Wellbeing

Kate Hudson On Gathering For Self-Care

Celebrating the simple things and finding value in the every day can bring nourishment and meaning to your life. Kate Hudson explains how…

Actress, producer, mother of two and co-founder of Fabletics active wear, Kate Hudson is passionate about motivating and supporting women to lead healthy and active lives. In her latest book, Pretty Fun, Kate talks about creating and celebrating a lifetime of tradition, the importance of gathering friends and family and offers advice on how entertaining can be fulfilling and rewarding in many ways.

Growing up, my parents had careers that demanded a lot of them – a lot of travel, busy schedules, and responsibilities that took our entire family outside of the home. Despite those demanding schedules, they were always present for us kids, and they let us know that our time together was meaningful by making the most of it, which in our house meant lots of food, drink, conversation and laughter.

Writing my first book, Pretty Happy, was its own kind of celebration – of finally discovering how to slow down, tune in, and figure out how to give myself what I need to feel my absolute best, inside and out. This involved Pilates and hot yoga and spinning and sometimes just a nice long hike. It’s what I’d call holistic and balanced. Once I realised that nourishing every little piece of myself in a forgiving, loving way made me pretty happy, I had to share it! Because here’s the thing: gathering is just as crucial a part of self-care as eating well and having a movement practice. Plus the very same lessons I learned about taking better care of myself make for even more meaningful gatherings. It all adds up to one big, beautiful cycle that can infuse your life with that much more pleasure, significance, rootedness, and contentment. If that doesn’t sound like it’s worth its own little party, then I don’t know what does!

Ayurvedic medicine teaches that true wellness is achieved only when you treat the whole person. It’s a powerful idea that I’ve incorporated into my life, and I’m a firm believer that even if I’m honouring my body with the most healthful foods and exercise and being super-disciplined with meditation or breath work, I won’t truly feel grounded or evenkeeled unless I’m also taking care of my spirit. I know that might sound a little New-Agey, but seriously, think about how you feel when you laugh. Like really laugh.

Or how happy you are when surrounded by your closest friends, feeling seen, heard, and supported. Or when you’re sharing stories about your day with your family over a meal that you prepared yourself. Doesn’t sound so ‘out there’ now, does it? Those are all spirit-feeding, soul-satisfying things that would make anyone feel good.

One reason getting together is so powerful is because it keeps us connected with our tribe. Our network of trusted loved ones – whether it’s friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, children, gurus, mentors, or partners (past and present) – is our support system, our safety net. They’re the people who you know will be there to share the good and lift you up after the bad and the ugly.

I believe one of the most important things you can do as a parent is set aside time for the family to gather as its own special unit. It’s a ritual that’s been a part of my life from the very beginning, whether it was my gram filling our bellies with Jewish staples like brisket and matzoh ball soup, or the dinners that my parents would put together every chance they could. Now, in my own house, I try to make it happen at least twice a week, because it’s a sacred time when we can share the intention of togetherness. We talk about what’s going on in our lives or what happened that day, and just be.

Every once in a while, it’s important to take the time to do absolutely nothing. It’s not an indulgence; it’s self-care. That said, this isn’t when you meditate and think about life; it’s when you just relax and think about nothing except being really nice to yourself. Even if it’s just an hour and a half, shut off your phone, pull on your loosest, comfiest sweats and fuzzy socks, and set your own cosy stage.