I am giving myself 120 days to heal my burnout

I am entering a new season, so it is only right that I prepare with a new health journey. I know. It sounds cliché to start this just in time for 2026.

But look, I can explain.

To be transparent, I actually started this healing journey on December 1st. Why? Because I looked at my own recent blood work and realized I had been normalizing my own burnout.

I have spent the last 3.5 years nurturing my kids, building a business, and making sure my family is straight. With that, I feel like I have put my own goals and health practices on the back burner.

I feel a certain way admitting that.

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, I spend my weekdays telling my patients how to prioritize their well-being.

Meanwhile, I have been reluctant to do so for myself.

But no more.

What My Numbers Told Me (And How It Felt)

My labs told a specific story. And it wasn't one that is obvious to the naked (Western medicine) eye.

It was a story of a body in survival mode.

Here is the breakdown of the data, and the symptoms I had been ignoring for months:

1. Morning Nausea

• The Symptom: Waking up nauseous, groggy, and struggling to eat breakfast.

• The Data (Gilbert’s Syndrome): My labs confirmed a 'sluggish' liver type (Total Bilirubin 1.3). It isn't liver failure, but it may be a genetic quirk that makes detoxing slower. On top of that, my GGT was 7, which is clinically low. This means my body is low on Glutathione (the master antioxidant). Essentially, my liver is trying to clean the house without any cleaning fluid, leaving me with a 'bile backup' and nausea in the morning.

  
  

2. Daily Fatigue

• The Symptom: Feeling like I was moving through mud, weak during workouts, and hitting a wall by mid-afternoon.

• The Data (Fuel Starvation + Low Iron): My fasting insulin is practically zero (<0.4). I’m not 'insulin resistant', but I am not fueling my body enough. My body has been stripping its own muscle for energy. Combined with low iron stores (Ferritin 24), I wasn't 'lazy', I am underpowered.

3. Hairy Chin and Heavy Periods

• The Symptom: Dealing with coarse chin hairs (hirsutism) while watching my scalp itch, burn, and shed. Also experienced heavier periods than usual.

• The Data (Liver Congestion):  Because my liver is slow to metabolize toxins (Gilbert's), it is likely also slow to metabolize excess estrogen. My body reabsorbs the old hormones instead of flushing them out. This hormonal backlog creates an imbalance that fuels hair growth on my chin while creating inflammation on my scalp. This may also affect my other hormones and my period.

4. Brain Fog

• The Symptom: Trouble focusing, forgetting words, and feeling 'cloudy.'

• The Data (Non-Optimal Vitamin D): My level is 34.9. While technically 'normal' on paper, functionally, this is too low. As a melanated woman, this number needs to be over 50. Anything less leaves my immune system unprotected, and my mental space foggy.

5. Scalp Sores & "The Alarm"

• The Symptom: Random tender spots and sores on my scalp.

• The Data (Positive ANA / Speckled Pattern): My ANA test came back positive (1:80) with a "Speckled" pattern. I don't have Lupus or an active disease, but this pattern, combined with my low antioxidants (GGT) acts as a "Cellular Distress Signal." My immune system is flagging that my cells are "dusty" and stressed, which shows up as inflammation on my skin and scalp.

A standard doctor might look at this and say, "You're fine, we will continue to monitor." But looking at it from a functional lifestyle medicine perspective, I know something needs to be done.

I have decided I no longer want to struggle with these symptoms. I want to live.

🌱 The Plan: 16-17 Weeks -- RIVY Way

For the next 120 days, I am taking off the "provider" hat and putting on the "patient" hat not only to correct my labs but to rebuild my LIFE.

I am challenging myself to walk through my own RIVY Protocol (the same system I built for my patients) to see what it does for my own body, mind, and spirit.

Here is my specific plan across the 5 Foundations:

MOTION

• The Goal: Strengthen my glutes, core, hips, shoulders, ankles, knees, elbows, and back.

• The Why: Ever since I turned 30, I have noticed these areas to be weaker and more uncomfortable than usual. I have back and knee pain. My ankles always feel tight. I have been injuring my shoulders and forearms more frequently. Something has to be done. Cause typically, it would only worsen as I age.

• My Measure: I will measure the strength of these areas by being able to do 30-second handstand pushups, 50 push-ups (unbroken), 25 pullups (unbroken), 100 squats unbroken, and a bout of other exercises that will help me maintain strength and stability.

NUTRITION

• The Goal: The Souliterranean Way. I am learning that my cultural foods can be healthy and they can be flavorful at the same time. For the longest time, I thought I had to do away with the foods that I grew up on to be healthy. That is so far from the truth. We just have to remix them to heal our system.

• The Action: I am committing to recreating at least 1 soul food meal per week with a healthy twist, and eating greens or cruciferous veggies twice a day to promote liver detox pathways.

CONNECTION

• Vertical: MY goal is to commit to connecting with God at least twice daily through prayer, stillness, and scripture because it doesn't matter how much you know/research or how much work you do, YAH still reigns supreme.

• Horizontal: Intentional fun time with my husband and children, and showing up for my community (virtually and physically).

ABSTENTION

• The Goal: Release judgment, ‘added’ sugar, and overworking.

• The Action: I noticed I give myself a pass with "natural" sugars like maple syrup. So, I am putting a cap on all added sugar. I am also setting a boundary: No work after bedtime, and no more than 2 hours at a time building the business.

RESTORATION

• The Goal: Signal safety to my body so that I don't have to subscribe to the constant of grind of culture.

• The Action: A consistent bedtime, a nightly skincare routine, and weekly foot soaks.

SUPPLEMENTATION (The 6th (Hidden) Layer)

• Liver Support: Calcium D-glucarate, NAC, and Taurine to help my sluggish liver.

• Rebuilding: Vitamin D for immunity and Iron bisglycinate to refill my energy tank.

The 4 Phases of My Healing

I will be following this in a 4-phase process:

• Weeks 1-4: ROOT (The Clean Up). Establishing the Souliterranean foundation, starting liver support, starting my fitness foundations, and fixing my sleep routine.

• Weeks 5-8: IGNITE (The Spark). Increasing workout intensity and recreating soul food classics.

• Weeks 9-12: VIGORIZE (The Strength). Advanced fitness goals and strict sugar limits.

• Weeks 13-16: YIELD (The Peace). Hitting my fitness PRs and walking in sustained peace.

What You Can Expect

I mentioned that I would be doing this publicly to show up as an inspiration. Even with two jobs, building a business, and taking care of family, we can heal.

Every week, I’ll be dropping a blog post with updates.

A Note on Grace

If you are reading this and feeling heavy because you know you need a change too, just breathe. There is no shame here. We don't have to be perfect. But we do need to show up for ourselves.

As I enter this new journey, I am standing on this scripture:

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers" (3 John 1:2).

My Ruach is ready to prosper.

My body is ready to catch up.

Let’s get it.

Give Thanks,

Mary