🌱 From Burnout to Breakthrough: How the SEED Framework Helped Me Reclaim My Life
A note before we begin:
This story was originally published on Medium, but I wanted to share it here too—because many of you are just joining me on this new journey. If you’ve ever experienced burnout, anxiety, or felt like you were slipping away from yourself… this story is for you.
December 6th, 2020 was the day everything changed. I woke up overwhelmed with anxiety, burned out from work and parenting, and completely disconnected from myself. I had stopped podcasting, writing, and speaking—all the things that once gave me joy and purpose. I was surviving, not living.
That morning, I gasped for air, my heart racing. I remember calling for my husband, afraid I was dying or losing my mind. The sounds around me felt distant. I was terrified and detached from everything I knew. I didn't understand it at the time, but I was having a massive panic episode and a full-body wake-up call.
That experience—frightening and life-altering—wasn’t the end. It was the beginning.
🌿 What Came Next
The days that followed were filled with confusion, doctor visits, and mental fog. I questioned everything. Was it stress? My health? My lifestyle? My thoughts swirled in loops: Is this how my life is going to be now? Will I ever feel normal again?
I wanted to heal, but I didn’t know where to begin.
Eventually, I started experimenting—with rest, food, movement, breathing, journaling, and even light exposure. I became a student of my own nervous system. And slowly, patterns began to emerge.
What helped me heal wasn’t one big thing—it was four small, vital things, practiced daily.
🌟 Introducing: The SEED Framework
Out of my experimentation, a pattern formed. I began calling it SEED:
S is for Sleep – the reset button your body can’t function without
E is for Exercise – not just for fitness, but for brain clarity and emotional regulation
E is for Emotions – understanding and processing your inner world
D is for Diet – nourishing your body without guilt, rigidity, or obsession
These weren’t just wellness tips. They were lifelines.
When I tended to these four elements, I felt like myself again—grounded, clear, hopeful.
When I ignored them, the chaos returned.
I wasn’t aiming for perfection. I was planting a seed—choosing to grow a little every day. Some days were easy, others weren’t. But I kept going, trusting that healing isn’t linear—it’s alive.
✨ Why I Wrote This Book
I know what it’s like to feel like you’re drowning in your own life.
And I also know how powerful it is to reclaim your agency, one small act at a time.
That’s why I wrote:
📘 SEED Your Superpower – A Framework to Reclaim Your Energy, Clarity, and Well-Being
In this eBook, I walk you through:
The exact strategies I used to regain my mental, physical, and emotional balance
How I built daily rituals using the SEED principles
Gentle, printable practice pages to reflect, plan, and grow
🌸 Final Thoughts
If my 20-year-old self had access to this book, my life at 45 might have looked very different. But I’m grateful for the journey—every twist and return.
You don’t need to hit rock bottom to begin again.
You just need a seed—and the willingness to care for it.
Let this be your invitation to reset and reconnect.
Because you are the superpower.
With heart,
Pratima Gluckman