wellness

"Everything was just a bit blah": Earlier this year, Carrie Bickmore lost her motivation.

When you think of the newsdesk, you think of Carrie Bickmore. She's graced our screens as co-host of The Project for over a decade, covering some of the country’s biggest news stories with her trademark wit and bubbly personality.

The journalist, radio presenter, and television presenter has done it all - and is hands down one of the biggest and most loved names in Australian media.

But ask Carrie what her morning routine is like, and the busy of mum of three is no different to the rest of us.

"I'm usually woken by my two-year-old around 5:30am. My morning routine has been a little different this year due to lockdown, but the rush of the school routine is back - so the mornings are usually a bit manic in our house," said Carrie.

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"Brekky, making lunches, wrangling the kids to get into their uniforms, searching under the couch for lost school shoes, all while keeping one eye on breakfast TV so I know what's happening in the world!"

"I am a little ashamed to say the first thing I do once I am awake is check my phone and then go make a cup of coffee."

Honestly, same.

Watch: Carrie Bickmore on Anh's Brush with Fame. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia

Since trudging through lockdown after lockdown, Carrie - like most of us - is just trying to get back on track.

And of course we want to know all about it. 

So, we sat down with Carrie to talk about all things health and wellness, including five small changes she's making to help improve her lifestyle and overall health.

1. Moving her body.

If you've been in and out of lockdown more than you can count, you'll know what we mean when we talk about feeling completely unmotivated to move your body over the last year or so. It has been HARD.

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Cause, TV! Snacks! Can only go for a walk, anyway!

For Carrie, the lack of drive and feeling of fatigue was all too real.

"I am happier when I am active. Both my physical and mental health feels better when I move. I noticed my motivation dropping severely during this year's round two of lockdown," she said.

"It was cold, we were limited with how much time we could be outdoors in Melbourne and everything was just a bit blah."

"Most of my exercise this year has been with the kids, running, riding bikes, heading down to the athletics track. I knew it was important for my kids to move for their own mental health so I pushed through my own tiredness as much as I could and got them outside."

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"I can feel the days getting longer and warmer and things returning to normal and I am definitely getting back into more regular exercise."

3. Upping her nutrients.

"Every day is different. I tend to eat healthy most of the time but we always have a takeaway on the weekend and you don't have to ask me twice for a block of chocolate or lollies." 

For the areas of her nutrition that need a little boost, the presenter, who has teamed up with Blackmores for their latest MOVE campaign, said she takes a few daily supplements to make sure she's keeping things balanced.

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"I have always been iron deficient so I take iron tablets. Living in Melbourne I am lacking in vitamin D so I try to remember to take my vitamin D tablets as well, and when I am training, I like to take magnesium."

You know how you have some weeks where you're killing it with your healthy eating, and others when you have zero time for meal prep/CBF? None of this is different for Carrie.

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"With three kids and a crazy life, I have weeks where I am good at eating well and taking all my vitamins and then there are weeks where everything unravels and I get out of my routine - but I never regret eating well and getting some exercise in." 

4. (Trying to) unwind.

"To be honest, there isn't a lot of time to unwind," Carrie said. "Usually, once the kids are in bed Chris and I will pop on a show on TV, but I am lucky if I am still awake by the end of the episode!" 

"It's very annoying for Chris because I spend the next episode asking what I have missed."

With summer in the air and the buzz around Christmas holidays in our grasp, Carrie said clearing her mind by spending time with family and friends is high on her priority list.

"I love seeing friends and family so I am looking forward to doing that more over summer as I have been missing them greatly."

5. Prioritising her mental health.

"I am obsessed with music, so when I am feeling flat I'll either put on my favourite playlist and go for a walk or run. If I don't have the energy to do that, I'll go put music on in the kitchen and bake." 

That's a self-care ritual we can get behind.

"I am someone who needs a lot of sleep and our toddler has only just started sleeping better - so it's been a tiring few years. Even just a drive alone in my car with a coffee can be stress-relieving!"

What are some changes you've made to your everyday routine? Share with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: Instagram/ @bickmorecarrie