
Are you ready for spring?
T’was an unusually sunny February over here in Germany and now into March, I am wearing t-shirts and craving a dip in the lake.
For those not blessed with sunshine lately (figuratively or literally), today’s post highlights some of my favorite simple routines and rituals that keep me well and happy, even on the darkest of days/weeks/months (pretty much every winter in Germany).
Despite some inconvenience (of being currently shaped like a beachball), I feel once again blessed and fairly at home in a pregnant body. As my belly grows rounder, my mind is on birth more and more. The psychology of pain is an interesting one and I find myself pondering how I respond to it and how I *might* better respond to it —and, I realise that not every woman would describe birth as “painful”, that some even experience euphoria, but I know myself, and expect an intensity that my mind will automatically want to call “pain”. So, I’m diving in to all things related to general mind-control (self, that is) and rather optimistic about reprogramming my my subconscious with images of blissful empowered birth.
Just as I thought I didn’t want to do winter anymore, my sister came for a visit and greatly added to February’s highlights, which also included: a trip to nearby Amsterdam, Pumpkin’s adorable ever increasing vocabulary which now includes “Eichörnchen” (squirrel), and several enchanting walks in the forest.



Minimal effort health habits I swear by
Despite my crunchy aesthetic and proneness to overstimulation, I’m a maximalist at heart when it comes to certain things (houseplants, fashion, tea stashes…) — however, with health habits, let me tell you, SIMPLE is the way👏 to👏 go👏.
Seriously. If it feels like too much, it probably is.
You may know me well enough by now to realise that calling these “minimal effort” isn’t necessarily about saving time or squeezing more out of the day — I don’t buy into the cultural push to constantly maximise efficiency, skimping on what’s important just to cram in more and, in the end, feel less satisfied.
On that note, if you haven’t yet, do read the story of the Brazilian Fisherman on my About page. It will get you thinking about life and efficiency.
Anecdotes aside, what I mean by “minimal effort” is that small, slow, and steady really does win the race. When health rituals are simple, they are less overwhelming and more likely to be achieved… part of it, is, yeah — simple routines do tend to take less time and fit more seamlessly into the day, regardless of one’s schedule. But it’s not about saving time…it’s all about savouring time. 😉
#1 Morning light
Almost (let’s be real here) every morning, after I get out of bed, drink some water, and get Pumpkin squared away with fresh diaper/food etc… I/we go outside.
I have no shame — my neighbours regularly see me in my pyjamas, but I’ll admit that this little ritual of gathering the morning rays is more enjoyable when I have access to a private space.
I typically stand, facing the sunrise and sip tea while having a chat with my maker, or just take it all in silently — the sky, the birds, a single leaf — it’s all pretty amazing if you think about it.
Often, Pumpkin is with me, which can make for MUCH less quietude but still really enjoyable. And there, in just a few minutes, with no real effort, I’ve started the day gently and checked off one small wellness goal.
It’s worth mentioning that I do this, even on cloudy days — you don’t have to be able to see the sun the reap the good effects (and please, don’t look directly at the sun).
If you’re a tired mom or a shift worker, this little habit may be especially beneficial to helping your body cope with altered sleep patterns. Even just a few minutes of morning light can help reset the circadian rhythm (hello better health and sleep!) (Zhao, C., Li, N., et al., 2025). And, if you really want to dig into the physiology and research around the importance of light and circadian health, check out Brighter Days, Darker Nights by the wonderful,
!Lastly, in addition to the importance of natural light, just getting outside in a natural area or city Greenspace has been shown to have numerous health benefits, instantly lowering blood pressure, improving healing outcomes, and the like (Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A., 2018). …so, catching some morning light is a 2 for 1 health habit! Easy peasy.
#2 Green Juice
I remember the first time I was offered a fresh pressed green (vegetable) juice. It was 2009 and I was at a new smoothie bar with friends, curious to know what drinking a salad would be like.
There must have been something special in there because I was hooked. Fast forward a couple years and I’m deep into my crunchy era, watching documentaries about juicing as a part of natural cancer protocols, and checking out medical and naturopathic schools.
Juicing is a surprisingly controversial topic in the wellness & nutritional world. Personally, I find that most naysayers have either: 1) never tried it or, 2) are at least partially misinformed. That said, juicing has it’s time and place and it’s true that it may not be appropriate for everyone, all the time.
While I would agree with concerns about drinking fruit juice, for most folks already eating a truly balanced diet, fresh-pressed (mostly) vegetable juice is a great way to massively increase mineral and phytonutrient intake - and yes, even fight serious illness.
Below I’ve included a basic recipe. I include apple for a little sweetness, but not always. I often swap out types of greens and veggies, and in general, I love to play around with flavours.
If you don’t have a juicer, a blender works great and you can either enjoy it as a smoothie, or strain out the fiber with cheesecloth/nut milk bag —Don’t forget to add a little decoration, like a sprig of mint or slice of cucumber, and drink it from a beautiful goblet — it will taste even better, promise 😉

#3 EFT Tapping
Long before all the hype around vagal stimulation, there was EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique. This has been one of my go-to health tools since 2010 and I personally find it to be applicable in a broader range of situations than vagus nerve techniques, but each to their own. EFT started to gain traction about 10 years ago when celebrities began praising it and the U.S. military implemented it in treatment for PTSD.
Based on concepts in psychology and Chinese medicine, EFT is essentially a form of acupressure that helps regulate the nervous system. By tapping on specific points of the face, hands, and torso, one can stimulate the body’s energetic meridians and the nervous system in a way that helps get things back into a parasympathetic state.
I've used this is countless situations over the past 15 years (!) — stressful encounters, sorting out past trauma, preparing for public speaking events — and more recently, finding balance amidst the daily emotional rollercoaster that is pregnancy and postpartum. As tapping is rather discreet and doesn’t require any equipment, you can literally do it just about anywhere!
If you want to try it out, one of the best and up-to-date resources I’ve found is The Tapping Solution. There you can find quick-start videos, books, background info, and they even have an app now!
What are YOUR favorite easy crunchy rituals or little healthy habits? — I’d love to read about them in the comments (and just really enjoy hearing from you)! 🥰
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🤓References📚
Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental research, 166, 628–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030
Zhao, C., Li, N., Miao, W., He, Y., & Lin, Y. (2025). A systematic review and meta-analysis on light therapy for sleep disorders in shift workers. Scientific reports, 15(1), 134. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-83789-3
I've literally just discovered EFT tapping. Although to be real, I knew of it but always thought it to be a bit "woo-woo" 🫣. But now that I've actually tried it, it's amazing! I will check out that resource.