AURORA, Ill., Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chicagoland speaker and author Behati Hart announces the release of her new memoir, “Just BE: Unmasking and Becoming Human Again,” a deeply personal exploration of what happens when high-achieving women stop performing who they are expected to be—and begin living as who they truly are.
Written for women, caregivers, professionals, and creatives navigating burnout and identity fatigue, “Just BE” examines the emotional cost of constantly “holding it together” in systems that reward performance over authenticity.
“Across the country, women are emotionally overloaded and quietly unraveling under the pressure to keep performing and saying, ‘I’m fine,'” said Hart, a Black and Indigenous Air Force veteran, speaker, and Life Architect. “My story shows what happens when we remove those performative masks and authentically reconnect with who we truly are.”
Central to the book is the concept of masking—the strategic performance of a self, for example, that hides needs, emotions, and identity to remain safe, employed, accepted, or likable.
“We all mask to survive systems that require performance over authenticity—systems that were never designed for your full humanity,” Hart said. “You learned to mask because it worked. It kept you safe, employed, included, loved. But when you’ve worn masks long enough, you forget what’s underneath. Unmasking gives us permission to reclaim our authentic selves and remember who we are.”
Hart’s personal story reflects a growing national reckoning. After more than 30 years of public service, she was forced out of federal leadership in March 2025. Two months later, she received diagnoses of ADHD and anxiety—revealing decades of masking to function in systems never designed for her neurodivergent mind. As perimenopause lowered estrogen levels that had previously helped regulate ADHD symptoms, the executive function skills she relied on began to falter. What followed was a profound mental and physical collapse that ultimately became what Hart calls her radical liberation: the unmasking.
“Taking the masks off allowed me to breathe deeply for the first time,” Hart writes. “My neurodivergence wasn’t a disorder to manage—it was a doorway to multidimensional thinking, creative solutions, and sovereignty.”
Nationally, the patterns Hart describes are increasingly visible. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hundreds of thousands of women have exited the workforce in recent years, with women of color disproportionately impacted as systemic pressures and workplace inequities persist.
Hart’s message resonates particularly strongly in Chicago and across the Midwest, where adult ADHD diagnoses are rising, mental health providers are stretched thin, and women are leaving burnout-heavy careers in record numbers—prompting renewed conversations around identity, wellness, and sustainable ways of living.
Blending humor, humanity, and higher consciousness, “Just BE” offers readers a practical and inspiring roadmap for cultivating balance, resilience, and inner clarity. Drawing on spiritual and ancestral practices, Hart invites readers to rethink mental and emotional well-being beyond productivity and performance.
“Personally, this book is about liberation—unadulterated freedom from ways of living that no longer serve who I am becoming,” Hart said. “This book is an ego death and rebirth. This book is my legacy. I hope people who think, look, and feel like me will feel empowered to take off their masks and tell their own stories.”
About Behati Hart
Behati Hart is a Life Architect, speaker, and creator of The BETi Method™, a transformational coaching framework integrating science, spirituality, and AI innovation. With more than 30 years of public service, Hart is known for her rare blend of wisdom, wit, creativity, and cultural intelligence. A polymath with a background in Human Behavior and Design, she is passionate about decolonizing mental health and expanding spiritual exploration. Her work centers on helping individuals break free from outdated narratives and realign with their authentic selves. For more information, visit behatihart.com.
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