Depression & Recovery with Genese Smith

If you’ve ever felt pressure to hold it all together while falling apart on the inside, this episode is for you.

More info, resources & ways to connect - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/genese-smith

In this episode of Even Tacos Fall Apart, MommaFoxFire sits down with Genese Smith, a registered nurse of 28 years who is now also a certified transformational life coach. Genese shares her powerful, personal journey through clinical depression and the slow, sometimes messy path of recovery... all while juggling her roles as a nurse, coach, wife and woman over 40 trying to take care of everyone around her.

Genese didn’t start out wanting to be a nurse. She had dreams of becoming a doctor, fueled by her love for biology, but chemistry and physics weren’t her strong suits. Nursing became her “plan B” that turned into a lifelong calling. Still, she tried to leave nursing several times due to the heavy demands and burnout. But it kept calling her back, and now she embraces it as part of her ministry - a way to serve and connect with others through care.

Her transition into coaching came after hitting a wall while running her own business. Working herself to the bone and constantly crying, she finally opened up to her doctor who helped her recognize the signs of depression. Like many people, Genese had a hard time accepting the diagnosis. She was a nurse. She was supposed to know better. But through therapy, modified work schedules and eventually joining her husband on a holistic wellness journey, she began healing mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

One of the most shocking moments in her story was the stroke she experienced while driving to work. She recounts the surreal experience of talking on the phone, being unable to locate the hazard lights and being picked up by an ambulance and taken to the same hospital she worked in. That health crisis only deepened her compassion and gave her even more empathy for patients, especially those recovering from strokes and battling depression.

Genese talked about the importance of balancing rest, something she admits is still a work in progress. She opened up about the guilt she feels when resting and the societal pressure to keep going - a feeling many listeners will instantly recognize. Her recovery has been shaped by tools like prayer, gratitude journaling, dietary changes, professional help, and the practice of listening to her thoughts with more awareness.

She also touched on common misconceptions about depression - like the belief that someone who is smiling or upbeat couldn’t possibly be depressed, or that people should just “snap out of it.” Genese's message was clear: depression doesn’t have a look, and recovery takes real work, time and support.

This conversation is honest, relatable and full of warmth. Genese brings the kind of wisdom that only comes from lived experience. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to keep it all together, questioned whether your exhaustion is “normal,” or struggled to put yourself first, this episode is one you’ll feel deeply. It’s a reminder that healing is possible, rest is necessary and you’re not alone in the fight.