Hello, gorgeous! Great to meet you.
I’m Jen, a holistic Health coach helping high achieving women recover from burnout and rebalance their health and life.
I live in a seaside town in Rhode Island. I love to surf, get creative in the kitchen, and enjoy life with my partner Rob and his kids. But it’s take me some work to get to this place of health and ease.
I HELP WOMEN HEAL FROM Burnout BECAUSE I’VE BEEN THERE
I was a sociology professor. I’d spent many years focusing on my career, winning awards for my research, writing papers, and traveling throughout Latin America.
But success came with a price.
Overwhelming stress. My worries ranged from ‘how am I going to get all this done?” to “what if they hate my research?” to “how will I ever live a normal life and start a family?” to so much more...
Exhaustion. I’d wake up tired, fuel my day with caffeine, but at night I’d lay in bed, wide awake.
Dizzy spells and occasional panic attacks. Even once in the middle of Whole Foods.
Weight gain. I’d always thought I was “healthy”, but somehow I’d devolved into a totally different person. I was eating cereal with milk three times a day, self-medicating with wine and charcuterie boards, and I was too tired to go to yoga- even though the studio was a 3 minute walk from my apartment. My body didn’t feel like my own anymore.
Migraines. The kind that send you to see a neurologist because you can’t get work done or look at a computer screen without feeling like a dagger is shooting through your eyes.
Digestive problems. I was popping antacids like they were candy, at one point calling the doctor in the middle of the night because I was sure this pain couldn’t just be heartburn (spoiler- it was, just really bad heartburn). Acid reflux and bloating evolved into a chronic condition for me, for years.
Skin problems. My first year into my PhD program, I started getting strange red bumps on my elbows and knuckles. The doctor said it was eczema and gave me a cream to deal with it. If only I’d understood this was my body’s way of telling me I was pushing myself too hard. Besides the eczema, acne was a constant.
Oh, and on top of all that? My personal life was a complete mess. I was unhappy, to say the least.
If you, too, are a type-A, overachieving kind of Woman, maybe you can relate?
After years of sacrificing everything for my career, I was burnt out. Crispy. And it showed. I felt like crap and couldn’t seem to get work done anymore. My motivation was in the dumps. But I didn’t really know what was ‘wrong’ with me.
And I had no idea how to get back on track.
THEN, A Turning Point: MY MOM ALMOST DIED
Seemingly out of nowhere, my mother was diagnosed with heart disease and had to undergo surgery to save her life. The idea that she could die sent me reeling. But it also prompted me to get serious about my health.
I DECIDED TO PRIORITIZE MY PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
I turned to food as medicine. I completed Rouxbe Cooking School’s Plant-Based Professional Certification Course to learn to cook healthier and eat better- and to resurrect a hobby I’d always loved, cooking.
I began moving my body. I got back into yoga and the gym, and took up new sports that I now love: surfing and mountain biking.
I got clear about what I valued most in life- family, adventure, and happiness- and vowed to live out those values every day.
I left my career in academia and eventually enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach, doing work that I love.
I learned to effectively manage stress, so that I now live most days in a state of calm, rather than frenzy.
Most importantly, I got help when I needed it.
Change didn’t happen overnight. It really is true when they say that health is a “journey”, not an endpoint. And that’s ok! I’m in it for the ride, as long as I’m always moving forward and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, even if just a little.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
If any of this feels familiar to you, please know: you’re not alone! Too many women suffer from full body and mind burnout every day. We get overwhelmed with life, we push ourselves harder and harder, and eventually our bodies push back.
It truly is a cultural phenomenon. We’re taught from day one to put other people’s needs before our own. We seek perfection and achievements to prove that we’re good enough. We’re on a mission to break glass ceilings.
We’re told we can “have it all” and so we go there! But when you ignore your own needs, health, and wellbeing, eventually your body will rebel.
Are you ready to prioritize your health and LeaVe burnout behind?
If yes, I can help. Through my 1-1 coaching program, THRIVE, I support type-A, career-driven women who are ready to heal burnout are restore their health. The coaching experience is customized to your specific goals, but in general we focus on three main tasks:
DE-STRESSING YOUR BODY - we reset your diet so that you’re nourishing your body with foods that replenish your energy, heal your gut, and balance your hormones. And we get you moving your body in ways that also cut down on stress.
DE-STRESSING YOUR MIND- we deal with your feelings of (mental) stress using simple strategies that regulate your nervous system, taking you out of constant “fight or flight” mode and giving your body and mind a rest. At the same time, we identify your key stressors- e.g., work, relationships, or something else- and strategize how to eliminate or mitigate them using tools like boundary setting and saying “no”.
INSERTING JOY- we get crystal clear on what’s most important to you in life and what truly brings you joy, and make inserting that feeling of joy into your life an absolute priority every day.
