Episode 183
Maddison Sutton:Why An Afternoon Break Might Be Your Most Powerful Wellness Tool
Maddison Sutton:
Why An Afternoon Break Might Be Your Most Powerful Wellness Tool
Are your elaborate morning routines failing you?
In this eye-opening conversation, Functional Health Practitioner Maddison Sutton reveals why a simple afternoon break might be your most powerful wellness tool.
Discover how this one small shift helped her overcome 15 years of insomnia and could transform your autoimmune journey without adding more to your plate.
In this eye-opening conversation, Functional Health Practitioner Maddison Sutton reveals why a simple afternoon break might be your most powerful wellness tool.
Discover how this one small shift helped her overcome 15 years of insomnia and could transform your autoimmune journey without adding more to your plate.
First Aired on: Mar 17, 2025
Episode 183
Maddison Sutton:Why An Afternoon Break Might Be Your Most Powerful Wellness Tool
Maddison Sutton:
Why An Afternoon Break Might Be Your Most Powerful Wellness Tool
Are your elaborate morning routines failing you?
In this eye-opening conversation, Functional Health Practitioner Maddison Sutton reveals why a simple afternoon break might be your most powerful wellness tool.
Discover how this one small shift helped her overcome 15 years of insomnia and could transform your autoimmune journey without adding more to your plate.
In this eye-opening conversation, Functional Health Practitioner Maddison Sutton reveals why a simple afternoon break might be your most powerful wellness tool.
Discover how this one small shift helped her overcome 15 years of insomnia and could transform your autoimmune journey without adding more to your plate.
First Aired on: Mar 17, 2025
Table of Contents:
Table of Contents:
In this episode:
In this episode:
In this episode, I speak with Maddison Sutton, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who shares her journey from corporate burnout to holistic wellness. We explore how small, intentional pauses throughout the day can be more transformative than elaborate morning routines, especially for high-achieving women struggling with chronic health issues, stress, and autoimmunity.
Introduction
Maddison Sutton is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who helps women reclaim their health after experiencing her own journey through corporate burnout, insomnia, and nervous system dysregulation. After working in the high-stress software industry and witnessing a loved one's struggle with autoimmune issues, Maddison now focuses on helping busy women create sustainable health practices through small, manageable steps.
Episode Highlights
Maddison's Path to Holistic Wellness
Maddison's journey began when someone she was dating developed severe digestive issues that conventional medicine couldn't resolve.
- A simple two-week dietary change and daily meditation practice significantly improved his symptoms
- Despite this early exposure to holistic health, Maddison spent eight more years in a stressful software career
- Her father's cancer diagnosis became the breaking point that led to extreme burnout
- She experienced alarming symptoms including numbness in extremities and mood swings
- This crisis inspired her career change to become a functional health practitioner
Why The Midday Pause Trumps Morning Routines
While morning wellness routines get most of the attention, Maddison believes a midday pause can be even more valuable.
- Most people rush through their day without breathing properly or relieving tension
- Afternoon meditation was more powerful for Maddison than morning meditation
- Taking brief pauses throughout the workday can reset the nervous system
- Her experience at Salesforce included using designated meditation rooms in the afternoon
- Even a few minutes of mindful breathing can shift stress patterns
The Unlearning Process in Health
Maddison emphasizes that healing often requires unlearning unhelpful patterns rather than adding more health practices.
- Much of her coaching focuses on helping clients unlearn perfectionist tendencies
- Diet changes are usually the easiest part of the health journey
- Overemphasis on "pushing harder" creates more stress and health problems
- Perfectionism around exercise and diet schedules can backfire
- Structured, rigid workout routines actually increased her stress and weight
The Daily "What Do I Need?" Practice
Instead of fixed routines, Maddison recommends a daily check-in approach.
- She stopped planning health routines ahead of time
- Each morning she assesses: "What do I need today?"
- Considerations include sleep quality, stress levels, and menstrual cycle phase
- This practice builds body awareness that many chronically ill people have lost
- For beginners, journaling can help identify what your body truly needs
Small Acts of Self-Love
Healing doesn't require massive lifestyle overhauls but rather consistent small steps.
- Self-care is a muscle that needs to be developed gradually
- Start with 5-10 minute stretching or short walking breaks
- Acts of self-love can be as simple as watching cat videos to make yourself laugh
- The key is consistency, not perfection
- Even three minutes of intentional self-care can shift your entire day
Notable Quotes from this Episode
I think a midday pause is sometimes even more important than having that established, like, morning wellness time. I mean, I think you really need both. But I think so many of us just rush through the day and don't breathe and, you know, walk around with our shoulders up to our ears.
Maddison Sutton
I believe self care is a muscle, and you have to start slow. Start with those slow things. Start with going on the walk with your work friend at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. You know, just do a lap around the building, or you know, take 5 to 10 minutes in the morning to do some stretching. Let's start slow.
Maddison Sutton
I really truly believe that stress is like the root of all health issues at some level.
Maddison Sutton
Other Resources:
Other Resources:
Connect with Maddison Sutton
Connect with Maddison Sutton
Watch this interview:
Watch this interview:
Episode Transcript
Maddison Sutton:[00:00:00] I'll also say a small thing to add in, like morning routines are really big. I think a midday pause is sometimes even more important than having that established morning wellness time. Many of us just rush through the day and don't breathe and walk around with our shoulders up to our ears.
Maddison Sutton: I will hold my breath, if I stressed out. Taking a little bit of a pause. I worked for Salesforce and they are very good about mindfulness and wellness, and when I was going to the office, they actually had meditation rooms and all of the floors.
Maddison Sutton: Which is amazing. I got a lot of benefit from like an afternoon meditation. Just an afternoon meditation was so much more powerful for me like a morning meditation.
[00:01:00]
Julie Michelson: Welcome back to the Inspired Living with Autoimmunity podcast. I'm your host, Julie Michelson, and today we're joined by Madison Sutton, Certified Integrative Health and Wellness Coach and Functional Diagnostics and Nutrition Practitioner, dedicated to helping women take control of their health. After over a decade in the corporate world, she saw firsthand the toll of chronic stress.
Julie Michelson: Madison specializes in stress management, hormone health, and preconception wellness, empowering busy women to restore balance, boost energy, and build confidence. Her mission is to help women align their health with their ambitions and take proactive control of their well being. In today's conversation, [00:02:00] perfectionism impact health and how it's the small steps of self care that lead to wellness.
Julie Michelson: Maddison, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. Thank you for having me.
Julie Michelson: I'm so excited for this conversation and I know that listeners are going to get so much value. Um, I had to make myself just like, let's jump in and hit record. Cause I know we could just chat and chat. So, um, tell us a little bit about how did you get into integrative wellness and decide to become a, an FDN functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner.
Maddison Sutton: For me, this has been quite a long journey. I think so many people that are in this space have come here because of personal experience. I was introduced into holistic wellness because it really was not on my radar, like not something I grew up with at all. Um, I'm from the South. Like, we just, even [00:03:00] my family today is just like, what are you doing?
Maddison Sutton: Like, why do we have to eat this way? We just don't get it. So definitely was not raised to believe the things and like live the way that I now live. I was introduced into autoimmunity when someone I was dating in my younger years developed. Um, it was actually never defined, like what he had. Um, they were like, maybe it's Crohn's, maybe it's IBS.
Maddison Sutton: Um, whatever it was, I think we kind of landed on IBS. Just really was shockingly, like, devastating to our lives. Um, just in an instant, um, I mean, really it felt like overnight just was so sick. Um, and that was just such an eye opening experience. You know, we tried all of the Western medicine approaches.
Maddison Sutton: You know, we went and saw [00:04:00] allergists, like we were just constantly in the doctor or the hospital. He had to, you know, switch jobs because of stress. And we were in our mid twenties, so like young, healthy, and it got to the point where They were like, we don't really know how to make this better for you. You know, we're going to put you on this medicine for the rest of your life.
Maddison Sutton: Um, at one point they told us even if the medicine didn't work, you were never able to stop taking it because they scare you. Yeah, they scare you.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. And it doesn't matter what you eat is my biggest pet peeve in the autoimmune world is the GI stuff.
Maddison Sutton: No, it doesn't matter what you eat. It's, it's really kind of horrible.
Maddison Sutton: And I just, I was like, this is not going to be like, this just doesn't work for me. Like something does not feel right. in my gut [00:05:00] about this situation. Yeah. Um, so I just like scoured the internet, you know, trying to find anything that I could. And we actually stumbled upon this pretty extreme, um, diet that he went on for just two weeks.
Maddison Sutton: It's just two weeks and started meditating every morning. He was like, I really feel that this is stress related. And guess what? It got better. Uh huh. Shocker. Yeah. That was my, that was my intro into this and it has just really evolved from there, but that was kind of what got me started on this path. I,
Julie Michelson: I, you know, it's.
Julie Michelson: Typically, there's some outliers, but for the most part, most of my guests, you know, if it wasn't your personal medical journey, it was a loved one, right? And so I know that that piqued your interest and kind of got you opened up to like, okay, [00:06:00] maybe there's some other stuff going on. But you weren't working in integrative wellness yet, correct?
Maddison Sutton: No, I, after this would spend the next eight years in a career that I really loved. I was in, um, I worked in the software world. I was customer facing, you know, I was in sales, I was traveling doing presentations. It was a lot of fun. Um, But very, very stressful job. Sure. Um, super stressful. I lived on San Diego, not San Diego.
Maddison Sutton: I lived in San Francisco for three years. Um, and while I was there supporting a lot of clients in Europe, a lot of clients on the East coast. So sleep. Yeah. Sleep wasn't happening. Regular routine was to wake up at four and then have a presentation at Ouch. Yeah. So it was, it was, um, And I'm guessing you weren't
Julie Michelson: going to sleep at eight o'clock.
Maddison Sutton: I [00:07:00] wasn't , I was trying, you know, I was trying. Yeah, it's hard.
Julie Michelson: Um,
Maddison Sutton: yeah, I had that, that knowledge, you know, from this prior experience, like, sure, well exercise, um, try to get sleep. But my biggest issue was sleep. Um, I. I've struggled with insomnia, or I did struggle with insomnia for about 15 years. Um, and that actually started in high school for me.
Maddison Sutton: I think that there was a lot of stress for me just from like my parents getting divorced and, you know, things like that when I was younger. So that's a bad habit that I brought into my adult life. Um, and work really made that worse. Um, but what really brought me into this, so I was enjoying my corporate career and everything, but very stressed out, not sleeping well, gained a lot of weight, um, couldn't really explain where that weight was coming from because I was doing everything right.
Maddison Sutton: Um, and then about three [00:08:00] years ago, my father was diagnosed with cancer and that was it. Like that was the last straw for me. I experienced just extreme burnout almost instantly. Um, and started experiencing some really bad, like, nervous system issues. I was waking up every night, I couldn't feel my hands and my feet.
Maddison Sutton: You know, I was having all of these mood issues. You know, waking up feeling energized. And then, you know, it's 10 a. m. and I'm crying, just all over the place. And that was really when I was like, okay, I've wanted to go down this path of holistic wellness for a long time. Doctors are not able to tell me what's wrong with me, even though I was going to a naturopathic doctor.
Maddison Sutton: I am going to take my healing into my own hands. I am going to learn how to fix this on my own. That a girl. I'm going to leave my corporate job.
Julie Michelson: Amazing. Amazing. And I am, [00:09:00] I'm sorry for your loss with your dad. I been there. So, um, but the rainbow becomes the, you now are helping other people. You're empowering other people.
Julie Michelson: I know that, you know, especially women. Um, and, and I want to talk a little bit about. We'll get into, you know, your process and how you work and how you're helping women. Um, but, but I had heard you say something in another interview that was so aligned and we, right before we hit record, we were chatting for a minute, you know, when I first, I say I didn't used to be as good of a coach as I thought I was at the very beginning, right?
Julie Michelson: Because there's like so much information you want people to have. Things you know you need them to do. Um, and so I know in the beginning of my career, I had to be on some level driving stress up. And clients, because we would get to stress management and [00:10:00] we would get to self care and, you know, especially with my focus on autoimmunity, you know, that we, I went in hard with diet in the beginning and I'm like you, I do a lot of testing up front and, um, and so I have slowed my role and changed my approach and, um, hopefully, you know, better, better for it.
Julie Michelson: The results people get are faster. And so one of the things that, that. I always say with diet, everybody's focused on, you know, what should I avoid, right? And they're not focused on, am I getting the nutrients I need? You know, it's, and we have that opposite, like flip it with healing, you know, it's, you know, more exercise, more focus on this, more focus on that.
Julie Michelson: And I've heard you say, you know, actually. Sometimes we need to tap the brakes. Um, and just even listening to your, your journey, you know, um, I, [00:11:00] I, when people ask about my healing journey and I didn't know what I was doing, it's never one thing, but listening to the story of like, yeah, diet. And meditation or whatever.
Julie Michelson: And we're going to talk about the possible whatever's, um, for me, I wasn't scientific. I didn't do one thing at a time, but that synergy of like avoiding triggers while also learning to reset my nervous system game changer, because then I could sleep. Then I could heal, you know, and, and, and then my brain started to work again.
Julie Michelson: Um, so let's talk a little bit about that because I think, especially with you, I work with, with women and men, um, but being an autoimmune specialist, I clearly work with more women than men. Um, and I do think modern society has kind of done us a [00:12:00] disservice. It's with this whole, we can have it all. And we can have the career and the family and the, the, the pressures on women are so different than they were a hundred years ago, 50 years ago.
Julie Michelson: Um, you mentioned, you know, insomnia in high school, right? Like it's just different. And I'm not saying men are not under a lot of stress. They are, but there is this kind of special level for women. And so I want to talk a little bit about that because I, it impacts. You know, my, my audience is autoimmune, but again, a lot of women, a lot of women are trying to have a family or have tried to have a family or had a family.
Julie Michelson: And I know that was one of the things that you really focus on is helping people get ready because you are young and you're looking around and seeing friends your age struggling. So it's not just an autoimmune thing like these impacts.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah. [00:13:00] Yeah. And I'm, I'm really glad that you kind of brought up or said that point about how, you know, it's not just the food, like it's not just the food and everyone, I, maybe not everyone, 90 percent of people that start on a health journey, that's where they start start with the food.
Maddison Sutton: They start with the exercise. It's where I started. Right. That's where I started to the longer I'm here, the more. Like, yes, that's important, right? And that was like the easiest thing to change. Really.
Julie Michelson: It's I call it the low hanging fruit, right? Like it's obvious
Maddison Sutton: that
Julie Michelson: we need real food.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah, it's, it's obvious.
Maddison Sutton: And it's funny because it's like, that's the part that people think is hard. They think changing their diet is hard. They think changing the way that they maybe approach exercise or the fact that they even need to exercise at all is hard, but that's not the hard part. Like, really, it is a, it is a mindset [00:14:00] shift.
Maddison Sutton: Um, And, you know, this is something that I've been thinking a lot about lately, because I'm like, do I really want all of my clients to just quit their job? You know, like, it's not really what I actually want out of them, you know, because I am like such a firm believer. I mean, I own my own business. Like, I started my own business.
Maddison Sutton: I did it, you know, on my own. And I love that. Like, I love that independence. I absolutely believe that women have a place in the workforce. Yeah,
Julie Michelson: me
Maddison Sutton: too. Yeah, like I know that there's a big movement right now. You know, people believe like, you know, maybe. Maybe women should just go back to, you know, being in the home.
Maddison Sutton: Like a lot of people believe that right now because of stuff that's taking place. I don't, I don't think that way, you know, I'm like, we have to figure out a way to make this work. Um, and for. [00:15:00] Corporate life to not be so stressful on women and, you know, just working with only women and like, you're right with autoimmunity.
Maddison Sutton: I think it was like 80 percent of autoimmune conditions impact women. Um, just seeing the amount of stress that women are under at my age. Um, I remember probably five years ago, I was at a wine night with my friends and, you know, we're in our like late twenties at this point and everyone is miserable.
Maddison Sutton: Like people haven't even started trying to have kids yet. People aren't even married yet, you know, and they're just. Talking about how much they don't like their job and just like we're gonna push through till we make partner like we're just gonna keep pushing pushing pushing that hamster wheel just the hamster wheel and It's just so unhealthy.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah And I think as women, you know, we [00:16:00] are just wired to always raise our hand Always say yes always volunteer. I think because So many of us are in male dominated fields, there is an imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome, we feel that we need to operate as men in order to climb the corporate ladder, because that is how people have historically climbed the corporate ladder.
Maddison Sutton: Like, that is the only way that we know. And I think it is just putting this massive strain on us that is really the cause of our health issues. I really truly believe that stress is like the root of all health issues at some level. Um, even if it's You know, stress from maybe eating foods or toxins or something like stress.
Maddison Sutton: There's, yeah, so many different
Julie Michelson: kinds. Well, and that's the thing with food, right? Like, if you're eating even the perfect diet for you, [00:17:00] but you're not breaking your food down and assimilating your nutrients.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: Like, so you're not going to feel better. So you know, I, I, I love shifting that conversation. Um, and I clearly agree with you.
Julie Michelson: I not only have this business, I haven't actually talked about it on the podcast, but I have a functional medicine clinic as well, um, that I've been, been fully running now. I kind of had pause with the coaching and not pause, but, um, You know, all of a sudden I have a staff of 10 and, and, you know, it's a very different, even very different from the stressors of my, you know, solopreneur business.
Julie Michelson: Um, and, and it's just. So I, I want women to be in business, run businesses, I just think, and I, I'm like, really, you [00:18:00] know, and everybody rolls their eyes. I'm the health coach, you know, I, when I had stepped in and, and before the clinic was mine, but I had been working, I've been working with the clinic for years.
Julie Michelson: Um, people weren't taking lunch breaks. We're not taking lunch breaks and you know, like there's no gold star for the, I literally like, I don't care, I don't care if you eat, I don't care what you do, but get out of here, go for a walk, do, you know, um, and luckily my, my now manager, I, I coached about three years ago, so she gets it and she's able to kind of tell people like, no, no, really, it does make a difference.
Julie Michelson: I know it's, You know, um, and I think some of that the I'm hoping and but I think just like changing health care is going to take a long time. Um, corporate wellness. needs to be a thing, [00:19:00] right? And that approach I know as a business owner, I get way more out of my employees when they're rested, they're nourished, they have breaks, they get outside, they take care of themselves.
Julie Michelson: And so I'm hoping that at some point corporate wellness really does become a thing where the latter changes. Right. That it's not, you know, who can run on four hours of sleep for how many years and that's who makes partner, you know, where we really can understand that value of like, let's not just put a gym in a corporation, like let's actually foster true wellness.
Julie Michelson: Um, and, and so I just wanted to, to second the, you know, I, I do believe that, that women absolutely have a place in business. Um, it's just, we, and we are the one, we are going to need to help change the dynamic for sure.
Maddison Sutton:[00:20:00] Absolutely. And. I kind of share a point about like the lunch breaks. I feel like so much of my coaching is It's kind of like unlearning.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah. It's the unlearning and I mean, I did it because I had this mindset. We believe that we have to be these high achievers in everything, like high achievers at work. I also have to push harder to make sure I'm eating healthy. I have to push harder to make sure that I'm going to the gym every single day.
Maddison Sutton: If you're really struggling with your health. That's probably not what you actually need to do. Anything with the word push. Yeah. Stop pushing. Stop
Julie Michelson: pushing. Yeah, but we don't know how. Nobody taught us how to do that, right? The whole, like, idea that truly self care is not selfish. Just, you know, girls aren't taught [00:21:00] that.
Julie Michelson: Right. You're taught to like give, give, give. Um, and so I, you know, I truly do believe so much of our chronic illness, fertility challenges, metabolic, like all of the things really just are because we've ignored the whispers. And so eventually you're going to rest, you know, you're going to get taken out
Maddison Sutton: and,
Julie Michelson: and really, and that I do believe that's what happened to me.
Julie Michelson: And, and I think, um, you know, when you were talking about the, the, like your, I'll call it your intro into the integrative world, um, with your, with your boyfriend, when you were younger of. You said, you know, seemingly sudden onset, right? Like there, there's, and that's what happens. And it's like, well, you know, but stuff's been brewing.
Julie Michelson: Um, and so, you know, how, so where do I like that? You said [00:22:00] unlearning because I do feel. Like that is that one of our biggest jobs as a coach is helping people recognize their patterns that aren't serving them and unlearn them and replace them with things that do serve them. Um, so how do you even, because I can almost like hear your, your conversation with clients, right?
Julie Michelson: You know, you tell people to slow down, especially women in business. And it's, I can't, or even, you know, it's stay at home moms. Like, I can't, like, I have to. It's like the, I don't have time comment. Right. So how do you, how do you wiggle into that?
Maddison Sutton: So, I mean, it's a difficult, if it's a difficult conversation, it really is.
Maddison Sutton: It's not just one. [00:23:00] Yeah. It's not just one conversation. I think so many of us. And I really didn't, I've always thought I was like such a type B person, but after the past few years, I am learning that it's just not true. Like I like control. Um, I like to be perceived in a certain way. You know, like these are all these things that you learn about yourself and you create a business.
Maddison Sutton: And something that I really try to work on with clients is. Stop is like that perfectionist and that control. We got to work on easing up on that a little bit. Um, and a way that I try to get them to do that is by realizing they don't have to do everything perfectly. Um, if you want to, like, weight loss is just such a big thing for so many women, you know, [00:24:00] I mean, we all experience, especially when we're stressed out and they're like, I know I need to work out more.
Maddison Sutton: I know I need to work out more, but like they don't because they don't have time. They think they need an hour to go to the gym. And I'm like, let's take small steps. Like that my whole approach. Let's take small steps. You have to build it in. You have to start working that muscle, and I believe self care is a muscle, and you have to start slow.
Maddison Sutton: Start with those slow things. Start with going on the walk with your work friend at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. You know, just do a lap around the building, or you know, take 5 to 10 minutes in the morning to do some stretching. Let's start slow, because they always come to me, and they're just So overwhelmed and they're like, I just can't do anything.
Maddison Sutton: I know I need to do something, but I'm just so overwhelmed and I don't know what it is. And I'm like, well, you don't [00:25:00] need to do anything big. Like you think you need to do this massive thing and you don't let's start slow. Let's start manageable. Um, so that's kind of where I like to start with that.
Julie Michelson: I love it.
Julie Michelson: And I love the sounds. Um, it's a familiar journey to me when I realized that literally in all different shapes and sizes, everybody that I was working with was a perfectionist. I am not type A. You don't have to be type A in that classic sense. I did not identify at all. And again, until I had to like, take a step back and be like, I can't be the exception to the rule.
Julie Michelson: Right. It is, so it may not look like the go getter or the, you know, um, I didn't have a corporate career. I didn't have, but it's like, Oh shoot. You know, the, and part of the gift when I was [00:26:00] trying to figure out how to create a business. I had a coach, you know, that just kept saying done is better than perfect and it's like, Ooh, ouch.
Julie Michelson: Okay. You know, and it was a learning curve. Um, and, and it's almost like that practice and being imperfect shows you that the, the world keeps turning and, and, um, that's, that's where the gold can be. So you, I want to talk about small steps. And self care. I know we were using exercise as the example because it's true.
Julie Michelson: I don't even like the word exercise because people think, you know, like CrossFit gym or, you know, it's like, okay, let's, let's take it in a little. Um, but I've heard you to, you know, talk about, um. To me, the words are interchangeable, but, um, mindset work, self care, meditation, and I've heard you share that [00:27:00] one of your favorite tools is journaling.
Julie Michelson: And this is where I hear that that same initial, you know, kind of rebuttal is, I don't have time. Right. Because people think they need to go sit in a cave or I can't meditate. I'm a bad meditator. I can't clear my mind. And it's like, well, that's actually not what meditation is. So how do you, you know, I, so I know we're aligned in the, it doesn't need to be a huge long thing, but it does need to be a practice.
Julie Michelson: Um, what are some of your favorite? I know I threw a bunch of them out there already, but, but share with listeners, some of your favorite tools, especially, I always say like, Find what resonates with you, try different stuff and hopefully it becomes a collection of things, but where do you have people kind of start if they really have never done any kind of introspective work?
Maddison Sutton: Yeah, well, so this is where I start people and the reason I [00:28:00] start people here is because, again, I think, you know, everybody's different and what feels good is different. I started practicing this on myself. Bye. Stop. I stopped planning ahead. Like I wouldn't plan. I know wild. Like I used to book out all my exercises for the week so that I had time to fit them in.
Maddison Sutton: Like I would plan out all the meals that I was going to have. I kind of just stopped doing that. And I would wake up every morning and just like assess the situation. You know, what do I need today? What do I need today? That's exactly what I tell my clients. Ask yourself, what do I need today? Um, especially when I was struggling with sleep.
Maddison Sutton: Like, there is no way it is good for your body to go wake up at 5 in the morning to do a HIIT workout if you struggle with insomnia. Um, so, I stopped planning ahead and I started waking up, [00:29:00] just kind of walking through my morning, while I'm taking a shower, while I'm washing my face. What do I need today?
Maddison Sutton: You know, I've got maybe a big presentation or maybe two big presentations that I'm preparing for. So I'm going to, it's a stressful day. Like I need to think about that. Um, you know, I've got, I didn't sleep well last night because I was stressed about my presentation. Um, where am I at in my cycle? Like that's a big thing that I think is important.
Maddison Sutton: It is for me. Um, so I kind of just like examine myself and this is what I try to educate my clients on doing. What do you really need that day? And for me, it's personally always having like some sort of care practice in the morning. I need to get my mind in a good place. Um, and that was when I was in the corporate world.
Maddison Sutton: And as I start my business, like I know that I mentally need to be in a good place in the morning. So I try to [00:30:00] always get clients. To make sure they reserve a little bit of time in the morning for that Um, i'm not a strict like your morning routine needs to be the same every day kind of person because i'm just like not into Routines at all.
Maddison Sutton: I know so many people are but again, like what do you need today? Um,
Julie Michelson: and to be fair, you got to that part of your journey after holding those routines so tightly, right? Um, so there are times and places where to create a new habit, a routine, you know, can help that, get that muscle memory going. Um, but I do believe, especially for chronically ill, Well, it's chicken or egg, probably for everybody.
Julie Michelson: Um, you know, we lose touch with our body. Nobody teaches us to ask, what do I need today? Right? To check in, to feel, to So I love that that's, like, what a beautiful What could be more [00:31:00] impactful than actually learning that skill?
Maddison Sutton: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: Um, cause it goes back to, you know, back to the, the, the female thing of, you know, I can show up better for other people.
Julie Michelson: When I've met my needs, right? So yeah,
Maddison Sutton: I love that. Yeah. And I'll say, I think a really great thing is journaling. Um, I think that's a really good way because you don't always know what you need, you know, I, I don't always know what I need. Um, and I feel like I'm very in tune with my body. So I do think a journaling practice, um, like the, you know, morning pages, if anybody's familiar with that, just the practice of writing down, you know, the three things that you need that day.
Maddison Sutton: Um, I think that that can be really, really powerful for a lot of women. Um, I'll also say a small thing to add in, like morning routines are [00:32:00] really big. I think a midday pause is sometimes even more important than having that established, like, morning wellness time. I mean, I think you really need both. But I think so many of us just rush through the day and don't breathe and, you know, walk around with our shoulders up to our ears.
Maddison Sutton: And I, I will hold my breath. Me too if I stressed out. Mm-hmm . Um, so just taking a little bit of a pause. I know at my, um, something I actually loved. I, so I worked for Salesforce and they are very good about mindfulness and wellness, or at least they really try to be, and when I was going to the office, they actually had meditation rooms and all of the floors.
Maddison Sutton: Oh wow. Um, which, yeah. Which is amazing. Yeah. And I got a lot of benefit from like. An afternoon meditation. Yes. Just an afternoon meditation was so much more powerful for me than a mid, [00:33:00] like a morning meditation.
Julie Michelson: Right. That can be like fuel, creativity, productivity. I mean, it just, that's the beauty of playing, right?
Julie Michelson: And not just saying like, okay, I know morning routines are important. I'm going to do all these things that are good for me in the morning. And then I don't think about myself the whole rest of the day. You know, um, so I love the, we're talking about it like it's easy that checking in and what do I need?
Julie Michelson: I'm playing with different things and I want to highlight every, every thing you mentioned, none of those things have to take a long time. Right. And then as coaches, we talk about stacking once we, you know, play, play with the different stuff and, and. Um, I, I call it tools in the toolbox. You know, I don't do the same.
Julie Michelson: I have certain things. I am a creature of habit, you know, certain routines, but my practices are not the same every day. And, and, you know, because [00:34:00] sometimes I need more of something and less of something else. Um, But, but giving yourself permission to explore different things. I love breathing exercises for clients that are, you know, just really new at any kind of meditation, mindfulness, because That they can usually feel pretty quickly.
Maddison Sutton: Right.
Julie Michelson: And it's like, wow. I mean, I had one client who was wound so tight that when she first started doing just short, like four, seven breathing, nothing fancy, she would get a stressor. So the second she, her body would try to get into a parasympathetic state, she'd get a stress response. Cause it was just that foreign to her.
Julie Michelson: She stuck with it. I was really proud of her. Only took a few days, but it was really interesting. I mean, her heart was raised. I'm like, this is, this is really needed. Um, but any, you know, the journaling, the, um, I [00:35:00] love gratitude journaling, you know, for, for people that are. journaling, um, or aren't there yet to be in touch with what are the three things I need today, start with what are three things you're grateful for.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah,
Julie Michelson: that's simple, like really, again, as an exercise. Um, so I love that, that, you know, you're not talking about these like big complicated routines, and it, you know, It really doesn't take away from career to take care of yourself.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah, absolutely not. And, you know, you made the comment that we're talking about it like this is easy and something I hear all the time is like, Oh, Maddison, you've always been so good at that.
Maddison Sutton: Like you're so good. You've always eaten so healthy. And I'm like, well, actually, that's not true. Um, you know, I think [00:36:00] there's so much on social media, you know, eat this way, do this avoid all toxins, you know, and I'm guilty of that. Right. Well, we wanna
Julie Michelson: educate people to empower them.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah. You, you wanna educate people.
Maddison Sutton: But at the same time, I do think, like I go back and forth on this so much because I'm like, I think I might be doing more harm than good at times. I hear you because. People are made to think like if you don't do it this way, if you don't eat everything organic, if you don't do these things that like, it's not going to work and getting healthy and being well is a practice.
Maddison Sutton: It is something you have to build. It is, it is something you have to try at like meditation. I don't feel that I am good at meditation. And I've been working on it for like seven years. I'm like, I'm reading a book right now on meditation to deepen my meditation practice. I don't do it [00:37:00] every single day.
Maddison Sutton: There have been months where I've stopped, but I keep going back to it because I know that I typically feel better when it's something that I try. Yeah. It's, it's a practice. It's, it's, um, You know, it's, I know that I know that I want to be well, I know that I do not want to develop some of the things that I've seen my loved ones go through.
Maddison Sutton: And so it's a practice and it's something I play with and my health today doesn't look like it did last year or the year before. It's evolving. Yeah.
Julie Michelson: Always. You're not, you're never going to be done. Yeah, and that carrying that perfectionism. And again, I know it's, you know, I'm saying it as if it's simple, you know, you're using the word pushing earlier in the conversation and and we don't heal that way.
Julie Michelson: It's not a checklist, right? We cannot. create [00:38:00] wellness and maintain wellness by handling our, our health like a checklist. And it used to drive me crazy. My fiance used to say like years ago, and he's a functional medicine physician and thank God Knockwood has never had his own chronic health challenges.
Julie Michelson: And he used to say better is better. And I was still in that like, no, it's gotta be, you know, and it, you know what? Better is better. Like, we can't avoid all toxins and we can't always eat organic and we can, and nor do we need to. Like, and better really is better if we do better in all these little pieces and allow wellness.
Julie Michelson: That's how we get there. And so I love, I love that you said that. And I love, and thank you for admitting I too, um, I don't identify as a bad meditator anymore, but I sure did for the [00:39:00] longest time. Um, and so I love that. And I too will step away from my practice. You know, and do other things and, and get that same, like, you know, I really do.
Julie Michelson: I literally just had this conversation. We were on vacation last week and I was like, I know I am my best self when I am really consistent with my meditation routine. And so I need to bring that back in. And so I'm, I'm back on it for like a week. But we're human too. Right? Like I know. I, I know how to do it.
Julie Michelson: I know what I like. I know it makes me feel better. And yet I drift away from it sometimes and it's like, Oh, what needs an up level? What do I need today? I love that you share that genuine part of your journey. You know, I grew up eating double stuffed Oreos and drinking Coke. Like I wasn't born a health coach.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah.
Julie Michelson: You know.
Maddison Sutton: It didn't [00:40:00] just come to me. I wasn't just like this way one day. Um, it's something I believe in and I, and I try at and, um, yeah, I mean it's, and it, it was a lot of unlearning for me, like a lot of not worrying about like, okay, schedule this workout, workout, check off the box. Like I swear those scheduled workouts like made me gain weight.
Maddison Sutton: I swear they did. Like they made me more stressed out. Yeah. I'm, I'm not, you know, I, I'm very much believe in movement and exercise, but. I would almost say like I'm, I'm not an exercise person anymore because it feels, I mean, I do, I walk, I do strength training, but like, um, I don't like pushing that. Cause I just, I don't, I, I feel that you need to be a little bit more intentional with it.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Well, and I, I love that you bring that up too. One of the, one of the things that I see, especially with my autoimmune clients is [00:41:00] it's, it's almost like one end of the spectrum or the other, and they don't realize they're driving inflammation. So I get a lot of, and I was this way, way back in the day.
Julie Michelson: As my health was declining and my pain was increasing, I, it's almost like a, um, you know, I'm not going to lose this thing. Right. And so that over exercising just driving chronic inflammation and stress, or. holding it to like, this is so important. And then when I miss, I fail. And so why, you know, like the all or nothing that all or nothing, um, is I think the biggest thing for most of us to unlearn so that we can actually just listen.
Julie Michelson: Um, you've given us so many, I'm excited to ask you this next question, but I know a lot of people struggle with it, but guests know to listen for it. What is one step? Listeners can take starting today to [00:42:00] improve their health.
Maddison Sutton: What is one step they can take today to improve their health? I don't know. It's so hard.
Maddison Sutton: It is hard. Honestly, this one's going to sound cheesy probably. I really think
Maddison Sutton: it's probably I mean, I don't know that this is a step. I really think people have to stop thinking they need to be perfect. I think, I think it, you really have to try acts of love. Like I think trying one act of love a day, even if it is really small, like something that is just for you, something that nobody knows about, something that makes you happy.
Maddison Sutton: Um, For me, honestly, like if I'm having a bad day, my father passed a year ago. So, you know, it's been a hard year and self love has looked differently for me. And [00:43:00] so something that I know that I've needed is to laugh. Yes. So like an act of self care for me and the way that I've showed myself love is like I'll look up like I'll watch videos of cats because I
Julie Michelson: have a couple of clients that some of their homework was literally one was it was puppies.
Julie Michelson: One was like old sitcoms. Um, because to activate that laughter muscle and, you know, and, but I love that you said, you know, don't tell it like, again, this isn't about getting a gold star or achieving something. Um, and I love that you shared yours because it doesn't have to be, you know, it, it can be cat videos.
Julie Michelson: It can be whatever. Um, and so It can be
Maddison Sutton: cheesy. It can be silly. Do something to make yourself laugh and smile. Do something that is just for you [00:44:00] every day. And it can literally take three minutes. Right. Start small and like the more you do those things and the more you realize like how much better you feel after putting in that small amount of time to think of yourself, the more you will do it more.
Maddison Sutton: Yeah, that's really important.
Julie Michelson: Oh, that was such a good that was so good. I'm excited for listeners who needed, you know, I always feel like, and I love that you really just allowed your one, one thing to come up because, um, you know, more than one, somebody definitely needs to hear that one. And, and I think it, it like, just imagine.
Julie Michelson: What a better place the world would be if everybody just took a couple minutes to do, you know, show themselves some love every day. So, that was beautiful. For people that are listening on the go, and, and this is a good time too to share a little bit about how you work [00:45:00] with your clients, um, where's the best place to find you?
Maddison Sutton: Go to my website. Um, you know, all of my information is there. It's really easy to get in touch with
Julie Michelson: me. Awesome. And your website is, if they're not going to click the show notes? It
Maddison Sutton: is well with Maddison.com and it's Maddison with two D's.
Julie Michelson: Yes. I love it. I know, I always say, you know, Michelson spelled wrong and I've heard you say the Maddison with two D's.
Julie Michelson: Yeah. Um, and you've got lots of goodies on your website and I know you've got, you know, one-on-one coaching. We didn't even get into the, you know, the testing you do and, and, um, we're very. Similarly aligned to that way, but you also have group coaching for people that are just looking more for some accountability and they're not necessarily ready to, to deep dive with you yet.
Julie Michelson: So, um, can't encourage listeners enough, like check out Maddison's work, um, and, and take some action on the things she said today. Thank you [00:46:00] so much. So appreciate all the gold you've given us for everyone listening. Remember you can get those show notes and transcripts, including all the links at inspiredliving.
Julie Michelson: show. I hope you had a great time and enjoyed this episode as much as I did. I'll see you next week.
​[00:47:00]
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Maddison Sutton
Maddison Sutton is a Certified Integrative Health and Wellness Coach and Functional Diagnostics & Nutrition Practitioner dedicated to helping women take control of their health. After over a decade in the corporate world, she saw firsthand the toll of chronic stress and, following her father’s Mesothelioma diagnosis, turned to holistic healing.
Now, she specializes in stress management, hormone health, and preconception wellness, empowering busy women to restore balance, boost energy, and build confidence. Her mission is to help women align their health with their ambitions and take proactive control of their well-being
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