Hell Week, Healing Week: Why Showing Up for Yourself Matters Most

Five days.

Two workouts a day.

On top of coaching four classes a day, leading sculpt weight workouts at my other job, and keeping life from completely unraveling.

My employer called it “Hell Week.”

I call it proof that we’re capable of far more than we think.

The Hardest Part Isn’t the Sweat

Don’t get me wrong—my muscles were on fire. There were moments I fantasized about putting on an eye mask and sneaking a nap on the reformers (some of the other Pilates instructors even did a fun social post about this!).

But the physical challenge wasn’t the hardest part.

The hardest part was showing up.

Because showing up for ourselves requires us to prioritize ourselves—and that feels wrong to so many of us.

We’ve been taught that selflessness is the gold standard. That the kids, the job, the errands, the “shoulds” all come before our own needs. And so we wait—until we’re exhausted, until we’re broken, until it’s almost too late—before we give ourselves the care we deserve.

What Hell Week Taught Me

Every time I dragged myself into the studio, I was reminded:

• My strength is built in the moments I almost gave up.

• Prioritizing myself isn’t selfish—it’s survival.

• We can’t pour into others when our own cup is bone dry.

And here’s the real secret: once you push past that guilt, showing up for yourself feels incredible. You don’t just feel strong physically—you feel strong everywhere. In your boundaries. In your choices. In the way you move through the world.

It’s Not About Perfection. It’s About Presence.

Some days, you’ll crush the workout. Other days, you’ll show up tired, messy, barely hanging on. Both count. Both matter.

Because every time you choose to show up for yourself, you’re rewriting the script that says everyone else’s needs matter more than yours.

So Here’s My Challenge to You

Next time you’re tempted to skip the thing that’s for YOU—whether it’s a workout, journaling, a walk, or just five minutes of breathing—don’t.

Show up.

Even if it’s imperfect.

Especially if it’s imperfect.

Because that’s how strength is built—one hard choice at a time.

💛 This Hell Week might have left me sore and tired, but it also left me proud.

Not because I survived it. But because I showed up for me.