Michele Rohde, Motivational Coach

For years I thought stress was just something you fix with working out or taking a nap.

What I didn’t understand was that my body was spending way too much time in fight-or-flight mode.

Your parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite. It’s your body’s “rest, digest, and repair” mode. This is where healing, recovery, hormone balance, digestion, and deep sleep happen. When it’s stuck in fight or flight, cortisol is often high as well & a simple nap or working out won’t fix it.

One of the simplest things I do when I feel stressed or overwhelmed is legs up the wall for 10-20 minutes while focusing on slow, deep breathing. It shocked me how much tension was in my body the first few times I did it.

Other things that help me shift into that calmer, parasympathetic state:

✨ Prayer & deep breathing
✨ Magnesium (I alternate between a 2 magnesium drink mixes, magnesium baths, or magnesium cream on my feet with socks)
✨ Vagus nerve support and gentle neck massage
✨ Heated blanket
✨ Castor oil liver packs a handful of days each month
✨ Protecting my sleep

No single thing “fixed” me.

But helping my body feel safe again changed everything.

If you’d like the complete list of what I use, it’s all linked in my bio through my Amazon storefront. 🤍

I use to feel like my body was working against me.

Inflamed.
Bloated.
Exhausted.
Hurting.
Gaining weight no matter what I did.

I was dealing with pericarditis, Hashimoto’s, long covid, fatty liver, insulin resistance, high inflammation markers, etc etc… and 30+ extra pounds from being bedridden and on medications.

I kept looking for the one thing that would fix it.

The one supplement.
The one diet.
The one protocol.

But eventually I realized I wasn’t supporting the systems my body was struggling with.

My liver.
My digestion.
My hydration.
My minerals.
My sleep.
My stress response.

And when those things aren’t supported, inflammation has a way of showing up everywhere.

Your face.

Your stomach.

Your energy.

Your weight.

Even on vacation, I still keep a few simple habits in place.

This hydration + liver support drink is one of the tools I rotate in when I’m traveling, drinking socially, or when inflammation starts creeping back in.

Not because it’s magic.

Because consistency beats intensity every time.

Today:

✔️ Over 30 pounds down
✔️ Fatty liver reversed
✔️ Insulin resistance improved
✔️ CRP inflammation markers normalized
✔️ Hashimoto’s antibodies down over 60%
✔️ Pericarditis gone!

The biggest lesson I’ve learned?

Your body usually isn’t working against you.

It’s asking for support.

And when you start giving it what it needs, amazing things can happen. 💞

What’s one thing you’ve done that noticeably helped your inflammation?

👇

Inheritance is what you leave for someone. Legacy is what you leave in someone. ✝️ ~Tim Tebow

A few weeks ago, I decided to pray a 9-day St. Mary Magdalene Novena.

A novena is simply nine consecutive days of prayer focused on a specific intention. My intention was healing for a long-standing female health issue.

To make it more meaningful, I decided to fast from social media.

Honestly, I thought the prayer would be the hard part.

It wasn’t.

The hard part was realizing how often I automatically opened social media apps without even thinking. 😳

I finally moved all my apps into a folder just to slow myself down enough to break the habit.

The first few days were tough.

But around day 3, something shifted.

I felt less distracted, less restless, and less attached to my phone. Instead of constantly looking down, I started looking up more.

I found myself reading more, walking more, praying more, and simply being more present.

By the end of the 9 days, my original health issue had improved some.

But the most surprising part?

The ENERGY.

I felt like I had more energy than I had in years.

Was it less dopamine depletion from constant scrolling? Less mental clutter? God’s grace?

Probably some combination of all three.

What I do know is that if I hadn’t felt called & prompted by a friend to pray that novena at the same time, I never would have discovered that gift.

If you’ve ever considered praying a novena, maybe this is your sign. ❤️

And the timing is perfect because the Sacred Heart of Jesus Novena begins June 3rd. You can use the Hallow app or search for it online.

Whether you’re praying for healing, peace, direction, or simply a deeper relationship with God, maybe consider giving Him nine days.

You might be surprised by what happens. 🙏

Have you ever prayed a novena? If so, which one?

A few years ago, I felt like my body completely changed. I was on the STRUGGLE BUS! 😅

What started as long covid eventually led to the terrifying season of pericarditis ❤️‍🩹, and that opened the door to discovering Hashimoto’s, MTHFR, non alcoholic fatty liver, hormone imbalances & anemia that had likely been brewing behind the scenes for years.

As much as I’d like to share there was one magic fix - there wasn’t.

It was a lot of small changes, consistency, prayer, patience & learning to work with my body instead of constantly fighting it.

One of the tools that’s been part of that journey for me is the FASTer Way. I’ve been following it for about 2 years now, and while it wasn’t the only thing that helped, it gave me a plan with accountability & taught me so much about supporting my metabolism, balancing blood sugar, building muscle, and fueling my body in a way that actually made me feel better.

Today my coach, Allie, is kicking off a 14-Day Belly Blast, and I’m jumping in! 🙌

(We’ve got a Jamaica wedding trip coming up, so the timing is pretty perfect! 💃🏻☀️💒🏝️)

What I like about FW is that it’s not another “eat less and do more cardio” plan. It’s focused on the research-backed habits that help reduce bloating, support metabolism, build lean muscle, and even encourage your body’s natural GLP-1 production.

And if you’ve seen our recent pool pics in my stories, you know I’ve been swimming instead of walking lately and honestly, I’m loving it! 🏊‍♀️

The lower impact feels so much better on my joints, it seems less inflammatory for my body, I get my sunshine & Vitamin D, plus family time, and it’s become one of my favorite ways to move/tone up. I literally grab my kickboard and go to town. 😆

If you’ve been eating pretty well, trying to stay active, and still wondering why your body isn’t responding the way it used to… you’re definitely not alone.

I know that feeling all too well.

I’m looking forward to this little reset and thought I’d share in case any of my friends want to follow along with me. 💞

Link in my bio😘

"Little by little becomes a lot."