My Sunday Routine with Nicky Chapman (Aka. The Wellness Antidote)

We're bringing back our 'My Sunday Routine' series with an absolute bang! We're so pleased to have Nicky on our blog. You may know her on Instagram as @thewellnessantidote where she shares so much fantastic knowledge about nutrition and women's wellness. I fell in love with her account about a month ago and have loved getting to know Nicky over DM's! I'm sure you'll all enjoy her gorgeous Sunday Routine as much as I did so check it out below!

Firstly, you may be wondering, 'why is someone's Sunday routine so important?'. Well, here at Lively we're big believers that the small things you do repeatedly are what you become. Therefore we're lovers of healthy habits and strong routines. Typically, Sunday's are set aside for your favourite moments, your self-care habits and the impactful things you need to start your week off right. 

We started this series when we began our blog nearly 2 years ago and have loved getting some of our favourite people on here to contribute and share their special routines too!

To check out the rest of the posts in our 'My Sunday' series, click here! 

Firstly, here's a little about Nicky! 

She was born and raised in Paraparaumu, New Zealand. She moved on her own to Brisbane, Australia 10 years ago. Here, she worked as a Finance Manager. Recently, she's moved to Canberra as her partner is in the Defence Force. Nicky was raised in a very holistic household - her mother is a homeopath so she has always followed these principles throughout her life. Nicky has a deep passion for health and wellness. Due to previous health issues, personal experience with healing naturally and a genuine desire to help people, Nicky enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to pursue her passion and make it a career. This passion and desire to help others is the reason why she began her Instagram account @thewellnessantidote. It's a creative outlet for her to connect with like-minded people. Her goal is to grow a community and eventually share her personal stories of health and healing. She looks forward to completing her qualifications and to go on to coach people to improve their health and further their wellness. 

Click here to see her Instagram account @thewellnessantidote

Nicky has recently released her first FREE ebook which includes amazing recipes, DIY's, activities and tips! I highly recommend checking this out. Click here to access!

​"I love a good ritual when time allows for it and Sundays feel like the perfect day to indulge in more meaningful practices. Don’t get me wrong, I crave routine but it's nice to forgo the concept of time and box ticking to spend longer incorporating whatever makes your soul feel good.

My Sunday rituals start early, I wake up at a normal hour and lay with my thoughts for a bit first thing. Then I’ll go downstairs to play barista, taking my time frothing the milk & dusting cinnamon on our coffees perfectly.

The easiest way to wake my partner up is with caffeine, plus sitting in bed enjoying the slower pace on a Sunday morning is some of our favourite quality time together.
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Sometimes we’ll discuss our week, sometimes reflect on all the different places we’ve woken up to drink coffee in bed, sometimes sit in silence and other times end up in a debate. Maybe it's the whole therapeutic practice but at times it reminds me of all the bones I feel like picking throughout the week.

I’m definitely not one of those people that leaves all the chores until the weekends, no offence but it doesn’t make sense to me, spreading stuff through the week just feels like way less of a huge ordeal. One thing I will do religiously on a Sunday morning is wash the sheets & I actually think this is subconsciously to kick us out of bed or we’d probably end the days agenda at that.

Next is breakfast which is a much more drawn out process. My motivational podcasts & spirulina smoothies take a back seat, it's time to play Jack Johnson on the loudspeaker and make pancakes that look 'instagram worthy'. Despite the fact there are always more dishes, I take extra time embracing the mundaneness, enjoying the fact that I don’t have to be anywhere in a hurry.

I like to ditch the workout routine and opt for a walk outside, I know if I don’t get out for some fresh air I'll get ants in my pants come lunch time. Lately I’ve been practicing more mindfulness and making a conscious effort to leave my phone behind or put it on airplane mode. I love taking photos and capturing beautiful moments but it’s important to be present in nature so I set a few boundaries during this time.

Sundays are a bit different these days, the usual Farmers markets, cafes and Bunnings excursions are now replaced with lockdown rituals and an even slower pace. Depending on the mood, I’ll do some baking or read a magazine, sometimes we throw a ball around or play board games. I’m also really quite talented at mucking about, you’d easily find me pottering around the garden for the better part of an hour. There is nothing in my diary or on my to-do list so pulling everything out of a cupboard to ‘re-organise’ for fun is cool with me. ​

By the time my washing is done in the late afternoon and I’m remaking the bed, its a cue to start self-care and you bet I’ll get into my PJ’s at 4pm. The self-care ritual is one that will be forever conducted on a Sunday. Everyone knows Thursday is tan night, but Sunday is perfect for face masks, painting your nails and over plucking your eyebrows.

Seriously though, I enjoy it so much and I truly believe nurturing yourself a little every day helps you start your week of with a tiny bit extra self-love and appreciation.

Once I’m pampered and feeling like I’ve lived up to the saying of ‘a Sunday well spent’, it's time for a lazy dinner followed by Netflix on the couch. I’d be lying if I said that I care about getting my 5 + in on a Sunday evening but I’m still a health freak so it’ll usually be homemade pizza’s or something that isn’t overloaded with kale.

Curled up on the couch with a cuppa tea ready for an early night is the ideal end to the day.

I truly enjoy the vibe of a Sunday, filling a day with things you want to do rather than need to do is a recipe for happiness in my opinion."

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For more about Nicky, check out her Instagram account @thewellnessantidote here! 

She has also just released a fantastic FREE ebook full of amazing recipes, advice and tips. Check that out here. 

​From our home to yours,