Meet Samantha Schmuck

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Samantha Schmuck. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Samantha , we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I’ve experienced depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation since I was a teenager. This all began after having to quit competitive gymnastics from systemic inflammation that doctors couldn’t diagnose. Their recommendation was to leave the sport, rest, and hope that it went away. If it didn’t go away, I would have to learn to live with it. It was those words, the physical pain, zero guidance, and losing my community/identity over night that brought on the storm of mental health for me. I explored therapy briefly, but after a psychiatrist yelled at me for not wanting to take anti-depressants and the financial strain of the recession on my parents, I was back to figuring it out on my own. After several years of navigating depression, anxiety, and self-harm, I heard a divine voice tell me I was not meant to end my life. I didn’t know how it would get better, but I had to keep taking a step at a time. From there I was committed to exploring alternative paths to healing. I found out I was intolerant to gluten and dairy. A huge factor that contributed to increasing inflammation throughout my body, brain fog, and mood swings. After cutting these out of my diet I finally started to feel relief from the pain and brain fog. I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel and feel hope that I could feel good once again. I anchored into this belief that no matter how dark it gets it can always get bright again. This is what has helped me persist through all the ups and downs of life.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

My personal journey largely influenced the path I took professionally. I pursued a degree in Health Coaching along with several coaching certificates so no one else had to suffer in silence for as long as I did. So many people, leave their doctors not feeling seen or heard – especially women around chronic pain. They know they are in pain and need to make a change, but aren’t given clear guidance, resources, or someone to listen to their unique challenges to change after they leave their appointment. They know they are stressed, but isn’t everyone they think? So they keep pushing through the discomfort leading them to disconnect further from their body. My deeper healing came when I learned to stop hating my body that was in so much pain. Instead of being mad at it for not functioning like everyone else’s, I needed to learn to listen and feel what was going on within. I love that I get to hold space for high-performing women that are so good at external achievements, learn the importance of reconnecting and listening to the wisdom of their body. I love sharing tools that you can use any where at any time to reduce stress and regulate your nervous system. One of my favorites that supported me in the depths of my mental health journey is a method I created called VIBE & Embodiment®. It combines movement, music, and visualization to help you connect to your body, rewire your brain to create the change you desire in your life, and express your authentic self!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three big areas of knowledge for me that made the difference were the types of stress: physical, chemical, and emotional. All dis-ease stems from stress that the body doesn’t have the capacity to process. There are an overwhelming amount of things you can do for your health. By focusing on reducing stress one step at a time it allowed me to stay focused and moving forward. This lead to removing food irritants from my diet to lessen the physical pain, ate more whole foods and less processed ones, cleaned up the products (chemical stress) I was using in my home and on my body, and learned how to help my body feel and process emotions instead of stuffing them down. These changes gave me life back. The biggest advice for others early on their journey is the more change you need to make the slower you need to go to integrate the shifts in your lifestyle. All these changes didn’t happen overnight for me. I was able to feel relief early on that inspired me to make more and more changes. While I still have flare ups occasionally, my quality of life and daily pain levels are 10x better than they used to be. I can move my body again with joy, strength, and trust. All things I felt I lost at the beginning of my journey. With each change that you make you’ll gain more confidence to keep going. Be gentle with yourself along the way.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

She is a high-performing woman that has excelled in sports, performing arts, or professionally. She knows mind over matter and prides herself in her work ethic and her ability to do what most can’t. This hyperfocus on achievement has caused her to disconnect from her body, but due to lack of energy, health challenges, stress, overwhelm, and anxiety she can no longer ignore learning how to prioritize and take care of herself. She’s ruled by the cycle of all-or-nothing thinking driven by perfectionism and procrastination. If she can’t do it all the way, why bother at all? She’s tried the conventional path to health of diet and exercise, but due to the all-or-nothing mindset she did it in an overly restrictive and rigid way. It wasn’t fun, supportive of her already stressed state, or sustainable in the longterm. She knows she can’t keep operating in this cycle and is ready for a new way to create more inner peace, alignment to her purpose, and love when she looks in the mirror.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ellie Frances Photography
Brittany Carress

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