There’s a season many of us reach in our entrepreneurship journey where something inside says, “I’m done building this way.”

It often arrives quietly, and we feel it in the body first – the overstretched schedule, the way our breath sits high in our chest because we’ve been carrying too much for too long…

It’s the moment when the pace we’ve been keeping no longer matches the person we’re becoming.

I’ve been moving through that season lately – the recalibration, the slowing down, the deep listening. The part of the journey where my body pulls me inward and asks me to build my life differently.

And this week’s episode of The World Needs Your Medicine is one of the most honest conversations I’ve had about exactly that.

Kris – entrepreneur, stepmom, creative, and host of Blonde Highlights – joined me for a raw, open conversation about the invisible labor women carry, the burnout that comes from constant overgiving, and the deep reclamation that happens when a woman finally comes home to herself.

At one point, Kris said something that felt like a big wake-up call:

“There’s a strength that comes from finally choosing your own well-being. Once I tasted that, I stopped apologizing for taking up space in my own life.”

And I felt the truth of it deep in my heart.

So many of us are learning this exact lesson right now.

The moment your body makes the decision for you

Women are taught to push.
Push through tired.
Push through discomfort.

But the body always wins.

For Kris, it happened on a normal workday – her vision blurring, her stomach dropping, a wave of dizziness that made her realize she hadn’t done anything for herself in months.

For me, it’s been the slow death of old paradigms – those internal voices whispering that rest is indulgence, that simplicity is laziness, that slowing down is falling behind.

But here’s the truth we both circled back to:

Self-care isn’t about expensive wellness routines.
It’s about being honest enough to ask,
“What actually helps me feel like myself today?”
And letting that be enough.

When rest becomes rebellion

One of the things I loved most about talking with Kris is how simple her self-care really is.

Not the Pinterest version, just things that make her feel good in her body and bring joy to her inner child.

A skincare routine.
A nap with her dogs.
A trashy TV show to quiet the brain.
A fun gem craft and an audiobook that lets her drift into another world.

This is the part many of us feel ashamed to admit…

We think rest has to be earned and healing has to be big, deep, and complicated.

But rest is a revolution… it’s a way to say “my wellbeing matters more than my productivity.”

She reminded me of that in the most beautiful way.

The invisible weight women carry (and why we break open)

There’s a grief that comes with realizing how much you’ve carried without noticing.

The mental load.
Emotional labor.
Decision-making.
The expectation to be the one who bends, softens, adapts, and holds everything together.

Kris shared openly what it’s been like to build a business with her husband – how the pressure, long hours,financial decisions, staff, customers, the everything-all-at-once nearly split them apart.

As we dove in, it became clear that beneath the logistical stress was something deeper:

Women are conditioned to overfunction.

To regulate everyone else’s experience, smile through disrespect, and make themselves small for the comfort of others.

The truth we circled back to is when a woman is expected to hold everything, she eventually collapses under the responsibility of being the rock for everyone but herself.

Rebuilding a life that fits who you’re becoming

What this conversation illuminated for both of us is the same lesson coming through the collective right now:

You cannot create a life you love from a depleted nervous system, or build a sustainable business from resentment.

It’s impossible to pour from a cup you won’t let yourself refill, but the choice first has to be to prioritize your body, health, and nervous system above productivity.

I know this feels easier said than done when you are working day and night to build your dreams, have a family to take care of, and have lived much of your life in survival mode…

& I’m not saying abandon all ambition and security to make yourself feel good.

What I’m saying is that rest is free and gentleness with yourself is a choice.

And that choice will change your life – from the inside out.

As I shared in the episode, “It’s impossible to show up in your work with clarity when your whole life is built on overgiving.”

That’s the recalibration so many of us are in right now – a return to what actually feels sustainable.

This episode airs January 13th as we kick off the release of The World Needs Your Medicine Podcast. Stay tuned, I’m excited for you to hear this one.

Xox Lauren