Health Over Hustle: Making Time for Yourself Without Guilt

In this episode of Inhale, Exhale, Success, we’re getting real about how to find time for your health—even when your schedule is packed to the brim. I share my personal story of juggling a demanding 9-5 and being a single mom of five (three with special needs!), and how I finally learned to make health a priority before launching my own business. Spoiler alert: It didn’t start with hours in the gym or meal prepping all weekend—it started with one small commitment that changed everything.

Tune in to hear how you can start building a healthier lifestyle today without feeling guilty, overwhelmed, or like it’s “one more thing” on your to-do list. Plus, I’ll give you simple, actionable tips that you can implement right now—no matter how chaotic life feels!

Ready to make you a priority? Listen in and learn how to create sustainable habits that help you show up stronger for your business and your family.

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**Disclaimer:** This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for any mental health concerns.

Transcript

I realized something just had to change because if I kept going at this pace, there wouldn't be a “later.”

Welcome to the Inhale, Exhale, Success podcast, where we help women entrepreneurs create a life they love, feel confident in their bodies, and build a business without burning out by equipping them with the best tools, strategies, and my proven formula every businesswoman must have. My name is Dee Medina. Let's get started and be successful together.

Hola, hola! Welcome back to another episode of Inhale, Exhale, Success. Today, we're going to talk about finding time for your health when your schedule feels completely packed. If you're a busy mompreneur, chances are you've said this to yourself: “I need to focus on my health, but there's just no time right now.” Maybe you're juggling a nine-to-five, trying to grow your business, running after your kids, or dealing with family responsibilities. So health sounds like a great idea, right? But it’s just one of those things that keeps getting pushed to later and later. “I'll get to it later. Oh, I'll start tomorrow. I'll start Monday. I'll start January 1st,” right?

When I first started thinking seriously about my health, I was still working a nine-to-five job, and it was more like a six-to-six if I'm being honest. I know a lot of you can relate to that, especially back then when I was working in law. It was just endless hours on top of commuting and then getting home and transitioning into taking care of my kiddos—I have five, and three of them have special needs. So, of course, I had zero energy by the end of the day, but I kept telling myself, “Once I finish this project, once I send out this email, once I get this medical record, once I respond to my boss, then things will calm down. Then I'll have time to focus on me.”* But things never calmed down. There was always another deadline at work, another school meeting, another reason why *“now” just wasn't the right time. And I was caught in a cycle of exhaustion. The more I put off taking care of myself, the worse I felt.

Until one morning, I was getting dressed for work, and I remember just really looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, “I don’t even recognize myself anymore.” Back then, I was overweight by over a hundred pounds, and with all that added weight plus the long hours, I was constantly drained, barely sleeping, and to top it off, I started having this subtle but nagging back and shoulder pain that just made sitting at my desk uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable. I realized something had to change because if I kept going at this pace, there wouldn’t be a “later” to focus on my health.

That's when I decided to make one small commitment: I would spend just 15 minutes a day moving my body. Nothing fancy—not the gym, not Pilates, none of that. Just stretching, a quick walk, or even dancing around in the kitchen before I started my day or with my kids during breakfast. I told myself, “This isn’t about the weight or hitting a fitness goal. It’s about having the energy to keep up with everything on my plate.”

And I'm not going to lie, I know that many of my fellow single mamas out there can relate—getting started was just tough because setting aside some time for myself felt selfish. I felt that mom guilt. I just didn’t feel good when I would literally see *15 minutes for a walk, 10 minutes for a stretch on my calendar. So, I had to just start creating the habit of making time for myself. I started by setting my alarm 15 minutes earlier, and believe me, that extra sleep was precious. But those 15 minutes changed everything. I started showing up to work feeling more awake and alive. I had more energy to tackle my day. And surprisingly, I started feeling less resentful of my schedule and everything that was on it. I realized that I had been running on empty for so long, and those small bursts of movement were like little deposits in my energy bank.

But here’s the thing: I didn’t realize just how important it was until I decided to leave my nine-to-five and launch my own business because starting a business from scratch is one of the most demanding things you can do. It’s not just the time investment—it’s the mental and emotional energy it takes to get something off the ground and to keep it going. You’re wearing all the hats: marketing, sales, customer service, finances—everything. In the very beginning, that’s what you do. And I’ll be honest, if I hadn’t started focusing on my health before jumping into entrepreneurship, I don’t think I would have made it.

I’m remembering those early days in my business. I was still adjusting to being a full-time entrepreneur—managing my client calls, creating content, and keeping up with all the behind-the-scenes work. If you’re a mom, you know that there are days when you feel like you blink and the day is gone. So, if I hadn’t already built up a foundation of healthy habits, I would have burned out so fast. I wouldn’t have had the stamina to just push through those long days or the clarity to make those right decisions for myself, my business, and my family.

Now, not everyone created their business on a foundation of health, and I’m starting to see that now with the women I work with. Some have an idea of health, but they can’t stick to eating healthy for a week or more. They fall off from the gym after three days, or they plan to go on a walk, but then it’s months before they can do it again. Most cannot stay consistent, and that’s no fault of their own because, when you first started your business, you might’ve had a few clients and more time and flexibility to really just live life how it was, right?

However, as time has gone by, your business has grown—along with your family. You went from no kids to one kid to two kids—maybe even three kids—and the business model that you started with just isn’t fitting what your business is today. So, that’s where a lot of problems arise because the truth is, your business will take a lot out of you. That’s why taking care of your health before  you start and while you grow is so, so important. It’s not about looking good or hitting fitness goals—it’s about having the energy and mental strength to show up fully in your business and your life.

If you’re like I was back then—just juggling a nine-to-five, a kid or two (or five, like me), and trying to get your business off the ground—you might feel like there’s just no time to think about your health. And that’s where I want to encourage you to start small. The number of women I work with who are burning out now is staggering, and a big part of it comes down to a shaky foundation.

Don’t think you need to carve out an hour for the gym or prepare gourmet meals. Instead, ask yourself: “Where can I add just 15 minutes of movement or one healthier meal to my day?” For me, those 15 minutes of stretching or walking in the beginning weren’t just about physical health—they were about mental resets. On the days I’d get overwhelmed by work or felt stuck creatively, that quick break gave me a moment to breathe, clear my head, and come back to my desk with some fresh energy.

Maybe for you, it’s taking a quick walk during lunch, or doing a few yoga stretches in the morning before the chaos starts. I even found yoga videos that you can do in bed. You can just stretch without even leaving your bed—just try it! It makes all the difference.

Recently, I attended two weekends of events from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days, and the majority of that time was spent sitting. So, doing some yoga before and after really helped me recover. Even during the event, I told the person next to me that I wanted to stretch, and they shared that they took some time during a break to stretch in an area where they couldn’t be seen. They did it because they knew the value and the importance of listening to their bodies.

So, maybe it’s stretching for you, or maybe swapping out your afternoon coffee for a tall glass of water—these are changes that you can make to really start creating that foundation of health, or going back to the basics if you’re in a position where you’re feeling burnt out. And although these steps might seem too small to matter, trust me, if you do them every day, they’ll build up.

Now, I know what you might be thinking, especially if you’re a mom or a single mom and running a business: “I don’t have time for even 15 minutes.” I get it. I’ve said those things myself. But trust me—those 15 minutes will give you back so much more. When I started making my health a priority, I noticed that the tasks that used to take me an hour were getting done in 30 minutes because I wasn’t dragging myself through the day. I wasn’t running on caffeine or sheer willpower anymore.

So, this isn’t about adding more hours to your day—because that’s simply impossible. It’s about finding smarter ways to use the time you already have. That’s why I started focusing on my health before I even thought about launching my business, and why I continue to have the same focus as my business develops. Because there’s always going to be a launch, a new offer, new events, and just new eras in my business. I know that if I want to have the stamina and resilience to build something sustainable, I have to be at my bes. And so do you.

It doesn’t have to be all day, every day. It could just be a couple of minutes each day, but trust me, it’s going to make your life so much better, so much calmer, and so much clearer.

So, what does this look like for you? I’m not saying to quit your job or completely change your routine overnight. Just start with one small commitment. Pick something that feels doable, like adding a 15-minute walk in the morning, prepping a few healthy snacks on Sunday (you don’t even have to go with a full meal prep!), or taking a five-minute stretch between your meetings. Do this consistently, and I promise you will start seeing results in how you feel. You’re going to have so much more energy, so much clarity, and so much calm.

Those small habits are what helped me lose over 100 pounds and keep it off for over two years, transition from my nine-to-five to running a successful online business full-time, and sustain my energy today as I continue to grow. Because let’s be honest—when you’re healthy, everything just flows better. You think more clearly, you manage your stress better, and you’re able to show up fully for yourself and the people who matter.

And listen, my friend, I know that it can be tough to even think about adding something new when you’re already maxed out. So, instead of trying to figure it out alone, let’s simplify it together. You can hop on a call with me, and I’ll help you find that one small tweak that will fit right into your day—without the overwhelm, without the mom guilt—just showing you the areas where you can and should become a priority, even in the middle of the chaos that business and life can bring.

Alright, my friend, I hope my story reminded you that your health doesn’t have to wait until you “have more time.” It can fit into the life you have right now. Remember, it’s about those small, consistent changes that support you and your well-being, and that flow into everything else you put your energy into.

Well, that does it for today’s episode! Thank you so much for joining us on the Inhale, Exhale, Success podcast. If you enjoyed today’s topic, I’d love for you to subscribe so you don’t miss out on other valuable discussions, along with answering questions directly from busy women like you who are looking for ways to make life, business, and health a little easier.

I look forward to having you here with us again next week. And remember, my friend, success begins when you take a moment to breathe, find your balance, and believe in yourself.