Mic’d Up with Jess: Yoga, Mindful Eating, and Finding Balance in Life

A mic'd-up workout on healing, habits and finding balance

TL;DR

• Yoga helped Jess heal, and now she teaches so she can offer that to others.
• Lasting change starts when you truly want it, then small habits do the rest.
• Working from home needs boundaries, like a stand-up desk and a walk straight after work.
• Mindful eating means eating without distractions and listening to your body.
• The simple, boring training is usually what works.

Introduction

If you've been listening for a while, you know I love getting yogis on the show. I don't do nearly enough yoga myself, but whenever I do, I feel really good in my body and my mind. Jess is great at taking that feeling and using it to chase her goals.

Jess started practising yoga about 10 years ago while working in a stressful corporate finance job. She's been teaching for two years and has recently started yoga therapy so she can work more hands-on with clients. For this episode, we did a mic'd-up workout together, so you'll hear plenty of puffing between the chat.

Please note: this blog is for general information only and isn't medical advice. Jess talks openly about her past relationship with food. If any of this brings something up for you, please reach out to your GP, or in Australia you can contact the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.

Lesson 1: You can only offer, not force

Insight: Jess went from doing yoga to teaching it because it helped her heal so much, and she wanted to share that with others. What she learned quickly is the old saying about leading a horse to water. She can only offer what she has. Some people walk into class and they're just not in the headspace for it, and she's learned not to take that to heart. Her style won't be for everyone, and that's fine. If she can help one person, it's worth it.

She also still does her own practice, separate from teaching, because she's still healing herself. I think that's a great lesson for any coach or PT to learn early.

Action: If you coach or support others, keep a practice that's just for you.

Outcome: You keep filling your own cup while you help others.

Lesson 2: Change starts when you really want it

Insight: We got into the discipline versus motivation debate. Jess believes motivation shows up naturally when, deep down, you actually want something. If you say you want to be healthy but don't really want it, nothing sticks. Her tip is to focus on the feeling you're after. How do you feel when you eat well, or after you've moved? That feeling is your why.

She also pointed out that the contrast helps. When she misses a run or a workout, she notices she doesn't feel as good, which makes the good feeling even clearer.

Action: Write down how you feel after a good day of eating and moving.

Outcome: You have a real reason to come back to when it gets hard.

Lesson 3: Start with one or two small habits

Insight: Jess had just done a goal-setting session for 2025. Her advice is to skip the big shiny goal and start with small habits. If five is too many, start with one or two. Once they feel comfortable, add more. Patience and small actions are what have worked for her.

Her current habit is drinking water before her morning coffee. Another goal is removing distractions, including no phones in the bedroom after 8pm. She also wants to be okay with calm, like going for a walk without a podcast or music. I relate to that. We fill every space with something, and I often ask why we need something external to motivate us to do something internal.

Action: Pick one habit, like water before coffee, and do it every day this week.

Outcome: Small wins build into lasting consistency.

Lesson 4: Set boundaries when you work from home

Insight: Jess works from home and could work 24/7 if she let herself. I see this with my clients all the time. They get stuck working and look up to realise they haven't been outside all day.

Her tips are simple. Get a stand-up desk. Go for walks morning and evening. And as soon as work finishes, get out of the house for a walk so you let go of the stress and don't carry it into your home. She admits you have to be strict with yourself, because it's easy to go back and work later.

Action: Schedule a walk for the minute your workday ends.

Outcome: You create a clear line between work and home.

Lesson 5: Burnout doesn't happen overnight

Insight: Jess spent about 10 years in the corporate world. When you're young, it's easy to work hard, go out and still have energy. Then 10 years later you hit 30. Eventually, she was so burnt out and tired that she left.

Before that, she tried an 80/20 rule of not drinking or eating out during the week, even at work events. That was easier said than done. In the end, she realised she didn't have the willpower to go to events and not drink, so she stopped going altogether.

She also says that when you're trying to change, some people around you will resist it. Communicate your goals. Sometimes your healthier choices hold up a mirror to others. But people who genuinely value you will let you change for the better.

Action: Tell the people close to you about one health goal you're working on.

Outcome: You get support rather than pressure.

Lesson 6: Eat mindfully, not obsessively

Insight: Jess was open about having a bad relationship with food and exercise in her early 20s. While studying for her CPA in Montreal, she was training twice a day, mostly cardio, and not eating enough, then sometimes overeating at night. After moving to Australia and seeing doctors, things slowly changed, though she says she still has some binge-eating tendencies.

These days she practises mindful eating. That means eating without distractions like the TV or your phone, listening to when you're hungry and full, and eating enough through the day so you're not starving and then overcompensating. She's not a fan of counting calories for herself because it created an obsession and works against intuitive eating.

On what to eat, she goes for whole foods, lots of colour and variety, plus protein. Her shopping trick is to stay in the fresh fruit and veg section and see how many meals you can make from it. My tip is to read ingredient labels. If there are numbers or things you don't recognise, it's probably best to skip it. We're both fans of the local market, too. Jess said her big basket of fruit and veg came to $25.

Action: Eat one meal a day this week with no screens.

Outcome: You start noticing when you're actually full.

Lesson 7: The boring stuff works

Insight: People see crazy workouts online and think they can't train that hard, so they won't get results. But the people posting them do the simple stuff too. They just don't show it, because it's boring. Jess said the same about yoga. People don't see the healing behind why she teaches, though she's glad more people are being authentic online.

The workout itself was proof. We did sled drags, single-leg deadlifts (which Jess compared to Warrior 3), front-foot elevated split squats, a quad and knee exercise lowering the knees to the ground while holding a bar, rear delt work and a lat stretch and bench exercise for the upper back. Nothing fancy, and Jess said she was hurting everywhere. Combining running, weights and yoga keeps her training balanced. As she put it, too much of one thing isn't always good.

Action: Add one simple strength session a week to whatever you already do.

Outcome: A more balanced body that's less likely to plateau.

Quick wins

• Drink water before your morning coffee.
• No phones in the bedroom after 8pm.
• Walk straight after work.
• Eat one meal without screens.
• Shop the fresh fruit and veg section first.

Closing insight

My favourite thing Jess said was that there's no such thing as perfection. Life ebbs and flows, and you'll have good days and bad days. Stop being so hard on yourself, keep the small habits going and let the feeling of being well pull you forward.

Connect with Jess

Follow Jess on Instagram.

Listen to the full episode

The full conversation is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or press play at the top of this page.

Related episodes: The Power of Mindset and Movement With Matt Wells and Most People Quit Right Before It Starts Working