what chronic fatigue and chronic pain taught me about building a sustainable business

In 2016, I was in a car accident that changed everything.

Physically, I walked away. But the pain came later. Torn muscles, slipped discs, and a diagnosis that made it clear I wouldn’t be going back to “normal” anytime soon. I was bedridden for months. Told I’d live with chronic pain for the rest of my life.

For years, I lived with pain sitting at the edge of every moment, every movement. I pushed through it. Worked through it. Carried it silently. I still remember doing long weeks in a 9-5 job, forcing my way through every shift with clenched teeth and suffering, as if willpower alone could rewrite what my body was trying to say.

But it wasn’t just about the pain. It was about the lesson it carried. One I didn’t want to hear at first, but eventually couldn’t ignore.

Fast forward to my late twenties, and chronic fatigue arrived like an echo. A deep, aching tiredness that sleep couldn’t fix. My nervous system, after years of carrying too much, had finally had enough. And this time, there was no pushing through. My body didn’t just ask for rest. It demanded it.

And I listened.

These two experiences, my pain and my fatigue, taught me more about business than any course, coach, or strategy ever could. They taught me what it really means to build sustainably. Not just in structure, but in soul. Not just in timelines, but in truth. They taught me that alignment isn’t a luxury, it’s something we need. And that the foundation of any meaningful business must be built with the body in mind.

Here’s what I’ve learnt…

1. sustainability isn't just about systems, it's about nervous system safety

I used to think sustainability in business meant automations, scheduling, and clever time management. But when you’re living with chronic illness, you learn quickly that no calendar hack can override your body’s limits.

True sustainability starts with nervous system regulation. It’s being able to honour your body’s capacity each day without guilt. It’s building offers, timelines, and containers that support flexibility, spaciousness, and rest. It’s asking yourself if your pace feels safe for you body instead of just squeezing things in.

For me, that has meant fewer client sessions per week, shorter launches, longer timelines. It has meant letting go of urgency and trusting that alignment is more magnetic than hustle ever was.

2. rest is not a reward

Before chronic fatigue, rest was something I earned. Now, it’s something I honour.

Living with chronic fatigue forced me to rewire the way I see productivity. Rest isn’t what happens after you’ve done enough. It’s what allows you to keep going. It’s where creativity breathes. Where nervous systems settle. Where clarity returns.

I had to unlearn the belief that rest was lazy. That stillness was wasteful. I began scheduling rest the same way I scheduled work. Intentionally, consistently, unapologetically. And what surprised me most? I became more effective, more creative, and more aligned in business when I started prioritising rest.

3. pain can be a teacher, if you listen

For years, I saw my pain as the enemy. Something to fix, fight, or get rid of. But eventually, I realised my body wasn’t trying to betray me. It was trying to communicate with me.

Pain became a messenger. A reminder that something needed tending to, emotionally, physically, energetically. It showed me where I was abandoning myself for achievement. Where I was pushing when I needed to soften. Where I was performing instead of aligning.

Learning to listen to pain without fear or judgement became one of the most special healing practices I’ve ever known. And in business, it gave me an inner compass I’d never had before.

4. a regulated business will never come from a dysregulated person (and body)

When my body is in survival mode, everything in business feels harder. Content feels flat. Marketing feels overwhelming. Boundaries feel blurry. And I start second-guessing everything.

But when I tend to my nervous system, when I rest, move gently, regulate, and soften, clarity returns. Confidence returns. Creativity returns. And my business responds to that shift.

Because our businesses are energetic extensions of us. If we’re constantly in stress and burnout, our business will reflect that. And so will the kind of clients we attract. Building sustainably means prioritising regulation before performance, alignment before output.

5. being seen in my wholeness is a part of my work

For a long time, I hid my chronic illness. I worried people wouldn’t trust me. That they’d think I wasn’t strong enough, stable enough, professional enough.

But the truth is, my illness didn’t make me weak. It made me wise. It softened me. Sharpened me. Anchored me. It deepened my capacity to hold space, not just through theory, but through lived experience.

Now, I show up fully. I speak about my journey with pain and fatigue. And it’s become a bridge, not a barrier. The people who are meant to work with me feel safe in that honesty. Because I’m not selling a highlight reel. I’m living proof that sustainable business is possible, even when life is messy, raw, and unpredictable.

6. boundaries are a form of love, not lack

One of the hardest things about chronic illness is learning how to say no. To others. To yourself. To the old version of you that wants to prove she can still do it all.

Raising my prices, setting firmer boundaries, saying no to certain opportunities, these were all acts of self-respect born from the wisdom my illness gave me. I don’t overextend myself anymore, not because I don’t care, but because I care deeply about my clients, my energy, my family, and my body.

Boundaries have helped me show up more fully. Because I’m no longer showing up from depletion, I’m showing up from alignment.

7. sustainable business is soul-led business

In the beginning, I chased strategy. I looked for templates, funnels, and step-by-step paths to success. But none of them fit. Not because they were wrong, but because they weren’t mine.

Illness brought me home to myself. And from that place, I built my business differently. I stopped trying to replicate what others were doing. I started asking myself what feels good in my body? What pace feels honest? What offers light me up?

That’s what sustainable business really is. Not a perfect plan. Not a linear path. But a way of creating that honours your capacity, your truth, your seasons.

And now, this is the work I do with others, especially those who are also carrying heavy things. We build businesses from the inside out. Rooted in nervous system safety, emotional integrity, and the kind of alignment that sustains not just a business, but a whole life.

Chronic pain and chronic fatigue weren’t part of the plan. They never are, I suppose. But they were part of my becoming. They cracked me open to deeper truths. Slowed me down enough to hear my soul. And in the space that opened, I built something better. Something softer. Something sustainable.

If you’re building a business while carrying illness, trauma, or grief, please know this that you don’t have to push through. You get to build differently. You get to rest. You get to honour your body and still be wildly successful.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

If you're ready to build a sustainable, soul-led business in a way that honours your healing and your truth, my 1:1 business mentoring sessions are open. I’d be honoured to walk beside you.

With love & support,

Shorina | Mindful Soul Collective

Holistic Counsellor, Wellbeing Coach & Business Mentor

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