Hey beauties!
Erin here: health and wellness coach, meditation teacher, founder of Raw Beauty Co., and host of the Raw Beauty Talks podcast.
I’m absolutely loving connecting with all of you through this biweekly column. Thank you so much to those of you who have asked questions. Let me know what else is on your mind related to health, wellness, body image, mindset, manifestation, mental health and self care. (If you haven’t submitted your Qs yet, you can do so here. Remember, all of these questions can be asked anonymously!)
This week, we’re diving into my best—and most effective—self-care practices, my go-to family recipe inspiration, and my favourite genre of books (including a few of my most special reads).
Let’s get into the questions, shall we?
- What do your self-care practices look like?
I’m a huge believer in the 3 M’s: movement, meditation, and mindfulness.
I intentionally move my body 5 days a week; not only does this help to keep me physically well, it helps to regulate my nervous system and keep me resilient. Before moving my body, I ask myself what type of movement would feel most supportive; do I need a gentle walk? A fiery HIT class? Something in-between? Sure, movement helps me feel more confident in my body—but my biggest motivation is how it supports my mental health and energy levels. Movement helps temper anxiety, regulate my nervous system, clear my thoughts and boost my energy.
Just like I take care of my body, I also take care of my mind through meditation.
The ancient practice of meditation doesn’t only help to reduce stress, it can also help me access creativity, improve my focus and productivity, and become more resilient. I aim to meditate daily for 30-minutes but I started with 5-minute guided meditations once or twice a week. I use the app Insight Timer to track my meditations.
Finally, I try to incorporate mindfulness into everything that I do. Whether I’m spending time with my family, making a meal, coaching a client, or responding to emails, bringing present-time awareness to the activity adds a sense of calm, fluidness and awe, even when things happen beyond my control.
- What are your go-to recipes for family weeknights?
I’m obsessed with recipes by Half Baked Harvest and the Mandy’s Salads Cookbook series. They’re approachable, easy, healthy, and delicious. On Sundays, I spend a couple of hours doing a menu plan and picking up groceries for the week. To simplify things I use the template below;
Sundays – I love to do a family dinner and always aim to have leftovers. For example, this could be a big soup, roast chicken, salmon or a lasagna.
Mondays – Usually some kind of veggie, grain, tofu bowl.
Tuesdays – Tacos, fajitas or homemade tortilla soup. Mexican night!
Wednesday – On the go. We eat where the kids have their activities.
Thursday – New recipe.
Friday – Pizza or something easy.
Saturday – We go out or host at our place.
On Sunday, I scan the fridge and cupboards for a quick audit of what food we already have and then I pick our recipes for the week and put together a grocery list. I love going to a farmers market or WholeFoods if I can but most weekends I’m placing an order on Instacart between various activities. A plan in place and a stocked fridge keeps family dinners easy and low-stress. Plus, by preparing in advance, I’m less likely to eat poorly or scrape together a sub-par meal (of course, this happens sometimes! But I’d much rather be intentional about the food my family eats).
Linking a couple of my faves for you below:
- What is your favourite genre of book?
I’m a sucker for self-development books; as a lover of learning and evolving, to me there’s no better feeling than those ‘aha’ moments in a juice personal growth read.
Here are a few of my favourites:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
That’s all for this week! For those of you who want your questions answered, drop them here. And, if you’re looking for extra one-on-one support along your wellness journey, book a 20-minute breakthrough call with me.
Talk soon!
Xo Erin
Photo by Half Baked Harvest
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