I’m a woman in my 40s, moving through life with a body that doesn’t always play by the rules. I live with two long‑term conditions — fibromyalgia, which brings widespread pain, fatigue, and a nervous system that’s easily overwhelmed, and endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the womb lining grows where it shouldn’t, causing pain, exhaustion, and a constant negotiation with my own energy. On top of that, I’m navigating the shifting landscape of suspected perimenopause, with all the hormonal unpredictability that comes with it.

Like many women, I’ve spent years trying to access support through the NHS. Long waits, limited options, and the sense of falling between the cracks have been familiar companions. Professionally, I work in a busy and often stressful role supporting others.

Somewhere in the middle of all this — the pain, the fatigue, the hormonal shifts, the emotional load of my job — I realised I needed a gentler way to live. A way to support myself while supporting others. A way to create calm when the world felt anything but calm.

Relaxed Squirrel was born from that need.

It’s my collection of ways and means — the small rituals, the gentle routines, the honest reflections — that help me navigate real life. It’s where I gather what I’m learning, what’s helping, and what I wish more women had access to without months of trawling the internet and research.

This space is not intended to present perfection or a polished vision of wellbeing. Instead, it focuses on the genuine, everyday practice of cultivating softness within a life that can often feel overwhelming. It is about acknowledging periods of strain, creating moments of calm, establishing routines that respect our capacity, and honouring the seasons we move through — both internally and externally.

On the blog, you’ll find everything I’m learning about living gently in a busy, unpredictable life — from recognising overwhelm and creating space and calm and building gentle routines. And each month, I share a real‑life reflection in Relaxed Squirrel: The Unpolished Bits, where I talk honestly about what’s helping, what’s slipping, and how I’m navigating the messy middle.

Here, you’ll find three guiding themes—each one offering tools and reflections to help you breathe easier and live more intentionally:

1. Recognising Overwhelm

This theme is designed to help  you understanding signs, patterns, triggers, and the psychology of overwhelm and burnout, so you can make informed next steps. You can explore more here.

2. Creating Space and Calm

This theme is designed to help you create space by removing unnecessary demands, organising your environment, and using evidence‑based calming strategies to stabilise your nervous system. If you know you need more space and calm start here.

3. Gentle Routines

This theme is designed to establish simple, repeatable routines that make daily life smoother and support long‑term wellbeing. If this is for you start here. If you are thinking you don’t have time for improving your routine would recommend starting with the Creating space and calm theme here.

4. Unpolished Bits

There’s also an Unpolished Bits section, which you’ll find here. This is my personal space to talk honestly about how I’m getting on each month with putting these tools and techniques into practice. I share the wins, the wobblier moments, and everything in between. No glossy, social‑media‑ready version — just the real process as it unfolds. You can find them here.

Thank you for wandering in. You’re always welcome here.