Conversations on Set: “Health Sabotage” and Self—Healing

I hope to empower people with the knowledge and tools to be their own healers, reminding us that we are part of nature, not separate from or above it, and that disconnection from the cycles of nature is really the root cause of all “dis-ease”. 

As an introduction to the Conversations on Set series, I had the privilege of engaging in a heartfelt discussion with Tika McDonald, founder of The Wooed. We delved into life, resilience, healing, and the profound journey that led her to create something truly exceptional.

Nearly a year ago, Tika approached me to capture content for the launch of her product, Seize the Day—herbal supplements crafted to harmonise with our body's natural rhythms. While her vision intrigued me, it was the purpose behind her product that truly captivated my interest. Tika's mission extends beyond that of business—but rather is deeply rooted in personal growth and transformative experiences, imbued by her commitment to promoting a sense of well-being.

In this series, my aim is to spotlight inspiring individuals like Tika, who redefine success through purpose-driven endeavours and inspire others on their paths forward to adopt a new perspective.

As a Herbalist who has experienced the pressures of a fast-paced lifestyle, including work and study, can you share a pivotal moment when you recognised the need to prioritise self-care and slow down?

For me, this realisation unfolded over a matter of years as I peeled back the layers of external validation, fear, coping mechanisms, and ultimately, childhood trauma, that had come to define how I moved through life. I realised these things were the driving force behind why I couldn’t allow myself to slow down, why I felt lazy about resting, or prioritised work over my own health. 

For years I had experienced major hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, and the many symptoms that come along with these, due to chronic stress and overstimulation. 

Once I became aware of this (and with the help of therapy) my way of being slowly started to shift. I think when you have the self-actualisation that you’re sabotaging your own health over such trivial things like how other people perceive you, it kinda turns your world upside down and you begin to see everything with fresh eyes. After that, all I wanted to do was continue healing myself - mind, body and soul.

What initial tools or techniques did you embrace to seize the day and cultivate a more mindful way of living? 

Of course, working with plants has been a huge part of my journey. Particularly the adaptogens and nervines in our Seize The Day capsules. These herbs have a nourishing affinity for the nervous system and help build a strong, more resilient foundation that can bounce back quickly from stress. They have been instrumental in balancing my levels of cortisol and healing my adrenals.

I’m also a big believer in food as medicine, so I’ve focused a lot on ensuring everything I put into (and onto) my body is nourishing, therapeutic and free of chemicals. Usually, this means shopping for local/organic produce or making things like nut milks at home, which comes back to the idea of slow living, rather than relying on quick convenience.

Cycle Syncing has also been super transformative for balancing my hormones and cultivating a deep attunement to my body. Cycle Syncing involves syncing everything from your food, workouts, socialising, projects, etc. with the phase of your cycle that you’re in (follicular, ovulation, luteal, menstruation). This is something I’ll be diving deeper into with The Wooed, I highly encourage everyone with female reproductive organs look into it!

In today's digitally saturated world, where our attention is constantly pulled in different directions, have you personally encountered visual overload and mental stimulation? How do you address this challenge in your brand's digital presence? 

I absolutely used to, but not so much anymore. These days I aim to use social media quite purposefully, either for inspiration or as a business tool, other than that I’m not really using my phone. I think having an intention when using social media and curating the accounts I follow so that I only see inspiring and uplifting content that I enjoy helps me a lot.

With The Wooed’s digital presence, I am sometimes swayed by what I see other brands posting but if I get stuck or confused I try to remember to just be genuinely myself and always speak from the heart. I believe this is what will attract like-minded people and  grow my business authentically. It also makes things so much more simple as I’m not wasting energy trying to be something I'm not. I find things flow a lot easier this way.

As a business owner, it’s only natural to have the desire to grow your business while maintaining a close connection to your brand and its people. How do you balance these objectives and prioritise well-being during the growth process? 

I think it’s absolutely possible for these things to coexist. For me, it’s about knowing and implementing my boundaries, tuning into my body and taking pause when needed, but also normalising these things with my people and not aiming for perfection or 24/7 digital connection. I would never expect that from someone else so I try not to put that pressure on myself. 

What helps me is allocating days or blocks of time to work on projects, creating content and engaging with my online community. My goal for The Wooed is to create a space that works for me, not the other way around. That way, when I’m working on something, I'm doing it out of love and passion, which actually energises me rather than depletes me. I also believe that creating from this energy will only ever be beneficial for my business.

What is the core message you want to pass on to your audience and in which way do you aim to inspire them?

My dream for The Wooed is to remind people that plants are the original medicine and can offer us everything we need to live as our most healthy and vibrant selves - mentally, physically and energetically. I hope to empower people with the knowledge and tools to be their own healers, reminding us that we are part of nature, not separate from or above it, and that disconnection from the cycles of nature is really the root cause of all dis-ease. 

I hope The Wooed inspires people to embrace a slower way of living, to tune into their inner realm more and learn to live in flow with the natural world, as the healing, ease and fulfilment that can come from this is truly unparalleled, and ultimately, the only way to move forward if we are to reverse the damage to the planet and humankind.

To read my response to Tika’s questions, you can read the rest of the interview here. Alternatively, if you have a story to share, you can get in touch below.