When Life Knocks You Sideways

Goodness me, life has given me some knocks recently.

The kind that don’t just sting for a moment—but linger. The kind that quietly shake your confidence and pull your focus away from the things you love building. For me, that’s been Grrlforge. Not because I don’t believe in it anymore, but because I’ve had to come back to something more fundamental—myself.

Parenting has felt really hard lately.

My son is in that raw, complicated space of being a teenager, and it’s challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. There have been moments where I’ve questioned myself deeply—my instincts, my patience, my ability. That loss of confidence as a mother has a way of bleeding into everything else. Work. Leadership. Vision. It’s all connected.

And so, I’ve retreated—not in defeat, but in necessity.

Back to the basics.

Not the polished version of wellness. Not the “optimal” routine. Just the grounded, human essentials that hold me together when things feel a bit undone:

• Eating well, about 80% of the time. Nothing fancy—just protein, fibre, good fats, whole food carbs, water… and yes, coffee.

• Moving my body every day. Less intensity than usual, but consistency over perfection.

• Self Reiki, and sharing Reiki with others. Coming back to energy, to stillness, to connection.

• Hugging my girl a little tighter. Soaking up those moments that feel easy and pure.

• Carving out intentional, connected time with my partner. Choosing each other, especially when things feel stretched.

These things don’t erase the stress. They don’t fix the sleep deprivation or magically solve the challenges.

But they anchor me.

They remind me who I am underneath the noise.

There’s something powerful in stripping things back to the core—body, mind, soul. In honouring the season you’re in, rather than fighting it. In recognising that strength isn’t always about pushing forward; sometimes it’s about holding steady.

Grrlforge will still be there. That vision hasn’t gone anywhere.

Right now, this is the work.

Rebuilding from the inside out.
Reconnecting.
Remembering.

And maybe this is part of it too—understanding, deeply, what women need when life isn’t polished or pretty. When it’s messy and real and requires softness just as much as strength.

If you’re in a season like this too, you’re not alone.

Come back to your basics.
Hold onto what grounds you.
Trust that this, too, is part of your becoming.