Why More Isn’t Always Better & The Importance of Chilling

Published: April 6, 2017

Updated: March 20, 2022

So, you want to improve your health and generally take kinder care of yourself? Congratulations! How exciting!

For many people, this means going from 0 to 100, logging long, arduous hours at the gym, restricting their eating, and following a long list of “shoulds” all in the name of their goals.

Sure, this approach may yield initial results, but it’s certainly not sustainable on the physical, emotional, mental, or even spiritual body levels. Eventually this will result in burnout and either a plateau or worse – weight gain, giving up, and a return to the undesired health and lifestyle habits you sought to end in the first place.

No wonder so many people are stuck in a cycle of momentum/stagnation peppered with bouts of self-loathing!

You know what is actually at the root of this? Feminine Shame. It’s not a willpower problem or a goal-setting problem… it’s shame problem.

More Isn’t Better!

More isn’t always better, especially when it comes to exercise, and less isn’t the answer when it comes to food.  Pounding away on the treadmill? Restricting your eating and obsessing over calorie counts? Stop it.

This approach raises the stress hormone cortisol and makes the body hold on to everything because it thinks you’re under attack. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. Our ancestors led harsh lives and survival was the name of the game. Wild animals, the elements, famine, disease, and the like were all real, daily threats. The body doesn’t know the difference between stressors that you may perceive as “good” (spin class) or “bad” (running for your life). 

To the body, it’s all the same!

So, while you’re freaking out in your car over traffic, the exact same physiological reactions are happening internally as when your ancestors were running for their lives from a saber-toothed.

You can imagine that the body won’t want to do anything out of luxury or aesthetics in a state like this, such as “rest and digest,” reproduce, drop unnecessary weight, have healthy blood pressure and respiration, etc. In this state, the body is in a holding pattern because it’s in fear and when it’s in fear, optimal function won’t happen physiologically, which means it’s near impossible for the changes in physique to take place that you seek.

The most important part of the whole equation is to get your body out of stress mode and to shift into “rest and digest” mode.

Only from this place does your body get the signal that energy may be used for repair, growth, healing, etc. and it doesn’t need to be reserved (AKA holding onto weight) because of impending doom. How to make this shift into relaxation mode?  Choose to consciously live the majority of your day from this place!  

Deep belly breathing is literally the quickest way to make this shift. Shaking off (literally – think about animals) stressful events also works wonders.  Staying well hydrated, eating enough for your particular needs, meditation, laughter, nature, and plenty of rest and sleep should all be part of any routine.

To create joyful, sustainable changes in your entire being, physical body included, a balanced approach to food and movement with adequate time for recovery and rejuvenation is the only way to go.

The InnerSpark Method:
Everyday Rhythms Program

Gently & Sustainably Burnout-Proof Your Life
With Self-Care Rhythms Rooted in Nature

Ever feel like:
You did everything “right.”

Worked hard. Built the life. Showed up for everyone. Followed the plans.

Tried the life hacks, the yoga, the therapy, the smoothies, the supplements.

Ya know, everything they said would lead to a happy, healthy life.

And yet…
You’re exhausted.
Your body’s not happy.
And you’re quietly wondering… “Why doesn’t this feel better?”

You’re not broken. You’re burnt out.

And it’s the result of a culture that never taught you how to care for yourself in the ways you actually need.

That changes now.

The InnerSpark Method: Everyday Rhythms is a proven, 8-part, mentor-guided system rooted in Nature, Ayurveda, and Integrative Health to help you simplify self-care and reclaim your life and health – holistically, naturally, sustainably.

This is the last wellness framework you will ever need.

More Holistic Living + Healing:

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    Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of healing and living that originated in the Indus Valley region. Rooted in nature, it is based on the wisdom of the elements and qualities of the natural world. Because Ayurveda is grounded in the unchanging truths of nature, it is applicable to anyone, at any time, anywhere. In today’s…

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Sweet Soul, it’s time to heal Feminine Shame and tap back into what’s natural, real, wild, and magical.

The Uprooting Feminine Shame Podcast by Devon is for deep-feeling, overthinking womxn ready to identify the roots of their people-pleasing, burnout, and anxiety so they can discover their true, shame-free nature and confidently thrive in body, mind, and spirit. Listen in to explore truly integrative, holistic ways of living more naturally aligned with your unique needs – physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, and spiritually.

Each episode delivers potent transmissions to inspire and empower you. With a range of topics complete with a dash of Western science, hearty servings of metaphysical wisdom, and heaps of embodied experiences, there’s something here for you to create profound, sustainable, holistic shifts in life, health, body, relationships, and spiritual growth.

Subscribe to The Uprooting Feminine Shame Podcast

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Hi, I’m Devon.
I’m not here to help you “fix” yourself. (You’re not broken.) I’m here to help you come home to yourself.

I’ve lived the burnout. I was the high functioning, do-it-all, keep-it-together woman who looked fine on the outside and totally lost on the inside.

What saved me was rhythm. Daily, seasonal, soul-deep rhythm — rooted in Nature and in truth.

Now, it’s my deepest honor to guide others in rebuilding their lives from that same foundation.

Drawing on a background in Integrative Health, Ayurveda, holistic coaching, somatic trauma work, energy healing, and flower essence therapy, my approach is gentle, grounded, and deeply supportive.

I help people simplify, reconnect with what matters, and create sustainable rhythms of self-care that support real energy, real joy, and real healing — for life.

Click here to learn more about me and The InnerSpark Method.

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