Just say "no" to the hustle - Riley Smith LAc | Acupuncture in San Diego, CA

“Your gut and your hormones aren’t two separate problems. They’re one conversation – and most women have never been shown how to listen to it.”

– DR. RILEY SMITH

Question: When did being “exhausted” become a status symbol? In our culture, working long hours is a sign of success and saying “busy” when asked how you’re doing is glorified, when in reality, it should be anything but.

Life isn’t meant to be lived from the confines of your cubicle, and skipping lunch because there’s too many “to file” folders on your desk can be downright harmful to both your mental and physical health. Realistically, I know it’s not always possible to up and quit your job to trek the Himalayas and sit in monk silence. However, it is easier than you think to work a little more life into your usual day-to-day.

Here are a few of my favorite go-to’s to balance the everyday crazy:

1. Walk and Talk

Often, our days are filled with meetings, but have you ever considered taking your 10am conference call outdoors? Many people swear by their “walk and talk” meetings– not only do they get to enjoy a nice breeze and some green (proven to enhance mood) while they’re on the phone. If you have an in-person, you’d probably be surprised how many people would love to meet and have your time together out in the open too. Give it a try!

2. Listen While You Work

Mundane admin tasks such as answering emails or filling in an Excel doc don’t always have to drain you, instead, they can just as easily fill you up! How? We pop our earphones in and turn on our favorite inspirational podcast. There are tons of really great ones, but I can’t recommend Lewis Howes’ School of Greatness or Jeff Sanders’ The 5 AM Miracle enough. Tara Brach is another one of my all time favorites.

3. Practice Self Care

Self care is a buzzed about topic right now, but it’s actually vital to keeping your glass filled-up and self in good spirits. This doesn’t have to mean a trip to my clinic everyday (although I’d love to see you!), it could simply be lighting your favorite incense stick before bed at night, reading a chapter of your favorite book each morning, or indulging in that dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s that you can’t seem to get enough of.

I want to know: How do you infuse more life into your everyday?

The short version

This is where the article opens up the idea behind the pull quote – written in your voice, root cause first, in language that makes sense to someone who has been told everything looks fine.

How these systems actually connect

showing the bold inline lead-in pattern from the reference:

Your gut. A short demo sentence on the role the gut plays.

Your hormones. A short demo sentence on how the two move together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can gut issues really affect my hormones?

A large share of hormone processing and clearance happens in the gut, so when digestion is under strain, hormone balance often follows.

Why do my labs come back normal when I still don't feel right?

Standard panels are built to flag disease, not the early-pattern shifts that leave you depleted. Reading several systems together is where the answer usually shows up.

Here Are Some Ways I Can Support You

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE & LABWORK

When your labs come back "normal" but you don't feel it, I run the testing conventional care skips and read how your systems relate.
See how the labwork works →

ONE-ON-ONE COACHING

Burnout to Balance®- the 5R Burnout Recovery MethodTM, built around your biology to restore the capacity you've been running without.
Start here →

JOIN THE NEXT SEASONAL CHALLENGE

Get on the waitlist for our next seasonal challenge!
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Want to hear it? Listen to the podcast →
More of a visual learner? Watch on YouTube →

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