A Deeper Well - Wellness Coaching

What do you do when you stop to take a break? How do you unwind?

I’ve recently planted some herbs as my go to when I need a breather. Being outside and checking on them to see if they need water and see how they are growing makes me feel so much more refreshed than scrolling on my phone. It really gives me a chance to switch off and be in the moment and get some fresh air.

I get overwhelmed scrolling social media. Many of us see it as a way to relax and sit back scrolling but most of the time I find it overstimulating and the total opposite of relaxing.

I also want to show my kids that relaxing is not about mindlessly scrolling and that it’s not their Mums default position when all my jobs are done. Whilst I’m not perfect at it, it’s a new goal for me to switch off the mindless scrolling. There are many other options on how to unwind - a gentle walk, playing with your furry friend, a long bath, reading a book, colouring in, painting, fishing, swimming, gentle yoga, meditation, massage, make a pot of tea, look at the stars…whatever it may be that recharges you and fills up your cup. ☕️

It's all about today! All we have is right now. This moment.

Reflect on how you spend your time and how you look after yourself, including how you talk to yourself - the positive and negative self chatter.

So how do you want to feel? Calmer, happier, loved, more energised and organised?

You are worth it! 100%!

My passion is seeing the heaviness lift from the people I work with. It carries through in their voice, the way they hold themselves and a new child-like zest.

As a certified Health and Wellness Coach I can work directly with you or as a collaborative approach with your health professional (dietician, psychologist, psychiatrist, physiotherapist or GP). I guide you to build a system that is convenient and attractive to get you to where you want to be.

Our brain makes around 35,000 decisions every day! 😳

Most of these are unconscious decisions or habits so they don’t require any energy. Think of the very first time you drove a car – remember how alert you were? You needed to consciously think about every little decision. It can be exhausting! Now think of what you are like driving these days - a lot of us hardly remember the journey of driving to familiar routes like work or the shops as it is a habit and sub-conscious. It requires no energy.

We live on auto-pilot most of the time and this is why we ideally want our habits to be good habits.

The busier we get, the more we live by convenience (fast food, fast exercise etc.). This means not always being conscious or mindful of our behaviour and this can create more bad habits.

Motivation is needed only at the very start of creating new habits. This is the hardest part. But once you start, the easier it becomes, you build the habit and in time you will actually want to do it. It would feel weird if you didn’t do it!

⭐️Tips to make it easier to create healthy habits:

🌼 Start small. Consistency is key, not intensity. Build on each habit weekly, fortnightly or monthly. For example, if you have a goal to achieve 10,000 steps each day and you’re not a regular walker, build it up gradually such as aiming for 2000 steps each day over the next 7 days, then 4000 steps each day for the next week etc.

🌼It is crucial to assign a trigger to the habit you want to create. The trigger is associated with a time, place or emotion and over time our neural pathways link it to an action. For example, a goal may be to drink more water, so on waking you might aim to drink a large glass of water left on the bedside table. Over time this will become automatic on waking, and would be strange if it wasn’t done. A bit like not putting your seatbelt on when you get in the car.

🌼Expect to fall off the wagon. It will happen, 1 step forwards, 2 steps back. Expect it. But pick up again right away and get back on track. Don’t wait for Monday morning, 1st January etc.

🌼 Reward your wins with small pleasures like a lazy and slow morning, a massage, bunch of flowers, book you’ve been keen to read, long bath, rather than with food or alcohol.

🌼Do what you love!

FACT - 95% of people who set a health goal, don’t achieve it long-term.

There is so much that goes into habit forming and long-term success.

There is nothing wrong with you if you have fallen off the wagon, it’s just that you haven’t been using the right strategies. When we realise this, it can often be a sigh of relief and we can feel self-compassion.

Expect to fall off the wagon. It will happen, 1 step forwards, 2 steps back. Expect it. But pick it up again right away and get back on track. Don’t wait for Monday morning or January 1.

Keen to achieve your health goals for the long term? Book in for a free
chat 0423 425 914

Most people have something they want to change in their life that will make them feel happier, calmer and healthier - physically and mentally.

Can you relate to any areas below?

- More energy
- Greater focus
- Calmer
- Organised
- Have more fun and joy
- Leaner
- Stronger
- Improve their nutrition
- Drink more water
- Drink less alcohol
- Cease smoking
- Improved relationships and connection with others

Bringing about change can sound easy, we all generally know what we need to do to say lose weight – in most cases eat less and move more, but it often takes a bit of effort, courage, commitment and getting our mindset in the right place. We might be good for a few days or 1 week and then the excuses and distractions come in. If it were easy to change, you would already be doing it!

I am a Wellness Coach who supports people to bring about a positive lifestyle change. I am fully certified and trained in this area.

You may need help to get off the couch and start walking 4 times a week, or help to be calmer, get more sleep and reduce the stress and anxiety in your life, help with planning and preparing healthy wholesome meals rather than relying on processed foods and takeout, help to reduce drinking or cease smoking. I’ve had success in all of these areas with a range of individuals from all walks of life.

It's about helping you create easy, fun and convenient ways to bring about positive change for the long-term.

Message me to book a free chat to see if we are a good match in working together to get you on your way to a happier and healthier you.

Love Ya Guts

🍏🥕🥑🍉🍌🍇🥝

Eating a range of 30 different fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, nuts and seeds over the space of one week provides a diverse range of bacteria for gut microbiome.

So much so that you can ditch your probiotic supplements!

It sounds quite daunting at first, however I bet if you were to think of what you have eaten over the last week, you actually may not be too far off 30. Think oats, chia seeds, parsley and all those little other things that may not initially spring to mind.

So what's the fuss about having good gut health you may ask? Having good gut health can protect you from many things including nutrient deficiencies, constipation, obesity, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, infections, heart disease, depression, anxiety and cancer.

Load your plate high full of colourful vegies everyday. Mix your meals up so you're not eating the same breakfast, lunch or dinner over and over. It is impossible to eat too many vegies if you are eating a wide variety.

At least half your plate filled with vegies together with a balanced portion of a good quality protein the size of your palm and good healthy fats (think avocado, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds) will make you and your tummy so much happier. 😀

Many of us at the moment are having a pretty crappy time. Home schooling for weeks on end, financial pressures, routines that have been swiped and connecting in person is limited or non-existent.

A good self-CARE routine can provide you with a sense of control and certainty during these times. It's one of the few things you can control along with having compassion for yourself and others, focusing on facts rather than dramatising an issue and focusing on your strengths you have used in the past during challenging times.

Self-care is any activity that builds and maintains your physical, mental and emotional health and it's essential for building resilience.

The CARE model can help you build a self-care routine that is non-negotiable and consistent.

The CARE model states that habits we sustain are most likely to have 4 traits:

C - convenient (fits easily into your lifestyle)

A - attractive (an activity that you enjoy and look forward to}

R - realistic (easily fits into your schedule and is scalable, for example - you can break a goal for walking 50 minutes a day into chunks - 10 mins of walking still gives benefits)

E - Energising (ensure that the activity leaves you feeling good afterwards - uplifted, calm or energised physically, mentally and/or emotionally).

Are you taking breaks for you? Going for a walk or run? Taking a bath? Walking in nature? Focusing on your breath? Meditating or doing a yoga practice? Have a think of what you currently do for yourself and how it stacks up?

As a Certified Wellness Coach I support people to be motivated and self-accountable for building their own realistic non-negotiable routines to build resilience capacity and a better quality of life. Contact me for more info if this sounds like something you would like assistance with X

FASTING EXPLAINED

This is a great short video on how the body works when we fast. It is simple and visual.
Many clients I've worked with fast or are interested in fasting for weight loss and improving hormonal processes.

In my opinion anything from 12 hours+ of no food is fasting. A break of 16 hours is ideal. But! Be mindful that you need to eat well once you can start eating. It doesn't give you a licence to eat what you want. Think wholefoods, fresh produce, as few processed foods as possible and lots of H2O.

I also advise against fasting during pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause (peri and post menopause too).

For more info, send me a message!

🤩Attention - Parents 🤸‍♂️

This is interesting! Check this out & be sure to read the nutritional labels on packaged products if you buy them. A massive difference in sugar between the 2 lunchboxes that look so similar.

The recommended amount of added sugar per day for kids is 20-24 grams or roughly 4-5 teaspoons. The lunchbox on the left has 89g or or nearly 18 teaspoons of sugar 😮

A bit of a different post today but one I think you will like, especially if you have school aged kids.

In this post I have featured 2 lunchboxes with different packaged facts. The lunchbox on the left has 89g of sugars in the packaged snacks featured. This is compared to 22g of sugars in the lunchbox on the right.

This post is not to promote packaged snacks, but to show how easy is it for extra sugars to slip into our kids lunchboxes.

In my own kids lunchboxes at most I will include one packaged snack, I generally do not pack juice or dried fruit at all and add a dairy as well as fresh fruits and veges to fill the rest of the lunchbox.

So check your labels as just because it looks healthy, does not always mean it is.

At most it is recommended that children consume 20-25g of added sugars per day!



These sugar amounts

If you had a magic wand to improve one aspect of your health, what would you choose?

😴 Improved sleep?

🤬 Less stress?

⛹️ More energy?

🍏 Lose weight?

🏖 More time for yourself, family or friends?

👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 Greater connection with others?

⏰ Improved organisation?

What do you wish you had in terms of health to make your life easier and ultimately more fun?

Hands up who wants to have more energy, feel lighter and make consistent healthy food choices?

With a little planning and preparation you can be consistent with incorporating healthy meals and snacks in your day.

You do have the time if feeling your best is a priority.

You will have more energy, greater patience, feel lighter and your moods will be more stable.

Imagine how this would transfer to your relationships with friends, loved ones and work colleagues. As well as your productivity.

I reached a point in my own life where I was sick of hearing my internal dialogue "I'll try again tomorrow". And tomorrow came and went. I was flat, had little energy and had no get up and go. I hated it. I was stuck and for something I felt that seemed so simple, I could not get out of the hole I was in. This is where a Health and Wellness Coach can assist and expedite your progress.

I am a Certified Health & Wellness Coach who can guide, support and keep you accountable to reach your personal goals. Send me a message for a free chat.

Feeling zapped and on the hamster wheel?

I used to work in the corporate world. It was demanding, fast paced and exciting all at the same time.

A lunch break was often a handful of biscuits out of the staff biscuit jar whilst running to my next meeting.

I was living on adrenalin, sugar crashes and little rest. I loved the thrill of achievement and meeting deadlines but man my health took a backseat.

I had no energy for much else outside of work.

Having my first child gave me time away from work to reflect on how I was living. It made me reprioritise my health for myself and my family.

Creating a structure for myself around exercise, sleep, nutrition and rest allowed me to find some energy and peace in my life (and yes whilst at work).

It can be done. You are not too busy.

It doesn't mean that you are not as driven or focused on your work. In fact I found it increased my performance from the new lease of energy I tapped into. There is time to prioritise your health with a busy life.

Think about what your priorities are and where you will feel rich in life.

Success is an arbitrary metric. We often don't realize that we get to decide how we define it. How do you define success for yourself?

📸 IG ⠀

Want to be committed to your goals? Be accountable? Keep on track? Ditch that monkey on your back that gives you s**t? Have the self-belief and confidence to try your best?

I love working with people who want to change their habits around eating, sleep, exercise, alcohol, organisation and stress.

Together, we can put an individual plan in place for this today to get you going.

We can bring about positive change in your life that is convenient, attractive, realistic and will leave you feeling uplifted.

Send me a PM here or 0423 425 914 to book a no strings chat

Are you using alcohol or is it using you?

Do you want energy, a clear head to make good decisions, to be more productive, feel good, improved relationships, sleep well, lose that tyre, have patience and feel uplifted?

Do you want to feel fresh in the morning with a clear head? Has your alcohol consumption taken over in quantity and frequency? Are you using alcohol as a coping mechanism to 'get through your day?'

Think about your drink!

An ‘excessive drinker’ who is doing damage to their brain and body according to the current Australian guidelines is someone who on a regular basis has more than 10 standard drinks a week and more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.

Wellness Coaching can successfully support people wanting to make a change to their drinking habits for the long-term. It is not about necessarily quitting the drink for good (unless that is where you need to take it). Rather, it is about finding a balance and finding healthier habits to replace the drink.

Book a free 15 min chat with me to see how I can work to support you.

Relationships and social connections are crucial to meaningful lives.

Here I am in Adelaide with some of my best friends and I look so forward to catching up with these girls as often as we can. We've known each other since we were 12.

When we catch up with family and friends and connect, we have the added bonus of strengthening our immune systems, guaranteeing our longevity, feeling a sense of belonging, experiencing empathy, gratitude, higher self esteem, confidence and compassion. I always feel better after seeing my friends! So grateful to have these girls 🥰

Check in with a loved one today!

Your identity emerges out of your habits. And by habits we are talking about consistent habits.

Who do you want to be? Who do you want to be known as? When we get a clear idea of who we are and who we want to be we get stronger at building consistent habits to reaffirm this belief.

The beliefs you have about yourself can drive your long-term behavior. Maybe you can trick yourself into going to the gym or eating healthy once or twice, but if you don't shift your underlying identity, then it's hard to stick with long-term changes.

Quick tips for staying on track for the long term when it comes to food. No diets or fads here, just healthy practices to set you up for life. Consistency is key!

🥑 Eat the rainbow with fruit and veg

🍌 Eat seasonal & local

🍓 Get organised - plan ahead and have healthy snacks (e.g. nuts, fruit, boiled egg) ready to go when you are hangry

🥒 Plan meals. I can not stress enough how important this is. It really all falls apart if you don't do this

🍑 Try not to shop when you are hungry

🥦 Eat grass fed meat and wild caught fish

🍒 Cook slow and on low (keeps nutrients in the food)

🧄 Minimise your intake of carbonated drinks, alcohol, refined sugars, artificial and processed foods

🍉 Fast overnight for a minimum of 12 hours (or more) to reduce your blood sugar levels.

🥭 Have a large glass of water when you wake with fresh lemon (400-600ml) and continue to drink lots of water throughout the day.

🥕 Eat a portion of protein the size of your palm and salad or veg the size of 2 x fists.

🍆 Be conscious when you eat and focus on the food and how you are feeling. Stop eating when you feel 80% full

🍄 Avoid sunflower, canola, safflower, soybean and vegetable oil (can trigger inflammation). Instead buy extra virgin olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil, avocado oil (excellent for high heat), and pastured animal fats.

A full night’s sleep…feels amazing doesn’t it?! Perhaps something that many of us don’t give too much thought about, unless you have or had an issue with insomnia.

I love sleep. Or perhaps it is the positive feeling I get after a good night’s sleep that I love. I'm ready to take on the day and feel more resilient during the bumps. It makes me feel like a stretched rubber band that can spring back during tough times, rather than a snapped rubber band that is broken.

I have had bouts of insomnia. I would start to panic as the sun went down over the fear of another long night of restlessness, clock watching and minimal sleep. I felt like it would never end nor understand how I could break the cyclical curse.

Over the recent Christmas holiday period insomnia came up during many conversations I had with family and friends. Issues with getting to sleep, staying asleep, having anxiety during the night over how many hours till you need to be ‘on’ for work/kids/life.

With all behaviour change, what works for one, may not necessarily work for another, but here are some tips I can share that have turned things around for myself and others when done consistently.

Sometimes we can acknowledge that we have an issue/s that is stressing us out and gets in the way of sleep. Name it to tame it. Talking or journaling our issue/s can give us a sense of control, even when we feel overwhelmed and out of control with whatever it is that is troubling us. It can give a sense of power and allow us to rest with a feeling that things are being worked out and might be OK.

Ask yourself how different your day would be if you had a good night’s sleep. Be specific and imagine and visualise how it could improve your day through your interactions with others; concentration levels at work or whilst studying; energy levels; choices you make around what you eat or whether you exercise; your mindset; cup half full or empty?

I know when I’m tired, I want easy street and get the delivered pizza rather than cooking the grilled fish and veggies. And exercise? Walking the dog around the block seems like a mental and physical challenge. This is fine every now and then, but if this sets in day after day, you will be wearing down emotionally, physically and mentally fast!

Get into a night time routine. Set this up for any youngsters in the house too. Demonstrate how to nurture yourself at the end of the day and remove anything stimulating (loud noises, colours, screens) to maximise the quality and quantity of sleep.

Quick Tips

- One hour before bed turn off anything with a screen (remember low stimulation). Clock off from social media and all apps. It’s time to rest
- Dim the overhead lights and turn on lamps
- Play some gentle background music
- Read
- Have a bath
- Herbal tea such as chamomile
- Wash your face
- Brush your teeth
- Do a breathing exercise
- Meditate
- Visualise
- Journal
- Dab lavender oil on a tissue and pop in your pillow
- Use surgical tape (the papery type) and cover your mouth when sleeping. Have a corner folded over to remove. Sounds strange but it works, especially for snorers!
- When feeling tired, generally around 9.30pm for most of us, act on it. This is your cue to go to bed.
- Try not to watch the clock or count hours. If you can’t get to sleep or back to sleep try to be grateful that your body is getting a rest. You are off your feet and your body can relax.
- No excessive alcohol during the evening (Australian Guidelines – healthy men & women no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day)

Just a word on alcohol, and yes I know this part doesn’t win me any friends but please read! The booze will get you off to sleep initially but it will hinder the quality and quantity of sleep you require. Alcohol in our system reduces our rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. This is the deep restorative sleep we go into 90 minutes after we fall asleep. Disruptions to our REM sleep can cause daytime drowsiness, poor concentration, rob you of energy leaving you feeling like a grump with nothing in the tank.

Feel free to contact me for further info or work with me to get a personalised plan to get you back to Snoozeville.

Just Add Water!

One trick I have up my sleeve for myself and/or my kids when we are feeling overwhelmed, upset, frustrated and down is to add water.

Water has incredible calming properties.

Taking a shower, bath, listening to a waterfall or water feature, swimming in the sea, a pool, lake or river, listening to rain or waves crashing, searching through rock pools...the list goes on.

All of these experiences can slow our heart and breathing rates and therefore reduce the stress we may be feeling and distract our minds for a moment. It can also be a source of creativity and inspiration.

You may find that you are naturally drawn to water during times of stress.

Keep this idea in your back pocket next time you're feeling stressed or upset.

It's that social time of year where the good routines you have created around eating, drinking, exercise and sleep can take us off course.

What is one easy thing you can do this week to keep on track and improve your nutrition, exercise or sleep?

To maximise your success make it appealing, achievable and realistic.

My goal is to replace drinking alcohol during the week with kombucha.

InBody Scan results are in!

Bree took part in the 8 Week Challenge at Riverside 24/7 Fitness and there were smiles, hugs and tears all round.

Well Done Bree on your commitment! Your smile says it all & you look fit, lean and healthy.

Down 3kg Fat
Up 1kg Muscle
Up 1L Water
Down Visceral fat 3 points

I'll be back at Riverside 24/7 Fitness from 4pm - 6pm today. Drop in for a scan to reveal where your effort is going and we can plan some goals to get you where you want to be.

Where did YOU go?

“I loved my wellness coaching with Megan. As a result, I’ve tapped into aspects of my personality that I had neglected for a long time. I finally did art classes after 25 years! I achieved a lot through Megan’s coaching both for my mental and physical health” Sally

There is one theme that remains a constant thread with my clients and that is people are being consumed by stress, injuries, depression and anxiety and losing their identity and beliefs around who they are.

They want to find some time and happiness for themselves again and often struggle to find what that is.

Quite often the activities we did when we were younger, we can still get a lot of joy out of. Whether this be playing a team sport, painting, drawing, reading, running, writing stories, building with lego (there are some amazing lego sets for adults), playing and creating music, cycling, sailing, skateboarding or surfing...

Set some time aside to reflect on what it was you loved doing as a kid and how you could incorporate a bit of it into your life. This can be daunting as an adult so start small. If basketball was your thing, get a basketball and shoot some hoops with your friends, the kids or grandkids.

Give yourself the permission to have fun!

InBody Scans are all go next week at Riverside Ballina. Come and see what you are made of!

Members ($40) and non-members ($50).

Contact me direct if you would like to book a scan 0423 425 914

Our minds have their own internal GPS. Be mindful where you direct your GPS. Try your best to wake with a positive intention to take into your day. Life is too short to miss out on the good stuff. You deserve it!

World Kindness Day is today.

For some of you, this is how you roll everyday anyway which is beautiful and you will be all the richer for it. And for the others, there is always time to grow. Check out the ideas below on how to be kind in our fast past impatient world. I swear you'll feel better for it and make the world a better place.

Did you know kindness is a chemical?

A simple act of kindness can reward our bodies and minds with feel-good chemical substances. In addition to boosting oxytocin and dopamine, being kind can also increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood.

World Kindness Day is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world.

Here are 7 tips from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation to Start Making Kindness the Norm in Your Daily Life:

1. Send an uplifting text to a friend or family member
2. Let that person merge into traffic with a wave and a smile
3. Include intentional moments of kindness, laughter, and delight into your daily routine
4. Go slightly out of your comfort zone at least once a day to make someone smile
5. Share a compliment to a co-worker or friend
6. Reach out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
7. Treat someone to a cup of tea or coffee (a friend, stranger or just yourself)

For more tips on random acts of kindness check out https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

What could you let go of today to give yourself more time and energy for the things that you love doing?

Perhaps it's connecting face to face with friends and family more regularly, joining a sports team, movement class or something creative, or waking up early to see the sunrise. And then dropping the late nights, Facebook scrolling or staying back late at work just because everybody else does.

What are your passions? How could you bring them into your life and let go of something that isn't doing anything for you? Imagine how that would feel!

Seize the day!

Food for thought