Hi my loves, 

This week on the poddy we interviewed the amazing Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw about their new book You Take Care (listen here). 

We had a chat about all things health and one thing I loved from their book is the approach they took when speaking about health. They came from the perspective of it having three pillars - mind, body & connection. 

Mind refers to our mental and emotional state.  Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, and it’s essential to look after both. This goes deeper than just meditating (which is important) but it’s things like starting to be more vulnerable, navigating shame and even managing things like mum guilt. 

Body - Our body is what carries us through life, it’s the vessel that allows us to physically experience life. Our physical health is so important to our overall well-being. At a base level this involves exercising and eating nutritious foods but extends to ‘unlearning how to hate your body’, accepting your body during pregnancy and learning how to best navigate your fitness journey. 

Connection - I LOVE that this was spoken about in the book because it’s something that I feel is often overlooked when it comes to our health. This is related to our relationships with others and our sense of belonging. It also touches on setting goals and putting in an extraordinary effort so that you can see extraordinary results but also respecting the seasons of our lives that we are in and not falling into hustle culture.

I’d like to challenge you on your definition of health, here are some prompts you can journal on: 

• What do you currently define health as? 
• Are you prioritising one aspect of your health over the rest?
• How do you feel about the three pillars - mind, body & connection? Do they resonate with you?
• Are there any other pillars that you would like to make a part of your health?
• What do you currently do on a weekly basis that builds on each of your pillars of health? Do you need to include more? 

I’d love to hear how your concept of health has evolved. We'll pop a post in the R&C Poddy Community FB group so feel free to join us in there to have a chat. 

Love always,

G xx