We often hear the analogy: treat yourself like a plant. You need water, light, and nourishment. It’s all true of course, but there’s an extra element: movement.
Plants stay rooted (yes, I know they move toward light – some of you will be remembering MRS GREN from school as to how you identify a living thing), but you don’t. Humans are designed to move, stretch, and adapt. Yet many business owners forget this when stress piles on. They lock themselves to laptops, skip exercise, and run on coffee.
Even when ironically, they run businesses helping their clients become healthier.
Just like a plant you need certain things. This is a friendly reminder of what you need not me teaching you to suck eggs.
- Water. Hydration keeps your body and brain functioning. It’s simple but powerful. Mindset suffers when we are dehydrated.
- Light. Natural light boosts mood and circadian rhythm. Step outside, even if it is raining.
- Soil. Your environment matters. Surround yourself with people, spaces, and energy that support growth. Get rid of the mood hoovers and surround yourself with energy radiators – those people who lift you up.
- Movement. Your mindset flourishes when your body moves. Energy shifts, ideas flow and stress releases. Sometimes we simply need to “get out of our head” and moving is one of the quickest ways to do this. A short walk can clear a mental fog better than hours of forcing work. Stretching between classes can reset your nervous system. Movement creates momentum, in body and business.
It’s ironic: fitness, health and wellbeing professionals often forget their own bodies. You’re so busy helping others move that your own movement falls to the bottom of the list. But when you neglect this, everything suffers: your creativity, patience, and resilience.
Let’s take this to another level: think of yourself not just as a plant, but a thriving garden. Some days require pruning, letting go of habits or tasks that drain you. Other days need fertiliser, learning, coaching, and new input. Movement is the wind and weather that keep the whole garden alive.
Without it, you stagnate. With it, you flourish.
Take a Pilates teacher in January.
Studios are buzzing, timetables are full, and there’s pressure to work non-stop. But without moving her own body, she risks injury, fatigue, and resentment. By treating herself like a plant (but with a bit more movement), she balances her own energy, and her clients benefit.
Just remember, you are more than a plant, you are a moving, thriving, evolving being. Nourish yourself with water, light, and rest, yes, but also with the gift of movement.
If you’d like support in building a mindset and routine that truly nourishes you, email me philippa@holdmyhandcoaching.com and let’s talk 1:1 coaching.
Until next time,
Best wishes
Philippa x