Getting vulnerable today...

Sharing a favorite tool to help you navigate PCOS with more peace

I’m sharing something a little personal today, and honestly, I feel nervous hitting send to hundreds of people I don’t know about something I don’t usually share openly.

But I hope it will speak to you and connect us in a more meaningful way.

I know from working with many of you, that PCOS can cause a great deal of mental/emotional stress and anxiety.

And that stress makes it harder to do the things you want to do to improve your health.

To be honest, I've had my own significant struggles with chronic anxiety and some recent health issues I’m figuring out that have caused me a great deal of it.

It’s taken me a while to find tools that truly help me calm my mind — but one has stayed constant.

Today, I want to share that tool with you, because it’s made all the difference for me in these difficult seasons.

Put it on the page

Journaling is something I’ve turned to on and off since I was young. Writing has always felt cathartic — a way to process tough feelings or moments when I haven’t liked myself very much.

But it truly became my life raft during the beginning of the pandemic. I had two young children under five and was, well… terrified — living in constant stress and anxiety, consuming way too much news and social media.

I was spiraling quickly and knew I had to do something to pull myself out, so I turned back to my journal.

The key

When I came back to journaling, I started a simple nightly practice that completely changed my inner peace and how I experienced my days.

Each night before bed, I’d pull out my notebook and write down five things I felt grateful for and five affirmations.

To me, affirmations are small projections of the person I want to become — or the feelings I want to strengthen. I’d write things like:

I am calm.
I am safe.

At first, this exercise felt super ick and inauthentic. I didn’t feel grateful. I didn’t feel calm. I couldn’t see the good anywhere.

But the longer I stayed with it, the more naturally the gratitude began to flow. My affirmations started to feel real. And little by little, I noticed that what I was writing became how I felt.

I was calmer.
I was more at peace.
I could truly see the good.

I’ve come to be a true believer in the phrase “where attention goes, energy flows.” We have to be intentional with our attention — because it shapes our thoughts, our moods, and ultimately, our reality.

Exhale the ick, inhale the good

I developed this exercise during a period when I was struggling internally and coincidentally doing infared sauna. I kept a dedicated “sauna journal” in my car, and each visit became a mini dejunking session for my mind.

I also loved pairing it with one of my other favorite tools—breath work. On one page, I’d write all the thoughts, worries, and negative feelings I wanted to exhale — to literally sweat out of my body. On the next page, I’d write the things I wanted to inhale — the feelings, qualities, and intentions I wanted to bring in.

Then, slowly, one by one, I’d breathe in and out with each word or phrase, really connecting to the emotion behind it. I’d exhale the ick, inhale the good, letting the words guide how I felt.

Over time, this simple practice gave me a tangible way to release negativity and invite calm, gratitude, and focus into my life — even when everything else felt overwhelming.

Why it matters for you

I share this because I truly believe your mindset is one of the most powerful tools you have for managing a chronic health condition like PCOS.

PCOS can bring a lot of negative thoughts and emotions, and can take a real toll on your mental and emotional well-being — and on how you experience your life and your ability to manage the syndrome.

Although it’s not your fault that you have PCOS, it is your responsibility to decide where your attention goes with it. You get to tell yourself the story and project the outcomes you want — even if you don’t fully believe them yet.

If you’re struggling right now, I hope you’ll consider starting a practice like this. It doesn’t need to look exactly like mine — it needs to speak to you. The key is consistency and intention. Dedicate yourself to it for just one month and notice how it shifts your energy, your thoughts, and your feelings.

I’d love to hear about your experience if you try it — or about any mindset practices that have helped you in a meaningful way. Connecting with you in this way means a lot.

Tara 🤍