Upcoming Mother’s day has got me thinking about the type of mum I am.

You see, I’m the type of mum who feels deep empathy with my children. Whatever troubles them, troubles me, whatever brings them joy, brings me joy…DEEPLY.

And their troubles, THEY GET ME BAD.

I’ve no doubt it’s because I live with anxiety, because I’m an empath, a highly sensitive mum… just like my mum.

I marvel and admire those mums who remain strong and stoic in the face of their kids adversities. That’s not to say they don’t care, no not at all, it’s just a whole different vibration.

All the while I’m crying, suffering, solving, waking in the middle of the night, feeling my kid’s pain and imagining them feeling their pain.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for this gift of experiencing life, and all it has to offer in this heightened state.

But it ain’t easy.

Especially those times when everything seems to comes at once. That’s when life feels like it’s going to break me, just like it did before.

But these days, life doesn’t break me. I pick myself up everytime.

Which got me thinking about why and how I do this now?

The answer was right there. It was nothing profound.

But it made me see myself, and all the things I do, to keep me stable and able to cope with life’s challenges and realities.

The little habits and rituals, non-negotiables, my little self-care box which helps me cope with life, in light of who I AM and how I vibrate as a person.

These rituals help me cope with those sleepless nights, to show up most days with a smile on my face, to find the strength to allow my children some space to unravel the complexities of life and build resilience.

So I thought I’d write a little poem to myself this Mother’s Day, acknowledging all those things I do, which help me show up each day in the best way I can.

THANK YOU ME

Thank you nature, you give me so much – your healing sun, fresh air, silence, reflection and earthing all uplift my soul keeping me grounded and centred

Thank you body for moving daily, exercising, keeping me strong and releasing my happy hormones

Thank you food for flooding my body with goodness with every bite and sip, cleansing and detoxifying, nourishing and healing

Thank you me for not trying to do it all, knowing all too well that burnout is at bay

Thank you work for fulfilling my soul and connecting me to my purpose each day

Thank you friends for the dinner catch ups, the laughs, love and cocktails recharge me

Thank you me for creating solitude and space which I desperately need to replenish and refresh my soul

Thank you breath for slowing me down, bringing me back to the moment, keeping me alive, I’d be totally lost without you

Thank you family for your uncondtional love, trust and forgiveness, snuggles, kisses, pure joy and everything you teach me

Thank you healers for keeping me balanced and in touch with the inner workings and needs of my body

Thank you me for striving to be the best mum you can be, ever evolving, changing, growing and loving

Happy Mother’s day mums.  I know motherhood can be such a struggle for so many. Perhaps the best gift you could give yourself for Sunday is a little thank you acknowledgement too.

I’d LOVE to hear the things you can thank yourself for, please go ahead and write to me in the comments.

Bren x

It surprised me how many people hadn’t heard of it.

Burst training is basically a type of exercise that you can do anywhere, anytime and which saves you a bucket load of $$ on gym memberships or special equipment

You might know it as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Basically, it’s working your heart rate almost to the maximum for about 30-60 seconds, immediately followed by low intensity, or in my case, resting, for a minute or two. And repeat.

My favourite form of burst training is sprints.

I power walk down to either the local oval or beach stairs, and sprint, rest, sprint, rest about 8 times.

Burst training can be done in many different ways.

For example – running on the spot, on a stationary bike, using a skipping rope, swimming ..the options are endless!

Why do I do Burst Training?

• As a busy working mum, I particularly love how time efficient it is. I’m usually done and dusted in half an hour (including the walk to and from the location). You’ve got to love maximum benefit with limited time!
• It burns fat incredibly efficiently
• It boosts my metabolism
• It reduces inflammation in the body
• It’s great for toning muscles
• It makes me feel energised
• It doesn’t put stress on my body like other forms of cardio exercise
• It balances my hormones
• It doesn’t flare up my dodgy neck and back issues
• Gets me out into nature, getting Vitamin D and helping to set my circadian rhythms
• Keeps ageing at bay

I usually aim for 2 x sessions per week, interspersed with 1 x session of weight training and power walking the rest of the days and once home, I usually follow up with a ginger, mint and green apple smoothie or this anti-oxidant smoothie.

Naturopath Naomi Judge and I talk in depth about the right type of exercise for balancing hormones and shedding stubborn weight in our Break Through! Signature Cleanse. Find out more about the cleanse here. 

Bren x

Grab your FREE copy of my 'CALM YOUR CORTISOL' recipe book to soothe your cortisol and start your journey to high energy, fast metabolism, and feeling like yourself again!

From a health perspective, we can keep it simple … and achievable. Ask yourself honestly if your diet and lifestyle are working for you, and also what would make you truly happy. If you want to make serious inroads into your goals, you want a sound, calm, energised base from which to work, meaning these things really need to be in order. The ticking over of the calendar is as good a time as any to begin working toward improving your sense of well being in a deep, sustainable way.

Once you pinpoint the areas for improvement, think about steps you can take to make positive changes. Remember to be flexible with these steps as you go, because sometimes your best intentions don’t always go to plan …

Here are 10 steps that spring to mind to get the ball rolling toward a peaceful, healthy and sustainable way of life for your whole family:

1. Increase your intake of fresh, seasonal, nutrient-dense whole foods –  real food delivers the body what it requires in order to refuel, heal, stay young and healthy, while also invigorating the immune system. Remember, food is your medicine.
2. Minimise processed food – our body was not designed to eat these products, which are seriously deficient in beneficial nutrients, contain high levels of sodium, trans fats, sugar and artificial colours, and are full of preservatives.
3. Minimise sugar intake – especially refined sugar, which can be found in  soft drinks, cakes and sweets. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and other health issues.
4. Exercise – schedule a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise most days. It can be as pedestrian as walking, or as intense as crossfit-style training. Five sessions is a number associated with beneficial effects on depression, and it certainly keeps you energised, with other positive effects on your weight, sleep, and mood. It also reduces your risk of developing disease.
5. Rest & Relaxation – the other side of exercise. The body needs to rehydrate and repair muscle to ensure it burns fats and calories and not muscle. Just ask any athlete! By deep breathing, yoga, listening to music, tai chi or massage we can improve our overall physical and emotional health. Specifically, it can reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and reduce chronic pain.
6. Nature – Being out in nature and putting your bare feet on the earth reduces anxiety and/or depression, increases Vitamin D intake, improves sleep and gives us a break from technology.
7. Play – especially with our kids. Whether it’s a board game, craft or sport in the backyard, once again we can escape the gravitational pull of TV and gadgets. Bonding increases our children’s confidence by making them feel important and loved, and helps develops their social skills. Oh, and it’s fun!
8. Hydration – we should be drinking 8-10 glasses a day. Proper hydration helps the digestive system, rids of the body of waste, improves metabolic processes and flushes out toxins.
9. Support – the best way to ensure the success of your resolutions is to have support from family and friends, but feel free to develop the hard edge required to get it done on your own! If you feel the need, reach out to groups or to a health coach who can support and guide you, step-by-step, to achieve your goals.
10. Purpose – it is important for self esteem and confidence to continue growing as a person. Having a purpose or goal (family or business-related) keeps your outlook positive and focussed on improvement. It also gives you regular feedback and satisfaction.

Contact me today to find out how I can support you to achieve your goals.

All my best wishes for the New Year!

Salute,

Bren x