I’ll be honest—when I found out I was pregnant, and pregnant with twins, my first feeling wasn’t joy. It was guilt.
As the Co-CEO and founder of HigherDOSE, I believed I couldn’t have both: motherhood and a business that I'd poured my soul into. One would have to suffer. But what I’ve learned since? The opposite is true. Choosing self-care—intentionally and unapologetically—isn’t selfish. It’s the most selfless thing I can do for myself and my kids.
The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything
Like so many ambitious women, I thought I could power through. Pregnancy? Keep working. Newborn twins? Keep working. I wore the hustle like a badge of honor.
And then, about a year into motherhood, my body made the decision for me. I had a grand mal seizure.
It came out of nowhere—but when I really looked back, my body had been whispering for months. I just kept ignoring it. That seizure was my body screaming. I was depleted, disconnected, running on fumes—and still trying to be everything to everyone.
It forced me to face a question I’d been avoiding: What kind of mother, leader, and woman do I want to be?
You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup (Cliché, But True)
That moment cracked me open. I finally understood what no one really tells you about motherhood:
The most powerful thing you can do for your kids isn’t what you do for them—it’s showing them how to love and care for themselves by watching you do the same.
Kids don’t just hear what you say—they absorb who you are.
Once I truly embodied that, everything shifted. I stopped trying to do it all. I stripped away anything that didn’t light me up—meetings, people, projects—and rebuilt from the inside out.
And that’s when I became a biohacker—not the data-obsessed kind, but the kind who knows that if I don’t make feeling good my daily practice, I can’t be the mother or leader I’m meant to be.
My Non-Negotiables: Quick Rituals That Changed Everything
Because let’s be honest—there’s no time in motherhood. It’s stolen in moments. So I found rituals that work, fast, and feel good for my body right now—not who I used to be.
1. Infrared and Red Light Therapy — My Mom Time Non-Negotiable
The sauna became my sanctuary—the one place where no one needed me, no one called “Mom,” and I could actually reset.
It’s my quiet time, my no-kids zone, where I let the technology do the work. I don’t have to push or perform—I just lay there, sweat, and let my body process everything I’ve been carrying.
The HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket is hands down the best gift for any hard-working mom. It’s efficient, mood-boosting, and leaves me lighter—mentally and physically. And pairing it with red light keeps my skin glowing, even when I’m running on no sleep.
It’s the one place I remember that I’m not just “Mom”—I’m a whole woman, too.
2. Lymphatic Drainage + Facial Massage
This became one of my most powerful tools for regulating my nervous system and reconnecting to my body. It’s not just for reducing puffiness or sculpting my face—lymphatic drainage supports detox, calm the vagus nerve, and helps me feel centered when the world feels loud.
On days when I feel anxious, stuck in my head, or overstimulated from screens and motherhood, this ritual grounds me. I can literally feel the shift—my face softens, my breath deepens, and I drop back into my body. It’s become a daily practice in slowing down and creating circulation—inside and out.
3. Movement That Feels Good, Not Punishing
Motherhood forced me to rethink my relationship with movement. Before kids, it was running 10 miles, HIIT workouts, pushing my body to extremes—because that’s what I thought strength looked like.
Now? Strength is walking in nature. It’s Pilates, yoga, lifting weights, breathing deeply. It’s moving to nourish my body, not punish it.
I work out to regulate my nervous system, support my hormones, and stay connected to myself. And honestly? My body feels better than it did back then.
4. Magnesium to Calm My Nervous System
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made is supporting my nervous system—daily. I use magnesium religiously—through Zechstein Serotonin Soak baths, sprays, and supplements—because it helps me relax, sleep deeper, and recover faster.
As a mom and CEO, my system is always on. Magnesium is my way of signaling it’s safe to slow down. It’s my nightly reminder: I don’t need to earn rest—I deserve it.
5. Nutrition That Feeds My Cells (Not My Old Calorie Counter)
I used to be that girl—counting calories, obsessing over macros. Motherhood—and honestly, hitting burnout—completely changed that.
Now I ask myself: Is this food going to nourish me? How will it make me feel after?
That simple shift changed everything. I eat for energy, skin, hormones, and my nervous system. Bone broth, collagen, mineral-rich foods—they’re non-negotiable now.
It’s also why I rarely drink. Alcohol used to be my way to relax—but now? I know it depletes me. It taxes my body, messes with my sleep, and leaves me less present with my kids. And no glass of wine is worth that trade-off anymore.
6. Nature + Play
My ultimate reset is getting outside with my kids. Barefoot, sun on my skin, no phone. Nothing connects me faster to myself and them.
Still Healing, Still Learning
Here’s what I know now: there’s no finish line. Healing, motherhood, entrepreneurship—it’s all cyclical. Some days, I nail it. Some days, I fall flat.
But my why is always the same: my children.
I want to model what a healthy, whole woman looks like. One who knows how to feel good. One who knows how to say no. One who chooses herself—not in a selfish way—but in the only way that allows me to truly show up for them.
Because motherhood is a mirror. Our kids aren’t listening to what we say—they’re watching who we are. How we move through the world. How we regulate our emotions. How we recover when life knocks us down.
Final Thoughts — The Biggest Lesson Motherhood Taught Me
If there’s one thing motherhood—and honestly, burning out—has taught me, it’s this:
Our kids don’t need a perfect mom.
They need a whole mom.
One who knows when she needs a break.
One who shows them what it looks like to care for herself—without guilt.
One who leads by living it.
Because one day, they’re going to grow up and build their own lives, their own families, their own wellness rituals. And how will they know what it looks like to prioritize themselves if they’ve never seen it done?
That’s the real legacy.
Not what we say—but what we model, every single day.
Happy Mother’s Day—to every woman learning that choosing herself is the most powerful thing she can do for the people she loves.
