My journey with mental wellbeing and stress and the hugely negative effect it had on my body and health

My journey with mental wellbeing and stress and the hugely negative effect it had on my body and health

Mental wellbeing is something I now take incredibly seriously because I’ve experienced firsthand the awful effects stress can have on both the mind and body.

For years, I poured my energy into building my first business, The Healthy Mummy business, and I gave it, and the customers, EVERYTHING I had and I loved the business so much.

But after 12 years I had to sell the business (you can read my story here) but even though I had sold it, I was 110% planning on staying on as CEO for a very long time as I never wanted to walk away from a business I had spent 12 years of my life giving everything to.

However, sadly it didn't work out like that after the business was sold, I endured  extreme stress under the new ownership (which I have not talked about as I don't want to revisit it and even thinking about brings back the stress feelings) and it began to take a toll on my health. It became so severe that I made the incredibly difficult decision to resign from my role as CEO and walk away, prioritising my health over money.

The effects of that stress over the years has manifested in a couple of different ways. I developed shingles which was not fun but by far the worst side effect the stress was the debilitating anxiety I experienced where it got so bad that I was physically sick, was extremely nauseous every day, had constant heart palpitations and was unable to function properly - and is why I had no choice to resign from The Healthy Mummy.

The emotional trauma and stress I was under over a particularly awful 4 week period (where as well as the anxiety and stress I couldn't sleep as I was so stressed) also triggered costovertebral joint compression and intercostal muscle spasms in my back and ribs. The pain was excruciating, and I needed high-strength anti-inflammatories, pain relief, and muscle relaxants just to be able to move and breath without extreme pain.

Here's my referral to the specialist when I was in so much pain I couldn't even breath without crying in pain

Even after leaving The Healthy Mummy and starting to rebuild my life again, another high-stress incident involving my son caused my health to suffer again.

When my youngest son had his teeth knocked out during a school sports activity, which was extremely traumatic, the overwhelming anxiety and stress triggered a blackout and migraine when I got up in the middle of the night which led me to fall on a tiled floor where I fractured my cheek bone and gave myself a big black eye - and my cheekbone still hasn't fully healed yet.

I was a wreck after this and I knew this was stress again that caused this black out and it was so clear to me that body was crumbling under so much chronic stress and I had to pull out of prior work commitments and get my stress under control. I also got all this confirmed by Doctors.

The reason I launched Zing Wellbeing

I have had a full on past 12 years and EXTREME stress over the past few years and the thing I have learnt the most is that we need to look at health from a holistic standpoint.

At The Healthy Mummy it was all about healthy weight loss for mums but I believe that we had missed a hugely important element which was mental wellbeing and a holistic approach to health.

In my last couple of years I started leaning towards this area and I launched Healthy Mummy Wellness as that is where I wanted to be - in the wellness space and taking a much broader approach to health, but when I sold the business the new owners didn't want this approach so much and instead wanted the focus on weight loss.

This is why if you are a Healthy Mummy customer you may remember that when I launched the Wellness App in 2022 no more investment, content or support was  put into this area and this area was left to die a death - which was very sad!

Zing Wellbeing inception

So nearly 3 years out of selling The Healthy Mummy and after I tried my best to heal from all the stress and trauma, I started thinking about this broader approach to wellness again.

And to be honest I didn't think I could do it all again. I loved the health and wellness space so much but I felt I was pretty broken by everything that had happened and I didn't think anyone would ever want to hear from me again. 

But after starting a little group on food and health I was BLOWN away with the amount of support for me and my philosophy on holistic health and how many women said they were happy to see me back and in this space.

And with all these women behind me I thought that just maybe I could do it again.

So I put down all my ideas on paper about a holistic approach to health and what a program and platform could look like that was supportive, kind and informative and covered everything from food to fitness to mental health to stress to anxiety to menopause to hormones to pregnancy and all the different health challenges women face.

And that was a woman owned and women run business.

And then I had the bare bones of the business. Then I needed to go and build it! Which I did.

And the name Zing Wellbeing is because although I have been through a lot - I am a HUGELY resilient and positive person and for me ZING was positive, vibrant and bright - and that is the vibe I want me and the business to bring every single day - I want us all to ZING into life!

And although it has been so much work I am so glad I have done it as now 1000's of women are using our wellness program and products and getting amazing health results which I cannot explain how proud and happy that makes me feel.

My own health transformation

I have always tried to keep everything as real a possible too and share my own journey with our community.

So when I tried on some jeans I hadn't worn in a while I realised I had to back on track as I had gained a few kg and my cholesterol had also gone up so I followed the Zing Wellbeing program and documented by journey along the way and did regular live workouts in the groups and showed all my food and all I was doing to get back in tip top health - inside and out!

You can read my story on this here

How Stress Manifests in the Body

Stress isn’t just something we feel emotionally—it has profound effects on our physical health. Chronic stress can lead to:

  • Weakened Immune System – Making us more susceptible to illnesses and infections.

  • Muscle Tension and Pain – Stress often results in physical tension, which can cause muscle spasms and joint pain.

  • Digestive Issues – Stress impacts gut health, leading to bloating, discomfort, and changes in bowel habits.

  • Hormonal Imbalances – Chronic stress affects hormone production, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and reproductive issues.

  • Cardiovascular Problems – Stress can increase blood pressure, heart rate, and inflammation, contributing to long-term heart issues.

The Importance of Prioritising Mental Wellbeing

Through my own experiences, I’ve learned that mental wellbeing must never be overlooked. It’s not a luxury—it’s a necessity. When stress is left unmanaged, it doesn’t just affect our emotions; it can devastate our physical health too.

It also effects our family. And my family were a big motivator for me in walking away from the stress and the job I was in.

The most important thing we all have is our health and mental wellbeing and our time with our family. No amount of money or status or material possessions can ever replace that.

This is why, at Zing Wellbeing, we place such a strong emphasis on mental health support. Our programs are designed to help women incorporate stress management techniques, balanced nutrition, and self-care routines to strengthen both mental and physical wellbeing.

What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Moved Forward

I’ve rebuilt my life by prioritising my health and learning how to manage stress more effectively. I focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, exercising regularly, and practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

Most importantly, I’ve learned to listen to my body and recognise when I need to slow down and take a break.

Zing Wellbeing was created from my passion to help other women avoid the mistakes I made and take control of their mental and physical health before stress takes its toll.

I have also launched the Zing Wellbeing podcast and I have learned so so much about mental health and the negative effect of stress on the body and I have been lucky enough to interview incredible neuroscientists and experts in so many areas of health who have opened my eyes even more to how crucial our mental health is.

You can see the podcasts here and also listen on spotify and apple podcasts

Final Thoughts

Your mental wellbeing should never be overlooked. I’ve learned the hard way how critical it is to prioritise stress management and self-care.

With Zing Wellbeing, we provide holistic programs that support not just physical health, but mental and emotional health too.

Explore our meal plans and wellness resources to take control of your health today.

You can check out the program here

 

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