For our latest conversation, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Kelly Allison, a specialist in kinesiology and holistic counselling. Kelly’s insights into managing mental health through simple at-home practices come at a crucial time as many people face the pressures of rising living costs.
In our chat, Kelly shared some fantastic, easy-to-implement wellness tips that can help anyone find a bit more balance and peace in their daily lives. We talked about everything from the benefits of journaling and meditation to the power of creating a healing sanctuary right at home. Kelly’s approach is all about making wellness accessible and practical, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, can take steps towards better mental health.
Kelly, with the rising cost of living impacting mental health, what are some affordable and simple at-home wellness practices that people can incorporate into their daily routines?
Journalling, meditating, reading are effective and affordable options you can do at home. Things like breathwork and yoga are easily accessible online. We live in the information age, there are countless resources available to help us become more self-aware and work on our spiritual development than ever before.
Talk to your friends and ask who they follow, whose books they read, jump online and become curious about what information there is that could be beneficial to you. Trust your instincts: when you find someone you like, trust that feeling and equally if someone’s advice or philosophies doesn’t align with yours, trust that feeling too!
You mentioned that many clients look for a “quick fix” to alleviate discomfort. How can individuals start to explore their emotional pain and support themselves without immediately seeking external help?
The best thing to do is stop and sit with the discomfort and let your thoughts flow, you might be really surprised at what comes up. We often have a greater awareness than we realise. Next, Start by taking a few deep breaths to connect with your body. Then ask yourself: What am I feeling? Can you describe it ? Why do you think you might be feeling how you are right now?
Try and identify where you feel it in your body? Don’t overthink it, trust the first thing that comes to mind. Is it in my stomach, do I feel it in my chest, is my heart racing or is it stuck up in my head? Now that you’ve identified the feeling and where it is in your body, ask yourself, what colour is it then give it a shape. Again, try not to overthink and trust the first thing that comes to mind.
The purpose of this exercise is to help the brain conceptualise something that previously was intangible. Now that it is a tangible object, you can choose to release it from your energy body. And you can do this in countless ways. Let your imagination run wild. I often simply imagine the object gently releasing from my body as I breathe. With each breath it gets smaller and smaller until it’s no longer there.
Creating a healing sanctuary with nature sounds wonderful. Can you share some tips on how to make this space, especially for those who might live in urban areas with limited access to green spaces?
Living in the inner city myself, I understand the importance of connecting to nature. My current view is of houses and cars and concrete ! To create that connection to nature, I start at home. I have filled every room with plants of all shapes and sizes.
During lockdown, I focused on redoing our small garden so that I could see as much greenery as possible in our backyard. There’s always room for more plants in my home! When space is tight, I use hanging pots.
If plants aren’t your thing, you can still create a cosy, comfortable space within your home. I often retreat to my bedroom to read, I close the door, tune out the world, and sometimes just lie on the bed, gazing out the window at the sky.
Even in urban areas, there are green spaces to be found. Find a small patch of greenery near your home and make it a habit to visit regularly. Pay attention to how it makes you feel. Alternatively, you can explore the beach or bushland a bit further away. You don’t need to be in nature every day to reap its benefits. Spend a morning or a day outside to recharge.
Meditation can be challenging for beginners. What advice do you have for those who are just starting and feel frustrated with their wandering minds?
Meditation is called a practice for a reason—it takes time to master. It’s completely normal for your mind to wander. Even after years of meditating, my mind still wanders and some days are easier than others. To avoid my mind wandering, I try to pre-empt the obvious distractions. I write a list of things I need to do after meditating, so when thoughts pop up, I can remind myself that they’re already taken care of.
While meditating, the simplest approach is to acknowledge the thought, then refocus on your breath and reconnect with your body. For example, if you’re sitting down, feel your feet on the floor and the support of the chair. Concentrate on these sensations and your breath as you let go of the thought.
Affirmations are a powerful tool you recommend. Can you walk us through how to create effective affirmations and incorporate them into our daily lives?
An affirmation is anything you repeatedly tell yourself, whether it’s positive or negative. Our thoughts are so powerful, which is why we need to be so mindful of how we talk to ourselves.
Often, the best affirmations counteract our negative thoughts or self-criticisms. The simplest affirmation is the opposite of that negative thought. Examples include: “I am enough,” “My feelings matter,” “I am worthy,” “What I have to say is important,” and “Every day I am becoming a better version of myself.”
My personal all-time favourite affirmation is, “I am safe, protected, and brave.” This is my go-to for any challenging situation because it covers all bases!
You talk about the importance of maintaining movement and its impact on our mental and emotional health. What are some gentle movement practices that people can start with at home?
I try to do a few gentle yoga stretches to start the day before I get out of bed. A spinal twist, neck and shoulder stretches are a great way to get the body moving.
Balancing a busy schedule with self-care can be tough. As a successful practitioner and a busy individual yourself, how do you manage your daily routine to ensure you stay balanced and grounded?
The struggle is real, and some days it’s harder to take good care of myself. Most weekdays, I’m up before 6 am to fit in some exercise or self-care. Other days, self-care means staying in bed as long as I can. On these days, waking up at 7 am feels like pure bliss!
Prioritising is my biggest challenge. At night, I lay in bed and go through my to-do list for the next day, starting with my own needs. Then, I incorporate what my kids and family need, followed by work and social commitments, to determine how I’ll spend my time. Believe me, I don’t always come first, but if I don’t consider my needs first, everyone else gets what they need, and I end up tired and frustrated.
Particularly, as women we need to take good care of ourselves and stop glorifying running ourselves into the ground in service of others as a good thing !
