Women on the inside

For this blog piece we asked our incredibly capable and informed women at the clinic to share their answers to the following question; what is the most important thing you do to maintain your health and happiness?

We decided that sharing these answers would provide information and inspiration for you to know that you can actively choose a greater expression of your own health and happiness too.

Indoor Plants
Martene (Myotherapist)

I absolutely love indoor plants, so much so that I have 26 in my house! As well as purifying the air we breath, they also bring me happiness, a sense of calm and pleasure.  Moving them around the house is such an easy way to create new and fresh spaces, and I love to see when they have new leaves and are thriving.  As you might have guessed, I don’t believe you can have too many so I always have a beautiful empty pot in my house awaiting my next purchase.  I’ll often look at a new plant and think to myself, ‘well I do have any empty pot’!

One of my favourite things to do is to take a fresh cutting of lavender and put it in a vase beside my bed which I find really relaxing whilst I sleep.  Other things I have beside my bed include crystals, an infuser with beautiful essential oils, and a meditation which I listen to before going to sleep.  It’s one of the things I look most forward to each day.

Moving my body
Krissy (Clinic Manager)

The most important thing I do for my health is moving my body.  It’s something that allows me to feel at my best, and feeling my best is a priority! Therefore, movement needs to fit into my week ahead of other things.  Whether it’s dancing, running, walking, stretching or swimming, I like to be creative and include some good variety, and I especially love when it is lighthearted and playful.  Something that I personally find to make exercising even better is if it is done outside!  The feeling of fresh crisp air, or the warm sunshine or breeze is amazing for making me feel alive and well.

Nutrition and Yoga
Gemma (Master NLP Practitioner and Coach)

When these two elements of my health are humming along, I find that everything else is able to fall into a fulfilling flow around them. 

For me, taking ownership of nourishing food choices is one of the highest forms of self respect and love I can show myself.  It facilitates my energy levels, brain function, emotions, gut health and hormones to all express to their best in each moment, as well as building consistency for my future health and wellbeing too.  In the space of making this happen, a small amount of planning goes a long way.  For me, this includes knowing when I’ve allocated time to either order my fresh produce online for delivery or when I will head to the store or markets.  I menu plan for the week ahead so I don’t have to rely on creativity or motivation every single day, and I generally either cook two meals at once (dinner and left overs for lunch for the next day) or put the slow cooker on and create 4 meals at once.

Yoga classes are my version of non negotiable ‘me time’ each week.  The fact that it has a double whammy win of clearing my mind as well as moving and strengthening my body is such an added and welcome bonus too! Spending an hour or so in a room with similar minded humans in silence is incredibly powerful and gives me permission to be and feel exactly what is true for me at that time.  Sometimes this makes for a super creative and inspired thought space, other times it’s a space for the processing and release of emotions and movement towards epiphanies or new learnings.  It also lands me in a community of people with like values where there is an opportunity for connection and new opportunities. 

Time out for myself
Tamsyn (Chiropractor)

Having time out for myself is so important for my happiness, clarity of thinking, and creativity.  It’s also one of the most powerful ways I manage and reduce stress levels.  There’s lots of different ways I take this time, including walks with my dog Charlie on the beach, meditation, reading, painting, gardening… basically introverting! 

Spending time on my veggie garden would have to be one of my favourites as the benefits extend so far.  It means that I am eating nourishing foods that are free from pesticide and chemical sprays, it’s incredibly fresh as the time from being picked from the earth to being eaten is really short, and when we have excess produce I love sharing this with my loved ones as it’s a really beautiful way to gift and connect.

Work on my relationships
Naeidra (Psychologist)

To me this means the relationships with myself, my children, my hubby, friends and extended family.  My priority is to be authentic in these relationships, and to be encouraging, caring, fun, honest, inspiring and adaptable.  The way I do this is by consciously choosing to be as present as I can and trying to give the person in front of me my full attention. 

Relationships are always a priority to me so I also prioritise the growth and nourishment of these.  This can include doing helpful things with the people I love, like going for a walk with friends or a bike ride with family.   Maintaining and growing these relationships is one of my highest values and for me true connection provides so much meaning and purpose in my life.  Taking inspiration from face to face interactions, podcasts and books is something I find helpful to keep myself active in this space and learning how to be my best.

Exercise and down time
Imogen (Clinic Manager)

For me, movement is something that needs to happen each day.  It generally will look like a boxing class, yoga, or walking with my dog.  I really enjoy pairing my exercise with a side of socialising too, as it can make it that little bit more fun and I can fit more into my day!

When it comes to down time, my immediate thoughts turn to being outside or reading.  I also really enjoy relaxing in a bath or other quiet activities like listening to a podcast.

Whilst exercise and down time are very important, they are also always a work in progress.  Like most people, I live a busy life with varying demands, so applying an attitude of flexibility to these priorities helps me to get the balance right.

The flow on effect of honouring my need to exercise and restore is easily felt at a physical level, however the positive impact it has on my mental and emotional health as well as stress management means that I am left feeling happy, I’m able to keep myself grounded, and I’m not spreading myself too thin doing too many things.