Ever notice how the pressure you put on your body shows up in your work… and the pressure you put on your work shows up in your body? This month, I’m sharing the story of how I tried to earn my worth through discipline and perfection — and what finally shifted when I stopped treating myself like a project and started building a different kind of relationship with myself.

We all carry “rules” about stress—keep going, push through, don’t complain. Some came from our parents, teachers, bosses, or even our own inner critic. They worked in the world we first learned them: school, early jobs, where effort was measurable and mistakes were punished. But life today moves faster, demands more, and throws curveballs we weren’t taught to handle. Following those old rules often leaves us burned out, exhausted, and blaming ourselves. It doesn’t have to be

For years I resisted the changing seasons — and the changes in my life. Now I’ve learned to flow with them, finding rest in winter, renewal in spring, joy in summer, and ease in fall.