I found myself staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror at 2 AM, unable to sleep despite being completely exhausted. My body was screaming for rest, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. Sound familiar?
I had spent years helping others prioritize their health habits and wellness, yet somewhere along the way, I had completely neglected my own. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I was living proof that you can know all the right things to do and still not do them.
I decided to document a complete 21-day wellness reset, not just for myself, but to share the real, unfiltered journey with others who might be struggling in silence too.
The Wake-Up Call
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of a thousand small compromises: skipping breakfast to answer emails, staying up late to finish projects, saying yes when you desperately need to say no.
For me, the warning signs had been building for months, but I kept pushing through, believing in teamwork, hustling, and building…
The physical symptoms were impossible to ignore: constant fatigue, disrupted sleep patterns, brain fog that made simple tasks feel overwhelming, and a short fuse with the people I loved most.
It was the emotional toll that finally broke through my denial. I felt disconnected from everything that used to bring me joy.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup” had always sounded like a cliché, well to me. Until my cup wasn’t just empty, it was bone dry baby.
Start with journaling and then create a vision board.
The 21-Day Commitment
I committed to 21 days because I knew quick fixes wouldn’t work. You got to put in that work, okay! Real transformation requires time, consistency, and a willingness to completely rethink your priorities. The goal is in perfection. It’s discipline through consistency and progress. That means you better learn how to pivot; ain’t nobody coming to save ya!
Here’s what I focused on:
1. Sleep Became Non-Negotiable
I established a strict 10 PM bedtime and created a wind-down routine that actually worked. No phones after 9 PM, reading, games, or crafts instead of scrolling, and investing in whatever I needed to help me be consistent with my bedtime routine. Within two weeks, I was sleeping through the night, baby I was falling asleep on queue.
2. Nutrition Got Real
I discovered that when I fueled my body properly, I actually!had energy for the things that mattered. Also, I mean it when I say keep it simple! Every meal doesn’t have to be a gourmet five star. I’m still perfecting this lol.
I stopped relying on high levels of sugar to get through the day and started meal prepping snacks and meals. Simple, nutritious meals that didn’t require mental energy to prepare.
I like what I like.🤷🏾♀️🤣
These days I stick to tea or juicing in the morning and fasting until 11 AM. I like to follow that up with a high fiber, lunch and dinner varies in season. It’s typically soup, salad, and/or pasta. My stamples are to the left.
3. Movement Without Punishment
I ditched the intense workouts that felt like punishment and found movement I genuinely enjoyed.
Morning walks became my meditation. Yoga helped me reconnect with my body. The goal wasn’t to burn calories but to feel strong and capable.
Now, I do have a dog, so I do go on walks often. I’m not sure why I signed up to pick up poop for 10 to 15 years, but here we are.
4. Boundaries Were Drawn
This was the hardest part.
I started saying no to commitments that drained me. I set work hours and stuck to them.
I stopped responding to every message immediately. People adjusted, and surprisingly, the world didn’t end.
Also, I prioritize work to life balance I don’t care who I work for or with. you’re not gonna find me in a hotel somewhere unresponsive from a heart attack because I’m overworking myself for a person or Company that doesn’t contribute in my life outside of me working.
Okay, that was specific and vivid but I’m just saying. Treat me like I got a husband and some kids at home, okay!
The Unexpected Transformations
What surprised me most wasn’t the physical changes, though those were real and significant. It was the mental clarity that returned. The creativity that I thought I’d lost forever came flooding back. I found myself actually laughing again, genuinely enjoying moments instead of constantly thinking about what needed to be done next.
My relationships improved dramatically. When you’re not operating from a place of depletion, you have so much more to give. I became more present with my family, more patient with myself, and more compassionate with others.
Productivity paradoxically increased. By doing less but doing it from a place of energy and focus, I accomplished more meaningful work than I had in the previous year of grinding.
The Hard Truths I Learned
Nobody is coming to save you! You have to decide if your wellbeing matters more than anyone else’s expectations. This is self-care. That’s not selfish, it’s survival. If you don’t think that the world still operate so for survival of the fittest, then I’m just gonna say you don’t understand the laws of the land nature knowledge.
Small, consistent actions compound into massive results. You don’t need a complete life overhaul. You need to show up for yourself every single day, even when it’s imperfect. Lean to bob, weave and rest baby, you’re in the boxing ring.
Burnout recovery isn’t linear. It’s a grieve process that develops you into your next journey. Some days you’ll feel amazing and wonder why you ever struggled. Other days you’ll want to abandon everything. Both are part of the process.
You deserve rest, not as a reward for productivity, but as a basic human need. Stop earning the right to take care of yourself.
I learned this from David Goggins when he was talking about how he has a cap on his success.
Where I Am Now
Twenty days later, I’m not perfect! I still have days where I slip back into old patterns. This is why I’m consistently building upon my coping skills when things get hard, not when things are easy. Sometimes I reach the step of relapsing into bad habits because I think that I’m doing so great, so I stop doing the things that got me there in the first place.
Here’s what I do know, I have the tools and awareness to course-correct quickly. More importantly, I have proof that change is possible.
The most important thing is the set goals and monitor your performance and progress. I wake up with energy instead of dread. I go to bed feeling satisfied instead of guilty about everything I didn’t accomplish. I’ve reclaimed my life from the constant state of emergency I was living in.
If you’re reading this from a place of exhaustion and overwhelm, I see you. I’ve been exactly where you are. I’m here to tell you that on the other side of burnout is a version of yourself you’ve been waiting to meet.
Your Turn
You don’t need 21 days to start. You just need to begin. Pick one small thing today that signals to yourself that you matter. Maybe it’s going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Maybe it’s saying no to one commitment that drains you. Maybe it’s finally scheduling that doctor’s appointment you’ve been avoiding.
Small steps, taken consistently, will lead you exactly where you need to go. Whatever it is, start there. And then tomorrow, do it again.
The best time to start was three months ago. The second best time is right now.
Want to start your own wellness reset? Follow along at RestartWithKeke.org where I share practical tools, honest reflections, and sustainable strategies for building a life you don’t need to escape from.
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