hiya, Sarah here
So glad you’re here and I look forward to talking with you!
I’m a registered nurse and National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, specializing in stress management, emotional regulation, and sleep. These all go together nicely to create a calmer momma.
I have 3 kids who keep me well practiced in the art of maintaining my cool while they are crashing-out. I carry this skill into all areas of life and coaching.
my story
A few years ago I had a MOMENT. We were deep in the pandemic so the kids were still home trying to do virtual learning, and I was at work in the hospital trying (unsuccessfully) not to freak out. Which was a new feeling for me. As an RN for 18 years I have experienced numerous unpredictable and scary events, so why was this moment any different?
I was standing in the dressing room with a chai tea latte in my hand, listening to the Charge RN lead the Huddle, when an absolute wave of terror washed over me.
I felt like I was going to die, throw up, or pass out.
I found a bathroom & I had my first panic attack in the hospital. It sucked so bad. I think it lasted about 10 minutes, but of course, felt like a lifetime. I emerged from the bathroom looking very gray with a stomach ache, but I did what all nurses have to do at the start of a shift. I took report on my patients.
That day was a big wake-up call for me. I ended up having 3 more panic attacks at work and I decided something had to give. I needed to figure out why my nervous system was going haywire, why I had bone-deep fatigue, and why my body hurt so much.
So, I finally started taking care of myself again after years of only caring for others.
I learned how to meditate, and how to identify the triggering situations and thoughts leading to my body wanting to freak out.
I found so much relief through sitting in quiet, walking, laughing, reading all the books, and talking to others who are experiencing similar events.
We can only neglect taking care of ourselves for so long. At some point, the body and mind will rebel.
I’ve been through my rebellion, and now I am here to say I’ve got you. Let’s get to work on this together. You will feel so.much.better.
I used to have daily headaches, chronic IBS, insomnia and anxiety before I found functional medicine. Instead of taking more pills, which honestly didn’t work, I tried out different lifestyle habits. I stopped eating gluten (HUGE improvements), started eating fermented foods and going to bed by 9:00. I learned how to identify the thoughts causing me to suffer. I went from crushing anxiety at 3am to sleeping through the night. I laugh with my kids instead of getting irritated with them. In short, I feel so much better.
It’s my quest to help you feel better in your mind and body too.
How I got here: The adventures of an RN turned functional health coach
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How I got here: The adventures of an RN turned functional health coach *
Competing at the Division I level was a blast. But the overtraining, dorm food and handfuls of ibuprofen for aching swimmer-shoulders damaged my literal guts, leading to leaky gut symptoms like headaches, joint pain & severe GI distress.
My favorite class in college was human anatomy. My brother and sister-in-law said I would be a great nurse with my love for how the body works and working with people. So, off to the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing I went!
I became a momma to 3 sweet kiddos. I forgot about my own self-care while giving my all to my family and patients. I thought I was functioning “fine”, except I was miserable and irritated in my body and my thoughts. I turned toward healing my gut and nervous system to start feeling better. The improvement was wild!
Being an RN is a total honor and a rewarding career. Some of my favorite memories include singing with a coworker to patients, working on voice exercises with a patient who had botulism poisoning, and holding untold numbers of hands.
The amount of relief I experience through lifestyle changes like daily morning sun, meditation, and eliminating inflammatory foods is too good to keep to myself. I went back to health coaching school to learn how to help my hard working nurses & mommas feel more peaceful too.
My vision is to create a caregivers community, where we learn from and inspire each other to find our own ways to be healthy while also caring for everyone else.