Food For Your Soul: Dawn McGee
Mental wellness for women over 50 isn’t a luxury; it’s a critical piece of the health puzzle, and it starts with simple, bold shifts you can make today.
You’ve worked so hard to create a healthy, balanced lifestyle for yourself. But have you acknowledged the role that mental wellness plays in your healthy lifestyle? It’s easy to forget that your mental health is tied into your physical health. You get caught up in your day to day life and struggle to make time to keep up with nutrition and exercise, let alone mental wellness. I get it. So here are a few things that you can do to make mental wellness a part of your healthy lifestyle.
Set Boundaries:
Personal boundaries are essential to your health. If you aren’t creating (and sticking to) boundaries in your life, you will end up with high stress, low energy, and emotional instability.
Remember: Boundaries are about what you will or won’t do. You can’t control other people’s actions, but you can decide how you respond to them. For instance, if someone is hypercritical of you, you can’t stop them. But you can decide that you won’t interact with them.
Mental Wellness For Women Over 50 Starts With Boundaries And Joy:
1. Start Small.
Say no to just one thing today that doesn’t align with your priorities. Offer an alternative. “I can’t do that right now, but here’s something else that might help.” Check in with yourself. Which aspect of your health have you been neglecting the most? What boundaries can you set to fix that? Let others figure things out for themselves, especially when they’re capable.
2. Embrace Joyful Living:
You’ve heard me talk about seasons of fun, and that’s not just fluff. Planning moments of joy and creating space for enjoyment is a critical part of supporting your ongoing mental health.
Now, if you’re in a low place, “joy” may feel out of reach. That’s okay. We apply the 1% philosophy here, just like we do in all other facets of life. Aim for something that simply makes you feel a little lighter. Think of it as climbing a ladder, one rung at a time.
Start with sunshine. A walk outside. A coffee with a friend. Reading a book in peace. Dancing to a favorite song. These small moments matter. And be intentional about finding “big” ways to embrace joyful living, too. Plan a vacation or a special night out. Get out of your routine for a weekend. Do something that feels extravagant. The small things are vital, but the big things are part of the balance too.
3. Optimize Your Gut:
You may be wondering, “What does my gut have to do with mental wellness?” Trust me. It’s all part of the big picture.
Gut health and mental health are more connected than we often realize. The gut-brain axis means that what we eat (and how we digest and absorb it) has a direct impact on our mood and cognition.
If you’re new to the world of gut health, start here:
- Reduce processed foods and ingredients you can’t easily pronounce.
- Swap out products with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners.
- Add more whole foods you enjoy into your meals.
Personally and professionally, I use and recommend Zive7 as one of my go-to digestive support tools. If you need help finding something that works for you, I’m always happy to discuss your options and find one that works for your lifestyle.
This isn’t about perfection, it’s about creating an environment inside your body that allows you to thrive mentally and emotionally.
4. Don’t Get Stuck in the Waiting Cycle:
The most important piece of advice that I can give you is this: Don’t get caught up in the cycle of waiting for “perfect.” Your mental wellness routine doesn’t need 10 steps. It doesn’t have to start on “the right day.” You don’t need permission to get started.
The most important thing is to just get started. Let one small change be enough to get you going. You’ve got this.
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About The Author:
Dawn McGee is a Nutrition Evangelist and Lazy Cook. She is super passionate about putting the fun back into being healthy and does that by teaching women how to eat to serve their body, brain, and soul so that they can get off the sidelines and back to doing all of the things that bring them joy. She works with women who are ready to make their health a priority and just need someone to help them get started and guide them through the process.
Dawn has been coaching clients in person, online, in groups, and in a 1:1 capacity for more than a dozen years. Prior to becoming a nutrition and fitness coach, she spent over 25 years in the high-tech industry, so she truly understands the life of busy professional women.
Are you a fellow professional in the fitness or wellness industry? Did you know that Dawn spent 35+ years honing her skills in sales, marketing, and business strategy–and 20+ years in the Wellness industry? Now she is using what she knows to support entrepreneurs like you. If you’re ready to move into the next phase of your business journey, schedule a complimentary call with Dawn here or email her at
