Words by Camilla Thompson
Always busy, constantly multitasking, and perpetually exhausted? You might be what I call a “rushing woman”—and trust me, I used to be one.
Not too long ago, I was juggling the roles of mum, partner, leader and friend. I was living in a constant state of urgency, pushing through exhaustion because I thought that’s what strong, successful women do. It nearly killed me.
I tell this story in my book Biohack Me—the night I almost didn’t wake up. A kidney infection turned into sepsis, and by the time I reached Emergency I was not in a good way, the next morning, a doctor told me if I had gone to bed that night, I may have potentially slipped into a coma.
But the rushing didn’t start there. It began years earlier, when I became a single mum with two young boys to support on my own. From that moment on, I was in survival mode—doing everything I could to keep the wheels turning. I worked, I pushed, I achieved, I performed. And I missed out on precious time with my kids because I was constantly rushing through life, barely keeping my head above water.
There were subtler wake-up calls too. Like the time I found myself speeding to a yoga class, flustered and frantic because I didn’t want to be late. I was stressed about being on time to relax. It hit me mid-downward dog that I was rushing through rest. My nervous system was wired, my breath was shallow, and my mind was a million miles away. It was the clearest sign that something had to give.
How did it come to this? Chronic fatigue, brain fog, the invisible weight of responsibility, and burnout masked by productivity. I was the textbook high-functioning, high-achieving woman running on empty. I was, in the words of Dr Libby Weaver, a “rushing woman”—and reading her book was a turning point for me.
That night in hospital became the fork in the road. I walked away from my corporate career, studied nutrition, epigenetics, neuroplasticity and became a biohacker. I rebuilt my life—intentionally, mindfully, and on my own terms.
The Silent Strain of High-Functioning Anxiety
A big part of this story is high-functioning anxiety. It’s not a formal diagnosis, but it’s very real. It looks like competence on the outside, but inside it feels like you’re drowning. It’s obsessively planning, overthinking, pushing yourself to the brink—because rest feels like laziness and saying no feels like failure.
I lived in that state for years, telling myself I was just being efficient. But in truth, I was emotionally exhausted and disconnected—from my body, from joy, and from the very people I loved the most.
The Hidden Cost of Chronic Stress
When you’re stuck in survival mode, your body pays the price. Your nervous system can’t distinguish between a genuine threat and the constant pressures of modern life. Stress hormones become your baseline. Your immune system weakens. You age faster. You burn out.
I see this now in the women I coach—smart, capable, compassionate women who are doing all the things and wondering why they feel like they’re falling apart inside. We’ve normalised exhaustion, but it’s not normal. And it’s not okay.
The Biohacking Shift: From Burnout to Balance
That’s where biohacking came in—not as a buzzword, but as a lifeline. I began making small, science-backed changes that restored my health and rewired my nervous system. No expensive tech required.
Nervous system resets became my daily practice. Breathwork, cold ocean swims, grounding barefoot in the garden. These tools brought me out of fight-or-flight and back into calm.
Sleep became sacred—early nights, magnesium, no screens before bed. Once I truly rested, everything changed.
Boundaries were the biggest emotional detox. I stopped overextending. I let go of people-pleasing. I started choosing myself. Not in a selfish way—but in a sustainable one.
A Personal Revolution
Once I slowed down, I started healing. My biological age dropped. My energy came back. And I started showing up for my boys in a whole new way—not distracted, not depleted, but present. Available. Me.
We are not meant to live in permanent hustle. We are not machines. We are living, breathing, feeling humans—and we need rest. Rhythm. Support.
The Invitation
If this feels like your story, please know: it doesn’t have to end in burnout. You don’t need a near-death experience to wake up. Let this be the moment you choose differently.
Pause. Breathe. Ask yourself honestly: What would it look like to put yourself first, just for a moment?
I wrote Biohack Me to offer a way back—a map out of the rush and into the richness of a life well lived. The kind of life where your body feels safe, your mind feels clear, and your kids remember you not as tired and torn, but calm and connected.
You deserve that life. And it starts by choosing to stop rushing, one breath, one boundary, one biohack at a time.
