Hiya Beautiful!

Why is it so hard to squeeze a few precious minutes of self-care into our lives? I bet you’ve struggled more than a few times to create or stay consistent with healthy rituals — you know… the ones that allow you to connect and love yourself — inside and out!

Just like me, I’m positive you’ve wished for a magic wand, pill, or potion that can quickly transform you into some magical wellness goddess or superhero. You know, the kind of person who wakes up early to meditate, has a daily fitness regime, drinks a green smoothie or green juice for breakfast, reads self-help books, journals morning and night, has picture perfect skin, hair and nails and never misses their weekly catch up with their besties! Phew.. I’m exhausted already.

Oh, and I did I mention they DIY their own perfume, toothpaste and skin care and wear the hat of “teacher” for their kids during the Covid-19 quarantine?

but what if…

What if self-care doesn’t have to be so exhausting? Where the overwhelming pressure to fit and look the part, while on the inside you are crumbling from fatigue and despair no longer exists?

This is real. We live in a society of comparison, judgment and a desperate desire to feel included.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way.

True, there’s no such thing as a magic wand or potion. But there is a simpler approach to health and wellness — one that is nourishing vs. obstructing and fulfilling instead of depleting.

If you’re tired of never ending to-do lists and ready to love yourself in a more gentle and effective way then keep reading.

I’m excited to tell you about my simple self-care rituals using the 3 Pillars of Wellness. It’s the foundation of my healthy lifestyle and one I learned over the years through trial-and-error. These 3 pillars have lifted out of the darkest days of my life. They are supported me through severe depression and helped me recover from my auto-immune illness.

Below I give you the principals of each pillar and share simple, practical steps to boost your own self-care.

Pause for a second… I have a special gift just for you!

My free 6-Day Self-Care Kickstart Challenge is open now! (It’s actually based on these same 3 pillars.)

I hosted a live workshop last month on these very same topics and received so much feedback from you all to keep it as an ongoing program so voila! I turned the 6-day Live Workshop into a 6-day kickstart challenge you can do anytime you need a little boost.

You get 6 days of fun, free self-care rituals—plus tons of support and encouragement along the way. Sign up NOW to refresh and recommit to your self-care practice!

simple, realistic self-care

my 3 pillars of wellness: the path to simple self-care

MOVE — NOURISH — INSPIRE

Nourish is broken down into 3 components:

1. Nourish your BODY through healthy Food and Beverage choices.
2. Nourish your MIND through conscious choices, mindfulness and living in the present moment.
3. Nourish your SPIRIT through rest, good quality sleep.

Together, they form the foundation for Total Wellness and for simple, realistic self-care.

road map to self care

Now I know what you are thinking. There are so many forms of self-care that improve your overall health and happiness, but how do you know which work best?

That’s exactly where the 3 Pillars of Wellness come in. They are your road map, your guide book, and step by step guide to living a life of optimal health.

MOVE, NOURISH and INSPIRE are the foundation and building blocks you need to create your version of perfect health.

Think of the foundation and walls of your house, without them there would be no home. The furnishings on the inside is the fun stuff—where you get to play and customize to make it your own. By creating a solid foundation first, we get the biggest return on our overall well-being. Simply put… these pillars are the absolute must haves when it comes to self-care. As long as you take a few minutes every day to nurture each of the 3 pillars, your self-care will radically up-level.

Sign up NOW to reset, reboot and re-establish your self-care!

Let’s familiarize ourselves with each pillar.

PILLAR #1 – NOURISH – What You Eat and Drink

It can’t be that much of a surprise to start with what we put inside our bodies. This is the area most of us can quickly and easily tweak to see immediate results.

Knowing how to nourish our body is paramount to our health and wellness both by the food we eat but also what we drink.

Far too often thirst is often mistaken for hunger and this is where excessive snacking often starts. Dehydration can be serious, and cause a whole host of health problems, so before you reach for a second cup of coffee, or an energy drink full of sugar, do your body a favor and pour yourself a glass of water.

Not a fan of plain water? Add a lemon or cucumber slice, a few mint leaves, strawberry or a drop of essential oil to give it a little extra “je ne sais quoi”.

nourish your body looks like this:

• Eating a wide variety of whole, plant-based foods.
• Reducing inflammation in the body.
• Cultivating a mindset of joy around food.
• Learning how to listen to our bodies needs not just the wants.
• Enjoying delicious healthy treats without compromising our health.
• Staying hydrated by drinking clean water
• Recognizing thirst over hunger
• Being mindful of what you reach for, both food and drinks.
• And ultimately, trusting our own inner wisdom when it comes to our food and beverage choices.

I promise you, eating healthy foods it’s equally delicious and a lot more fun than you might think. It starts with eating more veggies. Try adding one extra serving of veggies each day. Voila!

NOURISH – your mind

This is an important pillar that many don’t spend enough time really understanding the mind – body connection. Nourishing your mind and spirit is deep soul work and, quite often where most of us need to spend some quality time. Your mind is capable of transforming your body through consciousness awareness. Far too often we go about our day with little to no real thought about our actions. The food we eat, words we say, or the stories we tell ourselves. Remember this above all else: If you can change your mind, you can transform your life.

nourish your mind looks like this:

• Cultivating strong boundaries in all areas of your life
• Introduce a regular meditation practice (it can be as little as 5 minutes a day)
• Catch your inner critic, become conscious when you doubt, judge, feel fear or inadequacy
• Letting go of any judgement about your feelings (the good, the bad and everything in between)
• A strong gratitude practice. Start with the obvious and then open your mind to all areas of gratitude and I promise you, your life will start to look a whole lot better
• Mindfulness moments in your day, the kind where you are a participant and observer not just going along for the ride
• Managing stress, because that’s the number one catalyst for disease

NOURISH – your spirit

An estimated 20-40 percent of adults don’t get enough sleep. In the United States alone, an estimated 70 million people suffer from some sort of sleep disorder.  Getting good quality sleep is vital for your health and well-being, it supports everything from boosting your immunity, to regulating your appetite. If you struggle to get the recommended 7-8 hours per night, this is an area to really focus on, because all the kale salads and green juice won’t help if you brain is unable to rest.

Sleep isn’t the only way to nourish your spirit though. Most of us believe in a go go go mindset, do more, work longer and harder and play harder. Instead of living in what we call “fight or flight” take time in your day to slow down, come back to your breath and boost your emotional state and decrease stress.

nourish your spirit looks like this:

• Getting the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night
• Have an evening wind down routine
• Daily breath work. Learning how to breathe correctly turns on the parasympathetic nervous system- the rest and digest state. Try closing your eyes, and taking 3 deep audible breaths.
• Give yourself a break from the “constant noise” we take in daily. The kind of noise we take in through social media, tv, radio, etc
• Quiet time during your waking hours. This could be reading a book, taking a goddess bath, getting a massage.
• Gentle movement that is restorative

PILLAR #2 – MOVE

This is one of my absolute favourite wellness rituals. It is the one pillar that lifted me out of my darkest days and to this day can transform my mood in less than 5 minutes. So get up and move your beautiful tush! The best part of this pillar is that there is no wrong way to move your body.

You might love walking out in nature, swimming in the ocean, taking a Yoga, Barre or other fitness class. We all know about all the incredible benefits of a regular movement practice for our health and wellness, yet why is it less than one quarter of all Americans have one?

It’s because society has fabricated a false perception of what exercise looks like, and as a result created more overwhelm than good.  I want you to know exercise does not have to be a chore. It should be something you want and love to do. You only have one beautiful body. Love yourself a little bit more by moving for a few minutes today. Pop in some ear buds listen to some upbeat tunes, head outdoors for fresh air, throw an indoor dance party, or pull out your yoga mat… it doesn’t matter how you move, just MOVE!

move looks like this:

• When you wake up take 5 minutes to stretch your body
• Walk, hike, run in nature
• Yoga, Barre or any other studio class
• Tai Chi, Qi-Gong, or other martial arts practice
• Swim, paddle board, canoe, kayak in a lake, river or ocean
• Anything that moves your tush, gets your heart rate up and leaves you feeling empowered, balanced and nourished!

PILLAR #3 – INSPIRE

When you live from your highest self or true intentions incredible growth is possible. Inspire, or mindfulness is where you shift from unconscious living to conscious living and where you change your story and your life. Otherwise known as a growth mindset. You are the boss of your story and ultimately your life… make sure you are living life on your terms beautiful because you are worth it.

The final part of this pillar is manifesting soulful connections. Humans are social beings and we need each other. We’re not meant to go through life—or wellness alone. Find yourself a wellness tribe: One that gives you gentle reminders to prioritize your self-care and the support you need to make it fun.

inspire looks like this:

• Conscious choices around food and beverages
• Intentionally following your own path not someone else’s
• Staying in your own lane, and showing up authentically to be the best version of yourself
• Surrounding yourself with an inspirational and uplifting tribe
• Notice what and who influences your decisions and actions… are these choices aligned with your higher purpose
• Creativity, leaning into your inner child

Let’s Build Your 3 Pillars Together!

Self-care is paramount to a healthy and happy life. It keeps you balanced and helps you show up to be the best version of yourself in every part of your life. Your relationships, career, interests and health all see a boost when you take better care of YOU. And beautiful soul… YOU DESERVE IT!

So give your self-care a little more love, beautiful! Take a few minutes each day to strengthen each of the 3 pillars. Sign up NOW to kickstart your self-care! It’s the easiest and most effective way to support your well-being—and start feeling better fast!

Your turn: Which of the 3 pillars will you start with?

To your health & happiness,

Love,

Amanda XX