my personal experiences and insights on this journey towards balancing career ambitions with mental well-being.

My journey began about 20 years ago while coping with emotional and financial stress in a move coordinator role that seemed to consume every waking moment. I started developing severe asthma attacks and started getting loaded with lots of medicine and side effects from it. In 2012, I was a new mom of twins and one of our babies was diagnosed with special needs. This shocking news added to my emotional stress at that moment, and it wasn’t until I started experiencing burnout symptoms like visiting the emergency rooms more often, constant exhaustion, irritability, and a sense of disillusionment—that I realized something needed to change. Being a mom requires a lot of yourself, and having a career on top of that can be very challenging.

The first step was acknowledging that prioritizing my physical and mental wellness was not a luxury but a necessity. I started reading self-help books to re-invent myself.

I began by changing my diet and investigating what I need to do to improve my health in general. In 2013, I remember going to the office every day and my peers having all kind of snacks from different parts of the world and partners sending us tons of chocolate baskets. I began by changing my diet, but I needed support (mainly to avoid temptation!), so the whole office started bringing fruits and vegetables every day and I’d spend my lunch time making cold press juice for everybody.

Slowly, I started changing my beliefs about what I was told was healthy into what I know now is the best nutrition for my body. Understanding the “why” gives a deeper-rooted purpose to get disciplined and maintain this change. Slowly and with time I started nurturing not only my body but my mind with new information, and this was crucial to begin the changes. 

Having a son with special needs also pushed our family to this big change—a healthy diet and habits have kept our son out of the hospitals and we have avoided the possible consequences of his condition. There were lots of ups and downs during this process but I eventually realized that this was the right direction and there was no going back.

When COVID impacted the world, I took advantage of this unique moment and focused on a strong routine. I now had three extra hours a day that I had previously spent in traffic to dedicate to my personal development (SO necessary when you need to be sane at home with family 24/7).

I took me a while (8–10 years!) but now I have a healthy and strong morning and night routine. This helped me realize that work life is an extension of my personal life and beliefs, and whatever good habits I developed at home will reflect in my work style. You are what you think and eat. If you eat, watch and listen to trash then, well…that’s what comes out. My conversation with my colleagues, including at conventions, always ends up around these topics—we are all struggling to find balance, some more than others, but we all are. 

I began by carving out time in my schedule for self-care activities, such as meditation, exercise, and hobbies that brought me joy. 

One of the most impactful practices I (and my personal team called Family) integrated into my routine was mindfulness meditation. Initially skeptical and finding it very difficult (still is), I was amazed by the profound effects it had on my mental clarity and stress levels. Taking just a few minutes each day to sit in silence and observe my thoughts allowed me to cultivate a greater sense of presence and resilience in the face of workplace challenges. 

I noticed a profound shift in my overall well-being and performance at work. I felt more focused, energized, and emotionally balanced, enabling me to tackle challenges with greater clarity. My creativity and focus have increased tremendously. It has helped me to be able to pause and listen more rather than being reactive. I’m able to discern between what’s urgent and small fires that can wait until the next morning.

In addition to mindfulness, I incorporated some yoga movements. I have a routine where I can do it with my eyes closed every morning and take that also as a meditation moment. This has become a non-negotiable part of my routine. Walking in nature 10–15 minutes or even doing some stationary bike riding while reading emails in the morning are also things that keep me moving.

You might think I spend hours to accomplish this, but I actually get it done in one hour (usually between 6–7am). I follow the 20-20-20 rule—20 minutes exercise, 20 minutes to learn something new and 20 minutes in silence. All this I accomplish before I wake up my kids to start working on their own routines. I do have to make sure I go to bed early so I can have a good recovery sleep between 7-8 hours every night. It’s not an easy task, but it’s a work in progress.

I also found solace in creative outlets such as painting and making homemade products (natural organic soaps, hand lotions, and much more) which provided a therapeutic escape from the pressures of my professional life. Lots of my industry friends have received one of my creations and it has filled my heart with joy to be able to share how I got here.

However, integrating mental wellness practices into a busy professional life wasn’t without its challenges. There were moments when guilt crept in, convincing me that taking time for myself was selfish or unproductive. Overcoming these feelings required a shift in mindset—a recognition that investing in my well-being ultimately made me a more effective and resilient professional.

Another obstacle was the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace. Despite growing awareness, there is still a pervasive belief that admitting struggles with mental wellness is a sign of weakness. Breaking through this stigma required courage and vulnerability, but it also opened the door to meaningful conversations with colleagues who were experiencing similar challenges.

Since COVID shook us all, I’m now allowed to work from home full time, and I have an exceptional team of great managers and coworkers who understand the importance of taking time off and covering for each other while we are out. Our family has moved to the mountains of West Virginia, my husband resigned from his full-time job to homeschool our kids (although I’m the Principal at this school). We grow most of our food (microgreens and sprouts and some fruits). I’m now 90% vegetarian and have joined a community that supplies unprocessed food and is family-oriented with lots of meditation and yoga events and free classes.

In retrospect, integrating mental wellness practices into my busy professional life has been a transformative journey—one that has taught me the importance of self-care, resilience, and authenticity. While the demands of work may never fully dissipate, I now approach them with a renewed sense of perspective and balance, knowing that my well-being is the foundation upon which true success is built.