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Micro Habits, Massive Shifts | Wellness That Sticks
119 Plays12 days ago
In this episode of Beyond Esthetics, we’re talking about the power of micro habits and how small, intentional shifts can create major change in your wellness, energy, mindset, and daily life. From tiny nervous system resets to bigger wellness practices like walks, meditation, reading, and sleep hygiene, we explore how sustainable wellness is built through consistency and not perfection.
Beyond Esthetics is about supporting estheticians as a whole person, - mind, body, soul, professional and personal. This episode is about getting back to the foundations of personal wellness so we can serve others deeper, develop an intentional career and reach our greatest potential - together!
Connect with us!
Instagram and Tik Tok @Thebeyondesthetics
Tiff: @sweetcheeksuniversity Jess:@jessguidesesthies
Join the movement of Rising and Evolving Estheticians coming together in community https://www.sweetcheeksuniversity.com/the-beyond-esthetics-community-copy-1
Email us! hello@thebeyondestheticscoaching.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Membership Updates
00:01:20
Speaker
Good morning. Good morning. aesthetics. We say that like we haven't just been sitting here chatting. It's so true. Oh, hi. Welcome. Welcome to the Beyond Aesthetics podcast. We are your host. I am Tiffany Orr, and this is my beautiful co-host. I'm Jessica Peterson.
00:01:41
Speaker
We are so excited to be here with you today. And it's you and I again and our listener. Yes, this worked out nicely. I'm really excited to, I'm always really excited to record. i love when it's just me and you. I love our guests. I love it all. I'm basically obsessed with this podcast. Yeah, love it too. And I'm happy to be here as well and really excited with ah the topic that we have today. Yeah, I'm super excited about the direction that we're going to go today. And i feel confident and I know you do too, that it is going to land with our listener.
00:02:18
Speaker
And be super valuable. So before we get into that, let's give everybody just an update on what's going on in the membership right now. And just kind of go from there. So we had our live call yesterday morning, and it was so good.
00:02:34
Speaker
It was so good. i ride such a high after meeting with our members or even just talking with them in the connection lounge. It's just so incredible. The amount of, I think, effort that all of our members are putting in. It's still surprising to me. I love it so much. But the live call was great. And we covered some really, really great topics. And everybody brought a lot of value to that call. And yeah, I left feeling really, really good about it.
00:03:03
Speaker
I agree. and I do know that it is really abnormal to have, um, half, you know, yesterday there was about half of our members that were on the live call and that's really abnormal for a membership. And so I do think that that's really cool. And the topics that we went over were really important, very aesthetics heavy, and just very, you know, tax questions and treatment plan questions.
Member-Driven Discussions and Learning Tools
00:03:33
Speaker
and We talked a lot about consultation and,
00:03:38
Speaker
just went on and on for all those questions that are really important that come up for estheticians, you know, continually. And so I really love that we let them guide those calls too, so that we're,
00:03:52
Speaker
having that discussion with them in real time and that it's not just you and i we really allow our members to chime in before we chime in most of the time. i mean, I think that there was one time where you and I did kind of hop on immediately, but for the most part, we just opened the floor. And I really love that. It's so beautiful to just watch estheticians working together and supporting each other. uh, which is really what that whole thing is all about.
00:04:22
Speaker
oh yeah. And i I, had the thought yesterday during the call, like it is so nice to have this very safe space we've created for the esthetician to have a voice and to be able to share her experience or what she's going through or in, in real time. it not on like a pressure scale either. What's really cool about how we've structured these calls is we have our members submit their are topics or questions or what they're going through ahead of time so that we kind of have an outline to follow. So it's not like we're just like hopping on this call and then, okay, what do we want to talk about? And then everybody kind of panics or freezes. Think about it. kind like when you go to the doctor, right? And you're like, yeah these things. And then if you don't write them down, you're like,
00:05:04
Speaker
I don't know. I'm good. So I really do like how you in particular have structured that and set that up for these calls because it's been really, really, really powerful. But yeah, so that they can have a voice. I think it's just everyone needs a chance to share and be heard and be seen. And those live calls are just great for that.
00:05:26
Speaker
Yeah, so it was really good. And then the peptide class came out on Friday. so we started our continuing education now and we started the month of May off with peptides. And i taught a very deep dive on peptides. And it honestly turned out better than I even anticipated. i loved putting that class together and recording that video and creating all of the support documents. And so far, the feedback has been really incredible. And I can't wait to
00:05:59
Speaker
have them within that channel and the membership start to post their takeaways and post more about peptides. Because again, like we were telling you last time, it's not just about Tiffany and I teaching. It's a really about everybody learning together and teaching each other. So we're the ones who introduce the topic and create the initial class that is posted on the first of every month, but then throughout the entire month, the members chime in and post their favorite, you know, products that are peptide based products and add what they know about peptides. Or if there's a video or like a podcast or something that they listen to about peptides, they're going to be posting that in there. So really,
00:06:43
Speaker
it ends up being this beautiful deep dive that goes on all month that is guided within the group members also.
Implementation of Learning Concepts
00:06:51
Speaker
So we just kind of start the conversation. Now, one thing that I did that I think is really cool, and I would just love to hear your feedback on this, and I'm not sure if you've even had a minute to look at this, but the the implementation checklist is like my favorite thing in the world.
00:07:08
Speaker
I haven't gotten into there yet. So tell us more. So basically what I did, because if i haven't expressed this on the pod before, implementation is everything. I've been an educator for 13 years. And what I've learned is that if there isn't a call to action for you to implement something, it's you're not going to remember what I trained on. You know, you're not going to remember the education as well, especially in a way that you could then repeat it back to a client. And so what I ended up doing is at the very end of me, like recording the class, putting everything together, I was like, you know what?
00:07:51
Speaker
i'm to make a checklist for things that they can do that are simple, you know, throughout the month. Some of them were like, okay, in 48 hours, go back and review the PDF summary sheet. Right. yeah But then there's other things like with.
00:08:06
Speaker
within a certain timeframe, tell a friend or a loved one something that you learned about peptides and then post in the um be post in the continuing education channel, your takeaways and your favorite peptide products. And so I basically just created this checklist for them to either, you know, keep digitally like on your phone, on your iPad or print it out and kind of take with you so that you can continue to implement the things that you learned throughout the entire month. So that by the end of the month, you're very comfortable with peptides and talking about peptides and understanding them and being one of them is, um you know, write a script of how you would
00:08:53
Speaker
talk about peptides to a client in a way that connects with them, like a simplified version of it. And so that implementation is really important and something that I think will continue to carry through that continuing education because If you don't use it, you lose it. But it was really fun to just come up with like fun, simple ways for our member to implement that so that it really sticks with them. Because what is education if it's not sticking with you? So we're all craving more education.
00:09:27
Speaker
and I'm so grateful that we decided to bring that to the membership. But I also just want to make sure that we're going so deeply into the value And making sure that they are not going to forget this. Yes.
00:09:44
Speaker
It has me thinking that is actually so brilliant. Cause has me thinking I do the same thing with my apprentice, right? We like train on a certain topic, say dermaplane, for instance, like we train on it. We, we research it, do the research. then she shadows me. I show her how, and then I have her immediately do it, you know, herself. So we're really just taking like the same concept and and putting it straight into action because you're right. It's kind of like you've got to train that muscle. You can absorb all the information, but you do have to actually use it so that it sticks. And that's how you really learn on a deep level and how you remember.
00:10:22
Speaker
and it's so valid. And I love that implementation checklist on how bringing like the client aspect into it too. right practice on a client, practice on your friend or your family before your client and absolutely describe peptides and what they do. Yeah.
00:10:37
Speaker
Yeah, no, definitely. And so this is something that I talked about in the membership and I don't know if I've ever talked about it on the pod, but, um, or was it on our last, I don't even remember now, but the best way to learn is to teach. Mm-hmm.
00:10:55
Speaker
and And talk about it on the last thought, I think. Yes. And so any that can mean so many different things. It can just mean. Again, talking with a friend, a family member, a loved one, teaching them about peptides, but then also talking to your clients more about a particular subject. And so I think anytime that we're teaching something, you know, when you're working with your apprentice or, you know, our listener as an esthetician, if there's a topic that you want to learn more about,
00:11:28
Speaker
Do it, learn, ah do your education wherever you can get it. There are so many different resources for that, but then talk about it to your clients, you know? So when I'm up in front of a room of a hundred people, it's so funny because people really think I am an encyclopedia and that I'm very smart.
00:11:48
Speaker
And it's not that I don't think I'm smart, but I always let them know, you know, the reason why i can stand up here in front of all of you and speak very confidently is because I do this every single day. This is my job. I teach for a living. And so as I'm talking to you and teaching you, it's sticking. And very often when I'm speaking, I'm also working through something in my head. yeah And so it's really powerful. And I do think that there's a lot of ways to do that, but I think that that really is a key to our continuing education. And so I was just really excited about that. And I can't wait for you to watch. I know that you really wanted to be a student of peptides. yeah So I'm excited for you to go through that too. And you know, another thing that I did is i turned the PowerPoint
00:12:40
Speaker
into just a PDF because you can download that on your phone. And so between your clients or something, or on your day off, you can just flip back through that. You don't have to sit and listen to me. you can just look through my slides. Yeah.
00:12:54
Speaker
I love, I like that a lot. That is really valuable. um Especially in real time, right? For our esthetician who is trying to incorporate it more into their practice or learn more about it Yes.
00:13:08
Speaker
Super easily accessible. Yeah. And not that there's not a summary sheet because there's a PDF summary. There's also a worksheet that you like, if you like to follow along and fill things out, you know, that exists too. So I really wanted to touch on.
00:13:23
Speaker
everything possible to make that learning easy, to make the resources really accessible when you just need to refresh your memory. and i do want to say, i think it reignited my passion for education who to get to put together a class on a particular topic that is not specific skincare line.
00:13:49
Speaker
um do you know what i mean? I do. Yeah.
Passion for Education and Future Topics
00:13:52
Speaker
It was really cool. Actually, like by the end of the day, when I, when all was said and done, i put everything away. i went for a walk.
00:14:00
Speaker
hmm. And I was like, yeah, this is really what I meant for. This is really cool. Like, this is really good. This is what I meant for. And so that was a really good experience for me to do that, too.
00:14:11
Speaker
I love that. Well, yeah, it's the, it's the educator in you and the teacher in you, and you got to really just hone in on your own creativity and build it from the ground up. However you wanted to. Yes. It was so fun.
00:14:25
Speaker
Yes. So fun. Oh man. The continuing education. I am just here for all of it where we have it mapped out yeah or the membership for,
00:14:35
Speaker
you know, the next several months and, um, we've got some good topics coming. We do. So let's see. Next month is your derma plane. Yep. or And I'm so excited. We're literally recording that next week. So I'm excited for that. We are going to do massage too. I'm not sure. i mean, maybe we do it at the same time. I'm not sure, but I am yeah to do facial massage. It's not on the schedule yet. So we'll probably stick that somewhere. We're not really sure. So we're going to do Dermaplane facial massage, which if you don't know, that is another area of expertise for me. And then vitamin C hello will be the month of July. and then...
00:15:18
Speaker
In August, we decided yesterday, and this was actually a recommendation from our friend Christine in the membership, ah women's health and wellness skin care for hormonal changes for peripopause and menopause, which, you you know, it is so interesting. And I haven't told you this yet, but...
00:15:39
Speaker
ah My friend Lonnie, she is a trainer for Eminence in Washington. and She's studying this right now, too. so I think what be really fun about that class, you guys, is that we've already decided to, like, bring in a guest or two to help us with that topic because I think it is, like... nuance. There's a lot to it. And Tiff and I are not experts on this either. And that's kind of the other fun thing about continuing education is that we have great connections to bring in other people as needed.
00:16:10
Speaker
um and so I'm very, very excited about that, especially because you and I are also going through perimenopause. We are. I do. I want to learn everything about it. And I've had questions about it. And so I'm so grateful. And so that's what we're going to do for August. Yeah. Did i say that right? Yes. Yeah. And then, yeah, we'll just kind of keep going from there. So if you're not in the membership and you know what I told someone yesterday, so our friend could not be on the live call. There was a member who couldn't be there. And i was like, you know what? That's totally fine because there's no pressure be on.
00:16:44
Speaker
Live calls, they're literally like you always know when they are. So if you want to be on there, cool. But if something comes up, no problem, because you can just watch the recording. And what I said to her is I said, you know, what I really think you're going to excel in the membership is with the continuing education.
00:16:59
Speaker
ahha And so when I said that to her too, i thought what is so nice about the membership is all of the different things that are offered. i think that there's just probably, you know, one or two places that most of our members really excel in those places. And that might not be every single one of them. i think that there's members who are just going to be so deep into the continuing education and might just pop on to live calls or not, and then just have the connection lounge available as they need it. And so I never really thought of that until I had that conversation that really, even if there's one or two things within the membership that strike you and it's not like all of the things that's cool too. It's very, um, there's layers to the membership. And so different things are going to speak to different people, I think. And that's really cool.
00:17:53
Speaker
Oh, it's so cool. Yeah. And it has me thinking as like my instructor brain of like different teaching styles for different students.
Affordability and Personal Development
00:18:03
Speaker
Yes. Same idea. not everybody learns the same way. And so the way we have this membership community structured is exactly that. different estheticians are going to really be drawn towards different resources or channels or whatever in the membership and some are going to love it all it's just and what i really love is just the price point for this membership is so affordable it is so affordable and the value that our members are getting out of it
00:18:33
Speaker
It's just actually kind of insane. And you and I structure that on purpose, right? We want it to be affordable. Very intentional. In fact, ah when AI and I were having this conversation, i was told over and over for the two months that I was talking to my chat about it, that what we're charging isn't enough. Yeah. You know, and so we're actually way under charging comparatively ah for what is in there.
00:19:02
Speaker
And so that is really cool. But we have had that talk for a long time that we just really wanted it to be financially feasible for anyone and everyone to just pay such a low fee and then have access to everything that an esthetician could possibly need. In fact, I just got an idea.
00:19:24
Speaker
oh Which is? I'm going to say it out loud and then we're going tied to it. Okay. Are you ready? i don't know. I'm scared.
00:19:34
Speaker
i think we need a personal development channel. o oh, that pairs so well with what we're going to talk about today. Hey, and I don't know how we're going to do it but we're going to figure it out. Hey, yeah we do actually.
00:19:49
Speaker
a good idea. That's a really good idea. Oh man, you guys, that's just it too Just to like bring you into Jess's creative process is her, Jess and I are always expanding. i mean, you just saw a light bulb moment or just heard a light bulb moment come in for Jess. And that's how we operate. We're just like, we're never going to build something. And then it just be that it is no matter what we do and put our time and energy into It is ever evolving, ever expanding, ever growing. And I love that about this so much. That's what i think what I love about beyond aesthetics and it is really the spirit of beyond aesthetics that's behind it. And then you and I just get to help integrate it because the spirit is just so massive. It is so worldwide. It is so the spirit is truly like collectively the spirit of all the estheticians that are aligned with it. Yeah.
00:20:44
Speaker
And that's why it feels so expansive. Absolutely. couldn't agree with that more, which is exactly how this episode even came to be for
Wellness and the Power of Micro Habits
00:20:52
Speaker
today. I'll let you in on it as our listener. Tiff and I met yesterday and we spent a lot of time together yesterday. And during one of our conversations, we were on FaceTime and I was like, let's plan.
00:21:05
Speaker
you know, the episode for tomorrow. And we came up with this list of things we wanted to talk about, and we probably will still record that episode. um It was a very aesthetics heavy again. and i was like, yes, this will be really good. And I went ahead and just created a quick outline for us last night. and I was like, okay. And then I woke up this morning. And as soon as I sat down to, I had like, and I'll talk about this in the episode today, but every morning,
00:21:36
Speaker
I make my coffee, i sit down in my sunroom and I turn, i light a candle, I turn on my red light panel and I just sit and close my eyes and I kind of combine like meditation and prayer. And the first thing that landed in my mind is this morning we're talking about wellness.
00:21:54
Speaker
And I was like, no no no no no, no, no. We have an episode planned. We talked about it. I worked on it. And I'm not like two hours before we record going to dump this on Tiffany and change it at the last minute. And so I was like, no, it's going to be fine. We're going to stick with what we wanted to talk about. And then I got to the gym and I just could not.
00:22:18
Speaker
Get that out of my head. And so I was like, okay, I'm so sorry, Tiffany, but we actually are going to change the episode today. But I know that you're in alignment with that. I knew you'd be okay with it. And I do feel that when we get these ideas.
00:22:34
Speaker
ah Same with the continuing education. it really is if there is this collective of estheticians that we're just called to lead. And so there's a collective energy about it. And so if there is a collective energy that has a particular need.
00:22:50
Speaker
ah something that is going to elevate something that, you know, the majority of our collective might need to hear, that's going to put out a signal, you know, an energy signal, and it's just going to land with us. But we also have to stay receptive and open, which is something that we're still learning to do as well so that we can really allow beyond aesthetics to be Yeah.
00:23:13
Speaker
Absolutely. You know, it's like never really came from an intellectual place when we sit down to implement and create. Yes, there's a lot of that that happens. But as far as like what we're creating, the direction that we're going, one of us just gets this idea, this like feeling that, you know, it's not really coming from us. And then we just start implementing that. And so it was a really cool experience this morning that just is so in alignment with what you just said.
00:23:43
Speaker
Yeah. Oh my gosh. I have chills actually. Um, and I, it does actually tie in with what we're going to talk about today to being able to have those downloads and be receptive to him really does tie directly to your wellness and personal development and the mental state that you're in. And kind of checking yourself too. So that's why it's just actually all connected.
00:24:08
Speaker
It is. Yeah, it is. Well, I'm excited to sit down and decide how to create a new channel and what, but like what that's going to look like. So cool. Yeah.
00:24:20
Speaker
So just really quick before we get into the episode, we want to remind everybody that we have a contest going for reviews for the podcast. And there's actually five prizes. So the first place prize is a $120 gift card to Spa Finder. If you don't have a spa in your area that takes Spa Finder, we'll just do a Visa gift card or something like that. But essentially, that grand prize is for you to treat yourself. yeah.
00:24:47
Speaker
Um, and then the second place prize is some top selling eminence organic skincare products. So it's going to be the stone crop hydrating mist and the extremely popular freaking delicious strawberry rhubarb hydrator. It's a hyaluronic acid hydrator. It is a clinical multi weight hyaluronic acid. And it smells like pink Starburst. It is the most delightful product that we make. um And then we have three esthetician merch trucker hats.
00:25:19
Speaker
They are so cute. are cute guy All bodies are good bodies. um Skincare is my thing. And then I'll have to I'll have to dig and see what the third one is. But it's so cute. Yeah, they are so cute. And one thing that I learned yesterday is that on Spotify, you can just rate. So in order to leave an actual review, you can only do that on individual episodes. And so if you want to do that, we do have access to that all in one place. So it's not hard for us to see that. um But we definitely on Spotify, I'm
00:25:55
Speaker
do do whatever feels good to you. If you want to just leave, I think the rating really matters. So I think either way, please leave a rating. And then if you, if you love a particular episode, feel free to just leave a short review there. and then on Apple, you write real reviews. So you do a rating and a review. And so that's really what we're looking for. And then on March 31st, we're going to do a drawing and we'll let you know who wins. It certainly wouldn't hurt for you to send us like an email or a DM and let us know that you left a review just so that we can make sure that we know how to reach you. So if you leave a rating, if you leave a review, go ahead and just take maybe a screenshot or just send us a DM at the beyond aesthetics and just let us know but so that we can make sure if your review is the one that wins that we know exactly where to contact you.
00:26:47
Speaker
Yes. And small correction, May 31st, not March 31st. So it'll be the end of this current month. Thank you. Um, and i just want to add to like no pressure, but we really do love to hear your testimony with the podcast. So if you do write out words, like with your review, it does mean so much to us. Our rating does as well, but then your actual testimony on the impact the podcast makes for you, um,
00:27:15
Speaker
and hearing that from you is just so special. So we would really love that. Absolutely. And share the show. If there's estheticians, like if you have a you know, Instagram page or TikTok, wherever, and you love the show and you feel like other estheticians would benefit, please share the show. We don't make any money doing this podcast. This is just a passion project. We've been approached to to make money from this podcast. We continue to turn that down for now.
00:27:43
Speaker
And that also leaves us ad free. yeah, You know, i don't know if we're going to go that direction at some point we might, but for now, it really does mean a lot to us for you to just leave that rating, leave that review share the show, bring in other estheticians so that we continue raising the vibes of the industry.
00:28:04
Speaker
Absolutely. And we appreciate and love you so very much. Very much. Okay. Oh, I'm so excited. So today's topic is about wellness. It's about personal wellness. And i told you how this topic came about.
00:28:18
Speaker
and I want to hear your ideas on this, Tiff. And I know we kind of briefly talked about this before we hit record. Why do you think this is such an important topic to bring to our listener today? Why do you think we got this calling? Yeah.
00:28:33
Speaker
Um, well, two parts, partially, i think because of where I'm at personally and maybe where you've been at a little bit too over the winter, I've just a little bit of feeling overwhelmed, shifting things in our businesses, having lots of obligations. And for me personally, when I get overwhelmed, my, my personal wellness routine goes out the window or it becomes just like a very heavy, heavy obligation. It feels like a chore. and then I start to dread it, just like my gym routine, just like getting out of bed in the morning and having my morning routine. I'm just like, I physically can't, and i fall into a little bit of survival mode.
00:29:12
Speaker
So partially because of that, of just where I have been over the winter, and i feel like I'm climbing out of that the last four weeks or so, and really have been working on my wellness routine and simplifying my routines as a whole. And partially, which is what I shared with you before we started recording is I can feel it. I can feel it with my clients. I can feel it with just other people that I come into contact with. I think more than not, the majority of probably our society, women especially, are in a survival mode and are cravings.
00:29:51
Speaker
just how to get out of it. And maybe they don't know how they're just literally have barely had their head above water. And I really do feel it with my clients more than anything because I'm in such close contact with them. And when I feel that it definitely gets sticky, right? And i just go into a nurture mode of like,
00:30:11
Speaker
How can I help you? And I want to help you. And so I think having this conversation today is going to be so, so powerful for the esthetician on not only making sure that you as the esthetician are taking care of yourself first and foremost, and maybe you have some tools to help your clients as well.
00:30:29
Speaker
I would agree with that. So I have a question for you after listening to that is, do you feel that then If you had, so kind of going back to winter when you really got into survival mode and kind of the beginning of this year, well, I guess that's still winter.
00:30:46
Speaker
Do you feel like if you would have stuck with those routines though, that maybe you wouldn't have slipped over what you call, you know, the cliff? Yes. living there And I think that that really is key is that I think that we can avoid survival mode by implementing you know, just small wellness kind of practices.
00:31:10
Speaker
um i think that it will, it reminds me of the message that I sent you on Sunday too, where I said, I think that again, he has been saying this for a while now. I think that we're all being called, especially as women, especially as estheticians simplify and to make sure that our inner world is really good. And there's many different reasons for that. I think the world is just,
00:31:35
Speaker
uncomfortable right now. And we're being overexposed to things that are really uncomfortable. and so we want to bring that back to our own inner world and really making sure that we're good because it is all of us. It is our clients and it's us and having these little micro habits and just wellness practices are what is going to help the collective, I think as a whole. And so So i'm really excited about that. and like you said, we always want to come back to making sure that we're good because we are in a place of service and we don't ever want to be pouring from an empty cup.
00:32:16
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And to answer a question deeper, I do feel like if I would have stuck with my routines, I wouldn't have like fallen off the cliff into the pit and then had to climb back up this very steep cliff to get out of the pit. my heart with The hard time that I have, though, is when I get overwhelmed, I tend to just like throw everything by the wayside and still carry the stress and the overwhelm of what I should be doing instead of simplifying. And that's where the last four to six weeks, I had to just kind of surrender and let go of what I felt like I should be doing or what I had been doing that had been working when it was working and really just simplify things. You know, I, i shared with you, i like texted my, my coach, my health coach, um dude, I cannot,
00:33:01
Speaker
We have to like, you have to simplify my workouts. They're too overwhelming. And like I did that too late, right? Because I hadn't been in the gym for like four solid weeks. And I was still like trying to mentally get myself there instead of just reaching out and be like, I do need to simplify things because the overwhelm is actually killing me and I'm doing nothing.
00:33:19
Speaker
So like you said, simplifying and just going to micro habits, which is what we're going to talk about is really where it's at And then building a strong foundation from there and working with the ebbs and flow of life as it comes.
00:33:34
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So micro habits, massive shifts, wellness that actually sticks. And that's where we really want to focus today is just the small things. and We are going to dive into how those small things can lead to implementing some more macro habits, but you really do want to build the foundation first. So, I do think that that's why wellness can feel really overwhelming too, is because we're thinking about these big things and like these big chain changes that we want to make or these big things that we want to implement. And um I'll give you guys a really good example of this. I am am a competitive athlete, right? And so...
00:34:18
Speaker
One thing that I've learned over the years is sustainability is what matters the most. Right. And so if you think of it like diets, this is my perfect example is people who are like, i want to lose weight.
00:34:32
Speaker
20 pounds. And so you go on, like, let's say oh my freaking friend Mia is doing this right now. And I hope she listens to this because she knows I'm like, that is so dumb. Please don't do this.
00:34:46
Speaker
She wants to she's doing intermittent fasting, but like she's doing the one meal a day thing. But I immediately when she said that, I'm like, don't like that's not sustainable. You know, you can't. That's not how that works. But our minds do that to us. And my mind still does that. That's why i recognize it so easily. And other people is that I think that we're all like, oh, my gosh, I want to lose 20 pounds. So I'm just going eat one meal a day and do an hour of cardio every day and whatever. And then even if you do that for a while and you you lose the 20 pounds, you did it in an extreme way in that all or nothing mindset without the sustainability factor. And so then what happens
00:35:30
Speaker
we gain all that weight back. We just yeah go back to, and I know that because I've done that so many times. Right. And so I think that that is the trap that we get caught in are so many people. Here's another one of my best examples is when we talk to people about waking up early and having a morning routine. And they're like, I'm going to get up two hours early. And we're like, no, you're not.
00:35:56
Speaker
You can try if you want to. What is going to be easier, more sustainable and build a better habit is to just start waking up 15 minutes earlier. yeah and then after you are feeling good about that, then we can increase like another 15 minutes. And you know what happens if they're like, I'm going to wake up an hour earlier. They do it hours.
00:36:19
Speaker
four days, five days, and then it's over. it does it eat a it doesn't stick. It's not sustainable. And so that's where we really want to hone in today on getting out of that all or nothing trap.
00:36:33
Speaker
And so we're going to talk the most today about micro habits. So small shifts that are done consistently will always outperform those big bursts done occasionally. And that really is where true change comes from.
00:36:49
Speaker
um I think that I'm so good at this. I was thinking about this a lot this morning. I think I'm so good at this because there is an art to being a competitive athlete. And when you start watching competitive athletes, I think you start to realize that how they get to where they are is through micro habits and habits stacking these micro habits.
00:37:13
Speaker
yeah And then that leads to that massive shift into this like macro mindset.
00:37:19
Speaker
Absolutely. I feel like you are the expert on this. I mean, I've looked to you for years for inspiration on building sustainable habits into my life that don't feel, feel like a chore or feel like it's actually taking something from me. It's really giving to me instead.
00:37:39
Speaker
Right. Yeah. Well, and yeah, and I think that that's why i'm very excited to get more into this today because it changed my life, you know? So when I decided to become a competitive athlete, I was also training and traveling full time between four States, you know? So I'm getting on flights with frozen food in my luggage to make sure, you know, that I'm ready. And then, know,
00:38:05
Speaker
having to find the gym, stay in, you know, the right hotel so that I can get the workouts in or find a gym near me if I need to and have all my food packed and ready and, you know, land at the airport, get the luggage, get the car, get to the grocery store to get the rest of the food that I need, get to my hotel, get everything unpacked, get everything. Like I just became a master at doing those things. And the truth is that my entire life changed. I mean, I ended up leaving that job and moving home to Idaho and building this amazing life for myself simply because of that one decision. But really that one decision is what led me to having to learn the art of doing this But I mean, every single day of my life, it does kind of feel like an art. And what's so silly is that, I mean, these habits are so ingrained in me that when I travel, nothing changes.
00:39:11
Speaker
In my life, not a thing, unless I'm in salmon, because there's really only one small tiny gem. Like salmon literally is the only place that I'm like, okay, this is wonderful because I actually can step away from some of these habits and like make some shifts for a minute. And it feels like a little...
00:39:28
Speaker
many juicy vacation for me. Cause like, I can't get up and go to the gym necessarily. Right. Um, but like everywhere else that I go, literally nothing in my life changes because I have such a strong foundation of these simple micro habits. Like there's nothing, nothing necessarily crazy except for that competitive athlete lifestyle. but like,
00:39:52
Speaker
Saturday, I think it was ended up being one of the weirdest, most uncomfortable days for me, because don't remember why this happened, but I did not do my morning routine. And it really threw entire day off. Everything just felt a little weird. And so I do really think that that is where this happened for me. So my lifestyle has been like this now since 2015. So it's been about 11 years now. that I've created this lifestyle around just implementing micro habits so much to the point now where when somebody tells me
00:40:27
Speaker
i i don't take my supplements because I just forget. I'm like, what do you mean you forget? They should be like ready to go by your water bottle in the morning or like why aren't they out on the counter like ready for you to take and they're like sitting right next to your water and your coffee that's also ready to go. You know what I mean? And so to me, I'm like, This is just ingrained. um And so I'm so excited to give you guys examples, like little small things that are so tangible and so easy that make a huge difference and really create this like art out of your life and how things are functioning in your life.
00:41:11
Speaker
Well, think that's just it. You keep saying art. And to me, it feels like a a flowy dance. That's how I interpret it when I'm definitely in that flow. And I have these habits that aren't overwhelming. But what I lost my train of thought.
00:41:27
Speaker
Give me a second. What's coming to me though is, um, okay, nevermind. It went out. It'll come back. but Well, it is an art. I think it's something that we can create. And I do think it really brings a rhythm and a flow to your life and everybody's micro habits are going to be a little bit different too. And that's why today we're going to give you our examples and we're just going to give you like other examples. Um,
00:41:53
Speaker
But, you know, micro habits are really where we want to land and they're just tiny repeatable actions and they work because you have lower resistance.
00:42:03
Speaker
First of all, they're so small. They're not a big deal. It's nothing overwhelming. And so there's no resistance to doing these things. Number two, and this is a big one for you. And we used to talk about this all the time is building self-trust. Yeah. So when you follow just micro habits, you, you basically create these micro habits that are really easy to implement.
00:42:29
Speaker
It helps you with your confidence in yourself. trust so much. Actually, where I was going with the thought that left me is I think all my life and the way I was raised and I think the the generation that you and I are, it was just like change your life with X, Y, Z. And it was like this big, massive mountain that it felt like it had to climb. You know, I'm thinking of like what's coming to me is like Cosmo magazines, you know, back in the day. And you'd read Cosmo and you're like, okay, I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and I'm going to do the workout routine. I'm gonna wake up at 5 a.m. and I'm gonna do X, Y, Z and it's just gonna change my life. And it was just like this big fat mountain. it felt like that you had to climb and that's why it has never been sustainable for me because if it's always been implemented in my brain of like, you've gotta do the extreme diet, you've gotta do the extreme exercise.
00:43:19
Speaker
That's how you change your life. And that could be far so far from the truth. It really is. Cause like you said, it's not sustainable. It's overwhelming and there's no foundation to it because we don't have anything in place to anchor back into when real life really does happen. When we get busy or we get sick or we over get overwhelmed or we travel, that's the self-trust that you were just talking about.
00:43:43
Speaker
and it has been huge for me. Yeah, like confidence comes from building small trust. And we build trust with ourselves by keeping small promises to ourselves, not even
Micro Habits for Sustainable Wellness
00:43:53
Speaker
big promises. That's not really how that works. Like, that's great. You know, that's awesome. That actually your confidence and your self trust is built through keeping very, very small promises to yourself and just sticking with very, very small habits. And then that creates a lot of momentum. hmm.
00:44:15
Speaker
So much momentum.
00:44:19
Speaker
I feel like I need to repeat that because that's extremely important. Your confidence is built on self-trust. Your self-trust is built on easy, easy, small micro habits and keeping those promises to yourself or...
00:44:37
Speaker
They're so easy that they're easy to come back to. Even if we steer off course for just a second, these things are so easy that we're like, it's okay. I'm just going to take these little mini steps again and I'm going to rebuild that momentum.
00:44:53
Speaker
Yes. So that's really, really important. And that's what really drives that momentum is that self-trust because you are keeping those promises to yourself. And it's just like a stepping stone that you can then build upon. Right. That lasts.
00:45:11
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah. Right. So let's talk about why most people fail. we already kind of talked about doing too much, too fast, too much, too fast. So, you know, it's just not, um,
00:45:26
Speaker
consistent that like it's, it's, can't think of the word unsustainable. Yeah. Too much too fast is just not sustainable. Um,
00:45:37
Speaker
It's kind of like you're like, okay, I'm going to get back into running. I really want to prioritize that. I'm going to go run five miles today. And then you're like the next day, you're like, m five was a lot yesterday, barely made it through. i barely can run one mile today. And it's just like that. I think everybody can definitely relate to that. You're like, that is not sustainable. Maybe we like start with just a quick walk.
00:46:04
Speaker
Exactly. know, going from zero to 100 is not going to serve you long term because you're not going to be able to stick with it. And it's going to create more overwhelm and stress in your life. So, yeah, you must fast. You have to learn to walk before you can run.
00:46:18
Speaker
Yeah. A child does not wake up one day and start running marathons. Yes. Okay. They have to learn to walk before they can run. The second huge thing that we notice, and this is another thing that we haven't talked about for like two years, which is waiting for motivation. holy ah cow. We've got to stop thinking that most rule my life until I had that conversation with you. I think it was three, maybe four years ago.
00:46:48
Speaker
I was like, Jess and I were on a walk and I told her, I'm like, I'm just, you know, I don't feel like getting out of bed at five in the morning. And you were so frank with me and you were like, you are never going to want to get out of bed early You're, you just like, it that talk that you had with me was such a mindset shift on like, I had been waiting most of my life for motivation to show up. And sometimes it would, and I'd be able to do the things and then it would like leave, you know, anytime I felt stressed or overwhelmed. And that's where I had to realize that the motivation actually isn't the driving force.
00:47:27
Speaker
Yeah, you know, motivation might get you started, but it is not going to what keeps you going because it just comes and goes all the time. And that's where habits and just that self-devotion and discipline to your highest expression of yourself and making that a priority to feel good every day. i it all just comes back to these little micro habits. And as much as I don't love the word discipline, and I've really worked on switching that to just the self-devotion, they are still two different sides of the same coin that carry just a little bit of a different energy. But it is it's just so true. Nobody wants to wake up at five. nobody i don't even want to get out of bed at 10.
00:48:17
Speaker
Yeah. No one wants to get out of bed. Nobody wakes up in the morning and is stoked about getting out of bed. Our beds are so cozy and warm and we could just stay there all day and cuddle with our loved ones or our animals, you know? And so it is such a fallacy of like, oh, it's just so hard or I just don't feel motivated. i'm like, you're never going to be motivated to do hard things. Yeah.
00:48:43
Speaker
No, never. And that's where it's having that mindset shift and being like, okay, I understand that when I'm not feeling motivated, i still love myself enough and I'm devoted to myself and my dreams and my highest timeline that I am going to push through when it feels extra hard or even when it feels hard.
00:49:05
Speaker
Exactly.
00:49:09
Speaker
commitment. It is a commitment and it's, you know, it's just a commitment to yourself. Yeah.
00:49:19
Speaker
Okay. So I feel really called to share this actually. So two things, the first thing I want to share, going to like give you guys a real insider look at why these little just micro habits will change your life. So in early, let's let's say 2000, um,
00:49:42
Speaker
Okay. So there was a period in my life where I was extremely depressed. And when I would first start to wake up in the morning, you know how like you just kind of start to come to i wanted to die. The first thought in my brain was, i don't want to be here.
00:50:02
Speaker
anymore. And you know what ended up changing that for me? And I've probably never even shared this with you or very many people at all. So this is like super vulnerable, but it's true.
00:50:14
Speaker
You're gonna want to want hear this. So when I decided to start competing and I was like, yes, I really, so I used to run marathons. I've always been into fitness. I've always been very active. And, um,
00:50:28
Speaker
So marathons are interesting. That's a lot of all or nothing because you go through periods of training and then you run your marathon. And then I don't know, it just wasn't like, so to me, running marathons is not a lifestyle.
00:50:39
Speaker
Like it isn't, it isn't, it's not like this daily habit type of a thing necessarily. Like you can eat whatever you want and it's just, I don't know. Um, okay. So then I'm in this period of my life for a while where, and I was still really depressed during those years too, because that was post divorce. But you know, when it came to me deciding to compete, not only was i extremely depressed, but I had a drinking problem.
00:51:06
Speaker
I think you know that. do know that. Yeah. So I had a drinking problem. I'm like extremely depressed. So I wake up in the morning and that's the first thought on my mind. i don't want to be here anymore. Well, then I decide to compete and I hire a coach. That changes everything because then as soon as I wake up,
00:51:24
Speaker
I have to do fasted cardio. now i don't really operate this way anymore when I'm competing. So it's not great for your hormones. But when I first got into competing in 2015, it was, this is the routine. This is what you're going to do. You're going to um separate your lifting from your cardio. And he preferred fasted cardio. And so I would wake up in the morning um,
00:51:53
Speaker
drink my water, go get my coffee. That's where I started to implement some of those micro habits I'll talk about in a second. But then it was just, you have to go get on the treadmill. Okay. You know, and then the endorphins start going, right? Then you're on the treadmill, you feel really good.
00:52:11
Speaker
And then from there, you just get ready for work. You're feeling good because you got the endorphins going. I love, you know, love my work. I was with Eminence at the time. I was a trainer at the time. i was living in Scottsdale at this beautiful apartment on the third story with this beautiful view. and it everything changed because it was like, i don't have time to wake up in the morning and feel bad.
00:52:34
Speaker
Yeah, I have to go get my workout in because then I have to be, you know, to this place at this time. And so that's really when I was like, wow, this really changes everything when you implement these.
00:52:49
Speaker
micro habits that make you feel good. And that's where that momentum comes from. So that's like my first example of when I say, like, I really have built my life around these positive habits. But the second thing I think that will be helpful for people to hear is what goes through my mind. Now, when my alarm goes off at 5 AM m every single morning, the first thing that goes through my head is It's 5 a.m.
00:53:18
Speaker
I need to be to the gym by this time because then, you know, I need this much time to get ready. Like I start going through that in my head, right? Now when I'm really tired, sometimes a thought will pop in. Like I can do...
00:53:32
Speaker
my cardio later, maybe I could go to the gym later in the day. And then instantly I'm like, no, you already know that you can't like, you already know that then there's a chance that that's not going to happen. and then how are you going to feel?
00:53:48
Speaker
Yes. And so then it's like, no, I am going to get out of bed. It might take me five more minutes, but I am going to get out of bed because I'm going to feel so much better if I do. And that's when I started learning that one of the best pieces of motivation, if that's what we want to call it, is being motivated by how that thing, how that action, no matter how big or or how small, is going to make you feel.
00:54:17
Speaker
yes And not just like in the moment because you're struggling with, say, if we're talking about getting up, you feel so cozy, you're feeling tired, you don't want to get bed, but really putting yourself in your shoes of how you're going to feel if for one, you stay in bed and then you're going to feel rushed. You're going to feel like you don't, time is not your own. You're going to feel stressed because you're going to try and fit that workout in say later in the day. And you already know your day gets hijacked and your day is busy ahead. and how you're going to feel if you just get up right now. You're gonna feel proud of yourself. You're gonna feel so good because those endorphins are gonna kick in. You're gonna have that peace that you really crave in the morning because you have a slow morning routine before the rest of the house gets up. So I would like challenge anyone listening to really look at two sides of that coin. How are you gonna feel if you don't do the thing?
00:55:07
Speaker
not just right now how you're feeling right now, if you make your excuses and you don't do it and how you're going to feel on the other side of it those really good feelings that really do propel you forward. It's true. And it's really the concept of doing your future self a favor, which I'm starting to get back to that mindset again, because it's, I think I kind of fell away from it for a while, probably for a lot of the same reasons that you have um is, you know, I finally like wait a second.
00:55:37
Speaker
How good is it going to feel to clear this work from my plate, the small tasks, you know, how is that going to feel tomorrow or this weekend when I can take two days off to clean my house and then, you know, go to the mountains?
00:55:53
Speaker
Yes. You know, how is that going to feel tomorrow? Yeah. And it really, for my future self, for your future self. Exactly. And for the goals that you have, what's coming to me though, that I want to ask you is how important, so say going back to that 2015 time in your life, and then you hired a coach, you had accountability as well.
00:56:13
Speaker
Yes. So how important do you feel like that is to have like an accountability partner? Oh my gosh, it's so important. And it's such a good question. um It's such a good question. and I get asked for this all the time. So many people are like, why do you have a coach? It's not like you don't know what you're doing. Yeah.
00:56:34
Speaker
And you know what? I can't imagine. So there are periods where, well, here's a really good example. Most of my competing career, I'll work with the coach through the prep and then I'll do the competition. I'll check in a couple of times post competition, but then I don't start another actual checking in coaching program until I want to start prepping for another competition. Well, what happens between that time is I'll usually put on 20 pounds and, you know, because there's really no accountability, even though I'm a pretty like self-disciplined, self-accountable person, there's still just this other level of checking in with somebody that keeps you really in check, especially when it's somebody that you
00:57:24
Speaker
admire and like look up to you appreciate like you have this different like level of relationship with them um I have had a coach in the past where I didn't have a lot of respect for her and that became really difficult and I could no longer work with her after a time this coach that I have right now i admire her to death I don't know if you've seen her on social media and I'm going to tell you guys her name is Carrie Lawler so I think her Instagram handle is at Carrie Lawler fit. I'll have to look and I'm going to put it in the show notes because she does lifestyle coaching. She's not just a competition coach. She does just lifestyle, even just, um, nutrition coaching. So she does many different things and she's the most delightful human.
00:58:11
Speaker
I love her. She's been a friend for a really long time. But, you know, so interesting is that after my competition in October, i hired her within like a week or so. I mean, pretty shortly after. and I don't know when I'm competing again, but I check in with her every single week. I usually talk with her even between there.
00:58:32
Speaker
And I'm still like my physique is better than it's ever been between shows, my relationship with mo with food, my relationship with the gym, because I'm checking in with somebody that I have so much love and respect for and someone who really has my best interest at heart and is still also challenging me. So there's always something to be said me.
00:58:59
Speaker
accountability, no matter what level you're at, no matter if yes, I do know what to do. i know how to do the food. I know how to do the workouts. I know how to do all of those things. You know, even with my work with Eminence, like I'm an independent contractor and technically the business owner, but you better believe I am accountable to somebody on a regular basis also. And that's why I'm good at what I do. So there's always something to be said for having accountability.
00:59:31
Speaker
Absolutely. I think it is actually so, so, so important. And I, accountability can look so many different ways, right? I'm excited to look Carrie up and start following her. um And i mean, i I've done accountability check-ins when I've needed to with like my best friend, right? Because I know she'll challenge me. And if we're trying to really like work through something together and she's in the same space that I am, then we will will be that for each other. And so I think it can look so many different ways as long as who you are asking or choosing is really going to challenge you and and coach you and keep you accountable and not just like be an echo chamber for where you're at.
01:00:11
Speaker
hmm. yes, it's true. So that is a very, very good point. I'm the next reason. So we're still talking about why most people fail at wellness. The first one was too much too fast. The next one it is waiting for motivation. the next one is ignoring nervous system capacity, which also goes with too much too fast. Your nervous system is like a thermostat. So it never wants you to be uncomfortable. And that's why when we try to go from zero to 100, we're going to self-sabotage pretty quickly because your nervous system is like, no, sister. We can't do that. That's uncomfortable. It's not safe. And so subconsciously self-sabotage due to the comfort mechanism of our nervous system. And then we're just going to come back to our baseline comfort level. And, you know, growth never happens in your comfort zone. It's such a annoying, you know, classic thing that people say, you know, but unfortunately it is the truth. We have to learn to stretch past that And so when it comes to nervous system capacity, that's why micro habits are so important because your nervous system adjusts.
01:01:22
Speaker
yeah So much easier when we're going from zero to one who zero to two zero to three over time, instead of trying to go from zero to a hundred and your nervous system is like, no, we're not doing that. Instead, your nervous system is like, oh, this is nice. Okay. We're safe here. I can do this. I can stretch a little bit.
01:01:47
Speaker
Yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh my gosh. Such a valid point. Yeah. Your nervous system runs your life. huh think You, you cannot get away from that being true.
01:01:59
Speaker
No. And you can't outrun your nervous system. You, I think so many people do and try and don't even recognize or realize when their nervous system is depleted or out of whack. And so really being in tune with your own body. And allowing your nervous system, yes, to stretch along with you without sending it into like survival mode. Yeah. So micro habits are usually key in that case.
01:02:25
Speaker
Now, the next reason most people fail at wellness is perfectionism
01:02:33
Speaker
that creates inconsistency. um Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so let's expand on that just a little bit. What do you mean by perfectionism? Can you give us an example?
01:02:44
Speaker
ah Yeah, I think that goes with
01:02:52
Speaker
trying to either do too much too quick or doing something that is not sustainable or doing something that's super out of your comfort zone. And so then you snap that rubber band back to being really inconsistent because you're trying to do something perfectly. Now, when we do something with grace,
01:03:11
Speaker
Yeah. Like this is my first time doing this, you know? And so like, it's okay if I'm not doing this perfectly because I'm still learning. And so it's the same reason why you and I are where we are today. Perfectionism is not in our vocabulary. We're just going to do the thing. We're going to figure it out. We're going to stretch. We're going to evolve. We're going to expand. We're going to shift, we're going to pivot, we're going to do the thing, because we're never trying to be perfect. So people who are striving for perfect perfection. So my best example of that would be just again, the example of like, I'm going to wake up at 5am every day. And then because you don't don't do that perfectly, you then snap back to just not doing it at all. Because you're like, if I can't be perfect at it, I'm just not going to do it. So people who have more grace for themselves and a little bit more flexibility, they're going to have an easier time with reaching their goals because they're not trying to do something perfectly. And that really does go along with like I'm saying that all or nothing kind of mindset, like I'm going to do it perfect or I'm just not going to do it at all. Uh-huh.
01:04:19
Speaker
Which is crazy. Right. And not sustainable. Oh, perfect. like the rubber band actually aspect. Yeah. That's really helpful to put it into perspective of like, yeah, you actually stretch too far past your capacity and then you're to snap back to where you are or maybe even.
01:04:37
Speaker
you know, further past where you grew to right? Yeah. That's what tends to happen. Well, and you know, we're estheticians. And so just think of the first time that you learned how to cleanse the face. Yeah. It was crazy. Like we did not know what we were doing. You know what I mean? And it felt boring and it felt awkward. Totally. and that's just with everything. And so going into something thinking that you have to be perfect is I think where people get really tripped up.
01:05:04
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. The next one is my favorite, and that's our dopamine issues as a society. So the reason why most people fail at wellness is because our dopamine is so dysregulated because we get such quick hits of dopamine through, especially social media is always going to be my best example of that, that it's really taken the um aspect of Success out of the equation because, you know, success has always been achieved through discomfort.
01:05:41
Speaker
Yes. Okay, well, now as a society, we're unwilling to be uncomfortable because we can literally just open our phone and get quick dopamine hits. I listened to a whole podcast about this yesterday and it's kind of making us dumber more unsuccessful as a society because our dopamine is all out of whack. And so that is something that is worth considering. i always...
01:06:12
Speaker
I'm very aware when my dopamine is really, really off And you know, too, because you get all the memes in your inbox. And I'm sure you're like, okay, she's like doing this again, you know, but that's, it's so normal. And we know that because we work with so many people who also get caught in that loop, but the dopamine dysregulation is real And it's something to consider. And it depends on why your dopamine is messed up. But I do think most commonly, this is a social media problem. um And so that's really easy to fail at wellness and becoming successful at these things is because
01:06:55
Speaker
You know, implementing, of course, micro habits are easier to implement, but when it comes to like reaching larger goals, we do have to set those micro habits. And so if your dopamine is really dysregulated, it is going to make this process a lot harder. Yeah. Well, I think ah you to take it even further than social media, I think it's having a computer in our pocket all the time. Yeah, I have literally our phones in our hand all the time. So we have access to music, podcasts, social media, games on our phone. You know, I know some people that sit and play blocks like at a restaurant because they just don't know how to be still or quiet or like have a conversation. And so it really does come back to like a smartphone thing, I think more than anything. And um
01:07:41
Speaker
That's where your dopamine is just, it gets so depleted because we just have constant unlimited access to free dopamine all the time. Yeah. I mean, it really becomes like, why would I sit down and do this big project? hu That's hard. Feels uncomfortable. It's going to take a long time. It's your mind and your capacity. Don't love doing it. You know, when I could just open my phone.
01:08:06
Speaker
Yeah. And feel dopamine. That's too easy. it's it is It's just too easy. And so again, it does come back to that self-discipline and that self-devotion of, of being, I think, aware is a really great first step on where your dopamine is and if it's depleted and when you like slip back into it, right? Like you just said, when you're on social media and you're sending the memes, you know, yeah and you're aware and you've come so far in that because, yeah.
01:08:32
Speaker
you know what to do. Exactly. Yes. So dopamine is definitely something to consider too. So now let's talk about micro habits that actually move the needle. So do you want to give these examples? Yeah, these are so tangible and so easy. So drinking water in the morning before you have coffee.
01:08:56
Speaker
getting up and just having your water bottle. I'm going to take this a little bit deeper on this. That's another micro habit getting your water ready the night before, before you go to bed. So if you like ice in your water, your hydro jug, whatever it is, getting that prepped and ready and on the counter next to your coffee pot so it's ready to go. And then when you wake up in the morning, just drink water before you have that first cup of coffee.
01:09:21
Speaker
that gets you hydrated. If you want electrolytes in there, you know, even better, but that really does spark your digestion, helps with your hydration. um And i think it helps with your mental clarity as well.
01:09:35
Speaker
Next micro habit, stepping outside for two to five minutes. This is something that I, when I read this list that you sent over, I'm like, Hmm, That is really interesting ah to incorporate, obviously, throughout the day. But like, what could that look like in the morning?
01:09:50
Speaker
do you do that in the morning? A lot of people do. i do not. But a lot of people do. In fact, I'll tell you, when I was working on my gut health and getting my health back in order in 2021, when I was really struggling, she said, like, preferably as the sun starts to come up, step outside, put your feet in the grass and look at the sun. and I don't like at the time I lived in an apartment. So that was a little harder. And I still don't, even though I live in a house, but a lot of people do. Now, when i i when I have, so having this in this list also, I think that that can even be maybe between appointments. Do you need to just walk outside for a second and like take a deep breath? I know for me, when I'm working from home, especially i i go on short walks throughout the day instead of grabbing my phone.
01:10:45
Speaker
And so like yesterday was a very, very good example. i was moving from task to task to task and between each task, I would go get a new drink and then i would go on a walk around my block and I accomplished so much and I felt so great. And so, um I think that so this does step outside for two to five minutes. I think even if you can just like walk outside and take a deep breath and see the sunshine like that is enough. but You know, what is so interesting is that in my plan with Carrie, one thing I have to check in on on a daily basis is my sun exposure.
01:11:25
Speaker
So that's something I track on a daily basis is how much time I'm actually outside. And there's obviously so much science to support how important that is. and I just can't second it enough. So however little mini things you can do to get outside during the day, even if it's just for a few minutes, I do think it's really important and it does help to reset you.
01:11:48
Speaker
Oh, for sure. So yeah, I like I'm thinking of the esthetician here. So like when you're with clients to either stack your schedule, so you have a little bit of breathing room throughout your day to go for a quick walk around the block or to go stand outside on the porch or whatever for just a couple minutes.
01:12:06
Speaker
a couple times throughout your day, i think could be so, so powerful. I'm pretty good about that too, about especially when I'm like in the office all day and then I go straight to seeing clients, I'll make sure I go and like, I'll walk and go get a coffee or I walk down to the post office or, um, and it does reset your nervous system. And it's just, that's like that natural dopamine. and I think that we need,
01:12:28
Speaker
that we don't even realize, right? And tuning into like your senses when you are outside, like what do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? Right? yeah And um so powerful. Okay, let's move on. So taking three deep breaths between each client, whether you can get outside or not I think this is such a powerful micro habit that you and can incorporate and just being still for a minute and really focusing on your breath. And like when we did our, um, our check-in, was that in the mastermind? We're talking about yesterday morning. yeah Yeah. And you were really, you, when you are doing that guided, um, what do we call it?
01:13:14
Speaker
checkin and I just call it like grounding together, but it's kind of like a little prayer and meditation and breath work before we start every call in our mastermind or our live call. yeah But really you were guiding us to like breathe deep into our belly and not just keep it right here in our chest. And that I was really aware of. And I feel like that make it a bigger...
01:13:34
Speaker
bigger difference to just really get that breath deep in your belly. So I would guide you as our listener when you are taking three deep breaths, three to five deep breaths to make sure you're going in all the way and feeling it in your belly, not just holding it in your lungs, holding it at the top and really just be focused as you breathe deep. i Such a good micro habit.
01:13:58
Speaker
Okay. Another micro habit that actually moves the needle phone free window slash social media control. going to let you dive a little bit on this because you have focused on this for a long time for yourself.
01:14:10
Speaker
Yeah. so i I think there's a couple of different things. I mean,
01:14:19
Speaker
As often as you can leave your phone somewhere else is great, you know? So at night, my phone is never in my bedroom with me. yeah It's usually either out in the kitchen. Sometimes it's in my bathroom. i actually have a separate alarm clock. I don't use my phone all the time unless I'm traveling. And so as much as you can be away from your phone is great. Sometimes I go for walks without my phone. I will definitely leave my phone behind.
01:14:44
Speaker
And, um you know, I think maybe a good example as an esthetician, especially as like, you do not need your phone in the treatment room with you, leave it in the break room or something like leave it somewhere else or, You know, for moms like you, for instance, when you're at your kids' games, besides like talking to me, I love that and everything, but maybe you leave your phone in your car. So the point is just like, when do you really not need your phone?
01:15:12
Speaker
Like, is it really necessary for you to have your phone on you all the time? No. So maybe just create like 10 to 15 minute windows throughout the day where your phone is gone, you know, so it's not hours. Again, we're talking about micro habits. So find these small points throughout your day when you can just walk away from your phone. Um, and then social media controls. There's, I use the Opal app. I'm blocked from social media completely from 8 to 8 AM. m And then from nine to six, I have it on a more moderate setting where I can get in there if I need to. But it definitely makes me think about it for a long time. Like, are you really sure you want to do this right now? But then after 15 minutes, it kicks me back off of it. And so the Opal app for me has been huge. There's another thing called Brick where you can implement that too. And I think the thing about Brick, I'm pretty sure, but definitely Opal is you can choose what you're blocked from. Yeah. You know, so i also need to be blocked from Pinterest. Yeah. um So I have all my social media and Pinterest blocked.
01:16:17
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. You have that full control too for whatever you're like lean towards on the Opal app for sure. And it's really, it is really beneficial, especially if you feel like you're in a chokehold with social media and you don't really know how to start getting out of it Highly recommend the Opal app. It will change your life.
01:16:35
Speaker
Yeah. Even on weekends, i actually have full blocks. So from nine to five, I actually cannot access it Saturday, Sunday. And then again, from like eight to eight every single night I can't access it too. So even on the weekends, my access to social media is very limited. Yeah. And it's a different form of accountability, right?
01:16:54
Speaker
um Which is so great for me personally, for my own phone-free windows. Like I have a really... um strict boundary around I don't get on my phone the first hour that I'm awake for sure. So it's usually not until long after like seven, sometimes it's even 730 or sometimes it's not even till eight till I really turn off my do not disturb and start checking messages and even get on social media. And then I've started well I have for a long time but I'm not taking my phone to the bathroom tub with me. I'll take a book instead and, or even taking it into the bathroom with me when I'm doing like going to get in the tub or have, do my skincare routine or, um, have that self-care window. And so those are just little tiny micro habits that aren't huge. They're not anything like groundbreaking. It's made such an important impact in my life though.
01:17:47
Speaker
Definitely. All right, and another micro habit that actually moves the needle is adding, not restricting in meals. i think this is such a good point and a good a good topic to talk about.
01:18:01
Speaker
i think just women in general and in society, it's all about like, don't do this, don't eat this, restrict this, and it just feels tight. It feels like we're just like living, I don't know, on such a short, tight rope.
01:18:18
Speaker
And it's exhausting. <unk> Absolutely. so what do you, what can you add to that? Well, yeah i mean, three meals a day is usually still not enough, but everyone's different. Everybody eats different amounts. Everybody's body needs something just a little bit different. And so, just make sure you're not going hungry. I hope you guys realize at this point, if you don't know, now you're going to know the less you eat, the slower your metabolism becomes.
01:18:46
Speaker
Yeah, stop there. Cause I will keep going on that. Um, eat more and move more and you'll improve your metabolism. So eating less does not do anything for you. It really does work against you. Um, so, you know, add in a meal. I think the point of this one being in there is like, make sure that you're nourishing yourself. And that's why I also added the next one is pack snacks. Um, So I literally never leave the house without a meal or a snack on me.
01:19:15
Speaker
i just don't do it. Right. Or if I do, then I'll stop at a gas station and like, you know, maybe grab a diet Coke and some almonds or something, but I really don't let myself get overly hungry. it is so important to nurture yourself, nurture your body, love it, take care of it. Starving it is not the answer.
01:19:35
Speaker
It's not, if you want to lose weight, eat more food and work out more, lift more weights, do some hip cardio and go on some walks and it will completely change your physique. So I think it again, as part of our generation and how we were raised as like thinking, don't eat carbs, don't do this, don't do this. And so, yeah, my point of both of those is nurturing your body.
01:20:00
Speaker
Well, and it leads to your mental health too. So if you're like struggling with brain fog or you are feeling kind of like down in the dumps, like truly those micro habits, but especially around nutrition and nurturing your body in and such a healthy way really does make such a big difference. I can attest to that. I know you can attest to that.
01:20:22
Speaker
Absolutely. Do you have any personal examples? A couple of things you'd want to add? Um, micro. Yeah, I mean, okay so i have, I make sure that I pack my lunch. I know that's on top of packing snacks. I pack snacks too, but I'll meal prep like on Sunday and for my week ahead and make sure that I have a lunch because there's a lot of days like today, for example, where my day is pretty packed. And if I hadn't a packed food, I don't even have time to go grab lunch and I don't want to eat out either. And so to really stay devoted to like my health and nutrition, when I do pack my food, I'm very intentional about it. I'm making sure that I'm eating healthy food and nourishing food for my body and my mental health. And taking the time like over the weekend to do a little bit of meal prep and
01:21:14
Speaker
makes such a big difference in how my week goes. So that is one personal example.
Simplifying Routines for Success
01:21:19
Speaker
um Another one is i will pack like my gym bag the night before so that I'm not like rushed. I kind of just like plan my workout routine. the night before. So I pack my gym bag, I make sure that's ready to go and by the door. And then I'll kind of review like what my workout looks like for tomorrow so that I'm not like surprised for anything. I am a planner like that. I do like to know what I'm getting into ahead of time. So I can mentally wrap my head around it before I jump into it.
01:21:50
Speaker
And that seems to take a lot of ease and stress off for me. But when I was working out at home, but because I did, because when my kids were really little, getting to the gym was not feasible for me, so i were I was doing my workouts at home. I would always set my workout clothes out in the bathroom the night before. That was such a big micro habit that made such a big difference. Instead of,
01:22:11
Speaker
okay, my alarm's going to go off at five. I'm struggling getting out of bed and I still got a rifle in the dark for all of my stuff and try not to wake up my household and my husband. And it just was like this chaotic, like it was already hard and I was making it harder. And then I was like, oh, I could actually just prep my water and my workout and have it just sitting in the bathroom ready to go. And so once i drug myself out of bed, it was just like ready and easy. I didn't have to like mentally think about it.
01:22:38
Speaker
I love that. And I think that that really is the most powerful thing that you share is getting, taking a few minutes to do those few things at night so that then when it's morning, you know, your coffee's ready. You just like push the button, your water's already to go. The supplements are somewhere close where you really can't forget to take them. It's really, again, setting yourself up for success later. um just Really, really easy things like that. So I love sharing that. One of mine that I would share that I joke around about all the time is when I'm filling up my water at the fridge, that's when I do breath work. So instead of freaking out.
01:23:20
Speaker
It's like taking forever. And we all do that. I really do take that time to close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths while I'm filling up my water. And that's a great way to ground myself, you know, just in the middle of the day, chill out, I do the same thing at night, and it just like brings my nervous system down while I'm preparing.
01:23:40
Speaker
to go to bed and preparing things for the morning. um Another one that I have done recently is I got a red light panel for Christmas. I bought myself a light panel, nothing crazy. I got it on Amazon and, you know, habit stacking, stacking these micro habits and adding that into something you're already doing is also key. And so, because I already like sit in my sunroom and I pray and my met I meditate and I read my devotion and I have a gratitude journal, that's like a little more macro But I was like, that would be the perfect time to turn the red light on. Yeah. You know, and so I just kind of stacked that little micro habit into something that I was already doing, which is just another good point is stacking habits is so easy to do. So if there's something you want to implement, ask yourself where you could add that into something that you're already doing.
01:24:32
Speaker
Yeah, kind of multi multitasking at its finest, you know. um So yeah, I like if you want to like get back to your self care and skincare routine, like any year, you could multi mask and do a mask in the morning while you're doing like your devotional or your meditation. So just a tiny little example.
01:24:50
Speaker
Yes. Love it so I just wanted to add in here, of course, bridging into micro habits, macro habits, sorry. So you can add those macro habits later. Okay.
Transition from Micro to Macro Habits
01:25:04
Speaker
If there's something big that you want to do, like Tiffany was saying that very beginning, it's like stepping stones. You really want to implement these micro habits first, and that is going to bridge you into being able to really keep up with those macro habits. Again, you have to learn to walk before you can run. And so the micro habits will create the foundation. And those macro habits are where you then expand your capacity because your nervous system at that point is going to be more ready to go to the gym a few times per week because you've led yourself to being able to do that. So you kind of earn consistency, if you will, and then you can layer in intention with those more macro habits. And the key idea here is just that the micro keeps you grounded, where the macro can really help you grow. So macro habits are going to be things like going to the gym. That is more of a macro habit. And again, it doesn't need to be that you're going to start it fast. five to six days per week. Can we just start out with twice per week and get comfortable with that before we continue to build? And so even with those macro habits, you still kind of want to step your way in into building up to going, you know, five times per week.
01:26:20
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. So um other examples, I just wanted to give more examples would be like going on walks, like longer walks and implementing that. That's more of a macro habit um for mental clarity and nervous system dysregulation. i go on walks every single day. i leave my house at 830 and then I go on however long of a walk I need to to Feel good to process things to reach my step goal for the day. And that's what gets me ready for bed. I love it
01:26:53
Speaker
Another one is things like meditation. Don't let meditation overwhelm you. Meditation is more just about. letting thoughts pass through you it's okay that thoughts come up. That's the point. That's what your brain does. It's more just about becoming quiet enough to separate yourself from those thoughts and letting them flow through. and so just five, starting with five to 10 minutes per day, and that's still a macro habit, like meditation in general. To me, that's a little more macro, but we can get there by just implementing meditation silence a few times per day with some breath work and just learning to sit in stillness for a minute. Another one is reading. You know, so many people are like, I want to read more. Awesome. Start out with two pages a day and then we can build up to that macro habit of reading more so that we have more mental input versus constant output.
01:27:51
Speaker
And then um I'm going to just say intentional alone time. is another macro habit that's really important and can look different for everybody.
Empowerment Through Alone Time and Identity Building
01:28:05
Speaker
But I think especially as women, we do need to make sure that that is a thing.
01:28:11
Speaker
Right. And I think that is to have that sustainable, intentional alone time. You really do um need to start small instead of having I think it can like, I know I've gotten to the point where i'm like, okay, I need some alone time and I want to clear my whole schedule. Nothing matters because I'm like, that is so important. And then it doesn't stay right. And so working that intentional alone time and having just some quiet time, wherever that does work for you in your routine. And so like right now it's just my morning routine and that's great. And it's really needed. And I really value my morning time. And that's what drives me to get out of bed.
01:28:53
Speaker
you know, cause I am so busy right now. And though that intentional alone time shifts for me, I think it does for everybody depending on the season that you're in. Yeah.
01:29:04
Speaker
Definitely. Well, and I think as a woman too, I would just add that our nervous systems are not wired to think that that's okay. And that's also why it's really important to have some micro alone time so that then you can build up to like a half a day or a full day of a alone time as a woman.
01:29:24
Speaker
Mm hmm. We talk about that with almost every one of our coaching clients too. It's really important, but it's very uncomfortable for most women to be like, I'm just going to take the whole day off for me. You know, we're like, okay, well, let's start here then and get really comfortable with that so that we can build up to being able to do that like once a month or whatever that is. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
01:29:46
Speaker
Okay. So anyways, Those macro habits are not daily musts at first. They're just some examples of things that we can work out to that are more macro that really create change. And these become natural when those micro habits are more consistent. So avoid turning macro into another pressure cycle. That's why today we leaned very hard into habits.
01:30:14
Speaker
um So how to start just some examples, we can start with one to two micro habits. Again, we want to build our nervous system up to comfort with these and that's not going to happen overnight. So just start with one to two. And then like I said, stack them into existing routines. Right. So don't necessarily create it's an entirely new routine for yourself. Just stick them in some, somewhere that you're already doing something. Tiffany gave some great examples. Let the macro habits come in gradually. So don't force those things. I think just tune in and you're going to get to a place when you know you're ready for more macro habits
01:30:57
Speaker
And then track your consistency instead of perfection, right? And if you veer off the path, just come back to it. And start at the top. Like start, if you do veer off the path, come back to it with one to two micro habits. Yep. Don't have to completely get back to where you were if that's not sustainable for you at the time.
01:31:19
Speaker
So that is really important is just go back to to what you know worked before. and gradually ease in and none of us are striving for perfection, even though a lot of us that is our, um,
01:31:35
Speaker
that is kind of how we're designed. Like I know that's how I am designed and I've had to let go of a lot of my perfectionism over the years. And because it's just, it's too heavy. i don't want it you know?
01:31:48
Speaker
It's a lot of pressure. It's just a lot of pressure. Yeah. And I think I would add too, as, as you're building in these micro habits into your, into your current routine, you're and letting them build on each other and getting some momentum behind it to really be aware of your wins within that and how you feel. i think that's so important. And I even forget to do that because I really don't, I don't really recognize it until maybe they go out the window and I'm like, oh, that actually was working. I just didn't really realize it. Yeah. And it's like gone. I'm like, oh, I'm striving even more to get that back. Does that make sense?
01:32:28
Speaker
So just being very aware of what is working, how you're feeling, the flow that you naturally fall into um and recognizing that and giving like gratitude to that, I think helps those micro habits turn into macro habits.
01:32:46
Speaker
I'll give you um something that you and I are relatively good at most of the time is when we lay in bed at night, we have like a little bit of a prayer slash gratitude moment and go back through the entire day. And I know last night when I did that, I was like, whoa, I really did great today. You know, but in the moment, like you're saying, we don't always realize how great we're doing or how well things are working. And so that's one micro habit. Like you're already going to get into bed. So take a minute before you fall asleep and express gratitude and walk through every part of your day. And that is what helps things stick to your expressing gratitude and bringing awareness And so it's going to stick with you better, i think. And that has made a huge difference for me over the years, for sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yes. Okay. So we're not talking about overhauling your life. Wellness is just built in small, repeatable moments. And your life will shift when your daily patterns shift.
01:33:53
Speaker
Yeah. I think that's that's just the key to it all is... not feeling like you have to overhaul anything, not feeling like you have to wipe the slate clean and start completely over to like achieve the dreams that you really have or want, or to create this life that you're striving for and to be the person you really want to be. it really is built on these micro habits, these very small and sustainable shifts, the stepping stones, if you will, and recognizing them being intentional with them and um,
01:34:27
Speaker
I think giving gratitude to them too. I think just being aware of them. I agree. And if you really work backwards, like we recommend, I mean, if you have this vision for yourself and this identity and, you know, these goals, then really work backwards and ask yourself, what would that version of me, what would those micro habits look like?
01:34:50
Speaker
so If you kind of don't know what micro habits to start implementing, think about the type of person you're working on becoming. Mm-hmm. And then work backwards from there and start with the micro habits.
01:35:03
Speaker
Yeah. What does she like? What does her day look like? What does her meals look like? What does her workout routine look like? What does her schedule look like? You know, you really can start implementing and you can even, i think, utilize chat for that. You know, and so um we definitely recommend and if you really don't know where to start, do some vision writing, do some vision work. And then if you need to plug that into chat and um and i I know that if you do bring just attention to it, those ideas and those those micro habits specifically for you will come up for you.
01:35:43
Speaker
You're opening that door to them. They will come right through. Yeah. yeah ah Agreed. So fun. Thank you so much for joining us for such a good episode today.
Holistic Wellness and Community Engagement
01:35:53
Speaker
i do think it's really important that we just acknowledge that Beyond Aesthetics is about the esthetician as a whole person. And so having these conversations is really important to us and stay tuned for how we decide to add that into our membership and... If you aren't a member yet, obviously we would love so much to have you.
01:36:14
Speaker
And we're so grateful to have you here. Either way, we couldn't be more grateful for you and for listening to the podcast and just being a part of our vision and a part of our world. We're very, very grateful for you. And you can find us on Instagram and TikTok at The Beyond Aesthetics. You can find me at Jessguidesesties.com.
01:36:40
Speaker
Tiff, where can people find you? You can find me on all the places at Sweet Cheeks University. We love to connect with you. We love to hear from you. Like we said in the beginning of this episode, it really does make our whole day and our hearts swell so much when you just share your takeaways or you slide into our dms or just no matter what, we do love to hear from you. And so we are so grateful. that you're here. And if you are interested in becoming a member, just visit us at sweetcheeksuniversity.com. Um, that membership info is in the dropdown menu up at the right.
01:37:14
Speaker
And if you have questions, you can always reach out to us anywhere. Um, you can also email us to hello at beyond aesthetics, coaching.com. Yes. And all of those links are in the show notes too. So yeah,
01:37:28
Speaker
All right, guys have pretty dreams. We'll see you in the next episode. Bye Tiff. Bye.