What if your most powerful wellness tool wasn’t a supplement, a workout plan or a 5am routine, but your psyche? Mental fitness expert Zuraida Jardine believes that modern women are overdue for a new kind of strength: one rooted in nervous system regulation, emotional intelligence and deep inner awareness
ollowing Zuraida’s uplifting and grounding guided breathwork and visualisation session at GLAMOUR’s Wellness Event in April, we discuss the science and soul behind mental fitness.
GLAMOUR : What is mental fitness and why should we focus on it more?
Zuraida Jardine: Mental Fitness is your ability to regulate your emotions, reframe limiting thoughts, build inner clarity and stay steady under stress. It’s like physical training for the mind and nervous system. Just like we train our bodies to be strong and resilient, we can train our brains to handle pressure, uncertainty and life’s curveballs. And this isn’t motivational fluff — it’s grounded in neuroscience. Our brain was built for survival, not success. To truly thrive in today’s fast-paced world, we need to understand the evolutionary wiring of our brain and how it interacts with our nervous system.
Here’s a breakdown:
The amygdala: your ancient alarm system One of the oldest parts of the brain, your amygdala’s job is to scan for danger constantly. Thousands of years ago, it helped humans survive threats like predators or tribal rejection, which could literally be life-threatening. Today, it responds to modern stressors in the same way: deadlines, relationship conflict or even an unread message can feel like a lion in the bushes. When the amygdala perceives threat, it signals the autonomic nervous system to activate fight, flight or freeze — spiking our heart rate, narrowing our focus and flooding us with stress hormones. It’s protective but it also overreacts, often keeping us stuck in a state of hypervigilance. The prefrontal cortex: your rational CEO This is the most evolved part of our brain. It helps us plan, think critically, regulate our emotions and make intentional decisions. It’s the part that can say, “This email isn’t a threat. Take a breath.” But when your amygdala is overactive, the prefrontal cortex goes offline and you lose access to rational thought in high- stress states.
That’s why you might snap at someone, doubt yourself before a big opportunity or spiral into anxiety. The default mode network (DMN): your inner narrator This network kicks in when your mind isn’t focused on a task — like when you’re lying in bed overthinking, reliving past conversations or imagining worst-case scenarios. The DMN is responsible for self-reflection and identity and it helps us make sense of who we are. When it’s overactivated, it can fuel negative self- talk, rumination and self-comparison, and can trap us in loops of “I’m not good enough” even when nothing on the outside is wrong. The nervous system connection The nervous system takes its cues from the brain and then tells the body how to respond. But the reverse is also true: how you breathe, move and feel sends signals to your brain. This is where mental fitness comes in. Tools like breathwork, meditation and visualisation train your nervous system to shift from survival mode (fight/flight) into a state of safety (rest/digest). When you feel safe, you can make smarter decisions, access creativity, build resilience and regulate emotions more easily.
G : What was it like guiding the breathwork and visualisation session at the Wellness Event in April?
ZJ: I led a session called Return to the Younger Self , where we journeyed back to meet a part of ourselves we often silence — our younger self. That version of us still holds our original dreams, unresolved pain and raw truth. When we reconnect with that version, something shifts. I watched women have gentle breakthroughs, soften and awaken to what they’d forgotten; their deepest desires, long-buried heartbreak and the power of simply feeling again. It was intimate and transformational and it deeply aligned with the work I do every day in mental fitness with my clients and students, helping individuals strengthen their inner world so they can thrive in the outer one.
G: Why are curated wellness spaces vital, especially for women, and how do you offer these spaces?
ZJ: We carry so much. Wellness spaces like this give us permission to let go. To feel. To stop performing. And to connect with the parts of ourselves we often abandon in our busy lives. Whether you’re a CEO, a student or a mom juggling it all, your nervous system needs recovery. Your mind needs clarity and your body needs to feel safe. As much as I love in-person events, I realised that I can’t reach enough people, so I created two digital programs called Be Still and The Mental Fitness Audio Vault to help women around the world take their power back, no matter their schedule or circumstances. Be Still: The four-part nervous system reset My signature course and the starting point for anyone ready to break free from high-functioning stress, overwhelm or emotional burnout. This neuroscience- based reset is designed to help you:
• Regulate your nervous system so you can stay calm and present under pressure.
• Release old patterns of anxiety, overthinking and emotional reactivity.
• Reconnect with your purpose and inner vision.
• Rewire your self-talk, energy and sense of possibility from the inside out. You’ll learn the same tools that high- level athletes, leaders and changemakers use to perform under pressure — taught in a way that is grounded and soul-led. It’s a full-body, full-mind recalibration. A system that teaches you how to stop outsourcing your peace and instead create it from within. The Mental Fitness Audio Vault A collection of guided audio practices designed to fit into your real life.
From morning rituals to midday mindset shifts and nighttime nervous system wind- downs, these audio tools help you to:
• Calm racing thoughts in 5 minutes.
• Start your day with focus and emotional clarity.
• Rewire imposter syndrome into self-trust.
• Reconnect with your younger self for deep healing.
• Visualise and embody your future self with intention.
• Release tension in the body.
• Ready your system for deep rest and restorative sleep. Each track is rooted in psychology, breath science and nervous-system research — but it’s designed to feel personal, empowering and supportive. It’s perfect for
high-achieving women who want to stay mentally fit without adding another hour to their day.
G: Do you have one key reminder or piece of advice?
ZJ: You are not broken. You’re not lost. You are not behind. You’re simply untrained and that’s not a flaw, it’s an opportunity. Many of us weren’t taught how to regulate our emotions, how to calm our nervous systems or how to speak to ourselves with compassion and clarity. Start small, with your breath. It’s the one tool you carry everywhere and, when used with intention, it can shift your entire state. Anchor into your body. Feel where you’ve been holding on too tightly, then close your eyes and visualise your future self not as a fantasy, but as a version of you that already exists within. The one who is clear, calm, grounded and powerful. Slowly and gently, begin to live like her. Not all at once but one breath, one thought, one choice at a time. That’s the heart of mental fitness. It’s not about perfection, it’s about presence. Not fixing yourself but finally coming home to yourself. This is how you stop surviving on autopilot. This is how you rise with strength, softness and self-leadership.
For more info, visit zuraidajardine.com
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