EP54: Making Time for Wellness with Mia Moran

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Hello, everyone, welcome back to another episode of winning with wellness. We are so grateful and thankful that you are here. Whether you are listening to us in your car if you're riding your bicycle, and who knows maybe you're doing some cleaning, or you're just getting ready to relax. We thank you so much for being here to help us inspire the wellness warrior new. I'm so excited. I have an amazing guest named Mia Moran, who's going to join me today. Welcome Mia.

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

I am excited to have you to and talk all things wellness. So you guys, I'm going to share a little bit about me, before we get started. She is a mom of three and a coach who, obviously you have three kids, you're automatically a coach. That just is like a tick in the box immediately. But she's also a professional coach, who also makes time for wellness and shows overwhelmed women how they can as well. She's the host of the plan, simple podcast, Best Selling Author of plans, simple meals and creator of the flow planning method and planner. Welcome. I know, I just welcomed you, me. But welcome, welcome. Welcome. Thanks for being here.

Thank you so much, so much for having me here. It's amazing. So I'm gonna

guess and this is a stretch, because we've just met and I'm excited to spend time with you. Being a mother of three has led you to your pathway, correct?

It has.

Would you mind sharing a little bit about that journey?

Yeah, of course. So I have always been an entrepreneur, even before I had my kiddos. And I have before being a coach. I'm trained as a designer. So I had this I had a pretty big design company at the time where I was having all of my three kids, and they're, they're all teenagers now. But at the time, they were all they're all pretty close in age, and they were all under five. And I just remember this day, where it was like 3pm. And I always talk about the coffee cups that I remember being on my desk. And there was a lot of them, like six or seven. And I just had these concurring thoughts. I was like, okay, gosh, I've been to Starbucks a lot today, like, how did I get any work done? And like leave the office that many times to get coffee, and it was quickly followed by and how am I so frickin tired? Like, I always thought that caffeine was supposed to give you lots of energy. And I just kind of had this like lightbulb moment that, you know, created a series of changes that I was just like, How can I have checked off so many boxes that I you know, I really felt like I had like done all the things I had wanted a lot of the things I had wanted to do. And I was like in my early 30s. And I was just not thriving, right? So everyone around me was thriving, and I was frickin exhausted. And I just I didn't feel in that moment, the way I thought I would feel when I had sort of gotten all the things I wanted. And yeah. And health wise, what had happened to me is that, so I had had five kids, I'm five kids, I had three kids within five years. And so for five years, I was either pregnant or nursing. And the way my sort of body worked is that when I was nursing, I did not release weights, I kept it. So over the course of these five years, I had put on roughly like 80 pounds that I just hadn't had on me before I had had kids. And so it was kind of like my body like my was the most tangible thing I had in that moment to connect me to like, change, right like I like as I was sitting there that day, like so tired. I was like something has to give. And I was like huh I wonder if there's the answer in my body and the fact that my body is very different than it was before kids.

Right? And you know what's so fascinating is As there's there is a coming to realization moments in all the stories we hear about moving into wellness, I was very much a similar pathway. I didn't have three children mine too. But you know that waking up moment going, oh my gosh, you know, yeah. Oh, am I not thriving when I'm at, you know, at my peak apparently. So what does wellness actually mean to you? Yeah.

So I mean, it's definitely like, it's, I've been on a journey. For sure. So I mean, one of the first connections I made was to food. Shortly after that moment at my desk, what I changed very quickly was what I was eating. And I think that, you know, when we make choices, like solutions sort of come in very quickly, or at least, that's what I found. And so I very quickly changed what I was eating, and I was not somebody who would like go into the store. And like, I think if you at that point would have told me what Kale was, I don't know that I would have been able to, like select it, like, that's how clueless I was about the vegetable sector. So I very quickly went from somebody who probably wasn't eating a lot of vegetables, and somebody who was pretty slowly eating vegetables. And my health changed just so quickly, like things I you know, I had gone in it, like with this 85 pounds situation, but, but I very quickly, like I ended seasonal allergies, my energy was flipped through the charts, I tell people all the time, that when I changed my food, it was like, in two weeks, it was like 10 years of therapy, like my whole, my whole being changed. So So definitely, there's a piece about the body that and, and how we fuel the body and how I move my body, which has been very, very important in the wellness journey. And the story like kept going that, you know, I didn't change my kids food right away. And then I did. And then I came into all these solutions about how we could feed our families. And you know, I am a somewhat of a wellness warrior. So every time I was doing things, I was like telling everybody I could. And so what ended up happening was I ended up writing a book about food and family. And I ended up going on a book tour with my three kids. And oh, my talk to wild was that. It was fun. It was wonderful. But it was a lot and and so when I was on the tour, two things happen. One, I met so many people like actually men and women, like I was doing a lot of talks at schools and wellness festivals, like all over the country. And I just talked to so many people and and I kept being surprised by how many people I would meet who actually knew more about food than I did, like, you know, like they had been just add it for a longer time. And yet, they still weren't doing it. And I just, I couldn't like I was just trying to like put my finger on it. And so I just kept having these conversations. And at some point, I was like, oh, like there was more to my process of change than just changing my food. Like there was this whole spiritual component, there was this whole time component. And so for me, wellness has really come about being imbalanced and creating a container to be imbalanced, like whatever that means in the moment. And it's different in different phases. You know, right? There's been times when balanced means focusing on money, there's been times where it's been focusing on motherhood or on our home and it's different in different seasons. But it always comes back to feeling balanced, sort of body, mind and soul I guess for lack of better words.

Those are my three faves. I love those three. So when you think about we're gonna have people listening right now that will really resonate with what you're sharing, you know, they maybe haven't had three children, they maybe you've had one or none. Men and women that are finding themselves especially coming off this climate of being more inactive due to restrictions in our in the world, etc. that have found themselves potentially with an excess of weight. You know, like I definitely had to go buy new shorts for this season, which has a new experience. Because like, Oh, okay. What would you recommend for people that are maybe sparked? Maybe this is what sparking them to go maybe it's time to start making a shift. What would you suggest her a couple of things to, to help create some momentum. Yeah,

so So first of all, trusting yourself and, and really what's coming up for you? So, you know, in the moment that I was going through all these transformations, Stephen only like outside information kind of like this came in, in the sense that it was answering a call or an intuition that I already had, right? So it was like, Oh, I'm going to change my food. And literally the next day, like, I met this woman who does this for a living, and then it's like, oh, I need to do this. And then I like I met, like, so I kept meeting people. But I think a lot of times, we're not really choosing to make the change, because we're, we're just shitting all over ourselves, right? Like, there's so much like, we should be able to fit into shorts. Well, should you like, why, like, Why? Why do you want this change? Like, what's, what would that do for you? Like, why do you want it? So really getting clarity on, on why this is what you want, I think is really important. And for some people, that leads to like, actually, that's not what I want. Actually, what I really want is, you know, quiet every morning, like it actually has nothing to do with the thing. So, so that's so that's like, I think the first step, especially around anything to do with weight, and body, there's just so much noise out there about that particular change. And so I just always ask people to just keep asking themselves, why, like, as many times as possible, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to fit into different shorts. But it has to be your why. And a lot of times, if you keep asking yourself that question, it's like you're like, it's like, why? Well, because I want to fit in these clothes. And then you're like, Well, why do you want to fit in those clothes? And it's like, well, because I feel like if I fit in those clothes, I'd have more energy. Well, why do you want energy? Well, actually, because like I'm in this relationship, and I really want to be able to get fully into this relationship. And I feel like if I have energy I would and then there, that's a compelling reason. Like that's motivating. So I think a lot of times we don't get there. So that's the first thing. And the second thing is like once you understand, you know what, and why you want it, have a plan, because the other thing that we do a lot is we kind of vaguely decide we want something but we don't really set ourselves up for it. And most things that are big changes take some level of of self discipline of us really showing up for ourselves. And for most of us, the world around us is not set up to make those changes. So just having a plan and the plan is can be about you know, what you're eating, how you're moving your body, like all the things you're doing. But the plan is also about like, what does it look like for me to really enjoy Joy myself, and you're making choices when you're making the plan of like, oh, well, like, the energy is really important. So if I'm really enjoying myself in my life, that means that maybe if I go to a party, I will have all the things or, you know, actually enjoying myself means that I'm I'm doing what the people in the room are doing. And that might be true for you. And so then you're like, Okay, so when I go to a party, I'm going to commit to doing it this way. And then I'll I'll balance that out in this other time. And so it's really getting honest about you know, all the different pieces, not only the food, like not only the body related pieces, but the boundaries, the things you really have to commit to how it you know, the like, who you're hanging with, like all the different things like how that all affects this piece of your life. I think those are like the two things that we forget. I mean, the food, obviously you have to figure out what you want to eat. But to me, that's the

easy part. It actually isn't I think you highlight such a beautiful point is getting down to that deep rooted Why is so essential. Because superficial doesn't doesn't get you going, right? Yep. And what we've been conditioned to believe is the reason why isn't actually going to be the one that moves us forward. And being intentional. I love that you share that being intentional before we go somewhere because so many times when we're creating change or developing new habits, we feel like we're giving up something or we're missing out. So when you go to an event, let's say we since the topic we're discussing, obviously is food but you know, being intentional that I'm going to enjoy this, but I'm not going to have this this this and this because it if I do it takes me away from this bigger goal. And if you prepare yourself for that before you step in, you can move away from that lack and scarcity feeling. I love that you highlight that.

Yeah, we do. You know in my work I do. I do a lot of work with planning and so not only planning food, but a whole bunch of things. And what I always say planning is is it's really a gift from your past self to your future self so that you can actually be in the moment. So I think a lot of times when we're talking like mindfulness, especially around food, it's a little bit like, it doesn't quite, it doesn't quite make sense to me, because I think we can be more mindful of the person we're becoming when we have a plan. Because it's like, okay, if I'm making a plan, I'm, I'm making the effort to sort of be centered and in alignment with myself when I sit down to make the plan. And then I'm like, okay, like, I'm gonna make a meal plan for this week, or I'm going to make a bigger plan for how I want to feel in my body over the course of this year, whatever it is that you're planning for. And then when you get to the day, or you get to the meal, and it's pretty highly likely that you're not going to want what it is that you said that you want it that you that you're gonna have, you got to really be there with that and discover what that means. It's not usually about the food, it's usually about something deeper and different. And it really allows you to feel an experience. And that I think, is what the transformative experiences around change in general. But since we're talking about food, around changing your food,

well, and what I love is we're highlighting the fact that this goes with anything, it's not just food, it goes, yeah, it's the feeling like what feeling Am I calculating What feeling do I want to move to What feeling do I want to move away from? And the you know, you shared it when you were saying we should, should should that is not a feeling that none of us like that is like an oppressive? You know, there's motivating enjoy in the should word. Like none whatsoever. So as you've moved through your journey, and you know, in the work that you do with your clients, what are some of the things that you enjoy the most?

Oh, interesting. So, so I love like, I call myself sometimes the hand holder. So I think the thing that I love the most is, is so I do everything in groups. And I just feel like we have created such a lonely world. And so much of transformation was never meant to do alone. And, you know, if we look at at times of big transfer, like, even if we look at people, like who we look up to, because they've created such huge transformations, there's always like, they have teachers, they have people who are working with them, you know, they have teams, they have villages of other humans who are supporting them. And they've probably learned how to support themselves at a high level too. And so I that's like, my favorite thing about what I do is just creating a container so that I tend to work mostly with women, but so that women can really feel held as they're doing hard things and that it's not lonely. So that's just like, that's my favorite piece. Well, in

community, I'm exceptionally passionate about community. And what's amazing is, we're not meant to be Solitaire, we're meant we're meant to be together. And we rise higher, faster, more effectively, when we when we champion each other and we build together. And also to it's a place where we can share our vulnerability and work through the barriers. I'm a coach, your coach, we know that when we work with our clients, and they're in a barrier space, there's nothing more powerful than working through that with somebody so that you can see it for what it is and decide if it's a truth. Or if it's like, okay, we need to work. Right.

Well, and and one of the things that I think partnering was and you know, a coach, a friend, whatever, like, like one of the things that I really enjoyed doing is just, it's so much easier, and it's so much easier in partnership is just helping simplify, like, like, we make life so complicated. And I just don't think it has to be as complicated as we make it. And so, like, I just have so much fun just just simplifying things. And I think everybody can do that for themselves. Like even if you just have somebody who will, you know that you need the right person. You need somebody who will like listen and like, you know, fully hold space for you to share as you want to share. Like you don't want someone who's telling you you're wrong right off the bat or whatever. But as long as you have somebody who will listen to you, just being able to like say things out loud and simplify your own, like, desires. It's just so helpful.

It's powerful. I'm I'm a verbal processor, and I know that when I work with my coach and My team at your holistic Earth and my, you know, people, it's amazing what fires in me is what like, comes to fruition or thoughts and yeah, pow, pow, pow. So I can't believe how faster time goes together when when we think about our conversation, is there anything that you would really want to ensure that the listener hears? Before we like, what have I missed to ask you? What do you think is important that they know?

Well, I think the place where we do the biggest disservice to ourselves as humans, especially right now is by being so busy. So I feel like my invitation is just like, what would happen if you just had like, 10 down minutes, like, and I just feel like, even if we just make a little bit of space, to just be quiet and not have to do something, even healthy stuff like, right, like because I mean, even all the wellness stuff can end up being to dues but I'm a huge believer in like, pausing and space. Because then I think we can see what the next like we can we can just Intuit actually what the next step is, we can we see it pretty clearly. And when I was back in that the beginning of my wellness journey, like, I kind of got to this place where I didn't really have a choice. And so I was paused. And, and at the same time, that was a huge gift. Because I there always was the next step. It was always right there. And in this, this phase of busyness, we just make things complicated. We make things hard. We just make it harder to succeed at wellness. And it it's not, it doesn't. It's not always easy. But it is simple. Like it is definitely not always easy, but it is

great. And wellness is our birthright. Yeah, it's our birthright, we're actually these amazing beings that heal. Yeah, ironically, and know, if we provide the space to do it. I love that you share that. I love that you share that our journeys sound very similar. I was, again, my wellness journey was like you're either doing it or you're not. Yeah. And you know, it's part of that interesting thing is, as a being on this planet, we do forget, we have choice. And many of us. You know, we don't take action until we see the bus coming and the brakes are shot, or it literally runs us over. And I would say I had my hand up on the grille of the bus. And had I you know, had I not stepped away, it would have run me over. And yeah, it's just that interesting thing. Honestly, I can't thank you enough for being here and sharing your wisdom. And what I'm so excited about that you've provided with for listeners. And don't worry, it will be in the show notes. If you don't have a pen and all of that handy, you don't need to know, you have a free course that is you know, the title takes you from overwhelmed to ease and it's there, we're going to be able to access that through your website, did you want to share a little bit about that program? Sure. So

I just believe that if we are operating from a place of ease, if everyone just did that, and from a place of you know, joy, which is sort of, you know, partner with ease, that the world would just be so different. And one of the things that I've come to understand about both is that it's kind of like we all want more ease. But we're so comfortable with like the busy and the overwhelm, that we're so comfortable with the busy and the overwhelm, that it almost feels more like ease than than the actual ease. Like, we almost feel like there's something wrong. So if we can, if we can, if we can go from that overwhelm, to ease, we just have so much more to give to those we love most and to our communities and to ourselves. And so I believe it's just such an amazing journey. And so what the course is, is it talks about the feelings and all the things around them so we can really process that. And then it also gives our daily practice. So you know, we're, we're in the business of we also have a planner. And so we have this this page, this daily planning page, which really was how I lost the weight. It was how I wrote a book as a dis even though I'm dyslexic. It was how I ended up taking my kids across the country. It was the same. You really Oh, that's so funny. We have so much in common. We have so much fun it was this one practice of how I thought about my day So in the course from overwhelmed to E as we talk about going from overwhelmed to ease and and in doing that what I'm teaching is this practice of this one tool that you can use every night and use it as a way to plan your next day and show up to your your best life. So, I hope so everyone guys,

you have access to that access to that. So we'll make sure that's in the show notes. Mia, thank you so much for being a guest on the show. It's been an honor to have you share your wisdom.

Thank you for having me.

And for those of you listening, thank you again for sharing your space and time we know that is one of your most valuable commodities next to your health. Thank you for sharing it with us to be inspired to, you know, instill, annex excite the wellness world and you do not hesitate to reach out to your holistic Earth and really step into that movement and become an official wellness warrior.