For a long time, my “wind-down routine” was scrolling in bed and calling it rest. If you’d asked me a few years ago, I would’ve told you I didn’t have a bedtime routine, I just went to bed. Which, if you know anything about sleep, is basically the same as saying you don’t have a morning routine, you just wake up. Technically true. Not the point.

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What changed it for me wasn’t one big overhaul. It was noticing that my body needed a signal — something consistent that told my nervous system “we’re done for the day” before my head hit the pillow. So over the last year or so I’ve built out an actual hour-before-bed sequence. Nothing extreme. But it’s the difference between lying there wired and actually feeling my shoulders drop.

Here’s what it looks like most nights:

1. Lights down, phone away (kept outside of the bedroom) — ideally 90 minutes out. This is the one people roll their eyes at and also the one that matters most. I’m not perfect about it, but even dimming the overheads and swapping to a lamp does something. Bright light in the evening keeps your body thinking it’s still afternoon. Avoid it at all costs.

2. A warm shower, not a hot one. Hot water feels good in the moment but actually delays your core temperature drop, which is part of what signals sleep. Warm water for a few minutes is the move.

3. The moisturizing part, which is doing more than skin stuff. This sounds small, but the act of slowing down and putting on body moisturizer after a shower has become one of my cues that the day is over. There’s something almost ritual about it — two minutes of just being in your body instead of in your inbox. I’ve been using OneSkin’s OS-01 Body Moisturizer for this — it’s a peptide-based formula that’s more longevity-science-driven than “smells nice,” which appealed to the part of me that likes knowing what’s actually in a product. As a wind-down cue, it’s earned its spot in the routine. Use code JAMIELIVESWELL for 15% off your purchase here!

4. Magnesium glycinate, about 30 minutes before bed. Not a sponsor, just a genuine habit. This one took the longest to notice a difference from, but I did eventually. If you like drinking magnesium I am a fan of the Calm powder (not a sponsor).

5. Three lines in a notebook. Not a gratitude list (usually that’s a morning habit for me), not a journaling practice with a name. Just, what happened today, one thing I’m carrying into tomorrow, lights off. Gets it out of my head.

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6. Essential Oil Diffuser. At some point this year I decided to pick up an essential oil diffuser and add it to my evening routine. Ever since it’s been a staple in my evening routine. I add a few drops of my favourite oils and set it to a one hour timer. It helps me unwind before drifting off.

7. Read a book in bed. The last thing I do is read a book to help me drift off. I find it takes my mind away from the million and one thoughts I seem to have during the day.

None of this is groundbreaking. That’s kind of the point, it’s not supposed to be a hack, it’s supposed to be boring and repeatable. The nervous system doesn’t respond to novelty at 9pm, it responds to routine.

If you’re rebuilding your own version of this, I’d start with just one piece — the light dimming or the shower timing — rather than trying to install all five steps at once. Add the next thing once the first one is automatic.

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Further Reading:

I need to start with a confession: I’ve been an Arsenal fan my entire life. And for years, that’s meant regarding Erling Haaland with something between grudging respect and low-grade irritation. He plays for Manchester City — one of our fiercest rivals — and he’s spent the last few seasons doing what he does best: making our defense look like traffic cones on his way to another hat-trick.

So it pains me a little to admit this. Somewhere during Norway’s run to the World Cup quarterfinals this July, I stopped rolling my eyes every time his name came up. I started actively rooting for him. And judging by how much of the internet has been talking about him, I wasn’t the only rival fan who got won over.

Here’s what actually happened — and what I think it says about health, presence, and showing up as your full self, which is the stuff I care about most.

A 28-Year Wait, Written Into History

Norway hadn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1998. Haaland wasn’t even born when that team took the field. So when he led his country back to the tournament and then further, past Brazil and into the quarterfinals for the first time ever, it wasn’t just a good run — it was history. He called it one of the most surreal days in Norwegian history after the Brazil win, and you could see it land on him physically, tears included.

Norway’s run ended against England in the quarterfinals, but Haaland finished level with Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race with seven goals. For a guy who came into the tournament as “just” a club superstar, that’s the kind of performance that turns admiration into obsession — even from people wearing a rival’s colors.

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The Health Habits Behind the Magic

This is the part of the Haaland story that hits closest to home for me, because it’s basically a masterclass in the stuff I talk about every week: sleep, nutrition, and recovery aren’t afterthoughts — they’re the whole operating system.

Sleep as a non-negotiable. Haaland has said repeatedly that sleep is the single most important factor in his performance, and he protects it like it’s part of training. He’s in bed early, screens off, with blue-light-blocking glasses on in the evening to help preserve his natural melatonin production. His bedroom is kept cool and dark — both backed by sleep science, since darkness prevents light from suppressing melatonin and a cooler room supports the temperature drop that helps trigger deep sleep.

The takeaway for the rest of us: You don’t need a professional athlete’s schedule to steal this one. A consistent bedtime, a dark room, and putting the phone down an hour before sleep are free and available to literally everyone tonight.

Recovery as active work, not a day off. Ice baths, sauna sessions, red light therapy, and daily physio are baked into his week — several times, not occasionally. He’s described it as compensating for the lack of natural sunlight in Manchester, and treating his body’s recovery with the same seriousness as a training session.

The takeaway: Recovery isn’t the reward you get after doing the “real” work — it’s part of the work. Even without a cold plunge, prioritizing rest days and stretching sends the same signal to your body.

Food as fuel, not a diet trend. Haaland reportedly eats around 6,000 calories a day built around whole foods — organ meats, fatty steaks, fresh fish, eggs, and a homemade smoothie of milk, spinach, and kale that he brings to training. He’s said his philosophy is straightforward: what you put into your body determines what comes out of it. He skips alcohol almost entirely and keeps processed food and added sugar to a minimum.

A quick honest note here, because I try to be straight with you: some of what’s reported about his routine — like unpasteurized raw milk — isn’t something health authorities recommend, and I’m not vouching for every detail of a professional athlete’s regimen built around a support team most of us don’t have. But the underlying principle — whole foods over processed ones — holds up regardless of who’s eating them.

Mobility and morning light. He credits his flexibility, especially through his hips and groin, as essential to scoring the kind of off-balance, contorted goals that have become his trademark, and he treats even 10–15 minutes of daily mobility work as worthwhile. He’s also spoken about getting natural light first thing in the morning to help reset his body clock — a small, free habit with outsized benefits for circadian rhythm.

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The Guy Behind the Goals

Here’s the thing that actually got me, though — it wasn’t the stats. It’s that Haaland is, by every account, just genuinely fun.

Sports Illustrated described him as a walking contradiction: intimidating on the pitch and completely unserious off it. He’s been spotted buying cowboy hats in Texas, attempting a Southern accent, and eating at Katz’s Delicatessen in New York like an overgrown tourist. He posts goofy Snapchat stories, unfiltered interviews, and selfies using cartoon filters. When Norway beat Brazil, his post-match selfie caption was simply “Well well well.”

He seems to run his own social accounts, which in an era of manicured athlete branding is almost radical. He’s leaned into memes about his hair (usually tied up with colorful scrunchies that somehow match his kit), joked along with comparisons to a green onion, and told fans directly that he considers himself Norway’s unofficial social media guy. After Norway was eliminated, instead of disappearing to sulk, he was filmed singing along to Flo Rida with his teammates the night before flying home — and then brought a taxidermied raccoon back to Norway as a souvenir, because apparently that’s just who he is.

There’s also something disarming about a guy who’s simultaneously one of the most feared strikers alive and someone who, by his own admission, didn’t recognize a direct message from a Hollywood A-lister because he didn’t know who the person was. That combination — dominant on the field, oddly humble and a little awkward off it — is exactly why people who couldn’t care less about football have started following Norway’s run just to see what he does next.

Why It All Adds Up

I think what actually won me over isn’t any single thing — it’s the whole package. He takes his craft and his body seriously enough to build an entire life around recovering, sleeping, and eating well. And then he turns around and refuses to take himself too seriously. He’s disciplined without being uptight about it, and confident without being closed off. That’s a genuinely rare combination in professional sports, and honestly, in life.

So yes — I’m still an Arsenal fan. That’s not changing. But I’ll say it plainly: Erling Haaland earned this rival fan’s respect this summer, not just for what he did in front of goal, but for how he seems to live.

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What’s one health misconception you think most people still get wrong?

That there’s one right diet for everyone.

If someone could only focus on improving one thing for better energy and longevity, what would it be?

Digestion.

What does your personal daily wellness routine actually look like right now?

4am Energization exercises/Meditation

5am Spiritual Reading

6am Skill Study (protein Shake)

7Am Workout (Weights 6 times per week, Attack Bike Sprints twice per week,

8 am Breakfast with the family - Classical Music, Dancing with my son and wife

9am - 12pm Bioptimizers Business Meetings

12-1 Pm Lunch

1-4pm Interviews, One on One Consultations,

4-6 free time (Long walk in nature, socializing with friends, errands)

6-8 Dinner, family time.

8-9 Bedtime.

One day a week I fast - I eat nothing

One day a week I feast - meaning I don’t limit my calories and have “forbidden foods”

One day a week I rest where I don’t plan anything and just roll into whatever

What’s the biggest mistake people make when it comes to supplementation?

They don’t address their genetic and lifestyle needs.

(Example - your diet should reflect your genetic requirements, all diets have limitations, so picking the supplements around the limits of your diet - Ie vegetarians - focus on proteins, B12, essential fatty acids, etc, Carnivores or Keto - focus getting sufficient fiber and digestive optimization, If you drink Caffeine making sure you increase magnesium, if you are an athlete or hot climate making sure you get electrolytes daily,

What’s one underrated habit that has had the biggest impact on your health over the years?

Meditation - meditation reduces inflammation, heart rate, improves mood, attitude and allows one to realize happiness and health is an inside job, through meditation one begins to become aware of the noise of one’s thoughts and activities and allows direct reflection on one’s actions habits and behaviours that need to be weeded out like a garden.

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Further Reading:

Dane’s story is genuinely wild. Diagnosed at 19, he spent his 20s in and out of hospitals — at his lowest, 122 pounds, in a wheelchair, on a feeding tube, fighting for his life. Today he’s 191 pounds, medication-free, running a company, and raising three kids. That’s not a small turnaround, and on the podcast he walks through exactly how it happened — slowly, imperfectly, over about a decade.

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A few things from our conversation that stuck with me:

• “CEO of your health,” not a passenger in it. Dane’s biggest mindset shift wasn’t a supplement or a diet — it was refusing to hand full authority over his healing to any one doctor, book, or protocol. He still worked with practitioners, but he made the calls.

• Build your plan, not “the” plan. Instead of rigidly following one diet camp (paleo, carnivore, SCD), he described cherry-picking pieces from different approaches that made sense for his own body and tracking what actually helped.

• He didn’t skip conventional medicine — he used it as a bridge. Steroids, biologics, even an antiviral treatment for a hidden viral infection were part of what stabilized him before he made further changes. His view: it’s not “natural vs. Western,” it’s using every tool available.

• Consistency and tracking mattered more than any single tweak. He talked about daily journaling and rating his own symptoms as the thing that let him actually notice what was working.

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I want to be upfront about something: Dane shares a lot of specific detail in this episode — supplements, gut-healing approaches, his own theories about root causes — based entirely on his personal experience and research, not clinical studies. Crohn’s and colitis are serious, individual conditions, and what worked for one person’s body isn’t a protocol to copy without your own care team involved. Listen for the mindset and the questions to ask, not a checklist to follow blind.

🎧 Full episode: The conversation goes much deeper — into his hospitalization, the specific turning points in his recovery, and how he thinks about “incurable” as a label. Well worth the full listen if this resonated at all.

Jamie / JamieLivesWell:

YouTube: youtube.com/@jamieliveswell

TikTok: tiktok.com/@jamieliveswell

Instagram: instagram.com/jamieliveswell

Website: jamieliveswell.com

Dane Johnson / Crohn’s Colitis Lifestyle:

Instagram (personal): instagram.com/danejohnson1

Instagram (brand): instagram.com/crohnscolitis_lifestyle

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCf3Yhapgc2Qb16_MP7f-DuQ (”Crohns Colitis Lifestyle”)

Website: crohnscolitislifestyle.com

Healing Journal:
https://healingjournal.crohnscolitislifestyle.com?el=JamieLivesWellPodcast

IBD Relief Strategy Session:
https://www.cclworkshop.com/apply?source=JamieLivesWellPodcast&el=JamieLivesWellPodcast

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Further Listening:

🇧🇪 Belgian moules frites (lite)

Mussels steamed in white wine and shallots, with oven-baked fries on the side — a lighter take on the Belgian classic.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 shallots, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 2 fresh thyme sprigs

• 2 bay leaves

• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• 2 tbsp butter

• 2 russet potatoes, cut into thin fries

• 1 tbsp olive oil, for the fries

• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. Prep the fries. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss potatoes with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet, spreading in a single layer.

2. Bake the fries. Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crisp.

3. Soften shallots and garlic. While the fries cook, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cooking for 2 minutes until soft.

4. Build the steaming liquid. Pour in white wine, then add thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.

5. Steam the mussels. Add mussels to the pot, cover, and steam for 5–6 minutes until the shells open.

6. Finish the broth. Discard any unopened mussels. Stir in parsley and butter.

7. Serve the mussels with the broth ladled over, alongside the crisp fries.

Tip: discard any mussels that don’t open after steaming. Crusty bread on the side is non-negotiable for soaking up the broth.

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🇸🇳 Senegalese yassa chicken

Chicken thighs braised in caramelized onions, mustard, and lemon — Senegal’s beloved national dish.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 2 lemons, juiced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 tbsp dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 2 scotch bonnet or chili peppers, whole

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 2 carrots, sliced into rounds

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Method

1. Marinate the chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Mix lemon juice, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Pour over the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes, ideally a few hours.

2. Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, for 5 minutes until golden, then flip and remove from the pan.

3. Caramelize the onions. Add remaining olive oil to the same pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.

4. Combine everything. Return the chicken to the pan along with the chilies, bay leaves, chicken stock, and carrots.

5. Braise until tender. Cover and simmer on low heat for 35–40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.

6. Serve. Discard the bay leaves and chilies if a milder dish is preferred. Serve hot over steamed rice.

Tip: for an authentic touch, marinate the chicken overnight. Keep the chili whole rather than chopped so you control the heat — remove before serving if you prefer it milder.

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Further Reading:

🇫🇷 Quick French onion soup

Caramelized onions, beef broth, and a toasted gruyère-topped baguette — a quicker take on the French classic.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ½ cup dry white wine

• 6 cups beef stock

• 2 fresh thyme sprigs

• 1 bay leaf

• 8 baguette slices

• 1½ cups gruyère cheese, grated

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Method

1. Start the onions. Melt the butter with olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and sugar.

2. Caramelize slowly. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 35–40 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized.

3. Deglaze. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. Simmer the broth. Add beef stock, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove thyme and bay leaf.

5. Assemble. Preheat the broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe bowls, top each with a baguette slice and a generous handful of gruyère.

6. Broil and serve. Broil for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

Tip: don’t rush the onions — low heat and patience is what gives this soup its deep flavor. A splash of sherry vinegar at the end brightens it up if you have some on hand.

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🇸🇪 Swedish toast skagen

Open-faced shrimp toast with dill, lemon, and crème fraîche — an elegant Swedish bite ready in minutes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb small cooked shrimp, peeled

• ½ cup crème fraîche

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped, plus extra for garnish

• ¼ tsp salt

• ⅛ tsp black pepper

• 8 slices rye or white bread

• 2 tbsp butter, softened

• 1 hard-boiled egg, sliced

• ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

1. Mix the shrimp salad. In a bowl, combine shrimp, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

2. Chill briefly. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.

3. Toast the bread. Toast the bread until golden, then spread each slice with butter.

4. Assemble the toasts. Top each toast generously with the shrimp mixture.

5. Garnish with sliced egg, red onion, and extra dill.

6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Tip: toast skagen is traditionally served as an open sandwich starter — keep portions small since it’s rich. Swap mayonnaise for extra crème fraîche for a lighter version.

Which dish are you making before kickoff? Tag us in your plate.

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🇳🇱 Dutch bitterballen bites

Crispy beef croquette bites with a creamy center, served with mustard — Netherlands’ answer to game day snacking.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour, divided

• 1½ cups beef stock

• 1 cup cooked beef, finely shredded

• ½ cup yellow onion, minced

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs

• 2 cups neutral oil, for frying

• ¼ cup Dutch mustard, for serving

Method

1. Make the roux base. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in half of the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes until golden and fragrant.

2. Build the filling. Slowly whisk in the beef stock, stirring constantly until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded beef, onion, parsley, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Chill the mixture. Transfer to a shallow dish and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 2 hours.

4. Shape the bites. Scoop and roll the chilled mixture into 1-inch balls.

5. Set up a breading station. Whisk the eggs in one bowl. Place the remaining flour in another, and the panko in a third.

6. Bread each ball. Roll each ball in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing gently so the crumbs stick.

7. Fry until golden. Heat the oil to 350°F. Fry in batches for 2–3 minutes until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

8. Serve hot with mustard for dipping.

Tip: these can be assembled and breaded ahead, then frozen raw — fry straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.

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🇲🇦 Moroccan zaalouk

Smoky roasted eggplant and tomato dip, served warm with flatbread — a Moroccan classic for sharing before kickoff.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4 warm flatbreads, for serving

Method

1. Roast the eggplant. Preheat oven to 425°F. Pierce eggplants a few times with a fork, rub with 1 tbsp olive oil, and roast whole on a baking sheet until very soft, about 40 minutes.

2. Peel and mash. Let cool slightly, then peel and mash the flesh with a fork until mostly smooth.

3. Soften the garlic. Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

4. Cook the tomato base. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes break down.

5. Combine and simmer. Stir in the mashed eggplant and cook for another 5 minutes, mashing further until thick and jammy.

6. Finish with lemon and herbs. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

7. Serve warm or at room temperature with flatbread for scooping.

Tip: zaalouk tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle — make it the morning of and serve at room temp or gently rewarmed.

Which dish are you making before kickoff?

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Summer’s here, and with it comes a weird little paradox: you can be drinking more water than ever and still feel like your skin is parched, tight, and irritable. Sound familiar?

Turns out hydration is only part of the equation. Summer exposes your skin to constant environmental stress—UV rays, heat, sweat, chlorine, salt water and blasting AC—all of which can weaken your skin barrier while accelerating the underlying processes that drive skin aging. That's why skin often feels drier, more sensitive, and less resilient this time of year, even when you're drinking plenty of water.

So today, a quick survival guide for both ends of that equation.

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A quick note on what’s in my routine right now

One thing I've added this summer is OneSkin's OS-01 Face moisturizer.

What initially caught my attention wasn't just that it's a moisturizer, it was the science behind it. Summer UV exposure doesn't just dry out your skin; it accelerates cellular skin aging. OneSkin's proprietary OS-01 peptide was designed to help reduce the burden of senescent ("zombie") cells that build up with age and environmental stress, helping skin stay healthier and more resilient over time.

If you're looking to upgrade your skincare this summer, you can use code JAMIELIVESWELL for 15% off.

Get 15% off OneSkin

Okay, onto the rest of the guide.

Hydration: inside

Plain water is the baseline, but in real heat it’s often not enough on its own. When you’re sweating more, you’re losing electrolytes — sodium, potassium, magnesium — not just water. That’s part of why you can drink a ton and still feel sluggish or foggy.

A few things that help:

• Carry a flask everywhere. Sounds obvious, but visibility matters — if it’s in front of you, you drink more.

• Add electrolytes on high-sweat days (workouts, heat waves, time outside), not necessarily every day.

• Watch caffeine and alcohol intake creeping up in summer — both work against you here.

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Hydration: outside

Your skin barrier is the thing standing between you and sun, sweat, salt water, chlorine, and AC swings — and in summer it’s getting hit from every direction at once.

A few barrier-friendly habits:

• Rinse off after ocean or pool swims — chlorine and salt linger and dry skin out over the following hours.

• Moisturize at night, not just in the morning. Overnight is when your skin naturally shifts into repair mode, making it a great time to use products that support both your skin barrier and long-term skin health.

• Reapply SPF more than you think you need to, especially if you’re sweating or swimming.

The goal isn't just keeping your skin hydrated this summer, it's helping it stay healthy and resilient through the season's biggest stressors. Stay cool out there.

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Further Reading:

I recently spoke with Brooke Black — American music publicist, podcast host, and what she describes as a reluctant Dane. She accidentally moved to Denmark with her Danish husband and two small children during COVID, and has been figuring out who she is ever since. She hosts What Are You Doing in Denmark?, the biggest podcast for internationals in the country, and she came on with a kind of clear-eyed honesty about expat life that I don’t often hear.

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The self you built doesn’t pack well

Brooke spent her twenties in New York, her thirties in LA. She was the breadwinner, the career woman, the loud, enthusiastic, culturally-fluent person in every room. And then:

“All of the things that I’ve cultivated, my career, my personality, all these little details that I have painstakingly created as part of me that I thought were the great things about me — don’t matter. Because you’re in a brand new country.”

That landed for me. We often talk about moving abroad as an adventure, a fresh start. And it is. But it’s also a kind of quiet dismantling. Your wit relies on shared references. Your confidence relies on being understood. Strip those away and you’re left asking a harder question: what’s actually there?

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The invisible weight

One thing Brooke described that I hadn’t heard articulated quite like this before is the sheer cognitive cost of living somewhere not built for you. After five years in Denmark, she still catches herself doing things wrong without realising. Every interaction — the train, the grocery store, the school gate — requires a little extra processing.

“You are void of personality because you’re just trying to follow what’s happening.”

And that drain compounds. What’s left over for your relationships, your kids, your work? She put it simply: you can never expect another place to rise to the expectations you built somewhere else. The adjustment isn’t lowering your standards — it’s recalibrating what matters.

What Denmark gets right (and what the PR leaves out)

Brooke is thoughtful about not selling Denmark as a dream. Yes, the trust is real — laptops left open on trains, babies sleeping outside cafés, an eight-year-old biking herself to school through a gate with no security. Yes, the five weeks of annual leave, the stress leave that carries no stigma, the kids who get to play with real knives and take real risks.

But the winters are dark. The seasonal depression is real. Danes are warm, but slowly — and they will absolutely reach across you in a supermarket rather than say excuse me. It took Brooke two years in Copenhagen to build friendships where she felt she could be herself.

“Loneliness is one of the toughest things to try and solve anytime you move to a new place and try to find your place within it.”

That’s not a Denmark problem. That’s the expat condition. And it’s worth naming honestly.

What the glass-half-full thing is actually about

Near the end of our conversation, we got onto something I’ve felt myself — the American enthusiasm, the pointing at things and going wow, the willingness to talk to strangers. Brooke said she’s started cringing at it after years of toning herself down for Danish sensibilities. But she doesn’t want to lose it entirely.

The happiest countries, she thinks, aren’t happier because they’ve lowered their expectations. It’s more like they’ve adjusted them — to what they actually have, not what they think they should have. There’s something worth sitting with in that.

You can find Brooke on Instagram and TikTok at @brookblackjust and her podcast What Are You Doing in Denmark? is on all platforms. If you’re thinking about moving to Denmark, she genuinely welcomes the DMs.

Now press play. The full conversation is worth your time.

More episodes:

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Lorena Bernal — author, speaker, and the founder of LiveLoveBetter — and within the first few minutes she said something that stopped me in my tracks. When I asked her who she really is, beneath the career and the roles and the accolades, she didn’t hesitate:

“A soul with a little girl kind of vibe. Very happy and grateful to be living a human experience on earth.”

That answer struck a chord.

The storm in your head

Lorena’s take on burnout cuts through the noise. It’s not simply about working too hard — it’s about living too far from the present moment. She describes it as getting lost in a storm of worries, future plans, and the nagging fear of not doing enough.

“If you go back to the present and do what you’re doing at this moment, suddenly it loosens that weight you have.”

It sounds almost too simple. But the more I think about it, the more I believe simplicity is the point. We’ve overcomplicated rest, wellness, even parenting — turning each of them into another performance to optimise.

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Achievement without foundation

One of the most honest moments in our conversation came when Lorena described being at the peak of her Hollywood career and experiencing a profound loss at the same time. No amount of professional success could touch the emptiness she felt.

“I feel so empty and it’s going so well. What I thought would give me what I wanted in life is not even close to fulfilling the emptiness I feel inside.”

That’s a hard thing to admit. Harder still to use it as a turning point. But she did. And I think a lot of high performers will recognise that feeling — the gnawing sense that something vital is missing even when everything looks perfect on paper.

The one thing worth doing

When I asked Lorena for a single daily practice that’s genuinely shifted her mental health, she didn’t sell me a morning routine or a supplement stack. She said: stop, breathe, and feel grateful — not as a concept, but as a felt experience in your body.

“Thank you for my heart beating. Thank you for my breathing. Just that, a few seconds, regulates your whole nervous system.”

There’s something quietly radical about that. In a world that’s monetised mindfulness and turned self-care into a productivity tool, she’s pointing back to something far older and simpler.

Lorena’s book It Starts With You is a good place to begin if any of this resonated. You can also find her at livelovebetter.co.uk.

Now press play. The full conversation is worth your time.

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I’ve spent the last few days helping my mother with her garden in London.

Nothing dramatic.

Trimming bushes.
Cleaning up the space.
Pulling weeds.
Moving slowly in the sun without really thinking about time.

I live in New York, so I don’t have a garden or large outdoor space of my own. Maybe that’s part of why it’s felt so meaningful.

What struck me most was how calming it felt to do something simple with my hands without constantly being interrupted by a screen, notification, or urge to check my phone.

For a few hours, I was completely present.

And honestly, it reminded me a lot of the silent retreat I attended at Zen Mountain Monastery.

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Not because gardening and silent retreats are the same thing — but because both force you back into direct experience.

You stop consuming for a moment.

You start noticing things again:

• birds

• wind

• sunlight

• textures

• silence

• your own thoughts

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There’s something deeply grounding about caring for a physical space slowly and attentively.

No optimization.
No productivity hack.
No “life-changing morning routine.”

Just being there.

I think modern life quietly convinces us that fulfillment has to be expensive, impressive, or highly stimulating.

But some of the most fulfilling moments are surprisingly simple:

• gardening

• walking

• reading outside

• cooking slowly

• talking to someone without rushing

• sitting in silence

As the old saying goes, the best things in life are free.

Or at the very least, very simple.

And maybe that’s part of why they matter so much.

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We talked a lot about the gut — not just digestion, but the growing understanding that gut health may influence mood, energy, intuition, and overall wellbeing more than we realize.

I’ve noticed this in my own life too.

Usually when I feel anxious, foggy, exhausted, or just “off,” my body has been trying to tell me something long before my brain catches up.

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I’ve been paying more attention to gut health recently, and one brand I’ve liked is Just Thrive. Their probiotics are designed to survive digestion and actually reach the gut effectively — which is a surprisingly important detail.

🧠 The Gut Does More Than Digest Food

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was discussing how disconnected many of us have become from our bodies.

Modern life teaches us to override signals constantly:

• push through exhaustion

• scroll instead of resting

• ignore stress

• numb discomfort

But the body keeps communicating anyway.

And increasingly, research around the gut-brain connection suggests the gut may play a much bigger role in mental and emotional wellbeing than we once thought.

Lately I’ve become more aware of how differently I feel depending on:

• what I eat

• sleep

• stress

• sunlight

• time in nature

You can feel the difference.

Sometimes wellness starts with paying attention again.

Not obsessing.
Not optimizing everything.

Just noticing what actually makes you feel good.

The full podcast with Remnant MD is above if you’d like to listen.

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The energy in New York completely changed last weekend.

I was in Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park with my son, and it felt like the city had finally exhaled.

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Memorial Day Sale ends soon

Thousands of people stretched across the grass.
Music playing.
Frisbees flying.
Dogs running everywhere.
Strangers actually talking to each other.

After months of winter coats, grey skies, and everyone rushing from one place to another…people suddenly seemed lighter.

I ended up throwing a frisbee with strangers, kicking a soccer ball around with my son, and spending most of the day outside without really checking my phone.

And honestly, it reminded me how different life feels when we spend more time outdoors, around people, and connected to something real.

Not optimized.
Not productive.
Just… alive.

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☀️ Summer Changes More Than Your Mood

Winter can quietly turn life into maintenance mode.

Wake up.
Work.
Commute.
Repeat.

Then one warm weekend arrives and suddenly:

• people linger outside longer

• conversations happen more easily

• kids play everywhere

• the city feels human again

It also reminded me of something I wrote in a previous issue:

“It’s harder to stay stuck in repetitive mental loops when you’re physically outside your normal environment.”

And I really felt that this weekend.

Something shifts when you spend hours outdoors instead of under artificial light… when you move your body without tracking it… when you talk to strangers instead of staring at a screen.

Your mind loosens a little.

You remember life is happening right now.

There’s obviously science behind this too. Sunlight, movement, social connection, and time outdoors all affect mood, stress, sleep, and energy levels.

But beyond the science, I think most of us can simply feel it.

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Sometimes wellness isn’t another protocol.

Sometimes it’s:

• sunlight on your skin

• being outside longer than you planned

• laughing with people you don’t know

• hearing music drift across a park

• losing track of time for a few hours

That’s health too.

A few reminders for this summer:

• Spend more time outside than you think you need to

• Move your body for fun, not just fitness

• Say yes to spontaneous plans

• Let yourself be less reachable sometimes

• Don’t underestimate how healing community can feel

We forget this every winter.

And then summer comes back to remind us.

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A line from a recent podcast conversation has stayed with me all week:

“All words are magic spells. Be very conscious of how you use them to describe yourself.”

I recently sat down with artist Adam Henry to talk about burnout, creativity, meditation, and self-talk.

And what struck me most was this:

A lot of us are exhausted not just because of what we’re doing — but because of the way we speak to ourselves while we do it.

I should be doing more.
I’m behind.
I haven’t done enough.

That kind of thinking quietly shapes how we experience life.

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Burnout Isn’t Always About Work

Adam described burnout not as overwork, but as becoming exhausted by the story he was telling himself.

That felt very real to me.

At one point he said:

“The best performers aren’t always ‘on.’ They’re just better at turning it on and off.”

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Toward the end of the conversation, I asked him what he would tell his younger self.

His answer:

“Believe in yourself and quiet all the chatter.”

Honestly, I think a lot of us need that reminder right now.

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Further Reading:

🍫 Healthy Candy? These Dates Come Close

A simple, naturally sweet snack that hits like dessert — without the crash.

Ingredients:

• 4–6 Medjool dates (pitted)

• 2–3 tsp peanut or almond butter

• 1–2 squares dark chocolate

• Pinch of sea salt

• Optional: chopped nuts, coconut flakes

Instructions:

1. Slice each date open and remove the pit.

2. Fill with nut butter.

3. Melt the dark ch…

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Lately, my mornings have looked a little different.

I’ve been traveling, switching time zones, waking up calm but slightly groggy — not quite in rhythm yet.

But one thing I’ve been more intentional about is how I start the day.

No phone in the first hour.
A large glass of water with electrolytes.
A few simple mantras before anything else begins.

Nothing dramatic. Just a slower entry.

And I’ve noticed something.

When I rush it — when I check my phone too early or skip that bit of space — the whole day feels slightly off. More reactive. Less steady.

The same goes for coffee.

I quit it a couple of years ago after realizing I wasn’t really using it — I was depending on it to get through the day. It made me anxious, jittery, and eventually led to a crash.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with it again, but differently.

Slower. More intentional. Usually after food, not on an empty stomach. Adding L-theanine to the mix for steadier energy.

And being more selective with the coffee itself.

I’ve been using Purity Coffee - mainly because it feels noticeably cleaner for me. Less jittery, no harsh edge, just a more stable lift. Whether that’s down to how it’s sourced or processed, I don’t know exactly - but I notice the difference.

Less about pushing energy up - more about supporting it.

That shift has made me think about mornings in a different way.

Not as something to optimize.

But as something to protect.

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🧠 Why Most Mornings Work Against You

A lot of advice around mornings sounds good in theory.

Wake up early.
Cold shower.
Meditate.
Workout.
Journal.

Stack enough habits together and it starts to feel like a performance before your day has even begun.

And for a while, that kind of routine can work.

But it can also quietly add pressure.

Another thing to get right.
Another way to feel behind if you don’t.

What I’ve found works better is something simpler.

Not a perfect routine — just a start that doesn’t work against you. Stripping things away until I have a simple list of morning essentials I can actually get done.

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☕ A More Intentional Way to Use Coffee

In a recent conversation with mental health performance coach , we ended up talking about something surprisingly simple: coffee.

Not in a “should you drink it or not” way.

But in how people use it.

Most of us don’t drink coffee to support our energy.

We drink it to override how we feel.

Low energy → coffee
Stress → coffee
Poor sleep → more coffee

And it works. Temporarily.

But it often creates a cycle of spikes and crashes that your system has to keep recovering from.

That’s where the conversation shifted.

Instead of using caffeine to push harder, what would it look like to use it more intentionally?

Listen to the full conversation:

One idea that came up was a simple variation on coffee that supports more stable energy. It’s something I’ve used in the past and am dipping my toes back into as it were.

A “bulletproof-style” approach — adding healthy fats to slow the release of caffeine and reduce the sharp spike.

It’s not about hacking your coffee.

It’s about changing what it does.

Less spike.
More stability.

That idea stuck with me.

Because it reflects a broader shift:

Moving from stimulation → to support.

If coffee is part of your routine, it’s worth being a little more intentional about both the quality and how you use it.

☕️ Get my recipe on Instagram. ☕️

🌤️ What Actually Helps in the Morning

The more I’ve simplified things, the more I’ve noticed a few patterns.

Not rules. Just things that seem to help.

Light early in the day.
A moment before checking your phone.
Something warm — coffee or tea — without rushing it.
A slower entry into the day.

None of these are dramatic.

But together, they shift how the morning feels.

And that feeling carries further than you think.

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Further Reading:

🍫 High-Protein Chocolate Yogurt Bowl

A simple, high-protein bowl that feels more like dessert than breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (or dairy-free alternative)

• 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder

• ½ cup frozen berries

• 1–2 squares dark chocolate

• 1 tsp coconut oil (optional, for the shell)

• Optional toppings: granola, nuts, cacao nibs, nut butter

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt and protein powder until smooth and thick.

2. Add frozen berries on top.

3. Melt the dark chocolate (with coconut oil if using).

4. Pour the melted chocolate over the bowl — it will harden into a shell.

5. Add any extra toppings and let it sit for a minute before cracking into it.

Why it works:
High protein, naturally sweet, and more satisfying than most “healthy” snacks. Keeps you full and actually feels like a treat.

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Further Reading:

You already know what to do.

Eat better.

Sleep more.

Stop overthinking.

Set boundaries.

You’ve read it. Heard it. Probably even done it… for a while.

And yet—

You find yourself back in the same place.

Same habits.

Same reactions.

Same patterns.

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🧠 The Frustrating Part

It doesn’t make sense.

Because this isn’t a lack of information.

If anything, you have too much of it.

You know the right foods.

The right routines.

The right mindset shifts.

So why doesn’t it stick?

⸻

🧩 The Missing Piece

Most change doesn’t fail at the level of knowledge.

It fails at the level of pattern.

Patterns are deeper than logic.

They’re:

• Emotional

• Automatic

• Familiar

Which means they don’t respond well to:

👉 More information

👉 More discipline

👉 More “trying harder”

⸻

🔄 What a Pattern Actually Is

A pattern is something your system has learned feels safe.

Even if it’s not helpful.

Even if it’s frustrating.

Even if it keeps you stuck.

That’s why you can:

• Know what to eat… and still not eat it

• Know you need rest… and still push through

• Know something isn’t working… and still repeat it

Because the pattern isn’t logical.

It’s learned.

⸻

⚡ Why You Keep Going Back

Real change requires something most people skip:

👉 Awareness in the moment

Not after. Not in hindsight.

But while it’s happening.

That moment where you’re about to:

• Reach for something you don’t actually want

• Say yes when you mean no

• Default to the same reaction

That’s the moment patterns live in.

And it’s also where they can start to shift.

⸻

🧠 But Here’s the Catch

You can’t always see your own patterns clearly.

Not because you’re not self-aware.

But because you’re inside them.

It’s like trying to read the label from inside the bottle.

You get close.

But not quite all the way.

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⸻

🛠️ What Actually Helps

Change doesn’t come from knowing more.

It comes from:

• Slowing things down

• Noticing what’s happening

• Understanding why it’s happening

• Interrupting it, gently

And doing that consistently.

Not perfectly.

Just consistently.

⸻

🔄 What Shifting a Pattern Feels Like

It’s not dramatic.

It’s not a full personality change overnight.

It’s smaller than that.

It’s:

• Pausing where you used to react

• Choosing differently, just once

• Noticing something you didn’t before

And then doing that again.

And again.

Until the old pattern stops feeling automatic.

⸻

🧾 5 Signs You’re Stuck in a Pattern (Not a Lack of Discipline)

• You keep “starting over” with the same habits

• You know what to do, but don’t follow through

• You feel frustrated with yourself regularly

• You fall into the same behaviors under stress

• You feel like you’re capable of more—but can’t access it consistently

⸻

🧠 Final Thought

If you keep ending up in the same place, it’s not because you’re failing.

It’s because something deeper is running the show.

And once you start working with that—

instead of fighting it—

things begin to change in a way that actually lasts.

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Further Reading:

For the launch episode of my podcast, I sat down with mental performance coach for a conversation about resilience, mindset, sleep, stress, and the daily habits that shape how we feel. We covered everything from redefining mental toughness and using cognitive reframing, to cold exposure, supplements, journaling, gratitude, and why physical health plays such a powerful role in mental wellbeing.

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Most of us were never really taught how to perform without burning out.

We were told to work harder.
To be more disciplined.
To keep going.

And for a while, it works.

Until it doesn’t.

At some point, working harder stops giving us better results and starts giving us burnout.

This week, I spoke with a mental health performance coach about what really sustains performance over time.

And it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

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🧠 What High Performers Get Right

The highest level of performance doesn’t come from working harder.

It comes from working within your limits.

From understanding that performance isn’t just about what you produce; it’s about the system that produces it.

And what is that system?

Your nervous system.

When your nervous system is working well, you can focus, you can think clearly, and you can perform well even when it gets tough.

When your nervous system is overworked – when it has too much going on and too little rest – your performance suffers even when you work harder.

It’s not about how much you work; it’s about how much you work within your nervous system’s ability to switch between high and low.

The highest level of performance doesn’t mean you’re “on” all the time; it means you’re “on” when you need to be and “off” when you don’t – except the people who are really good at it are better at turning it on and off than anyone else.

🔑 The Shift: From Intensity to Regulation

Most people think:

Performance = pushing harder

But, really, performance is more like:

• Knowing when to push

• Knowing when to recover

• Knowing how to shift between states

It’s not about being ‘on’ all the time.

It’s about being able to turn it on when you need to, and turn it off when you don’t.

That’s what performance is all about.

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🛠️ 3 Practical Shifts

Here are a few simple ideas that came out of this conversation:

1. Lower the baseline stress

Not everything has to be urgent.

When everything feels important, your system stays ‘on’ all the time.

That’s not sustainable.

2. Build in recovery time

Recovery time isn’t just time off.

It’s little moments throughout the day:

• stepping outside

• taking a few deep breaths

• pausing between tasks

Those moments are bigger than you think.

3. Regulate before you react

In stressful situations, most people tend to react immediately.

But, instead:

Pause.

Breathe.

Then, respond.

That little pause between those two actions is huge.

📈 Why This Matters Right Now

We’re living in a culture where:

• we’re constantly being inputted

• we have extremely high expectations

• we have virtually no time to recover

People aren’t underperforming because they’re not disciplined.

They’re underperforming because they’re overwhelmed.

And, no matter how hard you try, you cannot fix being overwhelmed.

✨ Final Thought

You don’t have to be more intense.

You have to be more regulated.

That’s what allows you to perform, not just today, but every day.

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Further Reading:

Let me offer a slightly uncomfortable idea:

You might not be tired.

You might just be under-fueled.

⸻

That mid-afternoon slump.

The brain fog.

The second (or third) coffee.

We tend to label it as stress, burnout, or “just one of those days.”

But for a lot of people—especially those trying to eat “healthy”—it’s something much simpler:

👉 You didn’t eat enough.

⸻

🧠…

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