The other week I got a reminder of exactly why I do the work I do.
You see, I’m highly sensitive to caffeine. So when I ordered decaf coffee at a networking event, I wasn’t expecting to spend the next few hours feeling like I’d been launched into orbit.
I mean, I didn’t actually drink rocket fuel, but given how my nervous system reacted, it sure felt like I had.
Within 30 minutes, I was jittery. Restless. Unfocused.
My heart was racing.
My thoughts were bouncing from one thing to the next.
My body felt tense and unsettled.
While there was this panicked and chaotic energy swirling within me.
It was like my whole system got hijacked, and I lost control over it.
And it didn’t just feel uncomfortable.
It affected everything:
- I had to check my diary five times for the same dentist appointment because I couldn’t retain what I’d just seen
- I accidentally locked myself out of my house by walking out with the patio door keys instead of the front door ones
- I struggled to focus on the creative, intentional work I had actually planned for today, because I couldn’t settle into it
That moment reminded me:
This isn’t just about coffee.
This is what chronic stress, internal pressure, and the pace of modern life do to us.
If you’ve been feeling anxious, distracted, restless, or down—if your confidence has dipped or your energy has disappeared—please hear this:
💛 It’s not you.
You’re not broken, lazy, or failing.
It’s just your nervous system doing what it’s wired to do when it senses danger, pressure, or overload.
It’s putting you in survival mode so it can protect you from danger or life threat, but in the process it needs to switch off (seemingly) non-essential functions: emotional regulation, cognitive functions like memory, focus and clarity of mind, ability to think big picture and dream, ability to connect to your loved ones and your purpose, and so much more.
And the way back to your powerful, capable, grounded self?
Isn’t to push harder.
It’s to regulate your nervous system.
That’s where energy, focus, and confidence return.
✨ This is the heart of the work I do with my clients as the Queen of Rest helping them move from Exhaustion to World-changing impact through the 4 leaps: Restore Inner Safety, Elevate Energy Reserves, Scale Growth, Thrive and Trailblaze.
What’s your approach to moving from surviving to thriving?