My Big Beautiful Life After Chronic Fatigue, Insomnia and GI Issues
Kailey Murphy desperately Googled insomnia, chronic fatigue and mind-body healing. The Colorado woman had endured a decade of symptoms: digestive issues and disordered eating in her teens, mysterious pains and chronic fatigue in her twenties. But after a Covid-19 infection, she could no longer find refuge even in sleep.
“I was so fatigued and exhausted I could barely make it through the day,” recalls Kailey. “I’d sleep an hour, maybe two, a night. Mixed with that were really intense symptoms of pain and digestive issues. At the heart of it was a lot of fear. I was terrified. I did not know what was going on and how to find a way through.”
Besides insomnia, Kailey was diagnosed with a slew of scary-sounding ailments: muscle tension dysphonia, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, SIBO, leaky gut syndrome, tendonitis, pelvic pain and an eating disorder. Her family spent thousands of dollars on doctors, supplements and diets—but her health only worsened.
Watch VIDEO NOW and learn:
🪷 The moment everything shifted for Kailey.
🪷 How she overcame chronic fatigue, insomnia, pelvic pain & disordered eating.
🪷 What was missing in two brain retraining programs.
🪷 Key practices that restored her health.
🪷 How Kailey is living her “big, beautiful life!”
The Mind-Body Connection Changed Everything
The Colorado woman finally discovered a mind-body physician in her hometown of Boulder. He explained the new science on how our brain can create chronic symptoms due to emotional stress, even when there’s no structural injury or pathological illness. Kailey finally felt hope that there was a way through her turmoil!
With a fresh eye on her nervous system, she signed up for several brain retraining programs.
“I tried Gupta and Curable and felt like I was doing what I should be doing,” says Kailey. “But I still didn’t have the self-compassion piece or the insight into how my emotions were playing into these symptoms.”
Kailey still faced crushing symptoms, which fueled doubts that she was on the right track. After another Google search, she decided to join Be Your Own Medicine, a mind-body course rooted in science, somatics and self-compassion.
“In the first class, you asked us to take a break from fixing ourselves,” says Kailey. “I had a light bulb moment that all the different ways of healing I was doing had an energy of ‘I need to fix this.’ One of the key things for me was realizing how much I was striving and fighting my experience, but calling it healing.”
Kailey realized that fighting her body and fixating on symptoms fueled the stress response further. She embarked on a fresh way of treating herself with acceptance and compassion. As Kailey dove in mind-body practices, she confronted fear-based beliefs with deep breaths and self-love.
Key Practices in Kailey’s Recovery
Somatic tracking and other meditations became daily practices, helping Kailey reconnect with her body in a safe way. She learned how to soothe herself rather than criticize herself. With practice, Kailey developed genuine compassion for her suffering. That led to more nervous system regulation and a sense of being at home in her body.
As a poet, Kailey also began rekindling her creativity and spirituality—dimensions that had been trampled in her quest to rid herself of symptoms.
“I just love that you brought up poems and quotes. Those get at this theme: instead of just fixing, we can look at these symptoms as a wake-up call, as messengers. There's a deeper purpose in this whole journey. We can tap into curiosity, ‘what are they telling me? And what do I need to come back into balance?’”
How Kailey Found Balance and Wellbeing
🧬 Mind-body science to understand she was safe
🧘🏻♀️ Somatic tracking and other body-based meditations
📝 Expressive Writing for insomnia and disordered eating
🤱 Self-compassion breaks
🤬 Emotions-based practices to feel full spectrum of emotions
🏔️ Graded exposure to add movement and foods
💃🏻 Joyful and meaningful activities
🔮 Deeper purpose: seeing symptoms as messengers
Living with Purpose and Pleasure
After a decade of struggling with severe food restrictions and overeating episodes, Kailey realized that the foods themselves were not causing her symptoms. Rather, her fear of certain foods triggered warning signals. Over time, she let go of stringent diets and savored meals she actually enjoyed. With this mindset, she overcame disordered eating and food sensitivities too.
As she stepped into activities again, Kailey shifted from feeling panicked to feeling powerful! As she accepted her hurt parts, she felt a sense of homecoming. She’s learned that fear doesn’t completely disappear, but she can still live what she calls her “big, beautiful life.”
Kailey is actively pursuing her long-time dreams. She has since returned to work as a mind-body coach, started graduate school for counseling, and has become an integral part of the Be Your Own Medicine team that once supported her.
On a personal note, Kailey has traveled in Japan for a month, created a loving partnership and returned to her love of 5 Rhythms dance! Following her intuition and getting into a supportive relationship has helped heal the pelvic pain that once plagued her.
In addition to these milestones, Kailey has learned to appreciate her sensitive, emotional nature. Through mind-body healing, she’s opened her to a real, rich and embodied experience.
“This work opened me up to the full spectrum,” says Kailey. “It expanded my capacity to be with discomfort, to be with the fear and the sensations and not be swallowed by them. It also expanded the other side of the spectrum. Oh my gosh, I can savor this baked good, or this cup of tea or the sunlight!”☀️
🧘🏻♀️ Want a free somatic meditation like the one Kailey used to recover? Get one here!
👀 To learn more about mind-body healing, check out these blog posts:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: My 13-Year Crash to Cure Story
Strong, Fearless and in Love with Life After Long Covid
How to Overcome Insomnia and Unlock Deep Sleep