Episode 4 Transcript

Transcript

Kiki: “Welcome to All The Little Things, the podcast that explores the small habits and subtle changes that can transform your life. We believe that real, lasting change doesn't come from massive overhauls or big leaps. It comes from the small, consistent actions we take every day. Whether it's refining a morning routine, embracing gratitude, or making mindful choices, this podcast is all about celebrating the little things that create a big impact.” 

Mia: “I'm especially excited for today's guest, Kailey Cox, who has dedicated her career to helping others thrive. From supporting students as an advisor and success coach to leading employee wellness initiatives, she has spent years empowering people to build healthier, more fulfilling lives. 

Trae: Kailey, before we get into morning routines, I'd love to hear what originally sparked your passion for helping others. Was there a defining moment or experience in your journey, maybe as a student instructor, an academic advisor, or even in your current role, that made you realize this was the path for you? 

Kailey: Yeah, I wouldn't say it was one in particular thing, but just a multitude of things that built upon each other, starting in college. So my junior year, I went on a medical mission ship with a group called VITA. It's a group on campus here at High Point University.” “And with VITA, we went to Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and we went to these rural communities that have not had health care in years. And so, with that, we got to do home assessments, and that kind of opened my eyes to public health and health and wellness. And that's kind of what transformed me from wanting to go more of the treatment route to the prevention route. So I really gained that passion for wanting to help prevent things, like different illnesses and things from happening, rather than treat them. And then my senior year, I did an internship with Wake Forest Baptist Health with their Best Health Program, which is kind of like a corporate wellness program, which is what I'm doing now with the employees at the hospital. And I also got to do activities with the community. And so both of those kind of sparked my interests in health and wellness.” 

Trae: “Wow, that's so cool. So can you break down kind of like, you said you went on a mission strip. So it's a medical mission strip. So break that down. What does that look like? I've never even heard of something like that.” 

Kailey: “Yeah. So in those medical mission trips, we got to go to these rural communities, and they had makeshift. Usually went to a church or school. So those larger buildings in these communities. And they would have makeshift groups. And so we would have different people come in. 

Trae: What is makeshift? I've never heard. What is that? 

Kailey: It's not like your typical hospital or medical setting. So we would go into a church or a school or something, and we would just set tables and chairs into a circular pattern. And we would sit down and we would have a translator with us as well, because we weren't all fluent in Spanish. And we would take their family history, their medical history, their pharmaceutical history. We would ask kind of what they were experiencing. And then with that, we got to kind of not guess, but take all the information that we gained and kind of come up with some type of diagnosis..” “And then there were two doctors that were circulating in the area, and we would like raise our hand when we were done. And they would come over, we would give them all of the facts that we got from the patient, and we would give them what our best educated guess was that we came up with, with what we thought they were experiencing. And they'd be like, yep, you're right, or nope, think about this, they're experiencing this, what could this cause? And then they would come up with that final diagnosis and give the kind of treatment plan for that individual. And then there was like a little makeshift pharmacy in the corner, it was just a table with some medical supplies and someone sitting there. And we would bring up the little piece of paper saying like what they needed, and we would bring it back to them and give the treatment plan to the patient. 

Trae: Wow, that's really cool. 

Kailey: Yeah, so we did that. And then the health assessments was where we went in to people's homes, kind of had a layout of a sheet where we would go through and give them certain points “for things that they had, or deduct points for things we didn't see. And at the end, we were able to give them some type of score, letting them know like what things they could do better to live a healthier life, what things they could improve on, and what things they were doing great. So for one example... 

Trae: And you need to translate it with that as well, yeah? 

Kailey: Yeah. And one example would be like they might not have doors on their homes. They just had sheets.And so we would be like, oh, if you would get some type of proper kind of barrier, especially at night, you wouldn't have insects coming into your home. You wouldn't have chickens coming in and out of your home. You wouldn't have random dogs coming in and out of the home.” “So things like that, that would better their health or a wood burning stove, making sure that the wood burning stove is outside of the home rather than inside so that they're not inhaling all of that kind of smoke and dust and things when they are using their wood burning stove. 

Trae: Yeah, yeah. So like for an example, if someone needed a door, how do they get that? 

Kailey: I'm sure that the group that we were set up with would give them those resources, but it wasn't like we were going to force them to get the door. It was more- They would provide it for them?I'm not 100% sure how that worked, but I would say yeah. And show them how to gain access to some type of barrier. It might not be a door, just because in these areas, they also don't have air conditioning and- 

Trae: But these people don't have to pay for anything. 

Kailey: No. So this medical mission trip, all the medical care that they received was absolutely free. And we had three different groups. So I was part of the medical group. There was also a dental group and a veterinary group. So “he dental group, they did free teeth cleanings and extractions.And then the veterinary group, they did free spaying and neutering of people's animals. 

Trae:Wow. 

Kailey: And all of us were students. So it was a really great experience and exposure kind of experience because they got to spay and neuter dogs and cats the second day. And it's not something that you can typically do in America. 

Trae: Wow. I don't know who got Kailey on this podcast, but props to you guys because this is amazing. This is awesome.” “That's so cool. So it's a missions trip. Is there a church that is involved with it? Like how is money coming through? Like can people donate to this organization? 

Kailey: No, I don't think it's necessarily faith-based. I think it's just more educational-based. So it was a program that's still here at High Point University. So it's a club that people can join. And so during those club meetings, you get to kind of know about the areas that you're going to, you get to take, not necessarily a class, but during those meetings, you get to learn about what those kind of illnesses that you'll see most common, what to look for, things. So I wouldn't say it's necessarily faith-based, but more educational and medical background. 

Trae: Got it. Do you guys have any questions from here that you'd like to ask so we can stay on track? I know I can get, I go on tandems all the time. That's my job. It's their job to keep luring me back in. 

Mia: So today, we really wanted just to talk about, because you're a health and wellness coach, basically. So what's your typical morning routine, like to To get people started and have a great day? 

Kailey: Yeah. I mean, my typical morning routine might not be the same as someone else's. So what works for me might not work for someone else. And I always try to reiterate that because sometimes when people come in for health coaching, it's they have the mindset of kind of what you get when you go into maybe a doctor's office or something like that. They're used to people telling you what to do or telling you how to live a healthier life. But through health coaching, we're really there more as someone as a supporter and someone that you can hold yourself accountable to. So I'm not going to tell someone, you need to wake up at 5 a.m., go to the gym, eat this. It's more of let's find what works for you. And once you make that goal, I'm going to be there to help you through that goal. For myself, I am someone that values their sleep. So I'm not one of those people that wakes up at 4 a.m. and goes to the gym before work in the morning. I will sleep in as long as “possible in order to have enough time to get ready to come into work in the morning.”  “I usually meal prep my breakfast, again, because I don't want to spend an hour in the morning making breakfast before I go into work. So I'll have my breakfast meal prepped. So get ready in the morning, let my dogs out, play with them for a little bit, grab my breakfast and head out the door. That's what my typical morning looks like. 

Mia: So for a person like me, I don't really have a morning routine. Like I feel like it's like a day to day situation, like depending on what I'm doing for the day. Like what would you say to someone who wants to start a routine? Like what is one thing that like you should do or like try to do just to like get into a habit? 

Kailey: One thing that I didn't used to do that I now have made a habit is making my bed. I am a very goal-oriented individual. And so I like, I have like instant gratification from checking something off my mental list or a list that I have written on a piece of paper.” “So for me, if I'm making my bed in the morning, that's already something I've checked off my to-do list for today. Also, it makes it a little bit like nicer to come home to in the evenings, I've noticed. It's like, oh, I'm getting into a nicely made bed. It's not all jumbled up and stuff. So that's one thing I could encourage others. If you just want to start adding one type of routine-based thing in the morning, is make your bed. 

Mia: I agree. When I went to college, I started making my bed every day because I was just basically living in my room. And I just stuck to that habit even at home. And I will say it has made me feel a lot better coming home to a really nice, neat bed. 

Kailey: Yeah, and it's also just, it's not that taxing. It doesn't take that long. Essentially, if you are having that as part of your routine, you should be able to do it in under, I would say, the max two minutes, but under a minute, I would say you could probably make your bed.” 

Trae: “That's so crazy because I've been, literally ever since I was four, I wanted to become an individual basketball player, and I literally just played my last game recently. But over time, I realized that I don't have to be working out all day, as long as I am just staying consistent, and I'm not wavering. I mean, obviously, if something comes up, I can be flexible, but having a routine and really just staying consistent in every day and just those small changes every single day, if I can just become 1% better every single day, but it's sometimes hard because if you don't have a consistent outline, then you can get all flustered and then your mind is all over the place. But that is a really good point. And I really like that idea. And in the military, they teach that every single day you want to make your bed, and they want to make it clean and nice. But do you want to ask the next question? 

Kiki: So for people who struggle with consistency, what are some strategies to help make people stick to it?” “Yeah, I mean, I think finding something that you enjoy. So whenever I set goals with individuals, I always set smart goals with them. So something that's specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. So we want to make sure that they're setting something that's specific, like I'm going to get to a certain point in some aspect of your life. So it's like, I'm going to meal prep egg bites for the work week or Monday through Friday. Something very specific. Measurable, again, how long, during the week, on the weekend, certain days, am I going to finish this goal by the end of the week, the end of the month, the end of the year, making sure that it is relevant to your life and attainable too. So it's like, oh, I'm going to go buy a car next week, but you only have five grand saved up. You're not going to go buy a Lamborghini, right? Like that's not attainable, at least not right now with what you have. Same thing with relevant. You might see something on TikTok or Instagram or social media, and it's some type of something that's popular, but at the end of “the day, it doesn't really interest you. You're just doing it because everyone else is doing it or you think it's cool. Like that's not something you're going to stick to long term just because it's a social fad that's going on right now. And then time bound again, making sure that you're having those parameters around when you want to accomplish it by or when you want to accomplish that goal.” “So I want to go to the gym on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Having those time pieces also helps with those goals. So if you are wanting to stick to a routine or you are wanting to set those goals, make sure that you are specific about them.You can measure them in some amount of time or aspect, and then make sure that they're attainable and relevant.  

Kiki: How do you handle people who fall off of their plans? So people who go on trips, people who may just have a week where they just don't seem to follow their plans, how do you reorganize them into their? 

Kailey: I think it's just an aspect of reminding them that success is not linear. So a lot of times we think of success as just an upward or trending line. But at the end of the day, it's like a wave, right?” “Then that's just life in general. So you're not always going to be on that upward trend of success. Sometimes you do have a trip or you do have a life altering moment where you're not going to be able to stick to those normal routines because life happens, things happen and they come up. So for example, the bed making example, you might not one morning for some reason, you might hit your alarm and accidentally fall back asleep. And when you wake up, you're like, oh crap, I have to be at work in 10 minutes. And you might not have time to make your bed that morning. And that's totally okay. That doesn't mean all of this new habit forming behaviors have gone out the door. It's just life and you have to be able to roll with that. But after, I kind of remind them that it's not always that perfect upward trend. It's just kind of helping them get back to what their goals are. So going back through, seeing what their values are, seeing what their strengths are, really honing in to what those strengths that they've told me are, and like reminding them “how can you use your strengths to get back on track.  

Mia: So you worked with like a lot of people over like throughout the years. Have you seen like a small habit that like transforms someone's like mindset and productivity?” 

Kailey: “I mean, I've seen a lot of different ones. So one in particular, I mean, one thing that seems to help a lot of my health coaching clients is meal prepping just because it does help them stay on track because they always have that available. So a lot of them, their goals, a lot of people that I meet with, their goals are like revolve around their health and wellness, especially like losing weight or eating healthier. And so with meal prepping, they're able to find healthier alternatives that are just in the fridge that they can grab. So in the past, they might like to snack on like unhealthy things like chips or cookies or something that's in the cabinet readily available just to grab and sit down and maybe eat the whole box or something. But if they have something meal prepped in the fridge, they can do that too. They can just go to the fridge and grab it and go sit down and have a healthier option as a snack. So I would say meal prepping is a big one.” 

Mia: “Yeah, I try to get into the meal prepping in college, but I feel like with classes and just clubs and everything going on, I always fall behind on it. But I've recently got into the habit of going to Trader Joe's and getting stuff to not junky stuff, so I won't snack on that. 

Kailey: And it also helps you save money at the end of the day. Maybe not in college.  

Trae: I was about to say, we got the greatest meal plan in the world here. I don't know why you're going to Trader Joe's. I'm just messing with you. 

Kailey: But once you graduate and you're buying your own groceries, you're making your own food, you have your own place to repair it. It helps you kind of navigate, okay, what days do I have food for? And what days maybe should I go out with friends? So if one day you have a friend that's like, hey, let's go out tonight. Let's go grab something to eat. And you're like, actually, I already have dinner prepped for tonight, but on Saturday, are you free?” “Let's go out then. Because you know that you have that food at home, so you're less likely to let it go bad because you paid your own money for it and you don't want to waste it. And it's a healthier option, so maybe you can prepare and plan for that Saturday afternoon, like having friends and going out to eat with them. 

Trae: That's good. You know, it's funny, I'm huge on like eating really clean, but when it comes to the weekends, it's time. Like you said, success is not always a straight line. It's kind of a little bumpy. I think it's okay to give yourself an out sometimes and not have to be. It's literally, you got to be perfect. Like for me, I'm using food as an example. When Friday hits, it's time to go to CC, baby, and I'm just going to crush. And I think it's okay to give yourself an out there and just understand that you don't have to be perfect. You can be flexible. And that's just an example that you apply into every area of your life. It's not my way or the highway, success, success, success. It's literally “what is the best thing for me? Sometimes it's okay to slow the frick down. It's not a marathon, or it's not a sprint. It's a marathon. And it's just being able to slow down and understand that. It's okay. We don't have to be perfect. 

Kailey: But there's a point. I feel like some people also take that mindset and they just roll with it 24-7.” “Oh, yeah.  

Trae: No, that's a spectrum. You don't want to be too far to the other side. 

Kailey: So it's not like, oh, it's okay. I didn't eat dessert with lunch, so I can have dessert with dinner. Or I didn't have dessert yesterday, so I can have dessert with lunch and dinner. So it's definitely a mindset. You have to be able to be like, okay, this is a hiccup, but that's okay. Hiccups happen. It's not a hiccup every day type of thing. 

Trae: That's really good. It's funny because it's like, there's so many little small things that happen in our lives that we are tested every single day. But in reality, if you apply the things that we've been talking about to every area of your life, you literally will see growth in every area of your life.” “And these little practices, these little habits that you do every single day is just growing you closer to the most unlocked, full potential version of yourself. And honestly, that's what this podcast is all about. What are the little things, all the little things, right? Like, what are little things that we can apply every single day to become the best version of ourselves? It's like a huge puzzle, right? It's like a thousand piece puzzle, and they're slowly but surely putting one puzzle piece at the time. And then when you're done with all of it, when you look back and you're like, wow, look at this thing, pretty sweet life. 

Kailey: Yeah, and like all those little steps, they build up upon one another. And so when they're building them up, that's when you see the most change happening. So it might not seem like a big change in the moment, but that little step that you're taking towards that big end goal, it's really making a difference.” “And that's why whenever we, I do have health coaching sessions with individuals, we set weekly or bi-weekly goals, and we also set three month goals. So we have those more short-term goals that we're working towards throughout the week, but those are building blocks upon reaching those longer term three month goals. Because you're not going to reach that three month goal in a week. So if their goal is to lose 10 pounds, you're most likely not going to lose 10 pounds in one week because that's super, super hard, especially if you don't have a lot of weight to lose, that might take you even more than three months. So it's setting, again, those smart goals, something that's realistic. In the short term, again, that T-aspect as well, time-bound. So setting something that you can accomplish in a week that works towards that longer three-month goal. 

Trae: And just having a healthy relationship with your mind about it, you know? Because I've had, you know, we've had a couple people on here, we've talked about this before, but there's been times in different people's lives where they want to do something for their “own selfish desires. It's like, if I want to lose 10 pounds just to look good, and that's the only reason, well, maybe I need to reevaluate why I'm doing in the first place. In reality, I want to maybe lose 10 pounds because I just want to be healthier, and I want to be more balanced in the correct version of myself. And so I think renewing your mind daily and understanding why I'm doing it, knowing your why, knowing the vision that you have, and then creating a system for that, but also just allowing yourself for, okay, I'm not bound by the system. This is not a religion. This is a relationship, right? It's a relationship with your body. It's a relationship with the world.” “It's a relationship with other people, and it's a relationship with the Lord for me. And I think that's something that has held me so much, is understanding that the Lord really grounds me, and he helps me understand that no matter what, as long as I'm doing it for him, then I'm doing it for the right way. So for me, an example with the 10 pounds, because we keep talking about that, but for me, if I want to lose 10 pounds just for myself, that's selfish, but if I want to lose 10 pounds because I feel like the Lord's saying, hey, I want you to be healthier, then that's right. And so that's something that helps me be grounded and understand that my mind is being renewed every day. 

Kailey: Yeah, and that's where that R of smart goals comes in. It has to be relevant to you, right? So everyone's relevance is different.” “So whether that is because you want to get healthier or look better, it doesn't matter necessarily what it is, as long as it's relevant to you. And because if it's not relevant, it doesn't matter or it doesn't resonate with you, then you're probably not going to stick to that goal. Wow.

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Mia: So for the people who want to better their morning routines, what are three things that you would say they should do immediately? Or try to, sorry, not immediately, but like... 

Kailey: I mean, again, it's up to that person. So everyone's different. Like for me, I need coffee. So coffee or tea, something that has a little bit of caffeine in it. I need that in the morning just to kind of get me jump started. It also like just gives me that instant gratification, too, of like, oh, it's this is my morning routine. This is part of my routine that I'm like I'm getting it and I get to enjoy it. So, I like coffee, making my bed. I think making your bed again just gives you one thing.”  “You can check off your to do list for the day. And then I think just spending time with nature. Like, you don't necessarily have to go sit outside for 30 minutes in the morning, but every morning, like I walk outside with my dogs when I let them out. And it's just like taking in that fresh air after being cooped in for X amount of hours while you're sleeping or just getting some sunlight on your face. It's just having that reconnection with like the earth and having that nature aspect in the morning. I don't know, it sets me to have like a more peaceful morning routine or peaceful morning drive to work, or it kind of like relaxes me before I go into the office. So those things work for me. It might not work for everyone, but those would be three things that I would recommend, is just not necessarily having coffee, but finding that thing in the morning that sparks joy or brings you joy. Doing something that you can check off your to-do list.” “So for me, that's making my bed, and then kind of connecting with nature, whether that's getting some sunlight, breathing in some fresh air. Some people like to meditate, but bringing in the aspect of reconnecting with. 

Trae: So the gratitude piece is huge for you. That's so cool. I think that's funny because, and we gotta wrap it up after this, but Psalms 104 is a verse that I live by, and it says, Enter thy gates with thanksgiving, and thy courts with praise. Enter thy gates, which is his presence, and the key to his presence is gratitude. And I think that every single day, you enter into this world with gratitude, because he's the reason why we're here. And I believe that. And when it says, Enter thy gates with thanksgiving, thy courts with praise, that is a great way to start your day, and just enjoy your day, because this is the day that the Lord has made. Be glad and rejoice in it. There's no reason to be super angry and fearful, and all these different emotions.” “Sometimes it's okay for that, right? But just being grateful for the situation that we're in, and just going on in your day, every single day, and just understanding that this is a gift. We don't deserve this, but I like that piece. That's cool. You want to wrap it up? 

Kiki: Well, these are all really great points. Do you have any last notes or things that you want to say before we wrap it up?  

Kailey: I mean, just, again, finding those little building blocks in your morning routine can really set that precedent for the rest of your day. So if you are able to find those little things that spark joy, or having that instant gratification of checking something off of a to-do list, it might make you feel fulfilled for the rest of the day, even if you're not able to get anything else done. But it also might help you stick to the rest of your routine for your day, whether that was things that you need to get done at school or work. Or like me, I like to work out in the evenings after work. It sets me up to be motivated to “go to the gym later in the day. So I really do think that those building blocks in your morning routine can help you throughout the rest of your day. Of course, of course, those are amazing. 

Kiki: Is there anywhere that our listeners can find you on social media, or a website, or something?  

Kailey: You can follow the High Point University Employee Wellness Instagram page. So it's EWC underscore HPU. 

Kiki: Perfect. 

Mia: Well, Kailey, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your insights. Your passion for wellness and helping others live more intentional lives is truly inspiring. It's been a pleasure having you on the podcast.” 

Kailey: “Thank you.  

Kiki: Reminder to follow All The Little Things on Instagram at all the underscore little things, and check our website, which is linked on our Instagram page. We hope you all enjoyed this episode. Thank you for listening.”