For most of my life, my relationship with food, movement, and my body was driven by control and perfectionism. I believed that “being healthy” meant following rigid rules—counting calories, exercising to earn rest, and chasing a body that was never quite good enough. Every mirror check or skipped workout became a referendum on my worth. I wasn’t trying to feel better; I was trying to be better—according to someone else’s idea of what health and success looked like. But over time, that constant pressure began to unravel me. I was physically exhausted, emotionally disconnected, and mentally consumed by numbers and body image. I realized that I had been using routines to mask deeper discomfort—avoiding stillness, shame, and the fear of not being enough if I let go. The turning point came when I started listening to my body instead of managing it like a project. I learned to move for joy, to eat with presence, and to rest without guilt. Now, I define health more holistically: it’s about feeling at home in myself, not fixing myself. It’s honoring my needs, not overriding them. It’s recognizing that my body is not a problem to solve but a partner to care for. If you’ve ever felt trapped in cycles of “shoulds” around your weight or routines, you’re not alone—and there’s another way forward.