I Cried My Heart Out – And It Was the Best Thing I Did for Myself

I did it.... A few days ago, I cried my heart out.... And it felt amazing.

Not just a few silent tears, but the kind of deep cry where you feel the stress and frustration physically leaving your body. And as my tears dried, I felt: Powerful. Lighter. Clearer.

There’s a reason for this. 

Crying is one of the most effective ways our body releases cortisol, the stress hormone. Studies show that emotional tears contain higher levels of stress-related hormones than reflex tears (like those from cutting an onion). It’s why children sleep so peacefully after a tantrum—they’ve quite literally cried their stress away. And it’s why we, as adults, often feel relieved after a good cry.

But tears are just one way our body offloads stress. Exercise, deep breathing, laughter, and even engaging in activities we enjoy all help flush cortisol out of our system. Yet, despite knowing this, we often hold on. We tolerate things that slowly eat away at our mental and emotional energy, without doing anything about it.

We tolerate jobs that no longer inspire us. Relationships that feel heavy. Routines that drain rather than nourish us. Not because they’re harmful right away, but because they’re familiar. They don’t pose an immediate threat, yet they occupy space in our minds, our emotions, our mental energy. And that—whether we acknowledge it or not—has a cost over time.

I learned this firsthand.

For many years, I loved my job. It gave me purpose, excitement, and the satisfaction of knowing I was making a difference. But as time passed, things changed. The world evolved, business evolved, and my work started shifting in ways that pulled me away from what I truly loved about it. I wasn’t doing as much of what made me happy and more of what made me validated in the eyes of others. The admiration, the status, the external rewards were there—but I was losing my own admiration in the process. I wasn’t growing in the way that felt right to me...

And yet I kept doing it—but every day, I felt a little less like myself. A little more disconnected. A little more drained. It wasn’t that the job was bad, but it just wasn’t me anymore. 

And that inner conflict? That slow leak of energy? It’s exhausting.

So, after months (okay, more than 1 year) of back-and-forth, I finally made the decision. I LEFT. And stepping into brain coaching felt like coming home, like a return to myself.

Sounds nice I know. But let’s be real—no path is ever perfect.

I knew I needed some level of security while transitioning, so I took on commitments that, on paper, seemed to fit. They gave me freedom, allowed me to teach, and kept me connected to something familiar. But here’s where i lied to myself—I framed them in a way that made them sound aligned with my values, but deep down, they weren’t. I found myself doing things that drained me, not because they were hard, but because they weren’t me. I was spending my energy on operations, logistics, and bureaucracy—things that don’t excite or inspire me. And unlike the technical struggles I face in my coaching business (which I embrace because the work itself fuels me), this was different. This felt like forcing myself into a mold I never wanted to fit into.

And the more I tell myself, "I’m just not good at this," the more that belief becomes my reality.

And this is where so many of us get stuck. We fight against ourselves, convincing ourselves that we have to do something because it’s practical, because it’s what’s expected, because "that’s just life." But nothing drains us more than living out of alignment with who we really are. 

We don’t talk enough about the energy wasted in this internal battle—the cognitive and emotional dissonance of doing something you don’t want to do while convincing yourself that you have to do it. It’s like pressing the gas pedal and the brake at the same time. It drains your willpower, your creativity, your passion. And all that energy? The energy we waste trying to force ourselves into roles that don’t fit—it’s enormous.

And the truth? That same energy could be fueling something that actually fulfill us.

Imagine what would happen if you took all the willpower you use to push through a job you don’t love, a routine that numbs you, a life that doesn’t feel quite right—and redirected it toward something that excites you. Imagine redirecting that energy into what makes you feel alive. Imagine building a life where your job, your choices, your daily actions are aligned with your values and beliefs. Imagine making money doing something that feels meaningful to you. Because here’s the truth—when you invest your energy into what aligns with your soul, success isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable.

I know because I’ve been there. I’ve wrestled with the doubts, the fears, the uncertainty of change. And I also know that there’s a way through it—a way to align your work and life with who you truly are. It’s not about impulsive decisions or reckless changes; it’s about understanding your mind, your patterns, and your potential.

This is what I help people do. As a brain coach, I guide people through the process of rewiring their thoughts, making intentional choices, and stepping into the life they actually want—not just the one they’ve convinced themselves they should want.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, if you’re caught between what pays the bills and what fuels your soul, if you’re ready to explore what alignment truly feels like—I’d love to help you navigate that journey.

I offer a free 30-minute brain coaching consultation for people who are ready to stop pushing through and start building something that actually feels like them.