A Case Study in Recovery, Resilience, and Redefining Success
“I don’t even remember talking about food.”
That’s how Sarah summed up her one-to-one coaching with me.
And you know what? I take that as the ultimate win.
Which might sound strange at first—especially if you’re expecting me to bang on about calories and macros.
Sure, we spoke about macros and fuelling her body—but food was never the thing holding her back.
What changed her life, and her business, wasn’t another diet plan or a spreadsheet of steps.
It was finally understanding this: you can’t run your life, your business, or your body on full throttle all the time.
Before we worked together…
Sarah was doing what so many smart, high-achieving women do.
Running her business like a boss.
Every burner on high.
Every box ticked.
Every role—CEO, mentor, partner, parent, you name it—played to perfection.
And yep, she was getting away with it.
Until she wasn’t: exhaustion creeping in, creativity flatlining, and that feeling of “is this it?” starting to take root.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone.
And you don’t have to stay there.
The Shift: from doing it all to doing what matters
I didn’t hand Sarah a fancy planner and tell her to “find balance.”
During our time together Sarah rewrote the rules.
She stripped away the shit that wasn’t serving her.
And she started tuning into what was.
“I have, without doubt, developed an ingrained set of habits that do and will continue to serve me well.”
1. Sleep became sacred
Before we talked about food or training or stress, we zeroed in on the one thing that impacts everything: sleep.
Not in a “get your eight hours, here’s a sleep hygiene checklist way” ,but in a serious, strategic way.
Sarah now tracks and tweaks her sleep, and understands what disrupts it.
“Quality and quantity are massively important. If I’m feeling off, that’s where I look first.”
We made sleep her foundation. It became her first line of defence, her secret to resilience, and the non-negotiable piece of her high-performance puzzle.
2. She stopped being CEO of everyfuckingthing
We had the conversation every business owner needs (but often avoids):
What are you doing that someone else could do?
What’s draining your energy but not delivering returns?
Sarah realised she was holding on to tasks because… well, she thought she should.
Now? She outsources, delegates, and focuses on where her time delivers the most value.
And guess what? Her income reflects that.
3. Food Became Easy
Before: food was full of rules and stress.
Now: food fuels her. She doesn’t use it to self-soothe, doesn’t fear it, and isn’t stuck in all-or-nothing thinking.
She knows what balance looks like for her—and if things feel off, she knows how to adjust without spiralling.
“I no longer use food to self-soothe, fear food, or attach arbitrary rules to what I eat and when I eat it.”
A big middle finger up to diet culture
4. Movement became her mindset reset
Sarah stopped thinking about steps and movement as “something else to fit in” and started seeing it as non-negotiable mental health time.
Even through a niggling injury that slowed her down, Sarah stayed consistent and focused on what she could do.
“I know it is possible to have a healthy, active middle and older age—and I can and will achieve that.”
She moves because it helps her feel good, think better, and create more.
Walking the dog isn’t a chore; it’s where her best business ideas happen.
Her creativity unlocked the second she stopped chaining herself to her desk.
The Burner Philosophy
One of the biggest mindset shifts Sarah had was understanding the Burners Theory we talked about.
You cannot have all your burners (work, family, health, friends etc) on full blast at the same time. Otherwise you’re gonna run out of gas pretty quick!
If you want to crank one up, you have to dial something else down.
And that’s not failure. That’s strategy.
Before, Sarah would push through on every front.
Now? She makes intentional choices about where her energy goes.
And she builds in recovery, unapologetically. She knows recovery is as important as strategy calls, client work, and profit margins.
“I often think about that thing you taught me—if I’m going to turn the work burner up on something, how am I going to balance it off? What burner can I turn down? You helped me not just normalise self-care and recovery activities, but actively build them in and celebrate them.”
What impact is this having on her life?
She’s sharper, more creative, and her business runs better than ever.
Because a rested brain is a better brain.
A recovered body is a stronger body.
And a woman who knows when to pause? She’s unstoppable.
The Friday Rule: rest isn’t a reward
Sarah doesn’t work Fridays anymore.
She does yoga. She swims. She breathes.
And she’s proud of it.
“Before working with you, I’d have thought I was a bit of a wuss for doing that. I thought a successful business meant working like a dog, all day, every day. You taught me I can’t do that. Not for long. Especially not as a middle-aged woman. You helped me to not just normalise self-care and recovery activities, but actively build them in and celebrate them.”
Now, it’s a strategic decision that fuels everything she does. Rest isn’t what happens after success. It’s what makes success possible.
The Hidden Bonus: she’s kinder to herself now
There was one more breakthrough.
Sarah realised she’d spent years focusing on what she wasn’t doing.
The endless to-do list.
The goals she hadn’t hit yet.
The “I should be doing more” voice on loop.
But now?
She celebrates her wins.
She notices what’s working.
And she cuts herself some slack.
Even around food (yes, we did chat calories a bit!).
She stopped obsessing over the daily numbers and looked at the bigger picture.
She realised going over on one day wasn’t blowing it—it was life.
Perspective changed everything.
“I suppose what you helped me do is be a bit less hard on myself.”
Why It Works (According to Sarah)
“Hayley is amazing in terms of her knowledge, her ability to tune in, her tenacity, and her willingness to keep trying to give you what you need—whether that’s tough love or endless support.”
“She’s brilliant at understanding the merry midlife menopausal clusterfuck and all that it brings. She never stops learning. Never talks BS. Everything is evidence-based and translated into clarity.”
Why “Lifestyle Ninja” might be an understatement…
At the end of her testimonial, Sarah said something that stuck with me:
“I’m not sure lifestyle is even the right word. What you do has gravitas. It’s impactful, inspirational, and instructional on so many levels—spiritual, psychological, physical, mental.”
I’m blushing….but she’s not wrong.
This work is bigger than lifestyle.
It’s about reclaiming your energy, your time, and your health so you can lead, live, and love the life you’re building (don’t hate on me cos that sounds like Live, Laugh, Love ).
Ready to be the next Sarah?
If you’re nodding along, ‘hell yes’ing’ to all this and thinking “I need this,” then let’s talk.
This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what matters.
Smart, strategic, evidence-based coaching that helps you reclaim your health, energy, and life ♀️
Send me an email here hayley@thelifestyle.ninja
