Brains, Bodies & Business: The Person Behind The Bright Stitch
Share
People often imagine small business owners as these ultra-organised, ever-productive, Pinterest-perfect types. The kind who colour-code their calendar, breeze through emails before breakfast, and make all the right decisions with zero hesitation. Who has their morning matcha or peppermint tea daily routine; sipping it calming looking outside into their picturesque garden, whilst contemplating life.
Yeah. That's. Not. Me!
I run The Bright Stitch — a yarn and craft shop, with plushie side hustle — with a brain and body that often feel like they’re working against me. I have high-functioning ADHD, high-functioning anxiety (it sounds like a brag - it isn't), PCOS, endometriosis, and high cortisol levels. Basically, I’m running this business on “Hardcore mode”, and I thought it might be worth sharing what that actually looks like..
Not because I want sympathy, but because I know I’m not the only one out there doing their best with a body or brain that’s a bit more complicated than average. And maybe, if you’re in that boat too, this blog post will help you feel a little less alone.
ADHD: 100 Thoughts Per Minute, Minimum
My mind never stops. It’s constant mental hyperactivity — like a browser with 87 tabs open, some playing music, some playing how-to videos and I’ve lost track of which one I’m supposed to be working on or how to find it!
ADHD makes me wildly creative, full of ideas, and great at hyperfocus. When I’m in the zone, I can work for hours, get through huge to-do lists, and genuinely feel unstoppable. But it also makes me scatter-brained, overwhelmed, and prone to spiralling if I don’t check myself. And this isn't the cute kind of spiral or "chaos mode has entered the chat", its the; I literally cannot move from this spot, perform even basic daily tasks like brushing my hair, and don't get me started on when the hyperactivity turns into a self hatred spiral that makes me question why I even exist on this planet.
To help manage it, I use a mixture of tech (how did we even function before Finch) and old-school lists to survive. I live for the dopamine hit of ticking things off my list. It’s one of the few ways I can keep myself on track. But I have to be so careful not to follow every shiny new idea into a half-baked project that eats time, money, and sanity.
Anxiety: The Brain Gremlin
My anxiety is high-functioning, which basically means I can smile, work, and make conversation… all while silently catastrophising everything.
I’ve trained myself to manage it, especially in the shop where routine helps a lot. But the thought of leaving the house some days still fills me with dread. Going to events used to be terrifying — now they’re manageable (helped hugely with the presence of my husband), but never easy. I spend the whole time worrying I’ve forgotten something or that I’ll fail in some unseen way.
Then, once it’s over, comes the crash. Exhaustion. A kind of emotional hangover that lasts days. I can’t even look at a plushie, and that’s awkward when half my business is plushie-based. Sometimes it makes me feel guilty, or like I’ve failed — even though I haven’t. It just takes time for the love to come back.
PCOS, Endo & High Cortisol: The Invisible Battle
Now, let’s talk about the stuff people really don’t see.
I have PCOS and endometriosis. That means I live with unpredictable fatigue, intense hormonal shifts, and periods that are so heavy and painful they leave me bedbound some months. I deal with facial hair that I trim every day (that really steals any ounce of femineity I have left), and I’ve had to accept a level of exhaustion that no amount of sleep seems to fix.
There’s also the brain fog — oh, the brain fog. Trying to run a business when your thoughts are stuck in treacle isn’t ideal (yes my mind has 100 thoughts a minute and yet still feels like I am wading through treacle - I'm a walking contradiction some days!!). Add high cortisol into the mix (thanks, stress!) and you’ve got a recipe for burnout if you’re not careful.
And the hardest part? People dismiss it. “Oh, every woman has bad periods.” No. Not like this. And not every woman is also trying to manage a business, a community, a creative output, and a body that throws a hormonal tantrum every few weeks.
But Still… Look What I’ve Built
Despite all that, or maybe because of it, I’ve built something I’m really proud of.
The Bright Stitch is bright, joyful, welcoming, and real. It’s a place people feel comfortable in. And I think a big part of that is because I bring all of myself to it. The neurodivergent bits, the exhausted bits, the overwhelmed bits, and the wildly creative parts that can’t stop dreaming up new things.
This brain of mine is exhausting, yes, but it’s also a gift. It means I can pivot quickly, dream wildly, and make magic when I’m in flow. And this body, frustrating as it is, has taught me resilience, boundaries, and how to rest without guilt (hahaha who am I kidding, nothing is without guilt).
For Anyone Else Doing Life on Hard Mode
If you’re reading this and thinking, “That sounds a bit like me,” then I hope you know this: you're not weak, or lazy, or unorganised. You're just carrying a heavier load.
You can still build beautiful things. You can still run a business, even if you’re tired, even if you need naps, even if your brain goes off on tangents mid-sentence (I do that daily) or you physically go on seven side quests per task. You’re not failing — you’re fighting. And you’re doing better than you think.
So here’s to us — the neurospicy, hormonally dysregulated, creative weirdos. We’re doing something amazing.
And we deserve a little more credit.
Be Kind to yourself Brighties <3