The Episode I Almost Didn't Record: Why Going Quiet During Stress Awareness Month Changed Everything

You know that moment when you’re supposed to be doing something, and instead you’re doing absolutely nothing, and somehow that nothing becomes the most important thing you could possibly be doing?

That was April for me.

I’d planned to take March off from the podcast—a sensible, grown-up decision that looked lovely on paper. But then April arrived, and with it came Stress Awareness Month. And I thought, Oh brilliant. Of course. The one month when I’m supposed to be everywhere, posting constantly, waving my little branded flag about stress management, and instead I’m… quiet.

At first, I was genuinely annoyed with myself. That inner critic was having a field day—you know, the one that wears “should” like a name badge. You should have posted more. You should have been visible. You should have used this opportunity. The whole performance.

But here’s what surprised me: the more I sat with that discomfort, the more I realized this silence wasn’t a failure. It was the message.

I decided to record this episode because I couldn’t not. Because if I’m going to sit across from women leaders and talk about boundaries, recovery, and nervous system steadiness, I have to actually live that. And living it meant protecting my energy even when—especially when—the calendar was screaming at me to do the opposite.

The recording itself was interesting because I kept catching myself wanting to apologize for the quiet. There’s this weird guilt that comes with stepping back, even when you know it’s the right thing. I found myself explaining, justifying, defending my own rest. And I thought, This is exactly what we need to talk about.

What really got me was realizing how many high-functioning women do this exact same dance. We can teach seminars on boundaries while answering emails during our breaks. We understand burnout prevention intellectually while simultaneously pushing ourselves until our bodies start filing complaints. The knowledge isn’t the problem. Permission is.

The moment that stuck with me most was when I was articulating the difference between rest as escape and rest as strategy. That’s where it clicked for me—and hopefully for listeners too. Stepping back isn’t avoidance. It’s not weakness. It’s the most strategic thing you can do for sustainability.

I also loved introducing the ABGW method through this lens: Awareness, Balance, Growth, and Win. Because that’s the real work, isn’t it? It’s not about never feeling guilty. It’s about recognizing guilt as an old alarm, not an instruction.

Recording this episode felt vulnerable in a way that surprised me. I was essentially saying out loud: I chose rest over visibility, and I’m not sorry about it. And I meant it.

If you’ve ever felt that weight of expectations pressing down on your need to rest, I think this one will land for you. Because sometimes the healthiest decision isn’t to speak louder or show up harder.

Sometimes it’s to stop performing long enough to hear yourself again.