Authentically, Jessica

I didn’t start this blog because I had everything figured out. I’m starting it because my body is asking me to pay attention.

Over the past months, my health shifted in ways I couldn’t ignore. What began quietly became overwhelming, forcing me to stop moving through life on momentum alone. I was asked — sometimes abruptly — to slow down, listen, and respond in ways I wasn’t used to.

This season has come with symptoms that are intense and difficult to live with. There are days when the swaying is strong enough to make me feel unsteady even when I’m sitting still. Nausea can arrive suddenly and linger, making ordinary tasks feel heavy. Screens, bright lights, and prolonged focus can overwhelm me quickly. Once symptoms start, it doesn’t take much for things to feel like too much.

What’s been just as challenging is the emotional weight of it all. I’ve always been someone who pushes through discomfort, who keeps going even when things are hard. This experience has disrupted that pattern completely. It has asked me to surrender control, to rest when I’d rather push, and to redefine what strength looks like.

Some days, the only thing I know for sure is that listening matters. Listening to my body. Listening to my limits. Listening to the quieter parts of myself that I used to override.

I don’t have a conclusion yet. I’m still in it — learning, adjusting, and finding my footing one day at a time. But I do know this: slowing down wasn’t a choice I made. It was a necessity. And within that necessity, something honest is beginning to take shape.

Authentically, Jessica