I have always lived a relatively ‘healthy life’; I was very active, followed a vegan diet, dealt with the usual stresses of modern life, balancing work and play. I trained a lot for various endurance events and general fitness so would often experience discomfort in my body, which I would ignore and power through.

However, in 2019 my body had enough and gave me a big wake up call. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, for me this felt like a life sentence. At times I suffered from excruciating pain and ahead of me was lifelong pain management, locking joints, a compromised immune system and endless prescriptions. I used the doctor’s prognosis as a driving force to find better ways to heal my body, taking full ownership of my health and starting to live with intention.

Thankfully I was diagnosed quite early and with prompt action including fairly simple lifestyle tweaks, being more conscious of the impact of what I put into and onto my body, the effect of my thoughts, emotional state and my environment, I was able to heal myself and I am now completely pain and symptom free. As I continue my healing journey I have come across further hurdles and challenges to overcome, but with the knowledge I have gained so far, I’m best placed to take the action required to get myself to where I need to be – Wellthy.

Along the way I have also suffered from the emotional and physical symptoms of stress and feeling overwhelmed, which led to burnout. I was living a life out of balance, always being busy, always striving to work harder and do more and using this as a method of escapism, not addressing my emotions and numbing my feelings.