How I Transformed My Mindset (And You Can Too)

I was in my late 30s, sitting at my desk, staring blankly at the screen. My body felt like it was shutting down—overwhelming fatigue, brain fog, and complete lethargy. But the worst part was my mental state. I was completely overwhelmed and on the verge of losing my job. My mind was constantly on edge, perceiving every little thing as a threat or personal attack. My chronic illness had dramatically impacted my mental state, and I felt like I was always on high alert.

On top of that, I was struggling to keep my friendships alive. I didn’t have the energy to show up for my friends the way I used to. And at home? I wasn’t pulling my weight in my relationship. I felt guilty, disconnected, and unable to be the partner I wanted to be.

Nothing made sense anymore. My thoughts were chaotic, and I couldn’t tell if my mental exhaustion was driving the physical symptoms, or if the fatigue was pushing my mind into deeper disarray. Everything blurred together. I had no idea who I was or what I was doing. My coping mechanisms—those things I had used for years—had crumbled. Pushing through no longer worked. Rest days didn’t help. I couldn’t sleep. I was losing my grip on everything.

All I wanted was to feel at peace, to find some sort of control again. I wanted to understand my body, to stop being consumed by fear, anger, and anxiety. But it felt impossible to get there.

Then, I made a decision that changed everything: I sought out a trauma therapist. It was terrifying, but I knew if I didn’t take that step, I would stay stuck in survival mode. I had to invest in my mental health.

The path to turning things around wasn’t immediate—it took time, patience, and a lot of uncomfortable self-reflection. In therapy, I slowly began to recognise the deep connection between my mind and body. Every flare-up and wave of fatigue wasn’t just a physical issue—it was my body speaking to me in ways I hadn’t understood before. My chronic illness had shaped my mental state, and I had been ignoring that for too long.

With each session, I learned more about how my mental health had been impacted by years of stress and exhaustion. I started identifying patterns I never noticed before—like how I reacted emotionally when I was physically tired, or how certain stressors triggered my body to shut down. Piece by piece, I built a mindset toolkit that allowed me to start taking back control.

It was incredibly empowering. For the first time in years, I didn’t feel completely helpless. I had tools I could rely on, and I began to trust my ability to handle the ups and downs of chronic illness. I also began to trust my body again. My nervous system started to settle. I could sit without panic. I was able to take moments of rest and actually feel restored. Slowly, I regained the parts of my life I had lost—my relationships, my sense of self, and my confidence.

Finally, I realised that I needed to stop treating my chronic illness as just a physical problem—my mind was just as much a part of the solution as my body.

This was more than just a mindset shift. It was an entirely new way of managing my chronic illness. By investing in my mental health and creating a mindset toolkit, I wasn’t just treating the symptoms—I was learning to thrive. These tools helped me understand my body’s signals and respond to them in ways that kept me in control, instead of being overwhelmed.

The reason why I wanted to share this story is because it proved to me that you can reconnect your mind and body and truly live with chronic illness, not just survive it.

I learnt that when you stop viewing chronic illness as purely physical and start addressing the mental and emotional aspects, you unlock a deeper level of healing. You can stop reacting in survival mode and instead learn how to respond with purpose. By connecting with your body’s signals and building mental resilience, you can transform how you experience your health. And that’s what matters right now—understanding that chronic illness isn’t the end of your story, but part of a journey you can control with the right tools.

Through Adulting Well, I’ve met so many of you who are just surviving and looking for a way to break through and reconnect your mind and body. That’s why I decided to do everything I can to help you get there too. So, I’m developing the Adulting Well Mind Course, which will teach you step-by-step how to build a mindset toolkit, reconnect your mind and body, and take control of your health—inside and out.

It’s about building the mental, emotional, and physical strength that allows you to live a full life, even with chronic illness. You can reclaim your health with the right tools. If I can make this shift, I know you can too.

If this story hit home for you, get excited—I’ll be sharing more about how you can build your own mindset toolkit soon. Stay tuned!

P.S.

Adulting Well was started to give people, just like you, more knowledge so you could make the best choices possible – even with chronic illness.

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