A Journey from Survival Mode to Mind-Body-Spirit BalanceI used to think self-care was something you did once you had time, money, or permission.
A bubble bath.
A weekend getaway.
A treat after burning yourself out again.
A weekend getaway.
A treat after burning yourself out again.
But the truth is, I didn’t even know what real self-care meant—because for most of my life, I wasn’t living. I was surviving.
I was born and raised in a small village in Europ, where life was shaped by fear—both political and religious. Under the shadow of communism and church leadership, I was conditioned to believe in sacrifice, shame, and silence. What I learned early on was how to endure, not how to thrive.
Most of my adult life followed the same pattern:
Pushing through pain
Minimizing my needs
Procrastinating on my dreams
Feeling unworthy of more
Pushing through pain
Minimizing my needs
Procrastinating on my dreams
Feeling unworthy of more
I failed in businesses. My health suffered. My mind was filled with self-doubt.
And underneath it all, there was one silent addiction that ran the show:
Unworthiness.
It was the belief I inherited. The belief I unconsciously nurtured.
And the belief that nearly cost me my life.
And the belief that nearly cost me my life.
Menopause Saved Me
At 45, everything started to unravel.
My body began sending signals I could no longer ignore—fatigue, hormonal chaos, emotional spirals. And while most people dread menopause, I often say, “Menopause saved my life.” And I mean it.
Because it cracked me open.
It forced me to stop surviving.
It invited me to finally, deeply pay attention.
It forced me to stop surviving.
It invited me to finally, deeply pay attention.
I began to explore natural healing—herbs, essential oils, holistic nutrition. I dove into the science of the body.
I started asking real questions. For the first time, I began to understand that self-care isn’t something you buy—it’s something you live.
What Real Self-Care Looks Like
This past week on social media, I shared daily reflections on what Self-Care That Heals really means.
Not the kind of self-care that performs for Instagram…
But the kind that meets you in the mirror when you’re falling apart.
But the kind that meets you in the mirror when you’re falling apart.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Self-care is not just about the body—it’s about your mind and spirit too.
- It’s not about productivity. It’s about presence.
- It’s not about doing more. It’s about coming home to yourself.
Some days, it looks like drinking water and going to bed early.
Other days, it looks like journaling, crying, resting, breathing, or asking yourself:
"What do I need right now?"
Other days, it looks like journaling, crying, resting, breathing, or asking yourself:
"What do I need right now?"
It’s setting boundaries.
Letting go of guilt.
Releasing what no longer serves you—and choosing, again and again, to live with intention.
Letting go of guilt.
Releasing what no longer serves you—and choosing, again and again, to live with intention.
One of the most profound pieces of this journey has been emotional healing.
I call it emotional detoxing—the practice of letting go of past pain that no longer belongs in your present.
I call it emotional detoxing—the practice of letting go of past pain that no longer belongs in your present.
When we carry unprocessed emotions—grief, shame, fear, resentment—it doesn't just affect our mood.
It impacts our health, our relationships, and even our abundance.
It impacts our health, our relationships, and even our abundance.
Thousands of studies show that our emotional state directly influences our biology:
Gene expression
Nervous system regulation
Gut health and hormones
Immunity and detox pathways
Gene expression
Nervous system regulation
Gut health and hormones
Immunity and detox pathways
And it works both ways:
Our diet, movement, gut health, and lifestyle choices also affect our emotional state.
Our diet, movement, gut health, and lifestyle choices also affect our emotional state.
That’s why holistic self-care—mind, body, and spirit—is not optional. It’s essential.
For years, I was stuck in survival mode and didn’t even realize it.
I kept myself busy, distracted, and disconnected.
I kept myself busy, distracted, and disconnected.
It wasn’t until I slowed down and chose to listen inward that I began to heal.
Today, I still have hard days. Life hasn’t become perfect. But it’s become mine.
I no longer see self-care as something indulgent.
I see it as a sacred responsibility—to myself, to my purpose, and to my future.
I no longer see self-care as something indulgent.
I see it as a sacred responsibility—to myself, to my purpose, and to my future.
Want to Start Your Own Journey?
If this speaks to your heart, I created a free Self-Love Journal to help you begin.It’s a simple, powerful guide to reconnect with your body, your truth, and your worth—one page at a time.
Because healing is possible.
Because you are worthy of more.
And because you don’t have to wait for a breakdown to begin again.
Because you are worthy of more.
And because you don’t have to wait for a breakdown to begin again.
Xoxo
Urszula
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