PERSONAL COLUMN: DOUBLING DOWN ON A TAILORED WELLBEING PRACTICE AS MY SAVIOUR DURING A STRESSFUL TIME
This January started like it has many times before for me. With a dip in energy. A lymphatic system that feels clotted. A cycle that says no to more changes and force – because no matter how long I’ve been balancing my PCOS diagnosis (a hormonal imbalance that shapes various parts of my health), it’s a condition of life I must respect. Too long a period of stress, travel, or changes, and my body instantaneously protests. The fact that it’s cold outside and the daylight is scarce only adds to the sensitivity.
It’s a common thing I’ve noticed: when things feel demanding, yoga, exercise, meditation, and good food habits are often the first things to go. Calm feels harder to access – maybe because we tell ourselves there isn’t time. Structure loosens, and instead there’s a pull to move faster, stay busier, and hold everything together by doing more, even when the system underneath is already under strain. I bet you know the feeling.
But, unlike previous times, I now don’t freak out. Instead, I listen. And I design my days and my practices to support me in regaining homeostasis, rather than trying to push my way out of where I am.
INSTEAD OF ABANDONING MY GOOD PRACTICES ALTOGETHER, I’VE LEARNED TO FLIP THE INSTINCT – AND THAT’S WHAT I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
Rather than trying to run faster or push through, this month I’m designing a practice that actually supports me emotionally first. Because if I’m a mess emotionally speaking, my mental health starts to suffer. Stress and anxiety tip me straight into ‘doing mode’. My thoughts start running wild, my inner critic gets louder, and I feel this constant urge to stay busy. My jaw tightens, and my body is clearly under strain. I’ve learned the hard way that none of this supports my cycle or my lymphatic system returning to balance.
So what I’m interested in right now isn’t discipline or consistency for the sake of it. It’s capacity built on self-kindness. Having enough internal space to move through a stressful period without burning out, numbing out, or collapsing underneath it all.
That means my practice looks very different to what it might in a more expansive season. It’s less about achievement and more about regulation, care, support, and nourishment. Less about intensity and more about circulation, warmth, and settling the system.
I’m choosing to be extra kind to myself and using practices that help my body feel safe again. Slower movements. Resistance training with breath. Warmth. Gentle rhythms. Reading a book on the sofa under a blanket. Things that support flow rather than demand output. Things that meet me where I am, instead of asking me to be somewhere else. Because all of this allows me to respect what’s actually happening. When my body sees that I’m listening and adapting my actions accordingly, I’m building emotional safety. And it’s this sense of safety that allows my system to come out of stress mode and move back towards balance.
“What I’m doing is teaching myself I can count on me.”
Even in wellbeing spaces, there’s a strange pressure to keep up appearances when life feels hard. To maintain the same routines. The same practices. The same sense of control. But when the nervous system is under strain, forcing structure can become just another form of stress. Listening and giving ourselves the experience that we matter is a huge healer.
But in this process, I’m reminded that wellbeing and practice were never meant to be something we perform when life is easy. It’s meant to be tools we pull out when life isn’t.
Right now, my practice isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t tick lots of productivity or physical strength boxes. But it’s supportive. And that feels far more important.
I don’t think this approach is unique to me. I think many of us would benefit from asking a different question when things feel demanding. If you feel this might be for you, the questions below offer a way to reflect and create a tailored wellbeing practice – not by adding pressure, but by discovering your needs so you can care for where you are right now.
REFLECTIONS FOR A TAILORED WELLBEING PRACTICE
1. WHAT MOVEMENT DOES MY BODY NEED TO FEEL SUPPORTED AT THIS MOMENT?
This isn’t about what your mind tells you you should be doing, or what you usually do when you’re feeling strong. It’s about feeling into what would help your body feel safer, more spacious, or more nourished right now. That might be strength training, Pilates, gentle stretching, yoga, slower walks, rest, or even playfulness through something like paddle tennis. The question isn’t “what burns the most calories?” – it’s “what supports me?”
2. WHAT KIND OF FOOD, AND HOW MUCH REST, DOES MY BODY NEED TO RECHARGE?
Rather than defaulting to rules or routines, this is an invitation to notice. Do you need more grounding meals? More warmth? Fewer stimulants? Earlier nights? Sometimes nourishment isn’t about adding more – it’s about simplifying and letting the system catch up.
3. WHICH THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST CREATE TENSION – AND WHICH ONES NOURISH ME?
Not everything needs to be done right now. Some tasks can wait, especially in seasons where capacity is lower. If something consistently drains you and isn’t urgent, this may not be the moment for it. Ask yourself what actually supports your energy, and what quietly depletes it.
4. DOES MY IMMUNE OR HORMONAL SYSTEM NEED SUPPORT RIGHT NOW?
This isn’t about self-diagnosing. It’s about recognising when support is needed. That might mean consulting with someone qualified – like a doctor to get your blood work done to check vitamin levels, or seeing a hormonal expert, nutritionist, naturopath, or TCM practitioner – rather than guessing or pushing through.
5. HOW DO I WANT TO FEEL – AND HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT STATE, RATHER THAN FORCE IT?
Rested. Strong. Calm. Clear. Fit. Whatever you’re aiming for, the question becomes: what choices would help me arrive there steadily? What needs to be prioritised – and what might need to be let go, at least for now?
“Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is slow down, listen, and allow our practices to change with us – instead of leaving them behind when we need them most.”
Gently reminding you that I’m now taking on three new clients to support them on their transformation journey. If you’d like a free discovery call, do reach out.
Much love,
Mai
