After years of yo-yoing with my mental health, doing everything at 100mph, and being subject to external pressures & expectations just because I felt like I had to, I realised that it was finally time to slow down and be me again!

For an ambitious girly with ADHD, this is easier said than done! But finding myself again and only doing things that I want to do has been so freeing! I just need to work on the rest part a little more.

And with that, I’ve been exploring different self-care activities that are based on all the things that make me feel alive!

So I thought I’d share all of the self-care activities I’ve been enjoying so far throughout Autumn.

I love the idea of exploring different activities for each season, so I’ll share a new list with activities that I try every season, to keep myself accountable and to hopefully share ideas that you like the sound of too.

1) Pumpkin Picking

Whether you fancy a day trip to a cute pumpkin patch, or you’re just going to your local supermarket, buy some colourful pumpkins and squashes to decorate your house with, giving it a cosy, Autumn feel.

I will be using them up in tasty recipes like a squash and sage risotto after using them as a decoration for a few days.

2) Collect The Autumn Leaves

I absolutely love the colours that nature brings in Autumn - it makes my morning walks so wholesome.

Last week, I thoroughly enjoyed collecting colourful leaves that had fallen off the trees. I had never done it before, but it was such a lovely mindful activity that allowed me to practice being in the present moment (something I often struggle to do when I go on my morning walks, as this is a time when I am super creative and have so many Substack ideas floating around my head haha).

I might make a cute little scrapbook to add my favourite ones too! If you have any ideas for how else I could fill the scrapbook, let me know!

3) The Self-Care Evening Essentials…

Hot chocs, candles, cosy pyjamas, face masks, and a journal…of course

4) Visit a Local Farm Shop

I love a farm shop all year round, but there’s just something about spending a cosy weekend going to a farm shop that gives me Autumn vibes.

I’ve also found that the eggs can be much cheaper than a supermarket yet much better quality/higher welfare.

Depending on which farm shop you go to, you may also see some cute animals too…

5) Paint by Numbers

I don’t have a natural talent for art, so paint by numbers is a great option for me! I find it so relaxing, and it’s one of the few activities that I can do where I’m fully concentrated on the task at hand in the present moment.

So if there are any ADHD girlys like me out there, I can’t recommend this activity enough!

I’ve been working on this fun painting project since the summer (it’s huge, so it’s going to take some time haha), and due to spending so much time outdoors this summer, I didn’t spend as much time painting as I’d like.

This is why I feel that Autumn is a great time for doing cosy crafts!

6) Bake warming desserts

As you know, I’m all about balance, and I love sharing my tasty recipes with you all.

While I love baking all year round, Autumn is the time to bake those indulgent warming desserts that you serve warm and enjoy under a blanket.

I also try to bake with the seasons - so pies, tarts, and crumbles are very much welcome at this time of year in my house.

If you’d like to do some seasonal baking, check out my latest recipes and give them a try:

I hope you enjoyed my little seasonal self-care list. If you give one a try, or if you have any other autumn activity recommendations, let me know in the comments below.

Leave a comment

See you in a couple of months for my Winter edition.

Hatti x

This recipe is easy to bake yet looks spectacular! It’s a great centrepiece at a Halloween party, and the kids will love it.

Not only that, you can decorate it however you like! Get creative with friends, family, and the kids…

I enjoyed getting creative with the help of my fur baby Winnie, who is very excited about Halloween (don’t worry, she didn’t eat any, she is just my right-hand girl).

But not only is this recipe great for the spooky season… this is my go-to brownie recipe all year round!

So save this recipe and use it any time you fancy making some delicious brownies.

Spooky Graveyard Brownie

Ingredients:

For the brownie:

• 200g unsalted butter

• 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)

• 280g caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 85g plain flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 50g white chocolate chips (or a bar chopped into small chunks)

To Decorate:

You can decorate your graveyard brownie with whatever ingredients you like! You can copy what I did above or make your own.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160/140 fan/gas mark 3, and line a square baking tin (22cm × 22cm) with baking paper.

2. Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt on the hob over a low heat.

3. Once fully melted, take off the heat, break the chocolate into small pieces, and add to the pan, stirring until melted, then set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the sugar and eggs together until thickened, pale, and fluffy.

5. Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and pour in the melted butter & chocolate.

6. Use a spatula to carefully fold the mixture together, trying not to remove too much of the air.

7. Pour into the tin, scatter over the white chocolate chips/chunks and using the spatula, gently push them into the mixture until fully covered.

8. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until there is still a wobble in the middle, but not too much is left on a skewer when you insert it into the centre.

9. Leave to cool, then decorate however you like.

Top Tips:

Sieve the flour and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl gently and at a height so that the weight doesn’t knock as much air out of the mixture.

Don’t worry that there’s still a wobble in the middle, it will firm up when it cools.

Pop leftovers in the fridge if you want a more fudgy brownie when you go back for seconds.

And there you have it…my spooky graveyard brownie!

If you give it a try, please leave a comment with any feedback you have. Also, if there’s anything you’d like me to bake and share next, let me know!

Comment

More of my homemade recipes to add to your baking list:

Apple and Almond Frangipane Tart with Homemade Custard

Banoffee Loaf with Sticky Toffee Sauce

Have fun baking!

Hatti x

This week, I’m posting a slightly different article and sharing an update on everything I’ve been doing so far to grow my Substack.

I can’t believe I now have 100 subscribers less than 2 months into my Substack journey!

On Monday, I had my first Business planning day, which was super fun, but also made me realise how much there is to building something that will get you where you want to get to! I’ve also been navigating this journey alongside my full-time job, so I’m very much in the early stages of learning what works for me.

So I thought I’d share what I’ve learnt and found helpful so far. I’ll update this page over time to share my progress along the way.

I am by no means an expert, but I wanted this to be a space to hold myself accountable and share the tips that I’ve been trialling myself to get closer to achieving my dreams - and maybe they will help you along your journey too. 🤍

Here is a breakdown of what I’ll cover in this article:

1. Get Clear on Your Business Mission and Strategy

2. Believe In Yourself

3. Define What Success Means to You

4. Ensure Each Touchpoint Has a Purpose

5. Stay consistent even when it’s hard

6. Do It Because you Enjoy it

7. Moving From Free to Paid Subscription

8. Post On Your Socials

9. Use Pinterest To Grow Your Substack

10. Recommendations

11. Get Community Feedback

12. Collaborate With Others

1. Get Clear on Your Business Mission and Strategy

If you want to start your own business (whether or not you’re using Substack to start or grow it), getting clear on your business mission and strategy from the start is key.

A couple of years ago, I bought The Business Method course, which is a complete how-to guide to starting your own business, and I couldn’t recommend it enough! At the time, I bought the course knowing that I wanted to start my own business one day, but I didn’t know exactly what or when. So I have been dipping in and out of it but knew that when I’m ready, it will be the best resource I have purchased…and it is. While I recommend purchasing this for yourself, here are my top-line takeaways that I think are most important…

Write your brand story

Explain the problem you want to solve and why you want to solve it. To do this, these are the following things you need to do…

• Define your WHY - This should drive everything you do and will lead customers to actually build trust and purchase the WHAT. Determine what you stand for and what you don’t stand for to get closer to your WHY

• Define your HOW - How are you fulfilling your WHY?

• Define your WHAT - What are you offering to fulfil your WHY and HOW?

• Define your CORE VALUES - These are the values you will uphold across everything you do, and they should never be compromised

• Define your TRAJECTORY - Where do you want to go, how could you expand in the future, what is the long-term aim

• Define your USPs - Aim for 3 big ones and 3 smaller ones and apply them to everything you do!

Once you have mapped out the above, you are ready to write your MISSION STATEMENT and build your BUSINESS PERSONA.

Mission Statement

Everything you do must align with your mission statement. It outlines your strategy by taking the highlights from your brand story and putting it into a concise statement.

How to build your mission statement:

• No more than 3 sentences long

• Start with your WHY

• Outlines what you offer, what core values you stand for, and how the two are aligned

• Include your USPs

Business Persona

This is a profile of your ideal customer or audience. It describes who they are, what they care about, what problems they have, and what motivates them to engage with or buy from your business. Think of it as a way to understand who you’re creating content for and why they’d care about it.

2. Believe In Yourself

Self-belief, self-worth, and self-trust form the foundations for achieving anything you want to achieve.

Without starting to sound wishy-washy, understanding the concepts behind manifesting was a turning point for me in my self-development journey. If you aren’t familiar with this, I strongly recommend reading Roxi Nafousi’s Manifest books, which outline the 7 key steps to building these foundations and achieving your dreams…

1. Be Clear on your vision

2. Remove Fear and Doubt

3. Cultivate and Practice Self-Love

4. Align your Behaviour

5. Overcome Tests from the Universe

6. Embrace Gratitude

7. Turn Envy into Inspiration

8. Trust in the Universe

I will dive deeper into this in a separate article, but I wanted to mention it here! I love this concept so much, I have key quotes from Roxi’s book on my wall…

3. Define What Success Means to You

Success can look different to everyone and can also change from day to day. One day success could mean just getting through!

But in this article, when I talk about success, I’m referring to your goals - what do you want to achieve?

Setting yourself goals along the way is important to help you maintain momentum in reaching the trajectory you want to get to. This is where the believe in yourself part I mentioned above is important - don’t hold back - you are capable of more than you think.

To ensure you’re creating effective goals that you can achieve and measure along the way, I like to follow the SMART technique:

• Specific

• Measurabe

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time-Bound

But while defining your success and your goals has great value, there are some points to be mindful of:

• Your goals can change - don’t be rigid with them

• Don’t just fixate on the end goal; focus on the process and use your goal to direct you

• Don’t define your success by the number of subscribers you have or the amount of likes you receive

  • The quality of your work and engagement with your audience is more important. Remember from building your mission and strategy that your core values, what you stand for, and your business persona are aimed at a certain audience, and it’s important to stick to your why and not worry about pleasing everyone!

  • The number of followers you have doesn’t determine your worth and shouldn’t be the reason why you are doing what you’re doing

  • While it’s absolutely fine to set small goals to keep (I’m aiming for 500 subscribers by the end of Jan), if you don’t reach it, you should still be content with what you have already grown and determined to keep going no matter what

4. Ensure Each Touchpoint Has a Purpose

Touchpoints are every interaction with your audience, whether that’s your Substack notes, articles, social posts - anything that they see and engage with.

Each touchpoint should be aligned with your business mission and strategy (including your WHY and CORE VALUES) and your goals (to help you reach your goals).

Don’t just post something because you feel like you’re supposed to. While it’s important to stay consistent, the content you share still needs to be intentional; otherwise, this could weaken your impact

Each touchpoint you have with your subscribers should be proof of the values you hold.

5. Stay consistent even when it’s hard

Showing up consistently is what builds trust with your subscribers and your customers. Even if the amount of content you share one week isn’t as significant, as long as the quality is there, it doesn’t matter - sometimes less is more!

Here are some tips that I do that could help you stay consistent:

• Plan ahead

  • If you know you’re going to be away, or have a busy week coming up

    • I scheduled all my notes and my article before my holiday in September so that I could relax while I was away

    • I still responded to comments where I could to maintain engagement and trust with my subscribers

• Don’t decide on the day what notes you’re going to post

  • Spend 30-60 mins at the start of each week drafting the notes you want to post, ensuring they link with the article content you’re posting each week

  • You can of course post extra notes you think of throughout the day but having some sort of plan is helpful

• If you think of an idea, add it to your drafts

  • This creates a library of ideas for you to choose from when you have less time or feel a bit stuck

6. Do It Because you Enjoy it

If you’re feeling stressed about getting an article done on time, or feel like you have to, then take a moment and re-evaluate. Substack is a place to build what you’re most passionate about, so if it starts to feel more like a chore rather than a passion, check in with yourself and listen to what you need.

It’s important to find a balance between being consistent and ensuring you’re still loving what you do.

It might just take time to find a routine that works for you.

Over the past week, I’ve struggled with this, which is why I’m checking in with myself and starting a different approach. I think my issue is that I’ve started writing an article too close to when I plan to publish it.

So from now on, I will start writing an article a week before I aim to publish so that I have space to go at my own pace (and there’s leeway for when life gets in the way).

I also know that I work best in the mornings, so I’m going to make sure I aim to write my content in the mornings.

Watch this space for updates on my progress!

7. Moving From Free to Paid Subscription

There’s not necessarily a right or wrong approach here. Some people offer paid content from the beginning, while some build up a following before adding a paid option. While both options can be equally successful, I’ve personally decided that I’d like to build up a bit of a following before offering a paid subscription and here’s why…

• I want to first build a community, customer trust, and engagement

• I want to learn and understand my way around Substack and what I could offer on the platform (and beyond) first

• I’m building my page alongside my full-time job so I’m still getting into the swing of a routine on here - adding additional features for a paid subscription requires more work and I want to

• I want my offerings to be community-led - based on their feedback, so that I can develop paid content that they actually want and will get value from

• I want to get clear on my mission, strategy, and everything I have described above

• This is also a passion project of mine, so I know there’s no rush

8. Post On Your Socials

Now that I’m getting into the swing of things, I’m starting to post highlights and key takeaways from my Substack articles on my Instagram and TikTok account. Once I get going with this, I may start posting on other platforms too!

I’d love you to follow along…

Instagram: @nutritionwithhats

TikTok: @the_wellbeing_box

9. Use Pinterest To Grow Your Substack

This is something I have recently discovered, and I can’t wait to get started!

There are so many great articles that explain how best to use Pinterest to bring more viewers to your Substack page. I have linked some helpful articles below, but here’s a summary of how to do it:

• Create Pinterest boards for different types of content that you share on Substack

  • I have created a board related to my baking content, a board for self-care-related content and a board for health and wellness

• Make 3-5 pins from each Substack article

  • I will use a different image from my article for each pin

  • Schedule the pins to be published at different times throughout the week

• Make sure to use searchable words for your board titles, pin titles, and in your pin descriptions

• Add the link to your Substack article to your pin

  • Don’t just link to your Substack homepage - link to the specific content you’re referring to

As I’ve only just set up my Pinterest, I will update this page with my progress as I go. Click below to follow along:

My Pinterest: Thewellbeingbox

10. Recommendations

Recommend others and ask for recommendations back.

This can be a great way to promote other people’s content while enabling yourself to gather case studies and feedback which you can share with your subscribers - this will build trust and credibility.

I have only just started this, but over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting recommendations for my fave accounts, and I will also be asking for recommendations in return.

11. Get Community Feedback

I also recommend getting community and customer feedback as much as you can. Whether that’s posting notes, polls, or asking in your subscription chats, get an understanding of what your followers want from you.

This will help you to tweak your content and offerings to be more valuable and impactful to your audience. This is one of the reasons why I’ve decided to hold off before offering a paid subscription option.

I’m also going to get feedback outside of this platform to strengthen this even further.

12. Collaborate with others:

This is a great way to grow your community while getting to know others. I recently discovered the creator match feature, which recommends other content creators that could be a great match to collab with based on the type of content they share.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting my first collab article with - We will be posting a health and wellness Q&A article which we’d love our whole community to get involved with!

With all the health misinformation out there on social media, I want Substack to be a fresh slate, and as a Registered Nutritionist, I want to use this platform to create a space that YOU CAN TRUST.

So please share any health-related questions you have in the comments below - it can be absolutely anything!

Leave a comment

If you share a question with us, we will tag you in our article to promote your account, and we will share our evidence-based answer. 🤍

I hope this has been helpful! Again, I am only in the early stages of building my Wellbeing Box hub, but these are the things I have learnt so far along the way! I will continue to update this page to share my progress, and I’d love to hear if these tips work for you too!

Hatti x

Before I jump into the next book of the series, I want to thank everyone who has joined my Wellbeingbox community so far. I truly appreciate each and every one of you for supporting me on my journey to achieving my dreams.

If you’re new here, welcome! This is my monthly series, where I share a rundown on the latest health & wellbeing book that I’ve been reading. In each article, I’ll include my personal thoughts, key takeaways, and top tips that I’ve taken from the book and implemented to support my health.

I’m always open to any feedback you have so that I can make this series valuable for you. So if you have any thoughts or suggestions, please feel free to share in the comments.

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Just One Thing - Dr Michael Mosley

The Author

Dr Michael Mosley was a Medical Doctor, TV & radio Journalist, Producer and Presenter. During his career, Dr Mosley published 11 books and covered all areas of health; he loved to get involved and be the ‘guinea pig’ in research on emerging science.

You may have known Dr Michael Mosely for his books on intermittent fasting and the 5:2 diet, which were aimed at supporting patients with the reversal and management of type 2 diabetes. This was a personal passion of his, following his own diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Dr Michael Mosley unfortunately died in 2024, only two years after this book was published. I hope this article highlights just how valuable his work and contribution to public health were.

Why give it a read

I truly feel this book can benefit everyone; it provides so many easy, actionable habits to try and build into your life in a way that works for you.

Dr Mosley recognised that 1 size does not fit all and that making long-lasting changes to support our health can be challenging…and that’s exactly why he has written this book!

The book emphasises how we don’t have to go ‘all in’ and make significant changes all at once – there is much more value in making 1-2 small tweaks to our lifestyle and actually sticking with it long term.

The book is categorised into habits that you can implement at different times of the day, but of course, there isn’t a strict rule as to when you should do them - it just provides a helpful guide in demonstrating how you could put his tips into action.

Dr Mosely also goes into the science, sharing the research and benefits behind each habit, so that you can see the value of making each small change.

What resonated with me most

The whole book aligns with the exact approach and messaging I share throughout my content at Thewellbeingbox!

The 10 tips that Dr Mosley shared at the beginning of the book particularly resonated with me. These tips are backed by science and designed to form the foundation of the process for building each habit into our lifestyles. While all 10 are excellent, here are my top 3 that resonated most with me:

1. Be realistic - Trying to consistently stick with habits that are too far out of reach or require a significant jump from what you were doing before you started the habit, is less likely to deliver the results you were hoping for. It may also rob you of the joy you previously had, which we absolutely do not want!

2. Know WHY you are doing it - We’re often too focused on the goal itself and the outcome, but you’re more likely to actually get there if you connect to your WHY. Your WHY holds a deeper meaning behind your goals and keeps you accountable when your motivation dips or you’re struggling - because you have your WHY to fall back on, and so you’re more likely to stick to it as a result

3. Be kind to yourself - Always be kind to yourself. If something doesn’t bring you joy, then this is a good enough reason to reassess the situation and try a different habit

3 Top Habits I am Putting Into Action

There are so many habits that I want to try, or become more consistent with over time. But here are my top 3 that stood out, and I have implemented straight away:

1) Have a Cold Shower In The Morning-

Now this one may sound scary, but bare with me.

This is an easy habit you can build into your normal morning shower, and personally, since trying it, I’ve felt more energised in the mornings, particularly now that the days are getting shorter and I can no longer rely on it being bright outside to wake me up.

But not only that, the benefits outlined in the book are worth giving it a go:

• Boost mood

• Improve cardiovascular health

• Strengthen immune system

• Reduce stress

Now I know you may be thinking, surely this will cause my body stress? And yes, you’re right. But if you keep doing it, your body will get used to it and, in the long term, will help you to better manage your stress response in other situations.

How to give it a try: When you wake up, have your usual warm shower and then turn to cold at the end. Try it for 10 seconds and then over time, build up. I do a little dance to distract myself!

2) Exercise Less, But More Often -

Now I’m sure some of you may like the sound of this one, especially when we don’t feel motivated to do a full workout! This is called Exercise Snacking!

An exercise snack is a short burst of exercise thst can last anywhere from 20 seconds to 10 minutes and it can be whatever you like!

Dancing

Stretches

Brisk walk

Cardio

Yoga

Bodyweight exercises

Anything!

The idea it’s to fit 1-3 of these exercise snacks within your daily routine. For example, you could do some bodyweight exercises for a few mins before getting ready for work, go on a brisk walk around the office when you need a break away from your desk, and then do some stretches before bed - the options are endless!

Even a few mins of movement can get your heart rate up and your circulation going which has a positive impact on your health!

Research has shown that doing a few exercise snacks regularly could even provide more health benefits than doing one off longer workouts…

So if you don’t have time, motivation, or you aren’t a lover of exercise, rather than forcing yourself to go to the gym once a week, try a burst of exercise for 5 minutes 1-2 times per day and you’ll likely get better results - because you’ve maintained that consistency

Now this doesn’t mean that overall we should be exercising less - if you already have a great routine in which you excise regularly, then swapping to exercise snacks won’t provide greater benefits.

The idea is more about adding movement to those days when you’re not exercising…to help keep up the habit!

Some exercise is better than no exercise at all and doing it this way with less pressure and time constraints will bring more joy!

3) Eat Chocolate -

Hopefully, this is another habit that brings music to your ears! But there is one caveat…we’re talking about dark chocolate (above 70% cocoa).

Now this is something I of course already do and enjoy - I love a bit of dark chocolate, particularly if I’m making a nourishing snack for the week (and especially in one of my indulgent baking recipes), but I wanted to mention this one particularly as I’m trying to choose healthier alternatives for dessert a couple of times a week.

I was raised in a household where we always had pudding after our evening meal. And I’m so glad I did because I’m grateful to have been bought up in an environment that was free of restriction!

I am though trying to find a bit more of a balance by choosing more nourishing desserts a couple of times a week to support my long term health.

And that’s where dark chocolate comes in!

Dark chocolate is a great staple to have to hand when you’re craving something sweet and it provides health benefits at the same time!

Cocoa beans contain compounds called flavanols which support blood pressure, heart health, and brain health.

They can also have a positive effect on your gut microbiome, as some of our good bacteria in there feed off of flavanols.

The higher the cocoa percentage in the chocolate, the higher the flavanol content and therefore the more benefits it provides for our health.

So a few times per week, I now have a couple of squares after my meal, or you could use it to make a tasty snack or dessert. Here are some examples:

✨Make a trail mix of dark chocolate, nuts, and even some dried fruit

✨Drizzle some dark chocolate over some fresh fruit and Greek yoghurt

✨Chocolate-dipped fruit -strawberries, grapes, and banana are my fave. You can eat straight away or allow the chocolate to set

If you like the sound of these habits, why not give them a try this week? Or try another from the full list shared in the book:

I’d love to know which habits from this list you’d like to try? Let me know in the comments.

Leave a comment

My fave quote

What’s Up Next

In my next episode of my wellbeing book series, I will share a deep dive into “It’s Probably Just Your Hormones” by Dr Mary Ryan.

Our hormones affect so many different parts of our body and our lives, including our mood, stress, sleep, fertility, and much more, so I’m excited to share all of the best bits with you!

So I decided to combine these two comfort bakes together…introducing my Banoffee Loaf with Sticky Toffee Sauce.

Now if you’re someone who still hasn’t touched a banana loaf after making it so many times during the Covid-19 lockdown, I’m confident that this recipe will finally break you!

The two flavours work so well together and depending on whether you enjoy it warm or cold, you get a completely different type of pudding.

Serving warm with extra toffee sauce, banana slices, and double cream creates the most indulgent sticky toffee pudding!

But enjoying a slice cold with a cup of tea is a lighter, refreshing (but still indulgent) afternoon treat. You can also taste more banana notes running through!

However you prefer to try it, I hope you give it a go…I know you’re gonna love it 🫶

Enjoy x

Ingredients:

Banoffee Cake:

• 75g dates soaked in 75ml hot water (this will be used for both the cake and the toffee sauce)

• 140g light soft brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 bananas, mashed

• 75g dates, finely chopped

• 100g natural yoghurt

• 180g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• Pinch salt

Sticky Toffee Sauce:

• 50g butter

• 50g light soft brown sugar

• 100ml double cream

• 50g date paste (made from dates and water above)

Method:

Banoffee Cake:

• In a small heatproof bowl or jug, soak the dates in the boiling water for 15 mins

• While the dates are soaking, line a 900lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3

• Also, mash the banana and chop the other dates

• In a mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale, fluffy

• Once the dates have soaked, blend together (with the water) in a food processor, or using the electric whisk, to form a date paste

• Add 100g of the date paste to the egg and sugar bowl (saving the remaining 50g of the date paste for the sauce) along with the mashed banana, chopped dates, and natural yoghurt

• Also, sift the flour, baking powder, Bicarb, and salt into the bowl then with a spatula or large metal spoon, gently fold all of the mixture together, trying not to remove too much air

• Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

Sticky toffee sauce:

• Add all of the to a saucepan and cook on a low-medium heat over the hob, stirring constantly until the sauce has gone a darker colour (should take 5-10 mins)

• Spoon over the load cake and add slices of dates and fresh banana to finish

Serving Suggestions:

Serve warm with a an extra spoon of toffee sauce, drizzle of double cream, and banana slices for an indulgent dessert

Or

Serve cold with a warm drink for a lighter Autumnal snack

Top Tips:

If you’re decorating with banana slices, eat them on the same day you bake it as they will go off. Feel free to serve with fresh banana slices the next day.

Feel free to double up on the sauce quantities if you’d prefer more of a sticky toffee pudding vibe that is covered in sauce.

Bring your eggs to room temperature if possible before you start baking.

Try not to open the oven until they are done (try not to check before 45 mins) as this could affect the rise.

If you give my recipe a try, let me know what you think 🫶

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The shorter months can be both physically and mentally challenging for so many of us….

Waking up in the dark…

Getting to work when it’s dark and then finishing work it’s dark…

Exercising in the cold, wet weather…

It’s no surprise that for many, it feels like a constant internal battle to keep up with our positive habits when all we want to do is keep warm under a cosy blanket.

As soon as I feel like I’ve gotten into the swing of things and have it all figured out in the summer months, the shorter days hit, and I get thrown off. And then this then impacts both my physical and mental health…who can relate?

It already feels like we don’t have enough hours in the day and then the days get shorter…for many, this can feel so overwhelming.

After years of going round in circles I started to explore how I could best adapt my routine to the changing seasons to help maintain momentum and keep both my physical and mental health more steady.

And this is why I have created this guide!

I have pulled together all of my top tips that I have learned and adopted over the years so that you can benefit too!

How to use this guide:

By no means should you use this guide strictly or try to do everything at once – that wouldn’t be realistic, sustainable, or enjoyable.

For those who have followed my content over the past few weeks, you’ll know that I’m all about making small tweaks to your lifestyle that you can maintain consistency with rather going in with an all or nothing mindset.

I wanted to provide a space where I can share all the possible things you can try to support your wellbeing during the cooler months so that you can have fun exploring which work best for you.

I’ve provided tips to support you as soon as you wake up, throughout your day, and when you wind down for bed.

So why not try 1 from each section? If one of them doesn’t work for you, try another.

And remember there’s always option B! You don’t have to do something at 100%. You can try a simpler version of something and work your way up!

Let’s use this as an opportunity to learn what works for us and how we thrive!

Don’t let the darker seasons take power over us and control how we feel and show up…let’s take back control and make the darker seasons work for us. 🫶

My Guide To Thriving Throughout The Darker Seasons

Boost Your Mornings:

• Keep up your current morning rituals where you can - If opening your curtains was the first thing you did when you woke up in summer, keep this habit going because it’s these behaviours that trigger your brain to wake up.

• Consistent morning routine - Your brain will learn the cues, which will act as a reminder that it’s time to start the day!

• Swap your phone alarm for a sunrise alarm clock – My Lumie Sunrise Alarm Clock is one of the best things I’ve purchased for my wellbeing! It slowly starts lighting up 30 mins before the alarm goes off, and then when it does, the whole room is lit up as it would be in summer. Exposing yourself to light first thing helps to keep your body clock in check and supports the natural rise in cortisol, which we need to wake us up.

  • SAD lamps are also great, and there are other cheaper alternatives on the market.

  • If you don’t have access to one of these, as soon as your alarm goes off, get up and put the light on - even if you go back to bed and keep snoozing your alarm, the light being on will help!

• Have a cold shower - this may seem daunting but it’s a game changer! I’ll dive deeper into the benefits in an upcoming article but having a cold shower (even for 10 seconds) is so energising. I start with a hot shower then turn to cold at the end. If you’re not sure, start by just splashing your face with cold water.

• Limit screens first thing in the morning - Overwhelming your brain with lots of different content on your phone first thing can make you feel drained before you even get out of bed.

• Eat a substantial breakfast – Make sure to fuel your body for the day with a balance of healthy fats, protein, slow-release carbs, and fibre. Don’t be afraid of carbs - they are your primary source of energy for your body to function. It’s the quality of the carbs that matters – wholegrain varieties that are high in fibre will give you the energy you need during the winter mornings.

  • For those who don’t like eating straight away, take something with you for the day.

• Make the most of the morning light where you can – This may be a struggle if you’ve already started work before it gets light, but if you’re able to, take a short break (even for 5-10 mins) once it gets light and get outside.

Preserve Your Energy Throughout The Day:

• Work next to the window - If you’re working from home (or in the office), try and sit next to the window to absorb as much light as you can.

• Make the most of the daylight at lunchtime – Wrap up and get outside whether to walk, or eat, or read a book.

• Set intentional times to go on your phone throughout the day - Rather than numerous mindless checks which break your flow and disrupt your energy levels. Absorbing content online takes a lot more energy than you think. For more on building healthier digital habits to support your wellbeing, check out my latest Wellbeing Book Series article.

• Exercise snacking – If you lack motivation to exercise during these seasons (if you don’t like going to the gym when it’s dark and cold, I’m with you!), instead try doing short bursts of exercise throughout the day. This could just be 5-10 mins, 2-3 times a day to do some stretches, cardio, or a quick walk. Set a timer, get up from your desk and give it a go!

• Take a 20-min nap if you can – A quick rest can significantly boost your energy levels, helping you to get through the second half of the day! Try not to nap for longer than 20-30 mins and to do so before 3pm if possible to avoid affecting your sleep at night.

• Enjoy balanced meals and snacks throughout the day

• Do things that boost your energy rather than drain it – Say no to things that no longer serve you, or that don’t align with your goals. Don’t fill all of your time just because your calendar tells you you’re technically available. Rest and self care is valuable!

Wind Down in The Evening:

• Consistent bed time routine - Your brain will learn the cues, which will act as a reminder that it’s time to wind down! I go upstairs, dim the lights and read my book and journal and as soon as I do, I can feel myself dozing off as I read.

• Try to limit screens before bed – Not only does bright lights affect your melatonin levels, if you’re engaging with content that raises stress levels, this will lead to a rise in cortisol levels which has the opposite effect to what you need when you’re trying to wind down.

• Write down your to-do list for tomorrow to help clear your mind before bed.

• Limit caffeine, sugary foods, & alcohol before bed if possible - these can affect both quality and duration of sleep.

• Try to finish eating a few hours before bed - your digestive system (as well as all other organs and cells in your body) also have a body clock. Night time is when your gut prioritises repair so if you’re eating before bed, this will disrupt its body clock and therefore impacts our sleep wake body clock.

• have a hot bath/shower 1.5 hours before bed – this triggers your body to bring your temperature back down so by the time you’re ready for bed you’ll be cool

• Dim the lights – I put my Lumie lamp on low and turn off the main lights to help support the rise in melatonin levels

• Add essential oils on bedding

• Drink a camomile drink

• Ensure bedroom is cool

• Wear and eye mask and ear plugs if environment is bright or loud

Community Tips:

I want my page to be as engaging and as valuable as possible and I want to bring a sense of community to my page too.

This is why I thought in addition to my tips, it would be great to have a community section where you guys share your tips as well so that we can learn from and support one another with our own ideas.

Here are tips from some of the community for how they thrive during the darker seasons. 🫶

My sunrise alarm!! I find getting up SO much harder when it’s still dark outside, so waking up to the room gradually getting lighter makes such a difference. 🫶🏽

Make the most of all indoor activities - I love when we light candles and all the lamps get to shine. As someone who loves staying home, this is the best time to do puzzles and try new hobbies. Nobody expects you to stay late or to be everywhere. Everything slows down and it’s finally time to be human again.

Try new things - for those who don’t have many indoor hobbies, this is your chance to give them a try.

1) Connecting with nature - even if it means getting up slightly earlier to see sunrise or hear the morning birds, I believe an early morning walk is a great way to start the day

2) Eating warm, nourishing food (especially in the morning) - soups, porridge, stewed fruits, roasted salads, stews etc.

3) Making social plans despite the urge for isolation - the colder and darker months have a tendency to feel extremely lonely. Make sure to create social time with those who mean the most to you. Staying warm, indoors whether at a cafe, library or doing some baking in your own home - it all helps!

4) Focus on the small wins that we tend to overlook (what I like to call moments of “informal magic”). The beauty of the autumn leaves, the small robin which says hello in your garden, the bright sun against the cold air, that perfect latte made by a lovely barista, the new scented candle which makes your home smell incredible.

If you’d also like to share your tips, please share in the comments below and I’ll add them to this article and tag your account to raise awareness of your page. 🤍

Comment

As a Nutritionist, I very much believe in balance which is why I use this space to share both health & wellness tips, and my baking recipes …there is no restriction here!

Now that we have entered the Autumnal months, I thought it’s time that I start sharing some warming, indulgent desserts. And what’s better than kicking off with an apple tart and custard?

As I’m a country girly, I will often try to bake with the seasons - another reason why apple tart is a great dessert to make in October! September to November are the peak months for apple picking. Orchards are filled with delicious apples, meaning that farm shops and supermarkets will be too.

I also wanted to share my homemade custard recipe - A stable pudding accompaniment that I will be linking back to in many more of my upcoming recipe articles.

It wasn’t until recently that I realised just how quick and easy custard is to make!

Don’t get me wrong, I love shop-bought custard (and always enjoy spooning it out of the tin!), but since starting to make my own, I think I’d struggle to go back. Homemade custard is so much creamier!

The beauty is you can make it as indulgent or as healthy as you like.

As you’ll see in my recipe below, I use both cream and milk, but you can change the ratio of each, or you can just use milk. While whole milk is, of course, creamier, I’ve previously used semi-skimmed milk when I fancied making some custard last minute with minimal ingredients in the house - and it still tasted delish!

You can also add more or less sugar - it’s totally up to you - do your thing x

Apple and Almond Frangipane Tart

Serves 10-12 depending on how generous your slice is

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 150g plain flour

• 75g unsalted butter cubed

Frangipane Filling:

• 130g softened butter

• 260g soft light brown sugar

• 260g ground almonds

• 3 eggs

• 1.5 tsp almond extract

Apple Topping:

• 2 large apples (I used cooking apples) peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

• Knob of butter, melted

• Sprinkling of soft light brown sugar

Method:

Pastry:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6

2. In a bowl, rub together the flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs

3. Add enough water to combine into a dough without being too wet, cover in cling film and rest in the fridge for a minimum of 15 mins

4. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry until pastry until thin and then roll onto a 20cm round tart tin, using a knife or scissors to remove excess pastry from around the edges of the tin

5. Put baking paper and baking beans on top of the tart and bake blind for 10-15 minutes

6. Take the baking beans and greaseproof paper out the tin and bake for a further 5 minutes

Frangipane Filling:

1. While the pastry is in the oven, cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk or wooden spoon

2. Stir in the eggs, ground almonds, and almond extract

3. Once the pastry has come out of the oven, spoon the filling into the tart case spreading the mixture evenly

Apple Topping:

1. Assemble the apple slices over the top of the frangipane mixture

2. Add a sprinkle of sugar to the melted butter, stir to dissolve then use a pastry brush to glaze over the apple slices

3. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden and firm to touch but still a little gooey in places

This is great served warm or cold. If you’re not a fan of custard, a drizzle of cream or a scoop of ice cream go well, but if you are a fan of custard, keep on reading x

Homemade Custard

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 250ml whole milk

• 200ml double cream

• 2 large egg yolks

• 1.5 tbsp cornflour

• 50g caster sugar

• 1tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Put the milk and cream into a large saucepan

2. Cook on a low heat and gently bring to just below boiling point

3. While the milk and cream are heating up, whisk the egg yolks cornflour, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl

4. Once just below boiling point, gradually pour the hot milk & cream over the egg mixture, whisking constantly

5. Wipe out the saucepan and pour the custard back into the pan

6. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thickened

Top Tips:

Remember, you can change the ratios of milk and cream (and you can use a different type of milk), so long as there is a total of 450ml of liquids.

Once cooked, poor into a serving jug or bowl and cover with clingfilm, allowing the clingfilm to touch the top of the custard to prevent a skin forming over the top.

Save the egg whites and freeze them to reduce waste - they can be used for other delicious desserts.

And there you have it! Let me know what you think in the comments and see you in 2 weeks for another autumnal recipe 🍁

Have you ever been told that focusing on 1 thing will provide all the solutions you need like:

“eating this food will improve xyz”

or…

“counting/reducing your calories is the only way to lose weight”?

The truth is, you’re only being told 1 part of the story.

We are unique, complex, and special human beings, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that looking after our health and our bodies is more complex than focusing on diet (or specific foods) alone.

Making changes to improve your diet or setting fitness goals is something you should be so proud of and will of course have a positive impact on your overall health. But focusing on only 1-2 pillars will only get you so far.

For example, if your diet is great but you don’t exercise and have a sedentary lifestyle, you may not feel your best or reach the weight loss goals you were hoping for as easily.

Similarly, if you exercise regularly and your sleep is great but you’re eating highly processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, and salt every day, you’ll again face this similar issue.

Also, if you aren’t nurturing diet, exercise, and sleep collectively, then you won’t be fully nurturing the 4^th pillar - our mental health.

To feel your best and see significant improvements to your health, you must nurture all 4 pillars of health.

Why?

The 4 pillars of health interact with one another, providing the same or similar health benefits.

Therefore if you neglect one of the pillars, you could be limiting the positive impact the other pillars that you’re putting effort into, have on your health and wellbeing.

So to reap the full benefits, it’s important to nurture all 4 pillars.

Also, nurturing one pillar helps to nurture another:

Exercise + healthy diet + sleep = boosts mood…

Improved mood & mental health =

• Boosts performance and motivation to exercise

• Increases the likelihood of making healthier food choices

• Improves sleep

How?

Now I know you may be thinking “this sounds like a lot of effort - how can I make time to focus on all these 4 areas?”

Focusing on 1 pillar may already seem overwhelming enough so how can prioritising all 4 be realistic and sustainable?

The answer is, it all comes back to my message I share across all of my content…

You don’t need to make lots of changes all at once or be performing at 100% all the time.

This isn’t sustainable, enjoyable, or realistic.

What’s most effective is making a couple of small changes at a time and maintaining consistency with them.

You always have option B (doing an easier version of your usual habit so that you still maintain that consistency) to fall back on!

Going all in 1 or 2 of the pillars is less effective in improving your health and wellbeing than making smaller changes that you can consistently stick to across all 4!

Instead of…

 Let’s move towards…

We need a healthy balance of all 4 pillars to feel at our best and each week I’m going to help you do just that!

I will dive deeper into each pillar in future articles but I hope this gives you a better picture of how supporting your health is more complex than just diet alone - we need to have a holistic mindset.

This is why all of my tips and content I share will always spread across all 4 pillars.

You may have seen my weekly challenges on a Monday – each week the challenge will focus on a different pillar of health so that overtime you can adopt the habits that work for you across all 4 pillars.

See you next Monday for another 4 pillar challenge!

Hatti x

Relevant Articles For Further Reading:

Eating a balanced diet

Benefits of exercise - NHS

Benefits of being active | NHS inform

Health matters: physical activity - prevention and management of long-term conditions - GOV.UK

Why sleep matters - The importance of a Good Night's Rest

Eight benefits of a good night’s sleep

Why is sleep so important? | Oxford Health CAMHS

During each article I’ll share:

• A bit about the author

• Why give it a read

• What resonated with me most

• 3 top tips from the book that I’m putting into action

• My fave quote

• What’s up next

All books I will share will be based on supporting us with nurturing one (or more) of the 4 pillars of health - keeping it on trend, of course!

To kickstart this series, I thought I’d share a book that is relevant to us all in this digital age - how to take control of our digital habits to support our wellbeing.

But first, I thought I’d share a little bit about me and where my love for reading all began!

Reading is a relatively new hobby of mine. Until a couple of years ago, I hadn’t read a full book since I was a young child!

I was the kind of person who would watch the film rather than read the book (and I kinda still am when it comes to fiction…sorry).

One of the main reasons for this is because I’m dyslexic. I was never good at reading as a child, and so didn’t enjoy it.

But once I started on my journey to improve my mental health a few years back, I fell in love with reading all about how to support my health and wellbeing to get my life back on track.

While I’m still a slow reader, it’s now one of my fave self-care activities.

Starting this Substack journey is big for me. Being dyslexic, I was worried about how easily I’d be able to keep up with writing articles. But writing on Substack makes me feel free to be me and write without overthinking it, and I’m already loving it (even if it might take me a bit longer to write, but that’s okay!)

So here’s to me stepping out of my comfort zone, reading and even writing about it for my Substack community - thank you all for your support so far; I really appreciate you all. 🤍

The Phone Fix – Dr Faye Begeti

The Author -

Dr Faye Begeti is a neurology doctor and neuroscientist at Oxford University Hospitals. Begeti studied a medical degree and PHD at Cambridge, and her research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases.

So as you can see, she is best placed to share the science and all the tips to support our digital habits!

If you want to give her a follow, her Instagram is @the_brain_doctor

Why Give It a Read -

The Phone Fix is a comprehensive guide that outlines and breaks down all of the science behind our digital habits, including…

• Whether or not ‘phone addiction’ is a thing

• Why we develop less helpful digital habits that don’t always support our wellbeing

• Why we find it hard to develop more positive digital habits (despite our best intentions)

• How we can adopt digital habits that work for our lifestyle and align with our values

After explaining all of the latest science, Dr Begeti outlines her ultimate guide riddled with numerous actionable tips that you can try to help you build digital habits that work for you.

Begeti then dives even deeper into the different areas of our life, where managing our digital habits can often be challenging (how to adopt healthier digital habits at work was one of my faves) - and of course, she provides lots of tips to round each chapter up too!  

What Resonated with Me Most -

I love the balanced approach this book takes. It provides reassurance that we can build positive digital habits to support, or even improve our wellbeing, rather than the biased, one-sided evidence the media often uses to scare us about technology.

While reading it, I began to see similarities with how I, as a nutritionist, recommend we approach our diet…

We shouldn’t be too restrictive or go in with an all-or-nothing mindset - this in itself isn’t healthy, realistic, or sustainable.

Instead, it’s about being mindful of our choices, how much we consume, and the quality of what we are consuming. It’s also about looking at what we can add to support our health, rather than focusing on everything we can remove.

Let’s look at some practical examples of how the same approach we use to manage our digital habits can also be applied to our dietary habits…

1) Making small changes that you can maintain consistency with

• Reducing our screen time - Setting intentional times to check our phones throughout the day and sticking to this consistently is more effective than a full phone ‘detox’ for a day or even a week, to then go back to your old digital habits (or even end up bingeing even more), which you know isn’t serving you

Similar to…

• Reducing our intake of ‘less healthy’ foods – making a few healthier swaps and enjoying the foods we love in moderation is more effective than removing all the foods we enjoy from our diet – this will just lead to us bingeing or giving up

2) Focus on quality, not quantity -

• Being mindful of the type of content we consume - Someone who spends most of their day using technology for purposes that support their wellbeing and engages with positive content are more likely to have healthier digital habits than individuals who spend 50% less time on their phones but spend this time engaging with harmful content

Similar to…

• Being mindful of the types of foods we consume – Someone who consumes a high-calorie diet that is made up of whole foods that are high in fibre, healthy fats, plants, and are low in sugar, fat, and salt, are more likely to feel healthier than an individual consuming a low-calorie diet which is made up foods that are high in sugar, fat, salt, and low in fibre and fruit & veg

3 Top Tips I am Putting into action -

1) The 5-minute rule

I’d never thought of this before, and it can be challenging at first, but it becomes easier the more you do it, and it’s a game changer!

Whenever I get the urge to check my phone, I try to stop myself and give myself 5 minutes. If I still feel a strong urge to check it after 5 minutes, I will, but surprisingly, the urge often fades away (as the short burst of dopamine that often causes these impulses for instant rewards reduces).

This means I’m checking my phone less often and more mindfully throughout the day. Even if I still end up picking up my phone, I’m still doing so more mindfully!

2) Setting Intentional Times to check my phone throughout the day

When I do my morning journalling, I try to set a goal for the number of times I will check my phone throughout the day.

Even if I don’t stick to it, I’m still being more intentional.

If I think of something I need to do or check, rather than picking my phone up straight away, I write it down and come back to it at my next phone break.

3) Option B –

And last, but certainly not least, choosing option B. You may have noticed that I talk a lot about choosing option B to keep your healthy habits going when you’re struggling to do option A - this concept came from this book.

Begeti explains that having a plan B for all of your habits is key so that you can fall back on them when your brain is in low power mode, rather than defaulting to plan 0 - not doing anything at all.

Begeti nailed it on the head with this, and the penny dropped as soon as I read it!

I’ve been trying to maintain consistency with healthy habits for so long and used to have the all-or-nothing mindset. If I didn’t feel like doing something at 100%, I wouldn’t do it at all, and then my habits would just slide completely.

Now I give myself permission to put 50% or even 10% effort in when my brain is in low power mode, and I’ve never felt better because I’m finally staying consistent with my healthy habits!

My Fave Quote -

What’s Up Next -

Next month, I will share a deep dive into “Just One Thing” by Dr Michael Mosley.

I’m already halfway through and loving it!

Watch this space for more actionable tips to support your health in a way that is sustainable, realistic, and enjoyable.

See you next month,

Hatti x

To kickstart this series, I’m sharing one of my family’s favourite treats - scones.

But first, I thought I’d share a little bit about me…

I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I’ve been creating my own recipes and taking endless pics of my creations.

One of my favourite hobbies as a child was creating my own baking folders - I’d spend hours cutting out recipes from different food magazines and organising them into different categories.

My dad would even set me challenges to try and make something wild. Once I made hot dogs from scratch…Yes, I actually went to the effort of making my own sausage meat and stuffing it into skins! (see below a pic of the fairly successful attempt)

As I got older, I then started making occasion cakes for friends and family – the most popular would be the anti-gravity cake, which my sister asked me to make for most of her birthdays.

Over recent years, I feel like I’ve neglected my passion for baking and let life get in the way. I started to make excuses that “I don’t have the time”, and slowly, I started baking less and less.

For a long time, I focused all my efforts on my career, and I never allowed time for myself…

Time to do fun things

Time to make the most of my early 20s

Time to rest

Time to just be me

Over the past 6 months or so, I’ve begun to realise that this isn’t me anymore! I don’t want work to take up all my time and my identity - there’s so much more to life than the corporate world!

I’ve always loved the idea of sharing my recipes with others and one day even having my own recipe book. I’d also love to open my own cake shed once I’ve bought my own house!

So what better way to start putting myself out there than to share my recipes with my Substack community?

So this is me…bringing my long-life passion back to light and making my dreams come true!

Afternoon Tea

As we’re soaking up the last of the sunny days before Autumn takes centre stage (which I’m equally excited about), I thought I’d share a family favourite.

An afternoon tea has always been seen as a luxury…and don’t get me wrong, I love an afternoon tea spa package, dressing up for a high tea, and enjoying scones on a summer holiday in Cornwall.

But scones don’t just have to be a luxury or a summer treat. They are so easy (and fairly cheap) to make and can be enjoyed whatever the weather or the occasion.

They also don’t have to be made traditionally either – feel free to play around with the recipe and add your own fruits, flavours, and toppings if you so wish.

My Buttermilk Scones

Makes 16

Ingredients:

• 450g Self-raising flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 50g caster sugar

• 100g butter, cubed

• 2 eggs

• 200ml buttermilk

• Handful of raisins/sultanas

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 and line 2 baking trays with baking paper

2. Put the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, and butter in a bowl and rub with your fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs

3. Crack the eggs, add the buttermilk and whisk until combined

4. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture (leaving a dash leftover to glaze the scones). Add the raisins, and mix with a fork, bringing it together to form a dough

5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, then roll out to about 2cm thick

6. Cut into rounds with a 5cm cutter and place on the lined baking trays. Re-roll excess dough to make additional scones

7. Brush the scones with the leftover egg mixture using a pastry brush, then bake for 12-15 minutes or until a pale golden-brown colour

8. Leave to cool slightly, then serve with jam and cream (or butter if you prefer)

And there you have it - a simple scone recipe!

These are best eaten on the day, but they will keep for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them if you wish!

Let me know what you think if you give them a go!

All that leaves me to say is what order do you add your jam and cream? And do you pronounce them ‘scons’ or ‘scones’? Leave your answer in the comments if you dare!

See you soon for another tasty recipe

Hatti x

Leave a comment

Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t sustainable long-term.

For such a long time, I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t stick to anything consistently.

I couldn’t understand why I always felt burnt out and why my mental health would always yo-yo.

I was stuck in the same cycle of:

• Trying to change everything at once

• Sticking with it for a few weeks

• A small change to my routine threw me off

• My motivation would go and everything started to slide

• The all-or-nothing mindset would kick in and so I gave up

• Back to square 1 until another burst of motivation came my way to push me to try again

It turns out that what I’ve experienced is very common and often caused by making the mistake of going all in too quickly with the desire for fast results and quick fixes.

But unfortunately, this isn’t a stable foundation for forming consistent habits.

As soon as something unexpected crops up in the diary, unless the thing is already an ingrained habit, you’ll likely fall into the trap where your brain starts to convince you that because you’ve missed one day of sticking to it, it’s okay to skip another day. And before you know it, your brain will be telling you that you might as well give up, which will bring about a wave of negative emotions and negative self-talk.

For those who are neurodivergent or live with a mental health disorder, this can be significantly more challenging. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD, and while currently undiagnosed, I also suffer from OCD-like symptoms. As a result, I find even minor disturbances to my routine significantly difficult to manage.

While I’m much better at managing this now (due to following the tips I’m sharing in this article and on my Substack page), small unexpected changes to my routine used to throw me off completely. Even if I spent a night or so away with friends and family, my healthy behaviours would slip straight away, and I’d find it so difficult to bring myself to start again and get back into the routine.

Can anyone else relate?

Have you ever found it difficult to maintain consistency with the things you want to do most?

Have you ever felt confused or frustrated, not knowing why the good intention is there but you can’t seem to follow through, despite knowing that you’ll feel better for doing it?

If this sounds all a bit too familiar, stick around and let’s build consistent, healthy habits together - habits that we actually enjoy and can maintain no matter what life throws our way! 🫶

Reframe Your Mindset

Over the past year or so, I began to realise that to break away from this cycle, my mindset needed to change.

I needed to accept and embrace that life happens and that sometimes this is out of our control. There will always be unexpected things that crop up throughout the week, so rather than leading with a rigid routine and mindset, I needed to let go and make space for focusing on what I can control.

I needed to stop:

• Putting the pressure on myself

• Trying to do everything at once

• The all-or-nothing mindset

• Being too rigid with my routine

• Allowing my career to take up my identity

• Worrying about what I can’t control

• Neglecting myself and my wellbeing

And I needed to start:

• Smaller - and build up gradually

• Focusing on one or two things at a time

• Focusing on what I can control

• Being flexible with my routine

• Prioritising more time for me - rest and self-care is important

• Realising that doing something at 50% is still better than nothing - there can be an easier option that will still have a positive impact (this is option B!)

Since leading with this mindset, I’ve felt so much lighter, and I’ve finally started to maintain consistency with healthy habits for the first time ever!

My mental health also feels more stable rather than being trapped in a cycle of going up and then hitting a complete low.

By making a few small, enjoyable, realistic, and easy-to-implement changes to my lifestyle I’m finally at a place where I’m feeling my best…

And You Can Too!

Each week, I will be sharing small tips you can try to support your health and wellbeing - and I will always share an option B.

Option B can be used to:

• Help you get started and build up gradually

• Fall back on during the times when life happens - when something unexpected lands in your diary, when you’re away on holiday or seeing friends & family, or when you’re just not feeling great

Option B is designed to be super easy so that no matter how you’re feeling, you can still give it a go to maintain consistency with your progress.

If you can’t do anything at all - that’s okay; use option B to help you get back in the swing of things when you’re ready!

Remember, the changes you make to your lifestyle need to suit you and be something that you enjoy and can easily implement into your life - so only focus on the tips that you feel could work for you.

Keep a lookout for the mini challenges I share each Monday (focused on one of the 4 pillars of health). If you think it could work for you, give it a try and share your progress in the comments.

Remember - there’s always option B 🤍

Hatti x

Life happens all the time - sometimes we can feel like we’re going 100mph, juggling all our daily responsibilities while simultaneously putting pressure on ourselves to do more, eat better, exercise more, and somehow find time to look after ourselves too. And, quite honestly, that just isn’t realistic.

I hope this space will help you find a little more balance, enabling you to take small, positive steps towards supporting your health and wellbeing without feeling like you have to be perfect. Whether that’s sprinkling a handful of nuts onto your breakfast for a bit of extra fibre, taking 5 minutes for yourself, getting outside, or simply enjoying a slice of cake, I want The Wellbeing Box to be a reminder that looking after ourselves can be both achievable and enjoyable.

A bit about me

I’m Hatti, I’m 25, and I live with my partner Danny and our cockapoo, Winnie. I absolutely love the countryside (trees and squirrels are my favourite things) and you’ll always catch me enjoying nature walks or long weekends away exploring. I also love gymnastics and being free to do elbow stands wherever I go!

I am also a big foodie and have been baking for as long as I can remember! Next year, I’m planning to buy my first house, and I cannot wait to create a cosy cottage and start hosting gatherings with all of my bakes.

After struggling with my mental health on and off over the years, prioritising time for myself is now a non-negotiable. I absolutely love all things self-care, from nature walks and yoga, to painting and reading with a face mask and a candle. I will be sure to be sprinkling this page with self-care tips to support you throughout the week!

I have a degree in Nutrition and a postgraduate certificate in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing. I’m currently working as a registered Nutritionist in the food industry, and while I enjoy what I do, I know the corporate world isn’t for me long-term. For a long time, I’ve had dreams and passions swirling around my head, but I’ve not yet taken the leap to just start and give something a try…until now! I’d love to build something that brings together all of the things that bring me joy annd I hope I can After discovering this app, I feel like I may have found the perfect place to start.

Watch This Space

Every day I’ll be sprinkling this page with tips, quotes, and food for thought to support your health and wellbeing. I’ll also be sharing an article every week to dive deeper into different topics. So that I can share everything I love with you all, one week I will share a health & wellbeing piece and the next I will share a hobby-based piece, including one of my fave recipes I’ve been baking lately! Here’s a sneak peek for the first recipe that will land in your inbox in a couple of weeks.

I cannot wait to get started and see where this new chapter takes me. I feel this is a safe space where I can truly be my authentic self and share meaningful content that I hope you will benefit from or resonate with.

I hope you join along!

Hatti x