My journey with health and wellness has had its ups and downs in 2025. A niggling back injury early in the year put me off my Pvolve streak, and I spent the next few months seeing an osteopath to get my never-amazing back to a better place. It threw my fitness goals off track, and then a move interstate mid-year turned my life upside down and inside out – in good and bad ways. Exciting, challenging, impossible, inspiring, and everything in between.
Moving away from my support network, from having my parents living right next door to having no one, returning to full-time work, and having Elsie in full-time daycare these past few months has been one of the biggest challenges of my life. It’s been the hardest parenting chapter for us since the “first six weeks”. We’re back in the trenches with a two-year-old who hasn’t been asleep before 9pm in two months.
I’ve been honest in the past about fitness not being one of my strengths – pun intended – and in 2025, I had all the good intentions. Daily beach walks in our new home of Torquay. Continuing the momentum built at SAINT Black. Committing to a local wellness studio and my at-home workouts with Pvolve.
The truth is, aside from a few local walks and three hot yin classes at Core Plus Torquay (which I can not recommend highly enough), I have barely exercised since my last personal training session with Mia at SAINT Black at the end of August – until today, the 30th of December.
Last night, after my first day back at work following the Christmas break, I got home exhausted. I put myself to bed at 8:30pm, before Elsie was even asleep, and slept for eleven hours. I would have slept longer if my alarm hadn’t gone off at 7:30am.
Unsurprisingly, I woke up stiff. My back hurt. My body felt old. I was reminded of what my WHOOP had told me a few days earlier – my WHOOP Age was sitting at 42.2, 1.3 years older than my actual age, with a pace of ageing at 1.7. The oldest I’ve been since I started wearing it five months ago.
Since Christmas, I’d been telling myself I’d get “back into exercise” in the new year. But then I decided I was going away again until the 7th, so I may as well start then. But then my birthday is on the 17th, so I may as well wait until after that.
This morning, something shifted. I just knew I had to start now – no more excuses, no more next weeks. Without my health, tomorrow isn’t promised. And I have a daughter to live for, and to move for.
Tonight after work, after my 5pm coffee (a habit I don’t plan on bringing into the new year with me), I signed up for The Class and did my first session. It’s a US-based exercise program I’ve had my eye on for a long time – a music-driven somatic exercise method founded in 2011 by Taryn Toomey, designed to regulate the nervous system and release stuck energy by moving the physical body.
I started with a 27-minute class – The Class to Ignite the Body & Intuition with Aimee. I threw my yoga mat down in front of the desk in my office, locked the door so Elsie would leave me alone for 27 minutes, and didn’t even bother changing out of my baggy trackpants and Kings of Leon merch jumper. No fancy exercise gear. No expensive sneakers (in fact, no shoes at all). No equipment. Just the promise of 27 minutes for my mind and body.
It felt amazing.
Then I walked out of the office, back into the chaos of dinner, bath and bedtime, and got on with the evening with my family. Simple. Impactful. Done.
Like I said – no more excuses.
So if excuses are what I’m not bringing with me into the new year, here’s what is making the cut from the health and wellness habits that helped me through 2025.
Mouth Taping
This has been an absolute game-changer for me. I was constantly waking up with a dry mouth, and while I’m not a snorer, I’d spotted myself a few times on the baby monitor with my mouth slightly open – which, it turns out, is enough to give you a dry, sore throat most mornings. You know that dry hangover feeling, but without the alcohol.
After trying three different brands initially, I finally came across Blanq hydrating mouth tape (pictured), which has a cushioned layer that sits between the tape and your lips, infused with collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. Honestly, I wake up with softer, hydrated lips every morning, exactly as the brand promises.
Of the others I tried, I really liked GOAT for the flexibility. They move with your mouth, making it easier to speak to Elsie when she wakes up during the night, and I could fit my drink bottle straw through the mouth hole for water. Unfortunately, I found they irritated my lips and left them dry and cracked. I have extremely sensitive lips, so don’t take my experience as gospel – it’s a great product, just not right for me.
I genuinely can’t imagine life without mouth tape now. I always know instantly when I’ve forgotten to put it on – my mouth is dry, and my head feels foggy.
A quick update – it’s April now, and I had to jump in and update this post with my new favourite mouth tape from Sleepz. I stumbled across the brand on a ‘safest mouth tape’ report from Mamavation, ranking products free from PFAS & forever chemicals. Sleepz was listed in the top safest on their list, stating “These products were sent to Mamavation’s laboratory and were declared non-detect for organic fluorine, which is a possible indicator of PFAS “forever chemicals.”
I’ll be honest, some other brands I’ve used, you can quite clearly smell the glue and the plastic of the fabric – it’s sitting right under your nose all night! Sleepz mouth tape has no odour, is silky smooth on your lips and skin, and peels off relatively easily with no glue residue – yes, I’ve used other tapes that leave the glue behind! They also come in a gorgeous tin, with minimal packaging or waste. I LOVE them!
Limited & Intentional Alcohol Consumption
Every few years, I experience a hangover that puts me off drinking for months – often off the back of my friend Clare’s birthday celebrations. This year was her 40th, and the hangover that followed was enough to swear me off alcohol for 111 days. The exact same number of days I was sober after her 37th.
In my hungover state, it really hit me. There are people in the world tragically dying – unbearably sick with horrendous diseases they have no control over. People who would give anything for my health, my ability to get out of bed and move and fuel my body as I choose. And here I am, a healthy 40-year-old mother, choosing to poison myself to the point of vomiting. What the fuck?
On the plane home, I explained to the woman next to me that I was hungover – a 6:25am flight after a 40th, not my best idea. She said, matter-of-factly, “Oh, I don’t do that anymore.” And I thought: I want to be her.
So for 111 days, I was her. And now, I’m me – with a few intentional drinks here and there, and my binge-drinking days behind me.
When I don’t drink, I don’t miss the alcohol – I miss the ritual. So I always keep my fridge stocked with beautiful alcohol-free options that feel like just as much of a treat. During this sober streak, my go-tos were Dayse functional drinks and NON alcohol-free wines.
Hotels, bars and restaurants are also getting better at making sober living feel less like missing out. Low and no-alcohol options are becoming more indulgent and, honestly, just as good as the real thing. The Ghiddy Not Sparkling White I had at From Here by Mike at 1 Hotel Melbourne was one of the nicest non-alcoholic drinks I’ve tried – and not a compromise in any way.
Hydration
I’ve always been someone who drinks a lot of water, even as a child. I remember my mum getting mad because I’d race inside from playing and slurp water straight from the tap. Eventually, she bought a plastic whale attachment for the tap that spurted water into a fountain straight into my mouth. Made from plastic of course, most likely toxic – very 90s.
Since moving to Torquay, I’ve struggled with my water intake because the water here is, honestly, disgusting. Sorry, Surf Coast Shire – but go easy on the chlorine. We’ve installed a Well Verti filter on our shower (still need the bath and sink attachments), and I’ve been researching drinking water options. High on my list is the Kyn & Folk ceramic filter.
For now, I either fill my drink bottle from the shower (making a mess in the process) or buy fluoride-free boxed water. Between the cost and lugging ten-kilogram boxes home, I sometimes cave and drink tap water – and overall, my intake has dropped.
Since wearing my WHOOP, it has consistently told me my heart rate variability is low. Having no idea what that meant, I was constantly googling and asking my WHOOP AI assistant.
The answer: “Upward trends in HRV are a sign your nervous system is balanced and your body is performing at its best. Downward trends can signal dehydration, stress, lack of sleep, or overtraining.”
We know in my case it’s not overtraining or lack of sleep – so dehydration was my biggest alarm bell. This is where my obsession with The Beauty Chef’s Hydration Boost began. “A daily elixir to replenish thirsty, lacklustre skin from within.” Or in my case, a lacklustre mind, body and soul.
I’m obsessed. It’s like drinking a cup of sunshine – if sunshine wouldn’t burn your insides. I always reorder before the bottle in the fridge is even empty, out of fear I’ll run out. BRB – ordering more now.
Blue Light Glasses
I’ve dabbled with blue light glasses for years – when I remembered, when it was convenient, when I didn’t need my prescription glasses. It wasn’t until a few months ago, after listening to Tim Gurner speak on several podcasts about his blue light habits, that I decided to fully commit.
Between juggling The Paige, full-time work, studying, staying connected with friends and family – and yes, some doom scrolling – my screen time is at an all-time high. I have RSI in my right hand to prove it.
To protect my eyes, I now wear blue light glasses most of the day when I’m in front of a screen. My absolute favourites are my Chiquita glasses – genuinely the sexiest blue lights you’ll come across.
Contrast Therapy
While it’s not something I have the time or access to do every day, when I do get the opportunity to practise contrast therapy, it’s something I surprisingly love. I never would have thought jumping into an ice bath would rank highly on my list of enjoyable activities – yet here we are.
SAINT Black (pictured) – along with all of the SAINT Wellness Clubs – has some of the most beautiful bathhouses I’ve experienced, which I’ve written about here, here and here.
Closer to home, I also love About Time Bathhouse in Torquay. A tip: go solo and spend time in the outdoor Seclude (silent) bathing space. The day I went, it began to rain while I sat soaking in the warmth of the pool, surrounded by gumtrees and the scent of eucalyptus. It felt deeply spiritual – one of those moments that stays with you.
For Melbourne-based readers, Sense of Self is another beautiful option. Casual sessions are available – no waitlist, no membership – making it an easy and accessible way to experience contrast therapy when time allows.
Sleep Consistency
This was another Tim Gurner-inspired habit, which he discusses on Ben Greenfield’s podcast. But it wasn’t until I started wearing my WHOOP that I truly understood its impact.
Sleep consistency – going to bed and waking at the same time each day – has a huge influence on overall health, which I can now see clearly in how it affects my WHOOP Age.
I aim for a 10:30pm bedtime and 7:30am wake-up. But between work, The Paige, a toddler who doesn’t sleep, studying, and life in general, consistency isn’t always easy. Case in point: it’s 11:23pm and I’m still typing.
Overall though, I sit at around 74% consistency, which improves my pace of ageing by 0.8 – keeping me eight months younger.
My strength activity time, on the other hand – or lack of it – is ageing me by 1.3 years. These insights fascinate me, which brings me to my final wellness habit.
WHOOP Wearing
The first few weeks of wearing a WHOOP can be daunting while your age calibrates. Initially, I was happy – I was eight months younger. Two weeks later, with regular exercise, PEMF, infrared sauna and contrast therapy at SAINT Black, my age dropped again to 1.3 years younger.
The benefits of consistency were measurable and undeniable. I could see it clearly.
While I haven’t maintained the same fitness rhythm since my one-month SAINT journey (not living in Melbourne means I can’t be a full-time member – sob), the chic WHOOP band on my wrist reminds me daily of what’s possible.
Every small habit. Every day on or day off. Every movement. Every choice. Every bit of consistency is setting me up for the future – for better or worse. That part is up to me.
I was kindly gifted a one-month membership to SAINT Black, a WHOOP band and annual membership, Chiquita blue light glasses, visits to About Time Bathhouse & Sense of Self, and The Beauty Chef Hydration Boost for review. Everything else mentioned – including multiple refills of Hydration Boost – was purchased by me personally.
