We sat down with wellness fanatic and Innermost Insider Alex Manderstam, who gave us the lowdown on all things mindfulness: its importance to her, how she makes time for it, and her top tips on how you can incorporate a little bit of it into your daily life. Read to the end to find out which Innermost product keeps her on track!
Hey Alex! Could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi! My name is Alex and I live in London. By day, I work at a food tech startup. By night, I’m a founder of Allright - a self care collection bringing back calm through the power of plants and wind-down rituals, launching later this year.
I love all things wellness and like to spend my free time cooking up healthy recipes, trying new workout classes and indulging in self care rituals.
Mindfulness has really stepped into the spotlight as an important aspect of wellness in recent years. How long have you been conscious of its importance / when did ‘mindfulness’ as a concept enter your life?
Since I was very little actually! My mum is really into meditation and wellness and used to take me along to her meditation retreats since the age of 5, so mindfulness has always been a part of my life. Last year I experienced burnout and had a terrible time with anxiety so I tapped into the mindfulness tools I knew and they really made a difference.
What exactly does mindfulness mean to you, and how does it benefit you day to day?
For me, mindfulness means being aware of your thoughts, your environment and your body. By bringing mindfulness into my daily routine, I can be more present, less reactive and overwhelmed, and show up as the best version of myself every day.
What activities do you do to be mindful?
I like to start every day with a little mindfulness routine. This includes not looking at my phone first thing in the morning but taking a few minutes to do a guided meditation to set the right tone for the day, journal about my intentions for the day ahead, followed by daily movement. I find that exercise really helps clear my head and put me in a productive mode.
Do you ever find mindfulness a difficult thing to achieve? What key tips can you give to people struggling with mindfulness?
Absolutely! With being so busy in my professional life, it’s so easy to open up my laptop first thing in the morning and get lost in my to do list without looking after myself first. Things that worked for me when starting to incorporate mindfulness into my routine were starting small (you don’t need to start with 20 minute meditation) and keeping a habit tracker for activities I wanted to build into my morning routine. After a few weeks, it became second nature!
Do you find that nutrition can play a part in mindfulness?
Very much so, at least for me. I think it goes both ways - if I am more aware of myself and my body, I’m more likely to choose a more nourishing meal and really take care into what I put in my body.
On the other hand, eating healthy can help me gain the self-care momentum and make me more motivated to stick with your mindfulness routine.
Are there any specific occasions in which you felt particularly supported by staying mindful?
As everyone else, I’m trying to juggle a million things and often get overwhelmed. Taking just a few minutes every morning to reflect and prepare for the day ahead really makes a difference on those busy days when you have so much to do and don’t know where to start.
What time of day do you feel most mindful? How often do you give yourself mindful moments?
Early mornings are my “me time”! I like to wake up slightly earlier and take 30 minutes to meditate, journal and set intentions for the day ahead.
What are your favourite Innermost products and how do you typically use them? How have they helped you so far?
I love The Detox Booster and The Digest Capsules the most! The Detox Booster is a great alternative to tea and coffee and is packed with superfoods - think matcha, turmeric, chlorella along many others. And digest capsules are an absolute must have too. Packed with prebiotics and probiotics, they are instrumental for gut health.
That's a wrap! To keep up with Alex, follow her on Instagram, @alexmanderstam - and be sure to check out her upcoming wellness platform, @allrightwellness!
