Episode 22: How to Stop Putting Yourself Last

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Two, Embody Again, with a powerful and honest conversation about what it means to stop putting yourself last. She invites Jess Mader to share how a season of frustration, low energy, and feeling off in her body and relationships became the turning point for learning to prioritize herself.

Jess shares how realizing she was not even on her own priority list led her to seek support and begin making small, consistent changes. Through a program focused on physical, emotional, and mental health, she began building habits around movement, nutrition, sleep, and mindset. She talks about how accountability, structure, and starting small helped her stay consistent and create lasting change.

Together, Justine and Jess explore how self care is often about the basics rather than extremes, and how modeling those changes impacts the entire family. They talk about setting boundaries around sleep, shifting habits that no longer serve you, celebrating wins, and learning from setbacks instead of staying stuck in shame. Throughout the conversation, they return to the idea that taking care of yourself is not selfish, it is essential to showing up well in every area of your life.

Key Takeaways

• Pathway Two, Embody Again, focuses on building foundational self care through physical, emotional, and mental health.
• Jess realized she was not a priority in her own life, which impacted her energy, health, and relationships.
• When your cup is empty, you cannot show up well for others.
• Small, consistent changes are more sustainable than trying to overhaul everything at once.
• Support systems like coaching and accountability can help create lasting change.
• Sleep is a foundational habit that impacts every other area of health.
• Emotional awareness helps identify triggers and respond more intentionally.
• Celebrating small wins helps break the cycle of shame and perfectionism.
• Planning ahead, including meals and routines, makes healthier choices easier.
• Choosing yourself can positively impact your family, work, and overall environment.

About the guest

Jess Mader is a working professional, wife, and mom who has spent the past several months transforming her health and daily habits by learning to prioritize herself. Through intentional changes in sleep, movement, mindset, and emotional awareness, she has created a more grounded and sustainable way of living that has positively impacted both her life and her family.

Connect with Jess

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-mader/