What does your morning routine look like?
I love when I can be there early and enjoy a quiet moment before the family wakes up – and I feel extra good when I make sure to start my day with a half liter of water with freshly squeezed lemon. So it's a regular part of my routine. I prepare the bottle the night before so it doesn't take long and I drink it while I get ready. And then the rest of the day starts with getting the family ready, packing lunches, walking the dog and then work calls.
Why I start the day with lemon water; Half a deciliter of lemon is enough to cover our daily needs for vitamin C, which strengthens the body's immune system. Lemon is wild. It is rich in potassium, which is good for the nervous system. It helps with digestion and cleanses the body. The acid and pectin in lemon help stabilize your blood sugar. Lemon also helps regulate the acid/base balance in the body and then kick-starts metabolism.
How do you best spend an hour in your own company?
The best time in my own company must be out in nature, where I either power walk to get my heart rate up, or just enjoy walking slowly and have a cup of coffee, or my lunch with me. I get a different kind of de-stressed energy out in nature, which is good.
What is your best advice for showing self-love and prioritizing yourself in a busy everyday life?
I have been a master at setting goals for myself, and then not prioritizing it and myself because something else got in the way. And I eventually experienced that my confidence in myself disappeared a little and it generally gave me a bad feeling. It's a bit like letting down your best friend over and over again. So today I am better at making realistic goals for my own me-time and then prioritizing it – and I think it feels very self-loving and motivating to take that walk when I have set it for myself.
Have you made a decision in your life that has been particularly good for you?
It's definitely stopping my inner critic. I've always been a perfectionist and had a little too high expectations for myself. So I was more or less burning my candle at both ends. I've become much more aware of that. So my best advice is to give yourself unconditional love – take care of yourself, be loving, forgiving, sweet, gentle and kind.
So my best advice is to give yourself unconditional love – take care of yourself, be loving, forgiving, sweet, gentle and kind.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice on how to create a balanced life, what would it be?
Again, it must be about not making too many demands on yourself and stopping the inner critic. It doesn't all have to be perfect – everything will work out anyway. And then also to notice and follow your gut feeling.
Your best tip for a strong and healthy body and a balanced mind?
I prioritize my sleep – and I'm very keen on eating clean, unprocessed products and lots of vegetables. Getting my heart rate up every now and then – and de-stressing.
Do you have any good advice for living more environmentally friendly?
Saying no is free and has a big impact. Saying no to single-use bags, cutlery, straws and to-go cups are really easy ways to reduce your waste, and it doesn't take much effort at all. (Small tweaks that drastically help the environment)
If you use a lot of disposable water bottles, it might be a good idea to invest in a reusable water bottle.
Do one thing at a time. Any positive change is positive, and even by thinking about reducing waste, you are already making a positive impact.
And so in short: Eat more vegetables, save on disposable tableware, buy less and consider your purchases and eat seasonally.
Do you have an easy beauty tip that we can share with others?
Drink plenty of water. If I don't get enough water, I can immediately see it on my skin. And otherwise, wear sunscreen all year round.
If you could freely choose an activity that would give you lots of energy, what would it be?
I absolutely love winter swimming and it gives me so much energy. And seriously, if I can do it, then anyone can – I’ve always hated cold water. But now I get an energy boost like no other. But otherwise I would say playing Padel tennis with my girlfriends. A perfect combination of togetherness, exercise, and play. And it always brings out the really good energy.
Follow Mette and AYA&IDA's important journey towards a world with less plastic but more responsibility towards our nature and the next generation at @ayaandida.dk
AYA&IDA
AYA&IDA is a Danish-owned family business established in 2018 by Mette and her husband Lars. The brand is named after the founders' two daughters AYA & IDA. The whole thinking behind AYA&IDA and their sustainable and environmentally friendly products is to think about our future and the opportunities or limitations that will be for future generations if we continue our consumption without thinking.
Their desire is to manufacture products from natural materials, with a long lifespan, that can be used over and over again, as they believe that a more responsible lifestyle benefits everything and everyone.
Products that combine design, functionality and elegance, and that are all connected to a mission - namely to relieve the earth from the excessive amount of plastic waste, while making a difference for people who do not have the same opportunities as we do in Denmark.
1 in 10 people in the world lack access to clean water. AYA&IDA Foundation donates 100 liters of clean water to some of the world's most vulnerable children through UNICEF every time we sell an AYA&IDA product.
With the drinking bottles CARE BY ME has had specially produced on the occasion of our 10th anniversary, we are donating 15,000 liters of clean water to children in need through UNICEF in collaboration with AYA&IDA.
Explore AYA&IDA's sustainable and environmentally friendly universe here