About

Here was a time I believed I just had to push through. Hold it all together, for me, for everyone around me. Suck it up. Be grateful. Be quiet. Be fine.

But I wasn’t fine. My world was slowly collapsing in front of me. Maya the fixer – the one everyone leaned on just couldn’t fix herself. Couldn’t fix her situation.

I was burnt out, silently navigating depression with a smile on my face. I knew something was wrong, but I kept showing up – for work, for parenting, for everyone but myself.

Meanwhile, my body and mind were already screaming, telling me they were broken. It wasn’t til I sat across from my GP, I finally broke down – that the tears came. The ones I didn’t even know were buried that deep.

That day, I learned I was suffering from anxiety and depression. That day, I also began to come home to myself.

For a long time, I kept trying to get back to the version of me in my 20s and 30s. I was someone who worked hard and played harder. I treated self-care like a lifestyle, not a luxury. And listen, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still think of the wardrobe. The killer heels. The handbags.

But I realised… I’m not meant to go back. I’m not her anymore – and that’s not a loss. It’s an evolution. Now, I’m rediscovering a version of me that’s just as bold – but built for staying power. Softer, wiser (an most days!), still rising… and still stylish, just with more arch support.