Current Musings - Autumn Edition
Feeling uninspired, flat and demotivated? As we head into autumn and the cooler months I find myself taking the time to prioritise my daily routine more. I’m not sure if you can relate but I certainly find it harder to get out of bed each morning. As someone that is a morning person, this is one thing I struggle to deal with.
Most things don’t flow as easily (for example my creativity) and generally feel a bit sluggish and depleted.
I wanted to celebrate this seasonal slump by sharing some of the things lately that have been helping me. Whether it’s a podcast, book, self care tip or something I watched, I hope this can bring some joy whilst we pass by these colder months.
Read:
The Artist’s Way (a spiritual path to higher creativity) - this book has helped me rediscover and recover my creative self. Julia Cameron’s tools will help you take the steps you need to change different aspects of your life.
The Power of Letting Go - gifted to me by a friend and oh my it was a goodie. John Purkiss explains why we should let go and drop everything that’s holding us back using proven techniques. As someone that overthinks a lot, this book helped me gain a deeper understanding in how to lower that voice.
How to Be Well - a handbook that ALL women should have. Medicine specialist Dr Karen Coates and wellness advocate Sharon Kolkka teamed up to create this amazing book to help all women find their way back to optimal physical, mental and emotional health through recognising and understanding our current state of wellbeing.
Listen:
Rewilding the Beauty Industry with Montana Lower - I was introduced to bluem skincare by a friend and fell in love with everything Montana has created within her brand. Tahnee and Montana share a beautiful discourse around the raw nature of mothering, what it's like to be a mother, greenwashing in the beauty industry, using nature as medicine, trusting your body's inherent wisdom and letting your intuition guide the way. You can find the episode here
Holistic Movement with Rodrigo Perez - I’ve recently been focusing on mindful movement over stressful movement. For me this includes walking, yoga and meditating. This episode was shared with me by my dad and I loved it. Rodrigo Perez discusses how to connect to the mind and body after he had a transformative session in the Soma Dome. He has helped train many surfers using his holistic movement method and his approach has allowed his athletes to improve their movement, become more aware of their bodies and make better choices regarding nutrition and training. You can find the episode here
Self Care:
Breath-work - I was someone that could never sit still, let alone for 10-20 minutes each morning. I connected with Eddie (a breath work teacher) online a few months ago and instantly resonated with her journey and what she had to offer. Since then I’ve incorporated this into my morning routine. It helps calm my nervous system, unwind and relax before a busy work day.
Gua Sha - Such a small yet effective tool in not only reducing TMJ but giving back to you. Because I stress SO easily these days, my jaw is always tight and it’s something that practitioners often bring up with me. Gua Sha helps in reducing systemic inflammation and improves circulation by putting pressure on our skin. My favourite jade gun Sha is from Nimbus Co, which can be found here
Intuitive Eating - Self care can look so different for everyone but one thing I’ve been working on is listening to my body and what it needs. Intuitive eating is a practice in which we honour hunger cues and cravings throughout the day to help our mind and body feel that best it can. One thing that I've been loving in the morning is fresh papaya, coconut kefir, chia pudding mixed with collagen and the Beauty Chef Cleanse powder. SO good for the gut as it’s packed with antioxidants, omega 3’s, protein, digestive enzymes and protein which sets me up for the day ahead. You can find the beauty chef products here
Matcha - Coffee is out, calming the nervous system upon waking is in. I love this ritual in the morning and look forward to it. Whether you find it hard to manage a work/life balance, I always use this as a time to meet a friend each morning and catch up before heading to work as it sets me up for a nice day when I can connect with others.
Nature walks - This has helped me immensely in calming my nervous system. Mindful movement is so important to me these days as this is my time to focus on being more present with my mind and how I’m feeling. I’m the type of person that thrives off staying busy and I’m slowly learning that my body really doesn’t respond nicely to this. I get burnt out very easily and since slowing down and viewing things differently I feel more connected to my body and what it needs.
Lastly, re-evaluating your routine can be so beneficial to open up new pathways of self-growth, opportunities and experiences to bring fresh energy and motivation to your everyday life. Find what works for you and what doesn’t as everyone is different. When we shift our mindset and wake up each day knowing that we’re being presented with the opportunity to be in control of our life, it truely can be so rewarding. Each day I wake up with the intention to better understand myself and am practicing intuitively listening to my body and what it needs. I’ve realised how important connections have been to me, something as small as interacting with a stranger on my morning walk fills my cup. Life is such a beautiful yet windy road and time is so precious that I’m learning how amazing it is to have the opportunity to be in control of my life and the choices I make to better understand myself.
