Ann Marie Mackey Well-Being

11/17/2025

Are you starting this week already braced? 😬

Shoulders tight… mind running ahead… that quiet pressure to hold it all together before anything even goes wrong?

I know that state well.
For years, I moved through my life that way, strong, capable, polished but also chronically bracing underneath it all.

It looked like resilience.
But if the truth be told, it was my nervous system stuck in survival mode.

Over time, I’ve learned strength isn’t how much you can hold together.

👉 Strength is knowing when the load is too heavy and choosing to give yourself permission to pause, rest and reset your system.

Most high-performers, leaders, caregivers and quiet rock-steady types aren’t burning out because they’re weak. They’re burning out because they’re human and life today allows very little space to tend to our nervous system, reset, integrate and exhale.

And while that's true, we also have agency. We have a self-responsibility to make our well-being a priority, even in small, doable ways.

As we begin a new week, here’s the reminder I want to offer:

✨ Your nervous system sets the tone long before your to-do list does.

😨 If your body is braced, your mind will be too.
😕 If your breath is shallow, your clarity will be too.
😵‍💫 If your pace is frantic, your decisions will reflect it.

But when you reset your body, even briefly, you reset your presence, your leadership, your relationships, your capacity.

☺️ A single slow breath.
😊 A softened jaw.
🥰 A quiet moment with your hand on your heart.

❤️‍🩹 Small shifts with real impact.

If you tend to “power through,” this week I invite you to try something different:

💞 Instead of holding more… hold space for yourself instead.

If this resonates, I wrote more about it in my latest blog:
🌿 The Hidden Cost of Holding It All Together


Wishing you a grounded week with space to care for yourself.

Ann Marie

Transformation Leader
Executive Well-being Advisor
Somatic Holistic Therapist
Registered Naturopath

🌿 Truth • Safety • Clarity

The Myth of Having It All Under Control

11/14/2025

💚 Are you tired of always being the strong one?

The one who keeps it all together no matter what?

That was me for most of my life, and truthfully, that strength carried me through more than most will ever know. But what looked like resilience on the outside was, at times, chronic bracing on the inside.

We live in a world that celebrates composure and productivity…
but few talk about the invisible exhaustion and demoralization it creates.

So many capable, compassionate people are holding it all together - managing, performing, smiling - while quietly running on empty.
Know what I mean?

🌿 If you’ve ever felt that pressure, my latest blog is for you.

I wrote about the hidden cost of staying in survival mode and what it means to finally exhale. To find your way back to calm, clarity and real strength again... one breath at a time.

After all, what’s the alternative…
continuing to carry it all alone, disconnected from the very life you’re working so hard to hold together?


This journey is personal but none of us are meant to walk it alone. I know because I’ve lived it.

Now, I help others do the same - guiding them to release what's heavy and they don't show, reconnect with themselves and rise in their own clarity and inner strength.

💫 Read "The Hidden Cost of Holding It All Together" here: https://annmariemackey.com/blog/f/the-hidden-cost-of-holding-it-all-together

🤍 How about we practice a little vulnerability today?

That might look like sharing how you really feel in a safe space, reaching out and asking for support, or simply taking a few minutes to pause and try the somatic practice in the blog.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or DM me.

You can subscribe to my email community for reflections, upcoming events and tools to support your well-being and clarity - delivered with heart. 💚

👉 Join here: https://app.cyberimpact.com/clients/58728/subscribe-forms/BF2987D8-50F7-4BE8-9D41-6CD66E921633

With love & resilience,

Ann Marie

The Myth of Having It All Under Control

11/10/2025

Last week I had the privilege of being a vendor at the Cenovus Presents FIERCE Leadership Summit and what an incredible experience it was!!

The energy in that room was powerful!

Real conversations, real connection, real leaders showing up.

I met executives, entrepreneurs, changemakers and everyday women who carry more than they show and it reminded me again why this work matters.

I also introduced my new tri-fold brochure and it felt so aligned to see my work represented in a way that reflects the depth and clarity of what I do.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table, shared a moment, asked a thoughtful question or simply took a breath with me.

https://annmariemackey.com

11/05/2025

As I get ready to be a vendor tomorrow at the FIERCE Women’s & Gender Diversity Leadership Summit, I’ve been thinking about men’s well-being and mental health.

Men are carrying a lot.

Pressure.
Performance.
Responsibility.

Silent weight.

Movember is a reminder that what men hold internally matters, even when no one sees it.

Most men were never taught how to talk about stress or emotional load.
They were taught to “man up”… don’t cry… don’t show weakness… keep moving.

After 25+ years in executive leadership and a life that demanded resilience, I understand pressure… and I understand internal rebuilding.

I support people who carry more than they show - including men who need a confidential space to breathe, reset and realign.

Your information stays private.
You don’t have to perform here.
You don’t have to protect me from how heavy things feel.

If stress is always running in the background,
If your body feels braced,
If you’re tired of holding it all alone,

This is the work I do.

Executive & Somatic Transformation for men (and women) who want clarity, steadiness and to feel like themselves again - grounded, confident and in command of their decisions.

Your nervous system isn’t a weakness, it’s your operating system.

If this resonates - message me.
or
Book a confidential Clarity & Reset Session here:

Investment: $225 + 15% HST CAD.📜 Insurance receipts available upon request.Feeling overwhelmed, disconnected or carrying too much? This focused 90-minute session is your first step toward genuine relief and clarity.Together, we’ll cut through the noise, reset your nervous system and bring clari...

11/03/2025

🌿 Pop-Up Grief Practice Tonight

If you’ve been carrying something heavy - you don’t have to hold it alone.

Tonight
7:00 – 9:00 pm NST
Online
Complimentary

This is a gentle space to breathe, release and be supported - no pressure, no performance.

If you’d like to join DM or email me and I’ll send you the registration form and Zoom meeting details.

annmarie@annmariemackey.com

Executive & Somatic Well-being Advisor 🌿 When life feels too heavy to hold, there’s a safe way to release it.

11/01/2025

Pop-Up Somatic Grief Practice - in honour of All Saints' Day

Monday, November 3 @ 7:00–9:00 pm NST

• Online
• Small Group
• Complimentary or Pay-What-Feels-Right

We all experience loss in different ways. Sometimes it’s the heartbreak of losing someone you love. Other times it follows major life changes, the end of a relationship, a lost job or identity, health challenges or a fading sense of purpose. Whatever shape it takes, grief asks us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves and draw on our inner wisdom and resilience.

This two-hour pop-up blends simple somatic (mind-body) practices for grief: a brief reflection, centering meditation, guided journaling, optional group share, gentle movement and an integration meditation.

You don’t need experience.
You don’t need the right words.
You only need to show up as you are.

This evening is for you if:
• loss, memory or tenderness has been stirring
• you’ve been carrying a lot quietly
• you want a safe space to exhale
• your heart feels heavy

Date: Monday Nov 3
Time: 7:00–9:00 pm NST
Location: Online (Zoom)
Complimentary

DM me or email me at annmarie@annmariemackey.com to reserve your spot.

In loving memory of my boy! 💝 John-Michael Mackey

10/30/2025

I could not say this any better or agree more!

🌟 “Health is the foundation upon which the rest of your life is built.”
🎤 Drop mic! Truth bomb!

• “It is absolutely mission critical to care for yourself first..”
• “It's that oxygen mask on first..”
• “Because you can't take care of anyone unless you take care of yourself first.”
• “It isn't a selfish act. It's actually the most selfish thing that you can do, because your capacity to serve is a function of how well you're taking care of yourself first.”

The reality is - if you crumble, everything built upon you starts to shake.
Your peace. Your relationships. Your work. Your joy.

We’ve been taught to give endlessly but not to restore.
To keep showing up, even when our body’s whispering “please slow down.”

You deserve better than that.

You deserve to feel grounded, steady and alive again.

❤️‍🩹 I can help - if you’re ready to start making your well-being a priority, not as another task on your list, but with the wisdom and self-compassion to know it’s the foundation everything else is built on.

My guidance is forged through lived experience - the kind that comes from walking the hard paths, not just studying them.

Let’s make your well-being the foundation everything else is built on. 💚

👉 Book a Clarity & Reset Session here: https://calendly.com/annmarie_mackey/clarity-session

Or DM me to begin your reset.

10/29/2025

This coming Movember, it’s not just about moustaches - it’s about men remembering to check in with themselves.

Behind the steady exterior - the guy who keeps showing up, getting it done and holding it together no matter what’s happening behind the scenes - a lot of men are running on fumes.

Long days. Restless nights. The constant pressure to stay in control.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone and you don’t have to carry it alone.

My work helps men reset their systems - physically, mentally and emotionally - so they can feel clear, grounded, and back in control again.

No fluff. No forced vulnerability. Just real, practical work that gets results.

👉 Book a private Clarity & Reset Session
In-person or virtual appointments available.
https://calendly.com/annmarie_mackey/clarity-session

Feel free to share this post with a brother, colleague, or friend who’s been running on empty.

I also support teams and organizations with grounded workshops on stress, resilience, and well-being that get results. DM me for more information.

🌿 Truth • Safety • Clarity

Investment: $225 + 15% HST CAD.📜 Insurance receipts available upon request.Feeling overwhelmed, disconnected or carrying too much? This focused 90-minute session is your first step toward genuine relief and clarity. Together, we’ll cut through the noise, reset your nervous system and bring clar...

10/22/2025

🌿 Healing the Patterns that Keep You Stuck

After sharing my last reflection, “Hurt People Hurt People & Healing People Heal People”, I found myself thinking about our human nature and how easy it is to see what someone else needs to change
- and how much harder it can be to turn that same honesty inward.

We all know what it feels like when someone tries to force their will on us - it doesn't go over well... As my Mom would say, "like a lead balloon." 😅

A version of the Serenity Prayer comes to mind:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change,
The courage to change the one I can,
And the wisdom to know that one is me.”

For me, this is a reminder that real peace begins within and the only thing we truly have power over is ourselves and changing patterns we’ve been carrying:

• over-functioning,
• staying quiet to keep the peace,
• holding everything together for everyone else while quietly falling apart inside,
• blowing up or shutting down when emotions feel too big,
• reaching outward instead of inward when pain arises, through busyness or short-term comforts that never quite soothe for long.

You didn’t do anything wrong by learning those patterns. They were once your protection.

Real growth begins the moment you realize your peace and coming home to your true self matters too.

This week, I invite you to pause, breathe and compassionately ask yourself:

“What patterns am I ready to stop carrying?”

No judgment. Just awareness.
It’s the first step toward reclaiming your energy, your self-trust and your freedom to feel lighter again.

With love and resilience,

Ann Marie
Somatic Therapist | Naturopath

🌿 If this speaks to you and you’re ready for a calm, supportive space to unpack what’s been heavy, I’d love to hold that with you.

I offer Clarity & Reset Sessions, a chance to slow down, breathe and see what’s really yours to carry - and what can finally be set down.

You can begin with a single Clarity & Reset Session or through a package of sessions that offers both a preferred rate and deeper continuity.

✨ Book a Clarity & Reset Session:
https://calendly.com/annmarie_mackey/clarity-session

✨ Explore Session Packages:
https://annmariemackey.com/personal-1-1

🌿Truth • Safety • Clarity

Executive & Somatic Well-being Advisor 🌿 When life feels too heavy to hold, there’s a safe way to release it.