Wellness Wisdom for Busy Women is not about the perfect body or the perfect morning routine. It’s about real women who understand that good health underpins every area of their life and shapes who they are and how they show up in the world. Get a glimpse into the lives of women just like you and find out how these women prioritise wellbeing… no matter how chaotic life is!
If you’d prefer to watch, head over to Instagram when you’ll find the recorded conversation or click play below to listen while you multitask.
You grew up being active and you’ve also played sport at a high level. Tell us about your own health and wellness journey.
It’s funny, I grew up in a sporting family – basketball was the sport that we played – and so I just fell into that and that’s all we knew and breathed so, when you talk about wellness journey I think of my sporting life as separate. I never actually thought about it as wellness. It was something that I love doing, it filled our weeks, family commitments, that sort of thing. But it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve kind of actually made conscious decisions to do things for my wellness from a point of need rather than I play sport and it makes me feel good and keeps me fit so it’s a journey and I feel like I’m just starting that even though I played competitive sport all through high school.
It’s true. In Australia, we’re taught about sport but not about wellness.
I think that at the moment that is something that is being introduced. I think it’s more awareness. I don’t really want to disclose my age (high school was a long time ago) but it wasn’t part of the curriculum. Like you played sport but I don’t know if it was aligned with wellness.
What does wellness and self care look like for you on a daily basis?
I think firstly identifying what wellness means to me. I think for a period of time, maybe up until about five years ago I never really gave it true thought. It was just being ‘not unwell’ if that makes sense.
Whereas in the last four or five years, there are so many different layers and, for me, wellness is having balance in my life be it physical, mental, emotional. And I think self-awareness which I’m just sort of discovering as well so that’s that’s kind of what wellness looks like to me now and I feel like I’m just starting to make conscious decisions and holding space for looking after myself if that makes sense. I feel like I’m just dipping my toe into being the best version of myself
But typically, for me, I have to move my body in some way shape or form every day otherwise I feel like I’m… it just sets me up for the day and it can be whatever that needs to be. I’m struggling with injuries at the moment so I’ve actually adjusted my training but if it’s not going to the gym or doing some sort of movement even a walk like it just have to be some sort of some form of movement. That is really important to me
I’ve been in an F45 girl for the last five years, so that real high intensity. I love lifting weights but I just have had to take a step back and approach my training in a different way and I’m actually loving it. It’s a whole new approach to my training but it’s still fulfilling and satisfying that [need for] movement and exercise. You get a little sweat on, it gets spicy so yeah I’m really loving it.
You have a really playful side. How do make fitness fun?
I think the key there is finding something that you enjoy. So you know a lot of people say “oh, you know running is great this that and the other…” but if you hate running, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. You’re never going to want to do it so it’s being active on your own terms and finding something that you enjoy.
We worked together earlier this year and did some coaching and you pushed me to join a bloody hip-hop dance class. There was an elbow in there, I’m sure of it but something like that. That was incredible, it was at Mad Dance House in Brisbane CBD. It was the best six weeks of my life so thank you for giving me the gentle nudge!
But it’s just finding something that you actually enjoy and then like you said, it’s not a chore.
I’m not the greatest but I had fun doing it and that’s the main thing!
You also work as a curve model which would be well outside most people’s comfort zone. Tell us about that.
Well, it was never something that I wanted to do. My mum, God bless her, she entered me into a competition many years ago – it was 23 years ago – so it was just when the plus world or the curve world it was quite new back then and I was only 23 at the time and I just sort of fumbled my way through it but I think that was actually helped me become more comfortable in my skin and learning to love my body and embrace what I have. Like, you know, you have to work with what you’ve got!
I think back then it was a very different industry. You know, if you have a look at the fashions back then to what they are now, obviously if you’re over a size 14 you must be at least 45. They were boxy, shapeless kind of fashion and now there’s been a shift in the trend. It’s baby steps but it’s happening and it’s just allowing people to embrace what they have and feel comfortable in their skin and that’s one of the reasons why I love doing what I do so people can feel seen and, I guess, relate to someone else that may look like them from size, shape, age whatever it is.
What about mental wellness? What resources or tools do you use to support your mental health?
As I mentioned before, it’s something that I’ve never made a considered effort or conscious decisions to make changes and do something about that but in the last 12 months I’ve had access to amazing women like yourself, and Tiffany Jackson who does some meditation. So it’s breathwork and meditation which I’ve never kind of considered or thought about before but it just it really resonates with me and it does something like it gives me some space it takes me to some crazy place which is amazing and just gives me some clarity and space.
I feel like I’m getting excited because it’s a new world and journey for me and I feel like why have I been waiting so long to do something positive, to feel better about myself or be the best version of myself? But, at the same time, I feel like if the stars are aligning maybe now it’s when I need it the most.
Is there something you’ve tried in the past – perhaps a trend or recommendation – that just didn’t work for you?
I’m not (and you can attest to this), I’m not good at goal setting and journaling and I feel like if I can just write things down and set some big audacious hairy goals then I will have my shit together but I find it really overwhelming! I even bought a journal and I showed you but I open the pages and I just find it so overwhelming to write down a million things of what I need to do today so that doesn’t work for me.
But you’ve got to try these things right? I think we all kind of put pressure on ourselves to tick boxes or do all the things but you have to work out what works for you to get the benefit out of it.
What is the one thing about wellness that you wish all women knew to be true?
I think it’s about putting pressure on yourself and understanding that there are good times and bad times, ebbs and flows of life.
I think I told you a quote at the beginning of the year: You have to realise that some days you’re the statue and some days you’re the pigeon.
I’m a woman of the world. I’m here for the people keeping it real but I think we put too much pressure on ourselves that everything has to be bloody perfect all the time and it doesn’t. I think it’s about taking away the pressure and that we can do things without fear or judgement and it’s just working out a formula that works for you, and that can be in all aspects of our life as well.
If you want to create a life of wellbeing and vitality, let’s chat about how I can support you. Click here to book a free connection call where we’ll get to know one another, see if we’re a good fit, and chat about what it’s like to work with me.
– Georgina –
