Autumn has arrived and with it the reminder that change is inevitable. 

While summer is my favourite season, I love fall for so many reasons. 

I love to run in the fall because of the cooler temperatures and the river valley’s beautiful changing colours. It’s also the best season to travel in with fewer crowds and lower prices. 

Vegetables from our garden mean we get to savour delicious food we grew ourselves, like the asparagus and tomato feta bake we had last week, served with corn on the cob—so good!

It’s the season for beautiful sunrises, longer cuddles, comfier clothes, long walks in the river valley, and evenings by the fire pit. 

Fall is also a fantastic time to reset, refocus, and return to a routine that will support you in feeling your best. 

With back to school and the return to a regular work schedule, the routine that got lost sometime after June 30 might need a little refresh. 

There are 90 days left in 2024. That’s about how long it takes to build a habit (not the 21 days you may have heard before). On average, it takes most people more than two months to make a new activity a habit (depending on the individual, the behaviour, and the circumstances). 

Your kids are busy in school. Your partner is busy at work.

Maybe it’s time to put yourself first for a change. 

In my last newsletter, I wrote about how self-care is really an act of self-love (if you missed it, join the Boussole Wellness community so you won’t miss another).

Self-care is all the little things we do to take care of ourselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. 

By focusing on those four domains, how we practice self-care can be simplified as we can see at a glance if we’re doing activities in each of the domains, or if one (or two!) domains are lacking. 

For an example of how using the four domains worked for me, check out Self Care Simplified.

When you ensure that all four domains of self-care are taken care of, you feel amazing.

And when you feel amazing, you can conquer the world.

You can do hard things.

You can truly focus on your goals and take the action needed to make them happen. 

You’re also able to show up as a better mama, partner, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague.

Your cup is full and spills over to positively influence others around you. Not only do you feel amazing, but everyone around you does too, as a result of the love and light you share with everyone in your inner circle. 

So where do you start right now? 

You focus on the one self-care practice that is your keystone habit. 

A keystone habit is the one habit that, when you practice it regularly, other habits naturally fall into place around it. It’s like they work together to support one another. 

Moving my body is my keystone habit. When I work out regularly, I eat healthy food as it fuels my workouts. I want to get a good night’s sleep so my workouts don’t feel as hard. I enjoy being active outside. It’s also easier to talk to myself more positively—I feel more confident and more sure of myself. 

When I don’t work out regularly, I don’t make the healthiest meal choices (I want what’s fast and easy, not what’s nutritious and delicious), I spend less time outside, and my inner voice becomes more critical. 

Moving my body is the KEYSTONE HABIT that holds my other healthy habits in place. It’s also the habit that helps me take care of my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Physical: Moving my body gets my heart, lungs, and muscles moving. 

Emotional: A high-intensity workout (running, med ball slams, boxing) helps me release any frustrations I’ve let build up over the week (also really good for closing the stress response cycle). Or I can make my workout social and join friends to go for a walk, hike, bike ride, or stairs. 

Mental: I can listen to a stimulating podcast or audiobook, or I can have some quiet time to myself to reflect. This helps me gain clarity, especially if my thoughts are bouncing around my head or stuck in a constant rumination.

Spiritual: My favourite way to be active is to enjoy the outdoors at the same time. Going on a hike in the mountains, biking in the river valley, and kayaking on the lake all let me experience the awesomeness of Mother Nature and leave me feeling grounded and more at peace.  

What’s your one healthy habit that makes other self-care practices easier?

Have you figured it out?

If you have, that’s your keystone habit, and it’s important to keep that one going as it supports the other ones you have in your arsenal to feel your best. Prioritize that habit and you'll be on your way to building a strong foundation of healthy habits. 

Or maybe you've discovered your keystone habit is causing a negative cascade of other behaviours. For example, one cocktail leads to having another (and maybe another), and as the night goes on you find yourself making other unhealthy choices that you might otherwise have avoided. 

If you need help identifying and implementing your keystone habit so you can build a solid foundation of healthy habits, then this special coaching offer is for you.