Natalie's Health and Self-care Journey
"During the development stages of Kiri10, I knew something wasn’t right with my health. I was incredibly tired all the time, to the point where I was sleeping most of the day and the brain fog was debilitating, this resulted in heightened anxiety and depression. I had a massive amount of passion to grow Kiri10, but it wasn’t moving forward due to my lack of brain power and fatigue.
After a visit to my GP in early 2022, I was diagnosed with ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic fatigue syndrome). She discovered I had developed this after I had Glandular Fever when I was 19, it had been present most of my life (this was like a light bulb moment when I look back over my 20’s). It had flared up and become more severe with the added pressure and stress of starting a business.
My GP put me in touch with some support groups and nurses who helped me better understand this illness and what that meant for me and my future. It has been very tough learning to pace myself as I’m an activator, so a natural “all or nothing” personality.
Through the discovery of my own self-care and what that looked like for me, the research lead me into realising there are many others out there who are often struggling in silence. I learnt they often feel like they’re alone or felt like it was "still too taboo" to discuss openly about. I sympathised, as during connecting with the support groups myself I found this gave me a sense of belonging and validation. I realised then I could transform Kiri10 into a platform for raw, open conversations.
Shortly after starting to share my story a lady reached out to chat about our keratin supplements, after a long and amazing chat she told me about a training programme her daughter did and how this cured her chronic fatigue. I was instantly intrigued as I had been told it wasn't curable, you could only manage symptoms. I completed the course with a lovely woman from Christchurch and I was mind blown at how incredible this was, not only for my CFS but my anxiety, overwhelm, perfectionism and much more I had struggled with my whole life, most of the time without realising there was a name for it. You can read about my experience with the Lightning Process here.
My aim is to continue to spread love, kindness, support and create a network for others to openly discuss how you’re feeling, if you're struggling with a chronic illness, menopause or with general life. So, listen up you beautiful people, let’s start connecting and sharing our experiences in the hope it may impact someone's life for the better.
Send me an email or give me a call. I’d love to hear about your experiences and how I can help as an individual and as a brand"