Janet Mbugua has opened up about an emotional turning point she experienced while going through her divorce, saying the period pushed her to step back and figure out who she was.
The media personality said the shift happened in 2022, when she was not yet 40. She explained that she reached a point where she felt she was spiralling and needed to take a break from having to answer questions.
“I got into a place especially when I was going through my divorce. So in 2022, I wasn’t 40 yet, but the first shift happened where I feel like I am spiralling and I need a minute to not have to answer your question, so I am gonna step back,” Janet Mbugua said on Friday, October 30, 2026, during a panel discussion.
She explained that stepping back came at a difficult time because the change was unexpected to the people around her. Janet said those close to her noticed that she was no longer behaving like the person they had known.
The period came with uncertainty as she tried to understand herself while dealing with the changes in her life. She said the reaction from people around her also added to the situation because they expected her to remain the same person they knew.
“It came with a lot of chaos because it was very unexpected. They were like, ‘ You are not the Janet we know. ‘ I said, ‘ Neither am I, and I need to figure out who she is,’ Janet Mbugua said.
Janet speaks on burnout and family
Despite opening up about the difficult period, Janet said she has a loving family and described the support within her family. She explained that they agree on things, do things together and regularly check in on each other.
“I have a loving family; let me start there. We agree on things, we do things together, we check in on each other,” Janet Mbugua said.
She also spoke about the pressure that can come with trying to keep going while dealing with personal challenges. Janet said there is no reward for pushing oneself to the point of complete exhaustion.
“There is no award for the most burnt out person,” she said.
Her reflections linked the period in 2022 to a need to pause and reassess herself. Janet said she needed time away from answering questions so she could understand the person she was becoming after the changes she had experienced.
The experience also made her recognise that she could not continue pretending to be the same person others expected her to be. She said stepping back was necessary as she worked through the changes and tried to figure out who she was.