I found myself in a heavy state of mind in early 2023.

I had just finalized my divorce (thank God), and keeping my PR company alive felt like trying to catch a wave upon the sand (shout out to The Sound of Music). My life felt like a fool’s errand.

This isn’t to say that you need to be curled up in bed with the blinds down, sucking on your thumb, to explore small, intentional additions to your daily routine. It just means that I did. Ha! Ugh.

I couldn’t believe how dismal my thoughts were becoming, and I could physically feel the hormones and chemical shifts in my brain and body that were paralyzing me, even though, on a cerebral level, I knew there was so much to be grateful for. The disconnect between logic and physical feeling is really the pits, right?

I wasn’t sure what to do, because this was a new reality for me. I’m one of those people who figures out what I do not want first, and then slowly works backward into what I do want. (AKA everything takes longer.)

I knew I didn’t want Big Pharma as my first swing at a solution. No judgment, many of my friends and family are on that path. For me, it was mostly concern about side effects, especially weight gain, since I had already Shamu’d myself (don’t come for me, PETA) during my very unsavory marriage. Vain? Maybe. Honest? Also yes.

A friend suggested I try introducing a functional mushroom-based routine into my day.

Immediate hard pass. No.

The last time I crossed paths with mushrooms was 2004. I was 20, bought them from a busboy, and made what can only be described as a criminal sandwich with 99-Cent Store bread and questionable peanut butter. My feral roommate and I ate them on a Friday night and spent hours chasing a fly around our apartment. I finally caught it, cupped in my hands against the wall.

Victory.

I opened my hands. We saw it. And before it could fly away… it dissolved. Not real.

So no, I was not revisiting that chapter. I run a PR company. I need to be sharp, highly functional, and on my toes pretty much all the time.

I resisted until I couldn’t. I needed to do something, and I was reassured that in very small amounts, the experience would be subtle and supportive, not overwhelming.

Sure, Jan. Fine.

No sandwich this time. Just a small capsule, sourced through a friend of a friend.

My life changed immediately.

I felt like me again. Not pre-divorce me. Not pre-marriage me. Not pre-COVID me. I felt like ’90s me.

Which, honestly, I never thought I would feel again.

I felt more like myself again — more present, more steady, more in control of my day. Drawn back into color, music, and that specific kind of optimism you only have when you’re younger and don’t yet know how complicated life can get. There was a sense of ease to it. And instead of just getting back to baseline, I found something better.

Of course, not everyone experiences the same thing. A large 2021 study of over 4,000 participants found that 

At the same time, interest in functional mushrooms and supportive daily routines has grown as more people look for ways to support focus, energy, and overall well-being without disrupting their day-to-day lives.

It’s been wild to watch the momentum around this conversation, and to experience first hand what a functional + vibe mushroom supplement can actually fit in real life.

This wasn’t a magic overnight fix. Yes, something shifted immediately, but it took time to integrate that shift into a more balanced, stable way of living. I still have plenty of shitshow days. That part doesn’t go away. But I feel far more grounded and optimistic, even when things around me are chaotic.

Mostly, building a consistent routine with BESTIES has helped me…, have helped me stop letting life have a chokehold on my mood. That doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. It just means I don’t spiral the same way. Outside of real, outlier moments, I feel calm, steady, and like myself again.

Besties is female-forward, not female-only. If you’re curious about finding a more supportive daily rhythm…,or just finding a more supportive daily rhythm, you’re in the right place.

If you have questions, I’m happy to answer them. Reach out at hey@trybesties.com

Xo,
Tess (Co-Founder, BESTIES)

PS - You can shop BESTIES here