From Surviving to Thriving: Shifting Your Mindset After Setbacks

January 12, 2026•4 min read

From Surviving to Thriving: How to Shift Your Mindset After a Setback

Kidney disease. Endless surgeries. Life-threatening complications. Missed milestones and birthdays spent in hospital beds.

By all logic, I shouldn’t be here. But I am.

When I was writing my book I Should Be F’N Dead! I revisited those moments, the nights that blurred together, the fear, the fight, and realised something powerful: resilience isn’t a trait you’re born with. It’s a decision you keep making, even when everything hurts.

That’s why I wanted to share this chapter with you, because whether you’re rebuilding a business, recovering from burnout, or trying to find your footing again, the same truth applies. You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you respond.

For women in business, leadership, and entrepreneurship, the same is true. What defines your future isn’t the setback itself, but the story you tell yourself afterwards.

Redefining Setbacks: From Suffering to Strength

In 2022, I thought I had finally reached stable ground. I had a career I loved, a thriving business with my husband, and dreams of starting a family.

Then one morning, I woke up drenched in sweat, my heart racing, my breath shallow. An ambulance rushed me to the hospital, another emergency, another fight for my life.

Living with chronic illness since birth, I was no stranger to setbacks. But this moment was a reminder: no matter how far we’ve come, life can knock us off course in an instant.

The key isn’t to avoid setbacks, it’s to learn how to rise after them.

What Setbacks Are Really Saying

Every setback carries a message. For me, it’s always been: “You’re not done yet.”

When I stopped asking “Why me?” and started asking “What now?”, my perspective shifted.

That shift gave me the courage to write my book I Should Be F’N Dead!, launch my podcast, and share my story with others who needed to know they weren’t alone.

Your setbacks can become your fuel if you learn to frame them differently.

3 Ways to Shift Your Mindset After a Setback

Whether you’re dealing with burnout, a failed launch, or something deeply personal, these are the strategies that helped me rebuild:

1. Feel it, then frame it

Don’t rush into “toxic positivity.” Acknowledge the loss, the anger, the frustration. Then, when you’re ready, look for the lesson it’s offering.

2. Take one powerful next step

After surgery, I was told to walk within 12 hours. It felt impossible, but that single step led to another… and eventually, recovery. Your step might be sending an email, having a tough conversation, or brainstorming a new idea. Start small, momentum will follow.

3. Protect your energy like your life depends on it

Because it does. The stories you tell yourself shape your outcomes. Research shows that resilience and positivity are directly linked to long-term success. Guard your mindset like the priceless resource it is.

When Business Feels Like a Battle

For women in leadership, business setbacks can feel brutal, the launch that flopped, the client who said no, the exhaustion that just won’t quit.

But here’s what I want you to remember: these moments don’t define you. They refine you.

This is your pivot point.

Gratitude and resilience go hand-in-hand when you’re rebuilding.

Your Story Isn’t Over

If I’d let my diagnosis dictate my life, I never would have become a best-selling author, a speaker, or a mentor for other women.

The truth is, shifting your mindset after a setback won’t erase pain. But it will help you rise through it. Your scars don’t make you weak, they make you real. Your failures don’t end your story, they give it depth.

Whatever you’re facing right now, remember this:

You are not broken.
You are rebuilding.
And your comeback? It’s going to be powerful.

From Surviving to Thriving

I called my book I Should Be F’N Dead! because, by all accounts, I shouldn’t be here. But I am. And I’m thriving.

If I can move forward with half a toolkit, trust me, you can too. Let your scars become your strength. Let your setbacks become your story. And let your mindset become your loudest cheerleader.

Grab your copy of I Should Be F’N Dead! in hardcover, e-book, or audiobook today, and start writing your comeback story.