WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 Imagine walking every single day for over a thousand 00:00:02.540 --> 00:00:05.879 days straight through stress, joy, work holidays 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:08.720 and everything in between. Our guest today did 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.039 just that. She started the Happy Girl movement 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:13.519 to inspire women to move their bodies and protect 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.460 their minds. As she turns 40, we're talking about 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:19.059 how everything changed through walking from her 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:21.460 mental health, her confidence and her connection 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:24.179 to herself. Don't forget to share this episode 00:00:24.179 --> 00:00:26.100 with someone who needs a reminder that movement 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:29.050 doesn't have to be complicated. Amelia Bailey 00:00:29.050 --> 00:00:31.350 is a wellness and mental health advocate and 00:00:31.350 --> 00:00:33.429 the founder of the Happy Girl Movement, a Singapore 00:00:33.429 --> 00:00:35.509 -based community helping women live healthier, 00:00:35.670 --> 00:00:38.329 happier lives through walking, mindset and simple 00:00:38.329 --> 00:00:42.130 daily habits. In January 2023, Amelia began going 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:45.070 for a daily Happy Girl Walk, a name for the simple, 00:00:45.189 --> 00:00:47.070 intentional act of walking for mental health 00:00:47.070 --> 00:00:49.670 and clarity. What started as a personal commitment 00:00:49.670 --> 00:00:52.310 to rediscovery resonated with others and gradually 00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:54.789 evolved into the Happy Girl Movement. a fast 00:00:54.789 --> 00:00:56.590 -growing community that unites women through 00:00:56.590 --> 00:00:58.409 walking, connection and personal development. 00:00:59.049 --> 00:01:01.789 With a background in broadcast journalism, Amelia's 00:01:01.789 --> 00:01:04.230 career has spanned radio hosting, voice acting, 00:01:04.450 --> 00:01:07.129 magazine editing and marketing leadership, all 00:01:07.129 --> 00:01:09.250 unified by her lifelong passion for communication 00:01:09.250 --> 00:01:12.170 and authentic storytelling. For more than 16 00:01:12.170 --> 00:01:14.349 years, she has lived across Asia and the US, 00:01:14.549 --> 00:01:17.469 gaining a global perspective on resilience, reinvention 00:01:17.469 --> 00:01:20.540 and human connection. While living in Indonesia, 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:22.840 she also founded a women's social group, an early 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:24.780 reflection of her passion for helping women feel 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:27.620 less alone. Since its recent launch in August 00:01:27.620 --> 00:01:30.260 2025, the Happy Girl movement has grown into 00:01:30.260 --> 00:01:32.560 a supportive community of over a thousand women 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.959 and has raised funds for mental health initiatives 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.060 with Samaritans of Singapore. Amelia's work is 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:40.540 rooted in her own journey of rediscovery, transforming 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:43.340 challenges into purpose, discomfort into growth, 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:45.760 and inspiring other women to build confidence, 00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:49.099 consistency, and joy step by step, day by day. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:54.079 The 40s Formula. The 40s Formula. The 40s Formula. 00:01:55.060 --> 00:01:58.540 Hosted by Jasmine Dillon. Integrated health strategist 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:01.560 specializing in gut health, hormones, and midlife 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:04.269 well -being. and Amanda Lim, Director of Lift 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:06.989 Clinic and a leading expert in female strength 00:02:06.989 --> 00:02:10.289 and metabolism. Name one of CNA's top podcasts 00:02:10.289 --> 00:02:14.289 and winner of the 2025 Asia Podcast Awards in 00:02:14.289 --> 00:02:16.610 the Best Health and Wellness Podcast category. 00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:20.169 The 40s Formula is your no -fluff, science -meets 00:02:20.169 --> 00:02:26.259 -real -life guide to thriving in your 40s. Hi, 00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:28.900 Amelia. Welcome to the 40s Formula. Oh, it's 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.080 so good to see you in the studio. I know. It's 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:32.699 so good to be here. Thanks for having me. Oh, 00:02:32.699 --> 00:02:36.159 it's our pleasure. Right. Let's go back. to that 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:38.219 first walk that you did, the one that started 00:02:38.219 --> 00:02:40.439 it all, what was going through your mind when 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:42.719 you took those first steps? You know, a few people 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.520 ask me this and I don't really remember that 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.960 first walk. I mean, it's not unreasonable. I 00:02:47.960 --> 00:02:50.379 didn't know it would turn into everything that 00:02:50.379 --> 00:02:53.860 it has. I'd tried for so long to start new habits, 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.379 change my life, you know, overhaul everything. 00:02:56.780 --> 00:03:00.849 And it never worked for me. I'd failed. My self 00:03:00.849 --> 00:03:03.629 -worth was a little bit low. So going into it, 00:03:03.629 --> 00:03:06.870 it was January 1st, 2023. I was optimistic, but, 00:03:06.930 --> 00:03:08.909 you know, it was just a walk and another try 00:03:08.909 --> 00:03:11.689 at changing things. Yeah. So what was going on 00:03:11.689 --> 00:03:15.449 in your life then around that time in 2023? What 00:03:15.449 --> 00:03:17.889 was happening to you sort of either emotionally, 00:03:18.069 --> 00:03:21.409 mentally, physically? What was your state? Okay, 00:03:21.430 --> 00:03:23.710 so I've always struggled with my mental health. 00:03:23.770 --> 00:03:25.449 It's been quite up and down through my life. 00:03:25.849 --> 00:03:28.650 2022, the beginning of the year was really hard 00:03:28.650 --> 00:03:30.430 for me. There was a few things going on and I 00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:33.409 had no tools to cope with stress. So my anxiety 00:03:33.409 --> 00:03:35.289 was getting worse and worse. And then there was 00:03:35.289 --> 00:03:38.469 an incident at work that really made me hit a 00:03:38.469 --> 00:03:41.469 rock bottom. I actually ended up hospitalized 00:03:41.469 --> 00:03:45.060 having tests. Because the stress that was in 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:47.159 my head had now started to take a toll on my 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:50.000 body. Wow. And the doctors couldn't find an answer 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.800 for what it was, but... what I realized was I 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:54.680 needed to do something about how I was handling 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:57.819 stress and work on my anxiety. So I started working 00:03:57.819 --> 00:04:00.840 with an anxiety coach who was amazing. I started 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:03.159 listening to tons of podcasts, reading books, 00:04:03.340 --> 00:04:06.560 and those things started to give me these ideas 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:08.699 about how I could become a little bit healthier 00:04:08.699 --> 00:04:11.740 and happier. So January 1st, I mean, it's the 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:14.060 typical one, right? I wrote down a few goals 00:04:14.060 --> 00:04:16.740 and thought, I'll start working on these and 00:04:16.740 --> 00:04:19.019 we'll see where it takes me. And what was your 00:04:19.019 --> 00:04:21.899 standard for what a walk? would be like you know 00:04:21.899 --> 00:04:23.300 like when it's like i'm gonna walk every day 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:25.620 like did you have any intentionality around that 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:28.339 yeah in the beginning it had to be exactly that 00:04:28.339 --> 00:04:31.040 an intentional walk so it was not just oh i'm 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:33.160 going to the supermarket so that's my walk ticked 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:36.800 off it had to be going out for the actual purpose 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:41.259 of walking i did put in a lot of little minimums 00:04:41.259 --> 00:04:43.480 and numbers in the beginning and i was all about 00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:46.879 this many steps in a day and walking for this 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:50.040 distance but over time that evolved and now i 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:51.860 don't fuss so much about that kind of early stuff 00:04:51.860 --> 00:04:54.660 so you said that you um wrote down some goals 00:04:54.660 --> 00:04:59.060 yes so those goals were to improve your just 00:04:59.060 --> 00:05:01.120 your overall health do you mind sharing what 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:03.459 those goals were like what were you hoping to 00:05:03.459 --> 00:05:06.829 achieve from from you know from life going forward 00:05:06.829 --> 00:05:10.009 so the big thing is i was in such a bad place 00:05:10.009 --> 00:05:13.370 uh i really can't stress it enough i was so anxious 00:05:13.370 --> 00:05:15.889 i think covid had done a little bit of a number 00:05:15.889 --> 00:05:19.009 on me i'd become a bit more isolated and then 00:05:19.009 --> 00:05:21.910 being in situations being forced to do things 00:05:21.910 --> 00:05:23.949 that were way out of my comfort zone had made 00:05:23.949 --> 00:05:26.750 it worse and worse over time so my biggest thing 00:05:26.750 --> 00:05:29.310 was just trying to get back some sense of like 00:05:29.310 --> 00:05:33.189 confidence in myself some trust in who i was 00:05:33.189 --> 00:05:35.730 and to just feel a little bit happier day to 00:05:35.730 --> 00:05:38.850 day that was my main aim the goals on my list 00:05:38.850 --> 00:05:40.990 were very much based around the foundational 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:44.029 habits that was kind of where I was focused I 00:05:44.029 --> 00:05:47.110 was wanting to improve my sleep to get some movement 00:05:47.110 --> 00:05:50.930 in eat better uh sunshine all of those kind of 00:05:50.930 --> 00:05:54.170 things that we know help with mental wellness 00:05:54.170 --> 00:05:57.069 were you skeptical around these things like did 00:05:57.069 --> 00:06:00.730 you think that oh am I am I really going to do 00:06:00.730 --> 00:06:03.740 this this time like how did what was your thought 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:06.740 process there yeah of course I mean I had tried 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:10.600 so many times to overhaul my whole life and I 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:13.379 would always think I had to do every single bit 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:16.339 perfectly and I'd failed so many times that I 00:06:16.339 --> 00:06:18.959 really did have no confidence so when you say 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:23.519 skeptical absolutely like I just thought it might 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:27.660 last a week yeah yeah so what made you push through 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:30.519 that and keep that consistency going because 00:06:30.519 --> 00:06:33.800 you said you'd failed so many times What was 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:36.779 it that changed this time round? Okay, so I think 00:06:36.779 --> 00:06:40.519 this time I gave myself a big why. I think that's 00:06:40.519 --> 00:06:43.579 so important. I didn't want to end up back at 00:06:43.579 --> 00:06:45.779 rock bottom again. That was the third time it 00:06:45.779 --> 00:06:47.980 had happened in my life and I just knew I had 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:50.560 to change something. So I think having a why 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.160 is really important. After that, I'd say also 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.300 making it non -negotiable was really a massive 00:06:56.300 --> 00:06:59.480 factor for me in the success because it sounds 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:01.160 counterproductive, but it's actually a little 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:03.879 bit easier, I think, to... show up every day 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:07.009 and remove the bargaining so you're not thinking 00:07:07.009 --> 00:07:11.589 will i go friday oh maybe not i'll do it on monday 00:07:11.589 --> 00:07:14.949 and then monday never comes and finally i really 00:07:14.949 --> 00:07:17.310 had learned a lot about neuroscience and about 00:07:17.310 --> 00:07:20.069 how we can actually piggyback dopamine so that 00:07:20.069 --> 00:07:22.170 was something i was doing tons in the early days 00:07:22.170 --> 00:07:25.029 to get consistent if i didn't want to go out 00:07:25.029 --> 00:07:27.709 for a walk i would attach it to something that 00:07:27.709 --> 00:07:30.350 the dopamine existed for so going and getting 00:07:30.350 --> 00:07:32.350 a coffee or listening to my favorite podcast 00:07:32.350 --> 00:07:36.009 and i'd use that joy and that drive that i had 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:38.399 to do those things and attach the walk to it 00:07:38.399 --> 00:07:41.180 so piggybacking dopamine was huge in the beginning 00:07:41.180 --> 00:07:45.199 love that and I love the non -negotiable I think 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.300 that for so many things in lifestyle right when 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:50.920 we're trying to make lifestyle choices it it's 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.079 a choice first of all right so when you make 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:55.319 that choice non -negotiable with yourself because 00:07:55.319 --> 00:07:57.480 the world is not going to do that yeah you know 00:07:57.480 --> 00:07:59.420 so there's there's a point at which for example 00:07:59.420 --> 00:08:02.079 if you choose not to brush your teeth eventually 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:03.879 you're going to have tooth decay. So that choice 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:06.500 is going to be made for you, right? But if you 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:08.839 choose to not walk every day, the world will 00:08:08.839 --> 00:08:11.300 still keep ticking. You know, you may be marginally 00:08:11.300 --> 00:08:12.759 less healthy, you know, whatever, but it's like 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:15.500 the... impact on your life isn't felt in that 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:18.199 visceral sense you know so you have to do the 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:20.879 non -negotiability part right yeah how do you 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.220 how were you able to enforce the boundary then 00:08:23.220 --> 00:08:25.779 that you weren't able to before I mean you mentioned 00:08:25.779 --> 00:08:27.779 obviously the dopamine tack you know tacking 00:08:27.779 --> 00:08:30.180 on but how were you able to really meaningfully 00:08:30.180 --> 00:08:32.879 do that I think something switched in my head 00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:35.259 the third time I'd really found myself at that 00:08:35.259 --> 00:08:39.639 very dark place I just was ready to get serious 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:42.460 about things it's a little bit like a light bulb 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.019 went off in my head and I just realised it was 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:47.539 down to me. That's what I internalised. And I 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:49.279 think anyone who's trying to make a big change 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:51.639 in their life, you have to realise sooner or 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:54.539 later, whatever's gone before, whatever genetic 00:08:54.539 --> 00:08:57.019 cards you might have been dealt, your health 00:08:57.019 --> 00:08:59.519 and your happiness is down to you. And the sooner 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.620 that you recognise that and kind of act in ways 00:09:02.620 --> 00:09:05.139 that support that, the sooner you're going to 00:09:05.139 --> 00:09:07.679 feel so much better. Have there been any moments 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:10.279 where it's been really tough to be consistent? 00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:13.950 Yeah, of course. Tons of them, especially in 00:09:13.950 --> 00:09:15.909 the beginning, because when we're making any 00:09:15.909 --> 00:09:18.769 new habit, right, our brains just want to stay 00:09:18.769 --> 00:09:22.210 comfortable. That's the job to survive. So in 00:09:22.210 --> 00:09:25.110 the beginning for me, I was previously sat on 00:09:25.110 --> 00:09:27.570 the couch feeling miserable. I didn't feel great, 00:09:27.649 --> 00:09:30.149 but I was safe. And my brain just took it as 00:09:30.149 --> 00:09:32.289 that's it. You're surviving. But I didn't want 00:09:32.289 --> 00:09:35.590 to only survive. Right. So my brain was often 00:09:35.590 --> 00:09:37.970 pushing back, saying, don't go for a walk. Just 00:09:37.970 --> 00:09:39.850 skip it today. You know, you can go tomorrow, 00:09:39.889 --> 00:09:42.820 but that comes back. to relying on those core 00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:46.659 things like your why and it's non -negotiable 00:09:46.659 --> 00:09:49.500 and let's use every trick in the book accountability 00:09:49.500 --> 00:09:52.799 uh piggybacking the dopamine whatever you can 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:55.700 to just get going with something until it actually 00:09:55.700 --> 00:09:58.440 becomes habit yeah and that's one of the things 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:00.259 that one of the tools that we use with our clients 00:10:00.259 --> 00:10:01.980 when it comes to simple things like weight loss 00:10:01.980 --> 00:10:04.500 you know like sometimes oh i just don't feel 00:10:04.500 --> 00:10:06.240 like working out today or i just want to eat 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.860 something bad for you But, you know, if you've 00:10:08.860 --> 00:10:11.360 got that why there, it really changes the whole 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:14.740 trajectory of everything. One of the things I 00:10:14.740 --> 00:10:17.059 also noticed about you and on your Instagram 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:20.179 is you've had moments where you have been in 00:10:20.179 --> 00:10:23.320 serious pain and, you know, you've had, you know, 00:10:23.340 --> 00:10:24.899 I think you had an issue with your back, but 00:10:24.899 --> 00:10:28.429 yet you still. got your intentional walking yes 00:10:28.429 --> 00:10:31.289 talk to us about those situations yeah okay so 00:10:31.289 --> 00:10:33.730 the great thing about walking is you can use 00:10:33.730 --> 00:10:37.070 it for what you need so when i'm tired and i 00:10:37.070 --> 00:10:39.549 feel fatigued from maybe the gym or pilates or 00:10:39.549 --> 00:10:42.409 life in general i'll go for a restorative walk 00:10:42.409 --> 00:10:45.090 i'll stroll gently and it just gives me a little 00:10:45.090 --> 00:10:47.710 bit back it's great for your circulation it clears 00:10:47.710 --> 00:10:51.110 your head uh in the case of being injured i was 00:10:51.110 --> 00:10:53.730 walking in my pool because that was all i could 00:10:53.730 --> 00:10:56.049 do but i just knew that showing up for myself 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:58.539 was the most important thing and in whatever 00:10:58.539 --> 00:11:01.360 capacity I could do that to just keep the momentum 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.440 keep the consistency that's what moves you forward 00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:06.600 that's what makes you trust yourself yeah and 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:09.679 that's also I can't help myself what really re 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:12.720 -emphasizes that movement is medicine yeah yeah 00:11:13.129 --> 00:11:15.950 When we are in pain and the type of pain that 00:11:15.950 --> 00:11:18.629 you're describing, musculoskeletal pain, so often 00:11:18.629 --> 00:11:21.250 the first instinct is to abandon movement when 00:11:21.250 --> 00:11:23.750 in fact movement is what you need. And I think 00:11:23.750 --> 00:11:26.049 sharing your pool walking experience is a really 00:11:26.049 --> 00:11:28.850 valuable way to show that, yeah, a pool walk 00:11:28.850 --> 00:11:32.049 isn't your normal walk, but it's a very minor 00:11:32.049 --> 00:11:34.730 pivot. And what it actually did was help you 00:11:34.730 --> 00:11:37.529 recover faster. And had you thrown that out, 00:11:37.649 --> 00:11:39.649 besides all of the mental side of throwing out 00:11:39.649 --> 00:11:40.990 the habit and throwing out all the work that 00:11:40.990 --> 00:11:43.820 you've done, you would not. recovered as quickly. 00:11:43.940 --> 00:11:46.399 Yeah, absolutely. You know, it teaches you that. 00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:48.679 Yeah, it does. And it also keeps you mood lifted 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:50.320 when you're still showing up and you're just 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:53.399 doing what you can. And I think that was a massive 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:55.879 shift for me. And what's enabled me to be so 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:59.220 consistent is that I used to be a perfectionist, 00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:01.960 like the worst kind of perfectionist. Everything 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:05.039 had to be 110 percent. And the second it was 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.700 90, that wasn't good enough. I failed. I'll chuck 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:10.220 the towel in. I'll give up. And then at some 00:12:10.220 --> 00:12:13.440 point, inevitably have to start. And now I recognize 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.539 that there are things that come up in life. There 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:18.700 are things that will stop you from giving 100. 00:12:18.899 --> 00:12:21.080 You might only be able to give 40 % one day. 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:24.840 But if you show up and give 40%, that's 100 % 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:27.080 of what you had to give that day. And you should 00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:28.840 be proud of yourself. You've got to celebrate 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:32.200 the small wins and make it easy to win. That's 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:35.620 a really big one. Yeah, perfection over, no, 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.500 consistency over perfection. Something like that. 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:41.340 Progress over perfection, yeah. So Amanda, you 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:42.779 know how I've been on this journey about improving 00:12:42.779 --> 00:12:44.620 my sleep? Oh, you have been obsessed about it 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:47.879 lately. Well, I have found something that has 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:51.960 been incredible. Cozy Earth bed sheets. That's 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:53.840 saying a lot because you are really picky about 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:56.259 your sleep setup. Exactly. These sheets are made 00:12:56.259 --> 00:12:59.000 from bamboo viscose. They are naturally breathable 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:02.419 and I get the perfect night's sleep. They keep 00:13:02.419 --> 00:13:05.340 me cool all night. Oh, and I've been eyeing the 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:07.879 pajamas too. They are so chic and super cozy. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:11.039 It's a total game changer and so relaxing for 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.799 the evenings. And what's crazy is that Cozy Earth 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:17.059 actually ships to Singapore, orders over $560 00:13:17.059 --> 00:13:20.580 ship free, and in the US orders over $50 ship 00:13:20.580 --> 00:13:22.759 free. And did you know you can get your biggest 00:13:22.759 --> 00:13:28.279 ever discount, 41 % if you use code TFF today. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.220 So head over to CozyEarth .com and use that code 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:34.220 TFF today. obviously you've been doing this for 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:36.100 over a thousand days yeah what's the exact number 00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:40.360 right now uh 1018 wow yes that is impressive 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:44.779 thank you right some people might say i'm not 00:13:44.779 --> 00:13:46.899 saying everyone does but you know some people 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:49.399 might say oh maybe this is now becoming a bit 00:13:49.399 --> 00:13:52.000 orthorexic you know it's become a thing yeah 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:55.059 she can't miss she can't stop now do you feel 00:13:55.059 --> 00:13:59.370 that that is now becoming part of who you are 00:13:59.370 --> 00:14:01.850 is it a goal that you need to achieve to keep 00:14:01.850 --> 00:14:04.259 on going or is it just you know, like you mentioned 00:14:04.259 --> 00:14:06.179 earlier, just a habit? Like, how do you see yourself 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:09.820 falling between those sort of two states, I guess? 00:14:10.019 --> 00:14:12.200 Yeah, I mean, for me, my mindset has completely 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.360 changed. In the beginning, it was very much exercise. 00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:18.179 Sometimes it felt like a chore. Now it's a foundational 00:14:18.179 --> 00:14:21.360 habit in my life. And the greatest benefit is 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.720 what it does for my mental health. So I just 00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:26.759 look at it as an anchor. And every day, it can 00:14:26.759 --> 00:14:29.100 give me what I need. It doesn't have to be a 00:14:29.100 --> 00:14:31.899 power walk. I'm not looking at calories. You 00:14:31.899 --> 00:14:34.350 know, sometimes I'll go for a real power through 00:14:34.350 --> 00:14:37.889 the park and it's great zone two but often I'll 00:14:37.889 --> 00:14:40.710 just stroll for 45 minutes and feel great afterwards 00:14:40.710 --> 00:14:43.669 so that's kind of where I'm at with it now it's 00:14:43.669 --> 00:14:47.309 very much a foundation in my life and just to 00:14:47.309 --> 00:14:49.830 be clear about what orthorexia is right orthorexia 00:14:49.830 --> 00:14:52.730 is an obsession with health with healthy habits 00:14:52.730 --> 00:14:55.549 um that then becomes obviously a form of mental 00:14:55.549 --> 00:14:58.029 illness and i think it's important why all my 00:14:58.029 --> 00:15:00.929 examples are dental health today but if you tell 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:03.309 someone i brush my teeth every day yeah and in 00:15:03.309 --> 00:15:05.590 fact i brush my teeth twice a day they're like 00:15:05.590 --> 00:15:08.210 good for you that's a great thing to do to prevent 00:15:08.210 --> 00:15:10.950 tooth decay You tell someone, I go for a walk 00:15:10.950 --> 00:15:13.049 every day, I never miss. It's like, you're crazy. 00:15:13.049 --> 00:15:16.850 You're obsessed with your health. Or is it that 00:15:16.850 --> 00:15:20.889 I've found, to use your language, an anchor to 00:15:20.889 --> 00:15:23.570 something that helps me stay focused, stay balanced, 00:15:23.730 --> 00:15:26.090 enhances my mental health, enhances my mental 00:15:26.090 --> 00:15:28.809 health being a key point, and for which I have 00:15:28.809 --> 00:15:32.889 found in these 1 ,018 days, ways to do it that 00:15:32.889 --> 00:15:35.049 look different in different seasons. This is 00:15:35.049 --> 00:15:37.450 an adaptive habit that supports your mental health. 00:15:37.529 --> 00:15:40.320 And I think when you see, certain habits in that 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.879 light it's hard to then be like oh she's crazy 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.379 about it she's nuts it's like no she's actually 00:15:44.379 --> 00:15:47.440 using this so strategically yeah she's the genius 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:51.480 thank you i mean it's brought amazing balance 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:53.779 to my life i look at how i was before and how 00:15:53.779 --> 00:15:56.500 i am now and truthfully now i'm at a point where 00:15:56.500 --> 00:15:58.539 i don't care what other people think about me 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:00.639 because it's instilled this confidence in me 00:16:00.639 --> 00:16:03.320 i know i'm health healthier and happier than 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:06.700 i've ever been so There's no problem to me. You 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:09.639 know, I feel great. And I think people usually 00:16:09.639 --> 00:16:11.440 it's a reflection of something going on with 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.659 them where they want to point fingers and label 00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:16.299 something as whatever you say, like orthorexia 00:16:16.299 --> 00:16:19.259 or something like that. Yeah, this is just like 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.440 a cornerstone of my life, basically. let's talk 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:25.019 about the happy girl movement so it started off 00:16:25.019 --> 00:16:27.720 as a happy girl walk yeah how did it evolve from 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:31.419 something you did to building this amazing community 00:16:31.419 --> 00:16:34.639 of over a thousand women okay so uh officially 00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.039 we launched the happy girl movement in summer 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:40.200 this summer but i think it really began Early 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:44.259 on, I shared a reel on January 2nd, 2023, and 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:46.860 I called it my happy girl walk. And immediately 00:16:46.860 --> 00:16:49.940 I got so many DMs from women saying that the 00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:52.399 name resonated with them. People were tagging 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:54.940 me in their happy girl walks. People were asking 00:16:54.940 --> 00:16:57.700 me to go on a walk together, asking me to like 00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:00.220 plan group walks, that kind of thing. So it was 00:17:00.220 --> 00:17:02.600 right away evident to me that this was something 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:04.660 that could resonate and that could be really 00:17:04.660 --> 00:17:08.059 beneficial for other women. But it took me 950 00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:12.019 days. to get the courage to actually plan a group 00:17:12.019 --> 00:17:15.799 walk. Yeah, but it's crazy that one day later, 00:17:15.859 --> 00:17:17.900 that momentum, because I mean, can we be honest? 00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:21.460 Like, obviously the origin of the hashtag anything 00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:23.579 was hot girl walk, right? Hot girl walk. And 00:17:23.579 --> 00:17:26.849 I love. That you immediately de -branded that. 00:17:26.970 --> 00:17:29.349 Yes. You know, and like you said, kind of let 00:17:29.349 --> 00:17:31.829 loose some of the focus on calories, exercise. 00:17:32.309 --> 00:17:34.430 You know, what is my body getting from this? 00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:36.910 What is my mind getting from this? Right. Such 00:17:36.910 --> 00:17:39.410 an important re -brand. Yeah. Or de -brand. Like, 00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:41.609 is that like taking one element out of it? Yeah, 00:17:41.670 --> 00:17:44.069 exactly. For me, I know that hot girl walk is 00:17:44.069 --> 00:17:45.569 supposed to be about like confidence and things 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:47.309 like that. But I think to any millennial, the 00:17:47.309 --> 00:17:50.329 term hot is about your physical appearance. And 00:17:50.329 --> 00:17:52.730 I just didn't want to be walking for that. I'd 00:17:52.730 --> 00:17:54.500 always felt like walking made me. feel a little 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:57.039 bit better a little bit happier and so that was 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.359 what I was doing it for and I wanted it to be 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.539 clear I felt uncomfortable being like I'm going 00:18:01.539 --> 00:18:04.880 on my hot girl walk it was like I'm you know 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:07.380 approaching 40 yeah I don't know if that is like 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:09.519 you said a millennial thing for sure yeah like 00:18:09.519 --> 00:18:12.140 that we perceive it that way yeah so I just wanted 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:13.500 something that was I guess a little bit more 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:15.819 humble and a little bit more aligned to the reasons 00:18:15.819 --> 00:18:19.150 that I was doing it So tell us about your thousand 00:18:19.150 --> 00:18:21.410 day then. A lot of people ask me about this and 00:18:21.410 --> 00:18:23.369 people assume that it would have felt like this 00:18:23.369 --> 00:18:26.670 euphoric occasion. But actually, I think it's 00:18:26.670 --> 00:18:29.809 tied to the arrival fallacy, that one. Because 00:18:29.809 --> 00:18:32.849 as we can learn, sometimes those things that 00:18:32.849 --> 00:18:35.089 we're working towards, we expect this massive 00:18:35.089 --> 00:18:39.150 payoff when we arrive on like day 1000. And I 00:18:39.150 --> 00:18:40.789 was very aware of this because of some of the 00:18:40.789 --> 00:18:43.569 milestones I'd gone through already. That often 00:18:43.569 --> 00:18:45.809 you get there and you're like, oh, is that it? 00:18:46.029 --> 00:18:48.930 Like, it's really. about the journey and so I 00:18:48.930 --> 00:18:51.849 made a point to focus on all of the time that 00:18:51.849 --> 00:18:54.630 i'd already walked enjoying every day celebrating 00:18:54.630 --> 00:18:56.950 the small wins as i was going along i carved 00:18:56.950 --> 00:18:58.609 out a little bit of time in my schedule to make 00:18:58.609 --> 00:19:00.950 sure i could journal about it but it's really 00:19:00.950 --> 00:19:04.329 when you're going for a big goal as corny as 00:19:04.329 --> 00:19:06.849 it sounds it's the journey it's not the destination 00:19:06.849 --> 00:19:10.130 always so it was great to hit a thousand walks 00:19:10.130 --> 00:19:12.509 but doing some meaningful things around it really 00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:15.509 helped me to get that little dopamine hit that 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:17.950 i knew might not necessarily actually be there 00:19:18.990 --> 00:19:21.029 What's amazing is, you know, like some people 00:19:21.029 --> 00:19:23.490 see a big goal, a thousand walks, and then it's 00:19:23.490 --> 00:19:26.299 like, okay, after a thousand, now what? But for 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:29.039 you, you've continued and you're like 1 ,018. 00:19:29.299 --> 00:19:32.160 So that's absolutely amazing. I can't stop now. 00:19:32.339 --> 00:19:35.019 I mean, it just gives me so much. You've got 00:19:35.019 --> 00:19:38.680 a body of evidence like I have. And my mood has 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:42.099 just trended upwards. I can't emphasize enough 00:19:42.099 --> 00:19:44.480 how much I was struggling before I actually started 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.900 this habit. So it's like, why would I not continue? 00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:49.180 I'm not going to pack something in that's quite 00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:51.220 literally changed my life. So talk to us about 00:19:51.220 --> 00:19:55.950 that then. What sort of things did you go through 00:19:55.950 --> 00:19:58.869 when the anxiety was sort of reaching its peak 00:19:58.869 --> 00:20:01.190 and in what types of situations was that happening? 00:20:01.450 --> 00:20:04.670 Yeah, I mean. By the end of before I decided 00:20:04.670 --> 00:20:06.529 to change things, everything would trigger my 00:20:06.529 --> 00:20:09.490 anxiety. Group events were absolutely out of 00:20:09.490 --> 00:20:12.650 the question. I would have panic attacks. I remember 00:20:12.650 --> 00:20:15.390 going to boutiques, fairs and just being in fight 00:20:15.390 --> 00:20:17.950 or flight, sweating. It was rolling down my back. 00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:20.809 I went into a toilet and just cried and then 00:20:20.809 --> 00:20:23.549 booked a grab to go home. But it got to a point 00:20:23.549 --> 00:20:25.549 where it was so severe, even going for coffee 00:20:25.549 --> 00:20:28.549 with a friend would activate that same thing. 00:20:28.630 --> 00:20:31.029 And I'd sit there sweating. My heart rate monitor 00:20:31.029 --> 00:20:33.779 used to be like, oh. you've worked out two hours 00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:37.339 120 heart rate average so you can imagine that 00:20:37.339 --> 00:20:39.759 just would drain me I would go home I would be 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:42.440 absolutely wrecked I'm not a napper but I would 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.160 just fall asleep on the couch because it had 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:47.900 taken so much from my body um and so really I 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:50.869 mean I felt like i was i was stuck i felt so 00:20:50.869 --> 00:20:53.609 trapped very hopeless uh it was debilitating 00:20:53.609 --> 00:20:56.549 like quite simply debilitating and again that's 00:20:56.549 --> 00:20:58.650 physiological right that's not just you know 00:20:58.650 --> 00:21:00.730 we think about mental health issues like oh just 00:21:00.730 --> 00:21:02.369 you know like think your way out of it and it's 00:21:02.369 --> 00:21:04.210 like but you're you're literally having this 00:21:04.210 --> 00:21:06.809 deep physiological response to this anxiety yeah 00:21:06.809 --> 00:21:09.170 it had to be so painful yeah it was incredibly 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:11.710 difficult and i think the wild thing is how long 00:21:11.710 --> 00:21:14.990 it takes to reprogram those pathways in our brain 00:21:14.990 --> 00:21:17.910 um it's been a really long journey as i said 00:21:17.910 --> 00:21:20.940 like nine 150 days to do a group walk because 00:21:20.940 --> 00:21:26.099 i had to literally lay down new pathways to tell 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:28.980 my body it was safe and we didn't need to panic 00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:30.900 at the thought of going for coffee with a friend 00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:34.720 how long did it take you to start realizing that 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:37.799 you know what you were doing the steps you were 00:21:37.799 --> 00:21:39.720 taking whether it was the walking or you know 00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:42.180 how you were eating was actually having an impact 00:21:42.180 --> 00:21:44.700 on your mental health and your anxiety I think 00:21:44.700 --> 00:21:46.799 I'd always known that walking really helped me. 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:48.539 I think most of us can recognize when we go out 00:21:48.539 --> 00:21:50.039 for a walk, you come back and you feel a little 00:21:50.039 --> 00:21:53.319 bit better, right? We are human. Yeah. But then 00:21:53.319 --> 00:21:56.660 10 days, 20 days, 30 days, as I hit each milestone, 00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:59.880 I could feel my confidence increasing. My self 00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:03.440 -worth was increasing exponentially. I just felt 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.859 an agency that I had not had for so long. And 00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:08.880 I started to feel like, oh, what else am I capable 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.539 of doing? So it was pretty rapid, actually, like 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:14.420 really quick. That's amazing. Yeah. Right. So 00:22:14.420 --> 00:22:16.200 I think this leads nicely into our next segment, 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.619 which is called Fuel Your 40s by The Meat Club. 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:20.980 And they have a question for you because they 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:22.779 also believe in consistency. You know, what you 00:22:22.779 --> 00:22:24.839 put into your body also makes such a big difference. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:28.559 So what they're asking you is what has walking 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.680 every day taught you about consistency? And do 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:34.519 you approach how you fuel your body the same 00:22:34.519 --> 00:22:37.640 way that you fuel your mindset? OK, so walking 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:41.000 has taught me it's the step by step. you can't 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:43.000 overhaul your life in one go you're going to 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:44.539 get that pushback from the brain that we talked 00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:47.460 about before big transformations they actually 00:22:47.460 --> 00:22:50.140 are a series of very small decisions and certainly 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:53.180 i've applied that to my nutrition as well if 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:56.099 you rewound 10 years ago i literally i'm almost 00:22:56.099 --> 00:22:58.559 embarrassed to admit this i lived on extreme 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:00.980 restriction and sugar i kid you not everything 00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:03.680 i ate was just sugar i mean you you're a 90 you 00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:05.279 know you grew up in the 90s so you know we'll 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:07.880 let you off for that one um but now you know 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:10.339 i love to eat clean but it didn't happen overnight 00:23:10.339 --> 00:23:12.500 I didn't just wake up one day and start having 00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:15.559 lean protein and veggies and you know eating 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.599 this way it was a series of small changes making 00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:21.579 little tweaks to my habits that eventually got 00:23:21.579 --> 00:23:25.220 me to a completely different way of life and 00:23:25.220 --> 00:23:29.559 did you find that the walking was it opened the 00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:31.900 door to having better habits in other aspects 00:23:31.900 --> 00:23:33.799 of your life because you mentioned like it's 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:36.279 very hard to overhaul everything at once but 00:23:36.279 --> 00:23:39.839 did the unlocking of the walks lead to the unlocking 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:41.599 of some of these other consistent habits yeah 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:43.900 absolutely I think the biggest thing is the confidence 00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:47.559 that it gave me just to look at my streak that 00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:50.119 I was counting and be like wow I've done 30 days 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:53.200 I've done 50 days the confidence that I got from 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.339 that and I think anyone can really experience 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:57.359 this if they try it they're likely to feel it 00:23:57.359 --> 00:24:01.339 you just think oh hey what else can I do and 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:04.559 so yeah absolutely it just parlayed into all 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.839 of these other habits and I think Also, as your 00:24:06.839 --> 00:24:09.259 mental health improves, you then are in a place 00:24:09.259 --> 00:24:12.259 to do things that are better for yourself. I 00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:14.380 was sleeping better, which obviously helps with 00:24:14.380 --> 00:24:18.079 cravings. And it's such a knock on effect. So 00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:21.900 you're at 1040. Oh, yeah. Coming up. You might 00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:24.440 already be 40 by the time this episode comes 00:24:24.440 --> 00:24:26.980 out. So what does this milestone mean for you? 00:24:27.450 --> 00:24:30.970 OK, you know, I can remember turning 30 and I 00:24:30.970 --> 00:24:34.710 was so scared about it. It felt just like, how 00:24:34.710 --> 00:24:36.970 on earth has this happened? I don't want this 00:24:36.970 --> 00:24:41.470 to happen. I was so anxious about it. But now 00:24:41.470 --> 00:24:43.369 I'm actually quite excited. I sometimes kind 00:24:43.369 --> 00:24:45.430 of say to people that I feel like when you turn 00:24:45.430 --> 00:24:49.450 20, you are a newborn adult. And then when you're 00:24:49.450 --> 00:24:51.569 30, you're a 10 year old adult. You're figuring 00:24:51.569 --> 00:24:53.289 stuff out like you do in your teenage years. 00:24:53.369 --> 00:24:55.109 Right. And so now I feel like I'm about to be 00:24:55.109 --> 00:24:58.240 a 20 year old adult. I've worked out who I am. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:25:00.500 I've got all of these foundations sorted out. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.700 I'm just in such a better place that I'm really 00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:05.859 actually excited about heading into my 40s. But 00:25:05.859 --> 00:25:08.480 I also don't feel like I'm 40 anymore. You know, 00:25:08.500 --> 00:25:11.740 like it's as I've done more of this stuff that's 00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:14.420 helped my wellness. I actually feel younger than 00:25:14.420 --> 00:25:16.839 I felt when I was 30. Like I feel so much better. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:19.259 So it's a chronological number, but maybe not 00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:22.039 biologically, hopefully not biologically 40. 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:24.400 But I love that idea of being a 20 year old adult. 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:26.220 Cause then I think of it as like, we are finally 00:25:26.220 --> 00:25:28.960 adult adults, right? Like we're newborn adults, 00:25:29.099 --> 00:25:30.799 childhood. Now these are like, these are the 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.619 adults now. Yeah. Good job us. I think it also 00:25:33.619 --> 00:25:36.039 gives you grace. Like in your thirties, I think 00:25:36.039 --> 00:25:38.359 that's a decade where so many of us are figuring 00:25:38.359 --> 00:25:40.579 out who we are. And we've maybe just kind of 00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:42.480 gone into life in our twenties, done what we 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:44.430 thought. what we should do you know followed 00:25:44.430 --> 00:25:47.190 the path that we were on and so many people seem 00:25:47.190 --> 00:25:50.430 to re -evaluate and change direction a little 00:25:50.430 --> 00:25:52.950 bit in their 30s and it's that age of self -discovery 00:25:52.950 --> 00:25:56.049 like your teenage years right absolutely yeah 00:25:56.049 --> 00:25:58.609 so if you could go back and talk to your 30 year 00:25:58.609 --> 00:26:01.329 old self yeah what would you say to amelia 30 00:26:01.329 --> 00:26:03.289 year old amelia what would you say nothing literally 00:26:03.289 --> 00:26:07.029 nothing um i'm just a massive believer that the 00:26:07.029 --> 00:26:09.210 struggle that you go through is what fortifies 00:26:09.210 --> 00:26:11.869 you it's what teaches you things it's how you 00:26:11.869 --> 00:26:15.509 grow i wouldn't be sat here with you guys if 00:26:15.509 --> 00:26:18.410 i had not gone through all of the dark times 00:26:18.410 --> 00:26:21.170 and all those difficult struggles so i mean if 00:26:21.170 --> 00:26:22.730 i had to tell her something i'd just be like 00:26:23.130 --> 00:26:26.529 The wonderful happy times are fantastic, but 00:26:26.529 --> 00:26:28.609 it's the dark times and the challenges that are 00:26:28.609 --> 00:26:31.150 going to really grow you and show you who you 00:26:31.150 --> 00:26:33.690 are. Can we talk about how no one prepares you 00:26:33.690 --> 00:26:36.329 for how your skin changes in your 40s? Honestly, 00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:39.529 one day it's fine. The next it's dull, dry and 00:26:39.529 --> 00:26:41.910 showing every single emotion you've ever felt. 00:26:42.069 --> 00:26:44.250 That's why I've actually been loving Love Indus. 00:26:44.390 --> 00:26:46.910 Their skincare actually feels like it's doing 00:26:46.910 --> 00:26:49.150 something. It's not just sitting on your face 00:26:49.150 --> 00:26:52.019 and looking sticky. It blends South Asian ingredients 00:26:52.019 --> 00:26:54.319 like ashwagandha and vegan ghee with proper New 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:57.279 York dermatology tech. It's luxurious, but also 00:26:57.279 --> 00:27:00.359 very results -driven. Their line limiter is especially 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:02.940 good if you're starting, like me, to notice lip 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:05.660 or laugh lines. People compare it to Botox, which 00:27:05.660 --> 00:27:07.900 I would happily take after all those needles 00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:10.140 in my face. And our listeners get the highest 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:14.779 discount they offer, 21 % off with code TFF at 00:27:14.779 --> 00:27:18.619 lovindus .com. Plus, they ship free to Singapore, 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:20.960 which seems like a very rare little treat. And 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:23.099 yes, we earn commission when you use our code. 00:27:23.220 --> 00:27:25.940 So don't forget to support the show by using 00:27:25.940 --> 00:27:28.980 code TFF. Fuck, that's just giving me goosebumps. 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:31.660 Like, no joke. I think that's really important 00:27:31.660 --> 00:27:33.339 because I think people think, right, oh, if I 00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:35.099 could go back, I'd change something. I'd do this 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:37.200 and I'd do that. But actually, you're right, 00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:40.500 because if you didn't go through that, you wouldn't 00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:42.960 be who you are today. No, we wouldn't be here. 00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:45.180 Yeah, and it's part of your amazing journey. 00:27:45.380 --> 00:27:47.759 And obviously it was a hard journey. It was not 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:50.420 an easy thing to get through. But it's, you know, 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:55.289 it's who you are. So, wow, I'm like, ooh. Forged 00:27:55.289 --> 00:27:57.930 in the fire, as they say in stoic philosophy. 00:27:57.950 --> 00:28:00.829 Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of us fall into this 00:28:00.829 --> 00:28:03.990 learned helplessness. And I certainly think that's 00:28:03.990 --> 00:28:05.890 what contributed to a lot of my mental health 00:28:05.890 --> 00:28:09.690 problems. I was so kind of, oh, you know, I feel 00:28:09.690 --> 00:28:11.970 miserable. I've got depression. I've got anxiety 00:28:11.970 --> 00:28:14.089 problems. There's nothing I can do about it. 00:28:14.589 --> 00:28:16.710 And there's so many things that you can do about 00:28:16.710 --> 00:28:19.410 it. Like you can literally do a hundred things 00:28:19.410 --> 00:28:22.150 that will help you to feel better. And so taking 00:28:22.150 --> 00:28:24.970 action. I think is the biggest one. Right. Someone 00:28:24.970 --> 00:28:28.829 here suffering from anxiety and they're feeling 00:28:28.829 --> 00:28:32.250 like you did, you know, even three years ago. 00:28:32.349 --> 00:28:37.569 Yeah. What would be your sort of top five things 00:28:37.569 --> 00:28:40.069 you would ask them or tell them that they should 00:28:40.069 --> 00:28:42.390 probably try that could help them, you know, 00:28:42.430 --> 00:28:44.930 in the long run or even in the short term? Well, 00:28:45.029 --> 00:28:47.829 I think the foundations, right? Like get your 00:28:47.829 --> 00:28:50.980 sleep right. eat well if you really had to just 00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:53.720 pick one I would always say go for a walk because 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:56.039 it actually helps with so many of the other things 00:28:56.039 --> 00:28:59.400 I found for me the early sunlight and the movement 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:01.920 was helping to regulate my circadian rhythm I 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:04.259 was sleeping better then like I mentioned before 00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:07.319 I wasn't eating as much crap as I might have 00:29:07.319 --> 00:29:09.500 done before and I was getting social connection 00:29:09.500 --> 00:29:12.779 on some of my walks so I think pick one thing. 00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:15.720 Don't overwhelm yourself. Like make it easy. 00:29:15.819 --> 00:29:18.339 Let yourself win in the beginning. Celebrate 00:29:18.339 --> 00:29:21.440 the wins. That was huge for me. Maybe journal 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:24.680 about them. Create a little cookie jar. I got 00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:26.759 that from Seal. My husband tells me that's his 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:30.500 theory, which is not my guy. Cookie jar is where 00:29:30.500 --> 00:29:32.960 you, in my notes app is where I do it. And I 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:35.279 just write down all the times where things have 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:37.599 gone better than I expected, basically. And then 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.420 when I go somewhere like this podcast today, 00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:42.269 I take a peek at it and I'm like, oh yeah actually 00:29:42.269 --> 00:29:44.940 look at me I'm doing okay Yeah, I love that. 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:46.559 It's a really cute idea. And I love what you 00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:49.359 said, you know, about obviously start small and 00:29:49.359 --> 00:29:51.039 let yourself win so that you don't get overwhelmed. 00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:54.440 But when you mentioned a walk, it just so happened 00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:56.960 that this morning at the gym, a fellow that I'm 00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:58.240 always, like, you know, it's one of those gym 00:29:58.240 --> 00:29:59.599 bros, right? Where it's like you see him, you 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:01.500 give the nod, whatever. But today he came up 00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:03.420 to me, so I had to remove my headphone. Ugh. 00:30:04.099 --> 00:30:05.960 Anyway, and he was like, hey, can I ask you a 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:08.119 quick question? My wife is struggling with some 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:10.200 mental health and anxiety issues. And he said, 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:12.720 you know, I was telling her to go outside and 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:15.160 exercise. like meaning exercise in the sunlight 00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:17.980 and but she she said it was adding to her stress 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:20.460 and I was like okay and he said yeah because 00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:22.140 you know she would get out there and start running 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:24.960 and I was like oh yeah I was like I taught you 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:27.299 I was like so this is something that Amelia and 00:30:27.299 --> 00:30:30.279 I have talked about off air is like I tend to 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:33.819 do my exercise outside running and that's my 00:30:33.819 --> 00:30:35.579 zone too you know and then walking is just like 00:30:35.579 --> 00:30:38.200 you said instrumental here and there it is rare 00:30:38.809 --> 00:30:41.970 that I take an actual walk with no purpose or 00:30:41.970 --> 00:30:45.150 with no, let's say the functional outcome for 00:30:45.150 --> 00:30:47.529 the rest of my day. Exactly. Very rare. What 00:30:47.529 --> 00:30:50.049 would you say to women like me who are like, 00:30:50.150 --> 00:30:53.349 I don't, how can I possibly incorporate a lovely 00:30:53.349 --> 00:30:56.910 coffee walk that isn't serving a purpose immediately 00:30:56.910 --> 00:30:59.269 with intention? I think you're missing the point. 00:30:59.329 --> 00:31:01.529 It does serve a purpose. It's going to boost 00:31:01.529 --> 00:31:03.450 your mental health. So many things happen when 00:31:03.450 --> 00:31:06.210 we go on a walk, right? Brain waves actually 00:31:06.210 --> 00:31:08.069 synchronize between the left and right hemisphere. 00:31:08.410 --> 00:31:10.849 You're downregulating your amygdala, which is 00:31:10.849 --> 00:31:13.789 what generates anxiety and stress. So most people 00:31:13.789 --> 00:31:15.490 feel some stress in their life. That's going 00:31:15.490 --> 00:31:18.609 to help you. And you're also activating the hippocampus. 00:31:18.630 --> 00:31:20.670 So that part of your brain is responsible for 00:31:20.670 --> 00:31:24.670 creativity and memory processing, emotions. So 00:31:24.670 --> 00:31:27.769 it's kind of like a moving meditation. So yeah, 00:31:27.869 --> 00:31:29.450 I challenge you on that one. There's lots of 00:31:29.450 --> 00:31:31.849 reason to go for a walk and there's a lot that 00:31:31.849 --> 00:31:33.849 you can actually get out of it, even though some 00:31:33.849 --> 00:31:36.440 people do think it's not. you know everything 00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:39.740 it is it is yeah i think again it's it's rethinking 00:31:39.740 --> 00:31:42.960 how you view what's important i guess yeah yeah 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:45.720 definitely right let's do a little section we 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:47.420 normally do hot or high but i've changed it up 00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:49.200 for you we're gonna call it rapid fire round 00:31:49.200 --> 00:31:52.400 oh gosh so i am gonna give you two options you 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:54.640 tell me what you prefer and then you can expand 00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:58.319 on it okay okay sunrise or sunset walks oh starting 00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:02.420 hard um I'd like to say sunset because it's very 00:32:02.420 --> 00:32:05.180 relaxing, calms you down after a day. But sunrise, 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:09.539 early win in the day, game changer. Okay. Solo 00:32:09.539 --> 00:32:12.380 or with friends? Another difficult one. Can I 00:32:12.380 --> 00:32:15.420 say both? Am I allowed to say both? No. If you 00:32:15.420 --> 00:32:21.039 had to pick one. Solo, solo. Music, podcast or 00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:24.240 silence? Silence. Oh, wow. Yeah. That's a tough 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:26.480 one. Yeah. Like, I don't know if I could walk. 00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:28.839 Yeah, I struggled with that on my 12 hour. I 00:32:28.839 --> 00:32:30.880 did a 12 hour walk the night before my 40th birthday. 00:32:31.140 --> 00:32:33.960 Well, that's 12 hours. It was 12 hours alone. 00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:35.940 So I followed all the strict rules because you 00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:37.799 know me. It was 12 hours alone. Only walking, 00:32:37.819 --> 00:32:39.920 can't run, blah, blah, blah. No music, no nothing, 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:42.099 no interaction. So you couldn't, you had to pick 00:32:42.099 --> 00:32:44.259 a path where you assuredly would not see anyone. 00:32:44.440 --> 00:32:48.039 And I hated every moment, just so you know, from 00:32:48.039 --> 00:32:50.339 start to finish. And, you know, viewing the sunrise. 00:32:50.339 --> 00:32:51.900 Yeah, this is not the message here, Amanda. Yeah, 00:32:51.900 --> 00:32:54.660 no, I know. This is exactly why you don't have 00:32:54.660 --> 00:32:57.700 to make it a 12 hour walk. But, you know, a little 00:32:57.700 --> 00:32:59.619 fun side story. I was also pregnant, didn't know 00:32:59.619 --> 00:33:03.119 it. So I think that contributed to my tip top. 00:33:04.819 --> 00:33:07.869 Rainy day walk or rest day? rainy day we're walking 00:33:07.869 --> 00:33:12.970 every day guys like yeah the park is so peaceful 00:33:12.970 --> 00:33:15.470 as well when it's raining i mean if it's hammering 00:33:15.470 --> 00:33:17.170 it down we're going on the treadmill but we're 00:33:17.170 --> 00:33:19.650 always walking your favorite walking route in 00:33:19.650 --> 00:33:22.630 singapore oh my daily one is east coast park 00:33:22.630 --> 00:33:24.690 bodies of water are very soothing so you can 00:33:24.690 --> 00:33:27.309 walk next to water that's great for you but long 00:33:27.309 --> 00:33:30.400 walk has to be kentridge park southern ridges 00:33:30.400 --> 00:33:32.799 then over henderson waves and finish up at um 00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:36.359 mount faber wow the views in the evening are 00:33:36.359 --> 00:33:38.779 stunning like it's really quite a nice walk in 00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:41.059 the evening and that's very singaporean i feel 00:33:41.059 --> 00:33:42.900 like that's that's a unique experience doing 00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:45.180 that walk yeah yeah it's beautiful i absolutely 00:33:45.180 --> 00:33:47.059 love that one if you begin at mount faber from 00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:50.339 the bottom it's great little uh zone four or 00:33:50.339 --> 00:33:53.900 five even with the steps right if your walk had 00:33:53.900 --> 00:33:56.420 an anthem what would it be what's the soundtrack 00:33:56.910 --> 00:34:00.410 oh it's millennial pop isn't it i mean it has 00:34:00.410 --> 00:34:04.670 to be um that or can i say nature yeah like listening 00:34:04.670 --> 00:34:07.210 to bird song very soothing to the nervous system 00:34:07.210 --> 00:34:09.590 that's scientifically proven like if you listening 00:34:09.590 --> 00:34:13.570 to water nature around you it's it's great for 00:34:13.570 --> 00:34:15.210 you i mean there's a reason they play that in 00:34:15.210 --> 00:34:19.090 in bars right yeah yeah exactly right so what's 00:34:19.090 --> 00:34:21.469 next for the happy girl movement So many things. 00:34:21.630 --> 00:34:24.690 I mean, spreading the ripple effect. That's the 00:34:24.690 --> 00:34:27.329 big one to me. I get a lot of messages from women 00:34:27.329 --> 00:34:29.750 and it's so uplifting and that's really at the 00:34:29.750 --> 00:34:31.670 heart of the happy girl movement. It's just helping 00:34:31.670 --> 00:34:33.530 other people to live a healthier, happier life. 00:34:33.630 --> 00:34:35.309 Some of the things that people write and say, 00:34:35.449 --> 00:34:38.670 it's just amazing. So if it just helps one woman, 00:34:38.829 --> 00:34:41.010 that's what it's all about. We're going to do 00:34:41.010 --> 00:34:42.650 some events that are not just walking. We have 00:34:42.650 --> 00:34:44.789 a monthly walk and that will carry on, but we'll 00:34:44.789 --> 00:34:46.809 be doing some events. So if you stay tuned to 00:34:46.809 --> 00:34:48.949 the Instagram, you'll find out. So how can people 00:34:48.949 --> 00:34:51.500 join or? become part of the happy girl movement 00:34:51.500 --> 00:34:55.579 go for a walk um tag happy girl walk and then 00:34:55.579 --> 00:34:57.900 at happy girl movement and if you want to be 00:34:57.900 --> 00:35:00.360 a happy girl you are a happy girl that's the 00:35:00.360 --> 00:35:03.420 whole point we're inclusive no qualifiers yeah 00:35:03.420 --> 00:35:05.940 you decide you want to be happy that's it it's 00:35:05.940 --> 00:35:08.340 up to you right yeah i mean i guess you make 00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:11.639 your own choices exactly exactly right and i 00:35:11.639 --> 00:35:13.820 know you're not quite there yet or actually you 00:35:13.820 --> 00:35:15.960 might be like i mentioned uh i think you are 00:35:19.210 --> 00:35:21.309 what would you say is your 40s formula what would 00:35:21.309 --> 00:35:23.989 you say to somebody about how they can thrive 00:35:23.989 --> 00:35:27.010 in their 40s focus on the steps in front of you 00:35:27.010 --> 00:35:30.510 is huge nail the basics like don't get swept 00:35:30.510 --> 00:35:33.670 up by the trends i did that for a long time if 00:35:33.670 --> 00:35:37.429 you nail your sleep your nutrition your movement 00:35:37.429 --> 00:35:41.010 sunlight connection you will feel great and if 00:35:41.010 --> 00:35:43.809 you don't have any of them down pat then try 00:35:43.809 --> 00:35:46.869 going for a walk yeah obviously love it step 00:35:46.869 --> 00:35:48.909 by step day by day is what i always say that's 00:35:48.909 --> 00:35:51.610 perfect we love that yeah one step at a time 00:35:51.610 --> 00:35:55.000 exactly Thank you so much for joining us today, 00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:56.780 Amina. It's been wonderful speaking with you. 00:35:56.820 --> 00:35:58.599 Yeah, we've loved this conversation. Thank you. 00:35:58.659 --> 00:36:32.650 Thanks for having me. Thank you. Yeah, no, it's 00:36:32.650 --> 00:36:33.909 getting a little... Well, the air con is off 00:36:33.909 --> 00:36:33.949 now.