Letting Go of the All-or-Nothing Mentality
For a long time, I believed that fitness had to look a certain way: intense, exhausting, and all-consuming. If I wasn’t drenched in sweat or pushing myself to the limit, it didn’t feel like it “counted.” That mindset didn’t just push me - it slowly broke me down.
In college, I was constantly striving to do more. I stressed over grades, workouts, and everything in between. And when my health started to decline, I thought the answer was to push harder. More workouts. Less rest. I thought I wasn’t doing enough - that I was out of shape. I didn’t realize that my body was trying to speak to me - and that ignoring it would only make things worse.
Eventually, I was diagnosed with POTS, a condition that turned even the simplest workouts into overwhelming tasks. But before the diagnosis, I kept telling myself I was just “falling behind,” not working hard enough, and that if I just tried harder, everything would fix itself.
It didn’t.
I started to burn out. Workouts became something I dreaded. I lost the energy, joy, and motivation I once felt. But what hurt most was the shame, feeling like I was failing because I couldn’t keep up with who I used to be.
Letting go of the all-or-nothing mindset was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I had to fight my perfectionism every time I chose a walk instead of a workout, or rest instead of pushing through. But in those small, simple choices, I started to heal.
And from that healing, Soma Studios was born.
This space isn’t about extremes. It’s about meeting yourself where you are, building strength through consistency, and learning to move your body with compassion, not punishment. Because the truth is, real wellness isn’t found in perfection… It’s found in the everyday choices that add up over time.
So if you’ve ever felt like you’re failing because you didn’t do “enough,” or if you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to start, this is your sign:
You don’t have to be perfect.
You just have to begin.
With love,
Faith Hagan at Soma Studios, LLC
