A Nutritionist's Guide To Recharging Your Batteries

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If there’s one thing that I’m commonly asked, it’s how I manage to rest and relax in between growing my business. The truth is that it can be challenging to find time to care for yourself. After all, a rested body is a healthy body, which is why I prioritise self-care.

Here are some of my favourite practices.

Jess Sepel’s top tips for rest and replenishment:

1. Practise yoga

A few times a week, I practise some gentle yogic postures. They’re so powerful in re-setting the body and connecting us with the breath.

BODY LOVE WORKOUTS 💜 I feel like we are all putting too much pressure on ourselves when it comes to working out.... You get me? These days I only workout in ways that I love..to FEEL good - with a kindle and gentle approach. Long gone are the 2 hour boot camp sessions that I truly did not enjoy 😫I exercise because I love and care about my body, not because I have to. These days it's so moderate and so enjoyable. 30 mins is all I need and what I recommend in my 8 week program. Oh and I enjoy REST days - because women need more rest 😀Exercise used to be about punishing my body because of my 'diet sins'...I used to feel so much pressure to do a hardcore workout everyday to "burn calories" - gosh it was so stressful and exhausting. Who can relate? NOT ANYMORE GIRLS✨I refuse 🙅 * SO, JS girls!! COMMENT below with your favourite way to workout that you TRULY LOVE 😀 I really wanna know 😘 ok,I'll go first: YOGA and NATURE WALKS 😀 Your turn!

2. Establish a nourishing nighttime routine

Set a time to switch off technology and social media at a certain time each night (mine is 8 pm). Instead, make yourself a bubble bath, enjoy a cup of tea and listen to some calming music.

3. Swim in the ocean

If you are near the beach, schedule in an ocean swim and book time. 20 minutes is all you need!

I went from hateful towards my body - to truly grateful. ✨ And I've never felt so free and peaceful. My gals, you deserve to feel this freedom too x #jshealth

4. Treat yourself

Book yourself in for a massage. If you prefer a low budget option, opt for a Thai or Chinese massage.

5. Spend a night in alone

Hop into bed with a JSHealth dinner and some Netflix. There's nothing wrong with taking some time to relax by yourself.

This is definitely not insta worthy and that's OK. I was trying to capture the perfect insta worthy photo of me looking radiant and energized about life to post with a heartfelt body love message tonight - Because that's what we do, we feel this pressure to post the best and perfect parts of our life and angles of our bodies on social media. I personally feel tons of pressure to be ON and energized all the time as a health figure. Then I thought, keep it bloody real Jess. Let the community see the reality of this moment (that is happening as I type this) because that's my truth, and my truth has always connected me to you ❤️ Here I am in bed (since 3pm), struck with utter exhaustion, and very little motivation and energy to do anything - especially exercise, cook or do my usual health prep. Am I beating myself up? Not really. I'm heartbroken about losing my bestie and overwhelmed with what it takes to run a business. I also just totally crashed after a huge work week shooting book 3 and working at events most of the weekend. So I'm not going to pretend it's all pretty, tidy and perfect. Social media can be dangerous like that. I have bad and low days too. That's ok. My mum always says, "not everyday feels good and it's not meant to". I wholeheartedly love and appreciate my life. I'm not complaining about it one bit- but everyone has down days. For some reason, we expect everyday to feel good and perfect. It's important we share some realness online - so we don't feel alone with our thoughts and feelings. Isn't it funny, we're so "connected" to one another these days online. But in so many way, we feel more alone than ever - because we not sharing the reality, or our struggles, or our day to day life challenges - and therefore it's harder to feel a sense of support and genuine care. I feel alone with my struggles too. Truly. So, let's share more 🤗 Let's keep it more real. Let's judge less and feel ok with not always being ON and energized. We are wayyyyy too hard on ourselves. Also, we never know what someone may be going through - so BE KIND. I'm always here supporting you. J

6. Enjoy time in nature

Take some time off social media and spend 20 or 30 minutes in nature.

7. Repeat positive affirmations

Every morning, I wake up and quietly repeat positive affirmations. I say thing such as, “Thank you for the abundance in my life,” and, “I practise gratitude for my healthy body,” which help me feel thankful and put me in a positive frame of mind for the day.

I don't have abs and a flat stomach like every model on my social media, so does it mean I'm not good enough, sexy, healthy and fit? Well, I truthfully question it at times. And I'm angry/sad at myself for it. . Today, I got hit again with the reality of the world I am in - and the pressure of perfection we feel on Instagram. This morning I was snapping myself wearing my sissies new hat collection and noticed how different my body could look in different angles and lighting. I noticed it didn't look like what I see on my social feed everyday. I got immediately hit with a ton of pressure and comparison. Because of it, I was automatically about to post just the image on the left - because that's what we all feel we should post.....the most perfect image in the perfect angle, shape, lighting. The highlight reel. . Then I thought, uha uha.. let everyone see the real me today, the non perfect angle. I thought, don't be another person who may provoke comparison or perfection in others. Feel free and confident enough to post the other angle with perhaps a little extra PMS bloat - without the fear of judgment. It wasn't comfortable to do. And, That's the problem. I wanted to also remind my community (and myself) that our bodies can look different depending on the angle, lighting and times of the month. We are seeing so many models and fitspo on social media with the perfect flat stomachs and bodies... and actually feeling like the odd ones out for not being able to compete with that or look like that? This breaks my heart and causes us to be SO hard on ourselves. We don't have to have abs to be classified as healthy and fit? And it's not the reality of how most people look on a day to day basis. Most of us don't have photoshop and personal makeup artists. What we see, isn't always reality. So, If I feel this pressure at times...How are our angel teenagers feeling? How will my future kids feel? Pressure to be perfect? I think so. This community is one of the strongest group of females I'll ever know. We have to come together and remind one another that we are all so beautifully unique. We don't need to look like anyone else to fit or feel sexy or to feel confident.

Jessica Sepel

Nutritionist and best-selling health author Jessica Sepel is one of the founding members of the Women’s Health Fitfluential Network. Jess believes in inspiring us to “nourish our bodies rather than punish them […] I believe our diet culture has caused women to have a complex relationship with food and their bodies."