From Burnout to Balance: Our co-founder Neelam's journey to embrace rest

Our co-founder Neelam used to believe rest was a weakness—until burnout pushed her body to its limits. After ending up in the hospital twice and ignoring every warning sign, she finally had to rethink everything she thought she knew about success and well-being. In this post, she shares what she’s learned the hard way and how she’s finally embracing rest in a way that actually works.

--

I used to think rest was for the weak. Like most people starting out in their careers, I got swept up in the hustle culture that told me the only way to succeed was to grind non-stop. The early 2010s were all about glorifying the grind. If you weren’t exhausted, you weren’t working hard enough. And I was all in. Until my body literally shut down on me.

I got so sick I ended up in the hospital. And guess what the doctors told me? I needed to rest. But did I listen? Absolutely not. I left the hospital still weak and immediately threw myself back into life—working out twice a day to “get stronger,” jumping right back into work, pushing through like nothing had happened. And then, surprise, surprise—I collapsed and ended up back in the hospital. You'd think that would have been my wake-up call, but nope. I still didn't rest. I tried all sorts of wellness trends and quick fixes, thinking they'd be enough. But it wasn't. I was irritable, exhausted, and completely burnt out.

Then, finally, I hit a level of burnout so deep that I had no choice but to reevaluate everything. That’s when I started digging into wellness—not just the surface-level stuff but the real, foundational aspects of health. And everywhere I turned, I kept hearing the same thing: rest is essential. So, for the first time in my life, I decided to actually try it. 

At the time, Serena and I had just moved in together—she was fresh out of university, and I was in my mid-20s, trying to put myself back together. I committed to resetting my body, which, of course, led to endless jokes from Serena about how I had turned into a grandma with my strict bedtime and obsession with my circadian rhythm. But slowly, I started feeling better—mentally, and physically.

Now, let me be clear, I have not done t his perfectly. Not even close. Unlearning the hustle mentality is HARD. I grew up believing that constant work equaled worth and that being exhausted was some kind of badge of honor. An the truth is, I still want to do it all - excel in my career, have great relationships, work out, socialize, travel, keep up with everything. And honestly, that makes it hard to prioritize rest. 

But launching this company has been such a full-circle moment because it's forcing me to really embrace what I’ve been learning. Rest isn't a luxury—it’s the foundation of feeling good, thinking clearly, and actually living. It's still a work in progress, but I've realized that being too rigid with my routine wasn't the answer either. It helped be build the foundation for better habits, but now I pick and choose what works for me. I've learned to embrace balance, leaning into rest rituals that feel right in the moment - knowing they'll evolve and that that's okay.

We're so excited to share our learnings and help everyone experience the magic of rest - not just because they deserve, but because they truly need it. 

- Neelam