Wellness Tips From A Mindset Coach

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Wellness tips are prolific on the internet and very subjective

So many of us are seeking wellness tips to enhance our lives – wondering if we’re missing out on something we should be doing, or how to cut back on something we suspect we shouldn’t be doing. The types of wellness tips out there really depend on the agenda of the person providing them. Vitamin companies will focus on vitamins, vegans will focus on plants, bodybuilders will focus on exercise, you get the idea!

In mindset coaching we’re most interested in clarifying goals and values so that we can think thoughts and take actions that are aligned with our authentic selves. And that’s not just a bunch of coaching jargon – what it means is that each of us is responsible for curating our own wellness tips that work best for us. Nevertheless, clients have asked in the past about my personal routines to support wellness, so I’m sharing my philosophy and the exact products I use every day.

Phase I: Morning Routine Wellness Tips

Skincare Routine

I’ve always been an oral hygiene freak (one of very few people who actually gets excited about going to the dentist) but when I turned 34 I made a commitment to take my skincare routine more seriously. In the morning that includes:

1. A gentle hyaluronic acid serum (this Caudalie one smells amazing and is super luxurious)

2. Next up, a vitamin c serum (Ole Henriksen is my preferred one but have also tried Bliss which is nice, just a bit thicker)

3. Then apply the SPF moisturizer that my friend said made my face look “dewey like a 20-year-old Instagram influencer” – I’ll take it!

4. And finally, the best all-around eye cream

Tea or Coffee and Journaling

I love this hibiscus superflower tea with blueberry in my favorite insulated mug and when I’m in the mood for coffee instead this is THE BEST nitro cold brew. 

For journaling, I generally free-write and use a classic Moleskine journal most of the time as well. Need some journaling prompts to get you started? I’ve got you covered.

Movement and Meditation Wellness Tips

I usually incorporate movement first thing in the morning – you will definitely not find exercise in my evening routine anymore. Lately that’s been walking, spinning (I have a SoulCycle bike now but linking the home spin bike I used for years prior to that and was also great), weightlifting (linking the power cage that was my husband’s birthday gift – looks scary but I do use it sometimes!) or very gentle yoga.

Next, I also will meditate for at least a few minutes. Ideally 20, but often just 5 or 10 especially if I did a longer workout. You may notice that your brain will say let’s not meditate at all! if you can’t meditate perfectly for the ideal amount of time that you wanted to. But 5 minutes will benefit you sooo much more than 0 minutes. Don’t let the dramatic perfectionist brain loop run the show!

Phase II: Daily Interactions

The lifechanging magic of boundaries

This is where the wellness tips get a little less tangible than what you’d expect. I can’t recommend an eye cream that firms up boundaries along with wrinkles. What I recommend is mindset coaching. 

Boundaries are the building blocks for everything else – productivity, peace and so much more. But here’s the thing – so many people have a really hard time just saying no. This is where thought work with mindset coaching comes in. Digging in to the thoughts that lurk beneath the resistance to setting a boundary – that’s where the real magic happens.

For example, let’s say you get invited to a 7am meeting with a key team in your company. You think it’s uncool that your boss scheduled something outside of normal work hours. So, you want to decline on principle, but you also don’t want to not seem like a team player. And you’re afraid you might miss out on something important. You don’t have any other plans, so is it important to hold the boundary? Only you can decide, and it all comes down to your own thoughts. Decide to skip it and choose the thought that you’re committed to maintaining an 8-5 schedule. Or, decide to attend it and choose the thought that you’re strategically attending the most important meetings, even if they happen at a time you wouldn’t prefer. Either decision is fine, and the key is to not ruminate on it after making the decision.

The underlying fear we resist

In all of our lives there are constant competing demands for our time and attention. But the compulsion to respond to everything and take care of everyone is often based on an underlying need to feel important. Underneath that, the fear that we will not matter if we don’t do everything for everyone all the time. Let that shit go (they even put it on a t-shirt!) and remember what your boundaries are and why.

So that’s the big “Phase II” takeaway and one of the most important wellness tips – be clear on what’s important to you, make a decision based on that, and don’t give it any more dramatic fuel in your brain after that, wondering if you made the “right” decision.

Also, stay hydrated, stand up and stretch periodically, and take a break for lunch, even if it’s just 10 minutes. Cool? Cool.

Phase III: Evening Routine Wellness Tips

Winding down solo or with others

This is where the husband and I usually reconvene and debrief on the day. Up until this point, we’re on opposite ends of the house working on our own things, and we might encounter one another in the kitchen during lunchtime but that’s about it.

So my wellness tips for the evening are to reconnect (sans electronics) with your loved ones (and maybe play a board game with your Settlers of Catan-obsessed husband if you’re feeling generous), watch a TV show (but not 6 hours of TV shows, yes?)

Solo style, I might take an epsom salt bubble bath, especially in winters when everything feels chilly.

Evening skincare routine

Lastly, skincare is the grand finale again for me. I treat it as time to feel fully connected to myself and feel like I’m taking care of my wellness in a luxurious, abundant way. If that sounds appealing, remember to take your time and use quality products.

Here’s the breakdown of the exact ones I use:

1. This micellar water to remove any makeup without the gross chemical film that conventional makeup wipes tend to leave behind

2. Gentle cleanser (I have a ton of this stockpiled but any gentle OTC counter is fine really)

3. An exfoliator (a few times a week – these Dr. Dennis Gross peel pads are life-changing – trust)

4. This rose scented alcohol-free toner

5. And now a word on retinol, which I use a few times a week. DO NOT put this on your neck – learn from my blunders, also don’t use while pregnant or trying to conceive, and don’t use without SPF.

6. Next up, moisturizer (I use this one specifically in the evening because it’s amazing but does not have SPF like my morning one – which you need if you’re using retinol products)

7. Finally, a retinoid eye cream

Hold hair back with this very cute headband (my puppies got me this two-pack for Christmas – very kind of them) while doing all the skincare things, and wear this silk pillow scrunchie to bed to keep hair off your face without hurting your skull.

And there you have it! Wellness tips deployed.

The bottom line

It’s up to each of us to create our own rhythms that support us in a sustainable way. There are some core principles and wellness tips we talked about here that you may choose to incorporate into your own routine, but if something doesn’t work well for you that doesn’t mean that something has gone wrong. Remain calm. Try something else. Notice how you feel. If you like it, keep it! If you don’t, just drop it and choose something else! There’s nothing to force here, only personalized wellness tips to discover for yourself.