GUEST MATCHALOGGER

Yep, the #MATCHALOG evolves again! This time, our new segment involves inviting a guest contributor to share their insights with you all. There are so many fascinating and talented matcha mates in our wonderful community and we love learning from and passing on their invaluable words of wisdom!

First up is the lovely Cass Lane, Editor-in-Chief of Happiness + Wellbeing Magazine aka “the magazine for spirit seekers, dream chasers and wellness warriors” – SO up our alley. This beautiful publication is designed to help you foster inner peace, adopt a more conscious lifestyle, master the art of meditation,nourish your body with balanced nutrition and find spiritual practices that enhance your life and wellness. Could there be anything better?

Through Cass’ H + W work, she has been able to chat with and learn from many other wonderful wellness warriors all over the world. We were fascinated to hear what she has learnt from them all and, of course, delighted to share it with you all. I’ve read this article over and over – there’s so much valuable advice to soak up, I’ve even printed it out to give myself daily reminders of these 11 insightful and wise tips. Enjoy!

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What I’ve learned from working with wellness warriors from across the globe

Cass Lane

The perks of being a wellness editor are pretty darn awesome. Cool products to review, fun launch parties to attend, plentiful collaborations with incredible brands and, of course, access to brilliant health tips and wellness wisdom from some of the best and brightest in the industry. (Cass, we are SO jealous right now!)

But any guesses as to what has had the biggest impact on my life so far? Yep, you got it: watching how the pro’s approach their health, spirituality and emotional wellbeing.

Because if you want to get rich, you seek advice from someone who is financially abundant. If you want to develop a fashion blog, you chat with a thriving and passionate fashion blogger. And if you want to lead a healthy, happy and well life, you turn to the people who have created careers by doing just that.

So, what have I learned from working with some of the most inspiring wellness warriors from across the globe?

Here are a few of the pearls of wisdom I have picked up in the last few years (and that have each impacted my own wellness journey dramatically):

Meditation is a must.

You can’t nurture inner peace and harmony without getting your hands (or your mind) a little dirty. And by that I mean putting in the hard work. Because meditation isn’t always easy. It can be tough, challenging and frustrating at times. But research by experts – and my own experience with peaceful wellness warriors – has shown me that this is one element of your health and wellness that has the power to totally transform your life.

Rest is vital.

You know what the most common shared behaviour between all of the wellness warriors I’ve worked with is? They all balance periods of hardcore action with times of deliberate rest. What does this look like in the real world? Well it can definitely be something like taking a holiday after you’ve finished a significant project at work. But it’s also about carving out space each day to be still and nurture yourself. Meditate (see point one), go for a walk in nature, take a long bath, book yourself in for a massage … however you like to recharge, try to do it each and every day.

What you think is just as important as what you say and do.

Another common attribute of my fave wellness warriors is that they are all incredibly positive people. They find the silver lining in the tough times and even when times are rough they know that it will pass and that things will get better again.

Don’t bottle it up.

But this doesn’t mean that they don’t have bad days. Or bad moods. They’re human, just like us. But the top wellness warriors know that repressing their bad moods can do way more harm than good. So instead, they let it out. Release it. Channel it into productive activities like journaling, exercising (boxing is great for this!) and creative writing. But they also simply accept that at times, life will suck. But that’s okay. That doesn’t mean your whole life sucks.

Surround yourself with love.

This is one that surprised me; wellness warriors don’t waste their time with negative or toxic people and relationships. Don’t get me wrong – they’re fair, loving and patient. But they also choose to surround themselves with others that are kind, fun, loving, positive and supportive while limiting their interactions with toxic and negative beings.

Say no.

You’d think that the peeps at the top of their game would be overcommitted and overworked, right? Well, actually, not so much. Quite a lot that I’ve met and interacted with actually deliberately say no to commitments and events so that they aren’t They believe in balance and protect their time fiercely.

Switch off.

This point goes hand-in-hand with #6 and essentially means that they don’t work 24/7. They switch off from social media and emails and stay away from their electronics during set times during the day and week. After all, you don’t want to look back on your life and realise you spent it staring at a screen, right?

Consider holistic therapies.

Something else I’ve noticed is that many wellness warriors harness ancient practices (like yoga, Ayurveda, herbs, matcha) for modern wellness. They also mix conventional medicine with holistic and are open-minded about treatment options.

Eat real food.

This is definitely an obvious one, but healthy wellness warriors eat real food. And by real food I mean fresh fruit and seasonal produce. Home-made meals. Stuff that’s not in a packet and hasn’t been processed through to the kahooza. Real food = real health and nourishment.

Don’t deny yourself pleasure.

But at the same time, they won’t say no to a piece of dark chocolate or a slice of raw cheesecake (infused with matcha, maybe?) if they feel like it. Because they know that life shouldn’t be about depriving yourself; it should be about enjoying But they also …

Understand the difference between a craving and a real need.

Reaching for a Tim Tam right after you’ve had a massive fight with your partner? You might be attempting to soothe your emotions with food. Successful wellness warriors understand this and turn to alternative treats and habits (that aren’t food related) so they can nurture a healthy relationship with food.

And while there are loads more tips I’ve learned from these incredible beings, hopefully these 11 will go some way towards guiding and supporting your wellness journey too.

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More about Cass

Cass Lane is the happy Editor-in-Chief of Happiness + Wellbeing Magazine. A quintessential daydreamer with a penchant for cloud-watching, reading, yoga, hula-hooping and crisp, mountain air (or really, nature of any kind, but mountain air sounded way cooler), she can usually be found with a book in one hand and a journal in the other. The pen, of course, will be tucked behind her ear at some stage and quickly forgotten as she floats through the rest of her day.

Cass also owns and runs Wild Spirit Co., a creative copywriting (which is just fancy word for ‘writing’) agency devoted to helping soulful small businesses, entrepreneurs and bloggers find their voice and communicate their brand with confidence. You can connect with her @WildSpiritCo (www.wildspirit.co) and @HappyWellMag!