Cultivating Routine and Mental Wellbeing with Nina Westbrook

Summary

Episode Summary: Cultivating Routine and Mental Wellbeing with Nina Westbrook

Introduction

In this enlightening episode of the Naked Beauty podcast, host Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli welcomes Nina Westbrook, a licensed marriage and family therapist, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate. Released on June 20, 2025, this episode delves deep into the significance of cultivating routines for mental wellbeing, balancing personal and professional life, effective parenting strategies, and maintaining self-care practices amidst a busy schedule.

Guest Introduction: Nina Westbrook

Brooke introduces Nina as a passionate advocate for erasing the stigma around mental health. With notable features in the New York Times, Goop, Oprah Daily, BET, and Essence, Nina shares her expertise on platforms like TED Talks. Beyond her clinical work, she is the creator of the Do Tell Conversation card game, designed to spark meaningful discussions on relationships and intimacy, and hosts the Do Tell Relationship Podcast. Nina is a dedicated wife and mother of three, seamlessly balancing family life with her mission to support others in their wellness journeys.

The Importance of Routine

Brooke emphasizes the central theme of the episode: the importance of having a consistent routine. She shares her personal journey of re-establishing her routine postpartum through strength training and magnesium supplements to enhance her sleep quality. Nina echoes the sentiment, highlighting that humans are "creatures of habit," and a structured routine fosters mental stability and homeostasis.

Nina's Journey into Mental Health

When asked about her motivation to study mental health, Nina reflects, "It becomes who you are, and you notice really early on that people have a tendency to want to talk to you and open up" ([02:29]). She describes her natural inclination to be a sounding board, fostering open and vulnerable conversations, which seamlessly transitioned into her professional path.

Therapeutic Practices and Reflection

Brooke draws parallels between her therapy sessions and Nina's approach, noting that therapists often ask probing questions rather than providing direct solutions. Nina emphasizes the role of reflection in personal growth: "We can't grow and improve and become the people we want to be without taking a look at how we got to where we are" ([03:24]). She discusses techniques like visualizing situations from another person's perspective to gain clarity and set future goals.

Removing the Stigma from Mental Health

Nina shares her upbringing in a vocal family that encouraged open discussions but did not engage in therapy. This environment cultivated her assertiveness and communication skills, which are integral to her therapeutic approach. She believes that teaching individuals to advocate for their mental health is crucial in reducing societal stigma.

Maintaining Routine for Mental Wellbeing

Nina elaborates on how a steady routine can significantly enhance mental health. She provides practical tips such as:

• Bedtime Routines: "Turning off that screen. Stop scrolling TikTok. Stop scrolling Instagram. Sleeping with your phone away from the bed" ([06:40]).
• Morning Routines: Allocating quiet time before the day begins to set a positive tone.
• Physical Activity: Integrating regular workouts to boost energy and mental clarity.

Brooke adds that while routines are often implemented for children, it's equally important for adults to establish and adhere to personal routines to maintain overall wellbeing.

Balancing Fitness and Parenthood

Both Brooke and Nina discuss the challenges of integrating fitness into their routines while managing early-morning responsibilities as mothers. Nina shares her experience of shifting her workouts to 5 AM to ensure consistency despite the demands of motherhood: "Once I was finished, I felt better. I felt energized" ([08:33]).

Parenting and Teaching Independence

Nina advocates for instilling responsibility and independence in children. She describes a structured approach where children participate in daily chores, such as organizing their backpacks and assisting with dinner preparations. This not only fosters self-reliance but also strengthens family bonds: "I'm getting a break. In little small places, they're learning and growing" ([16:36]).

Managing Social Commitments and Canceling Plans

The conversation shifts to the etiquette of canceling plans. Nina emphasizes the importance of honoring commitments, especially with close friends, while also prioritizing self-care: "If we're on the calendar, that means it's important to me. So I wouldn't cancel on you" ([13:26]). She advises informing others as early as possible to maintain respect and understanding.

Introducing Nebby: Nina's App for Mental Wellbeing

Nina introduces her new app, Nebby, designed to help users check in with their emotions daily. The app prompts users to log their feelings and provides three actionable tasks to improve their mood. For instance, if someone logs feeling "flat," Nebby might suggest:

1. Workout: "Always work out" ([24:17]).
2. Connect with a Friend: "Give yourself something to look forward to" ([24:22]).
3. Engage in a Happy Activity: "Figure out what you can do today. That's a small win" ([24:28]).

This tool aligns with Nina's mission to facilitate emotional education and efficient self-care practices.

Skincare Routines and Self-Care

Transitioning to beauty and self-care, Brooke and Nina discuss the significance of skincare routines in maintaining both physical appearance and mental health. Nina shares her minimalist morning routine, focusing on cleansing and applying serums with a commitment to using quality products: "If you take care of your skin, you're so young. Take care of your skin" ([29:20]).

At night, Nina indulges in a more extensive routine involving showering, applying creams and oils, and using face masks to relax and rejuvenate: "It's just my full bedtime routine. Lots of oils and products and creams and a face mask" ([31:58]).

The Role of Entertainment in Mental Wellbeing

Nina touches upon her enjoyment of the Real Housewives franchise as a form of escapism: "It's nice to sit back and, like, not have to be a part of it" ([26:13]). She appreciates the blend of drama and fashion, offering a mental break from her own stressors.

Embracing Natural Beauty

When asked about feeling most beautiful, Nina shares a heartfelt moment where her son complimented her natural appearance: "You just are the most beautiful when you don't have any makeup on" ([33:14]). She resonates with the idea of embracing one's natural self, emphasizing confidence and minimalistic beauty enhancements.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Brooke expressing gratitude for Nina's insights into routines, mental wellbeing, and self-care. Nina reinforces the importance of finding one's own flow and balancing various life aspects to achieve holistic health.

Notable Quotes

• Nina Westbrook ([02:29]): "It becomes who you are, and you notice really early on that people have a tendency to want to talk to you and open up."
• Nina Westbrook ([03:24]): "We can't grow and improve and become the people we want to be without taking a look at how we got to where we are."
• Brooke DeVard ([08:32]): "How do you force yourself to wake up early? I mean, because kids wake up so early."
• Nina Westbrook ([13:26]): "If we're on the calendar, that means it's important to me. So I wouldn't cancel on you."
• Nina Westbrook ([24:17]): "Always work out."
• Nina Westbrook ([33:14]): "You just are the most beautiful when you don't have any makeup on."

Final Thoughts

This episode of Naked Beauty offers a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between routines and mental wellbeing. Nina Westbrook's expertise provides listeners with actionable strategies to cultivate a balanced and fulfilling life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, structured routines, and meaningful connections.

Transcript

[Nina Westbrook]

Foreign.

[Brooke Devard]

Hello, this is Brooke Devard and you're listening to the Naked Beauty Podcast. And if you're joining us on YouTube, you are watching the Naked Beauty Podcast. I'm so excited about my guest today, Nina Westbrook, because one of the things we're going to really dive into is routine, the importance of having a routine. Now, I am someone that is trying to get back into my routine postpartum, but one of the things that's helped me the most is stress strength training. I have a trainer, Lucy, who I adore. I've been seeing her since I lived in New York. We do strength training every Tuesday and Thursday and it's really helped me feel good in my body, especially postpartum. It's so nice to just like lift heavy weights, feel like I'm getting stronger. I feel like I sleep better when I do strength training. So that's been a game changer. Another thing, I've talked about it on this podcast, but taking magnesium supplements at night, that has helped me sleep so, so well. I'm someone who in the past when I had to sleep, would take sleeping pills with magnesium. I find that I fall asleep much more deeply and more quickly. Now I am postpartum and my baby has hit the kind of four month sleep regression, so she's waking up in the middle of the night. So I'm not able to take the magnesium every night. But I'm doing all that's in my control to stay on a consistent routine. Routine is really the big takeaway from today's episode, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm going to share a little bit more about my guest, Nina. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, entrepreneur and advocate, Nina Westbrook is deep, deeply passionate about erasing the stigma around mental health. She has been featured in the New York Times, goop, Oprah, Daily, bet, Essence, and she shared her expertise on ted. Beyond her clinical work, Nina creates opportunities for connection and reflection. She's the creator of the Do Tell Conversation card game designed to spark meaningful discussions on relationships and intimacy. I have this card game. It's very fun. We play it all the time at home. It really sparks interesting dialogue. And she also hosts the Do Tell Relationship Podcast, which I just had the pleasure of being a guest on. One of the things Nina's really passionate about is evidence based insights on cultivating happiness. In addition to her professional endeavors, Nina is a dedicated wife and mother of three, balancing her commitment to family with her mission to support others in their wellness journey. She also has a new app that I'm really excited to hear about. Please join me in welcoming Nina to Naked Beauty. Nina, welcome to Naked Beauty. I'm so excited for this conversation.

[Nina Westbrook]

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[Brooke Devard]

Thank you. Routine, mental health. It's all connected. It's all important. Before we get into all of your tips and tricks, what made you want to study mental health and wellness?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my gosh. I feel like I get asked this question often, and if you ask any mental health professional, we all share the same story. You know, it becomes who you are, and you notice really early on that people have a tendency to want to talk to you and open up. And I feel like it's a. A part of my being and so being able to just be open with people and let them be vulnerable. And I feel so honored that it's come so naturally to me. And I felt like, naturally, I would go ahead and get the education and do all the paperwork in order to become the thing that I felt like I've always been, which is a great sounding board and someone that's reliable and trusting. Yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

It's interesting that you say sounding board, because what I've noticed in therapy that I've done is they don't necessarily give you solutions or tell you what to. They ask a lot of questions to get you to think about your situation more deeply. How has that taught to you in practice?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, wow. I mean, I feel like reflection is so important. Like, we can't grow and improve and become the people we want to be without taking a look at how we got to where we are. You have to be able to constantly check in, look back, and see what worked for you, what didn't work, what relationships felt good to you, which ones didn't, and even, like, how you feel when you're around people in your lives or when you're in certain circumstances. And that if you just take a second to really reflect on those things, your body and your emotions and your feelings will tell you and teach you so much.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. When you're with a patient and they're describing a situation to you, what questions do you ask them to get them to reflect more deeply?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my gosh. It depends on the patient or the client. I like to say. Depends on the relationship. If it's someone that I have a really deep connection with in a relationship that maybe is a little. A little more intimate. The therapeutic relationship is like any other relationship. You know, you can. I can kiki with a client like I can kiki with a girlfriend. As long as I'm maintaining healthy boundaries and only sharing and disclosing things when it's appropriate or when it's meant to help the client to see things for themselves. But there's always that one question. If you take yourself out of it and you look at it from someone else's perspective and you know, insert whomever from your mother's perspective or from a friend's perspective, and what would you tell them in this situation? So it's like questions like that to really get people thinking about their thought process and how they can get to the next. The next goal.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah. So almost taking yourself out of it, looking at it from a bird's eye view and seeing the situation from another perspective.

[Nina Westbrook]

Right. And it could go both ways. It could be, you know, whether you're trying to determine if a relationship is sustainable or something that you want to put your energy and effort into, or you can look at it from a kind of like a negative self talk perspective. Like if this was your friend or your family member, how would you want them to talk to themselves? And so I think the visualization of that is really important.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Now you also talk about removing the stigma from mental health. Did you grow up in a family where mental health was discussed? Were you in therapy? What did you learn about mental health before you joined this industry?

[Nina Westbrook]

You know, I grew up in a very vocal family. At the time, I didn't know too much about therapy. I never went to therapy growing up. My parents definitely didn't go to therapy. But we were raised to speak how we feel and share our opinions. I like to refer to a lot of our discussions as spirited debates. And growing up with three brothers, you know, I had to learn to use my voice really early. And sometimes it's not always pretty or sugar coated. And that if I wanted to be heard, then this is how I had to assert myself. And I feel like that in turn helped me develop the skills to really go into therapy. And also just the same things and skills that I'm teaching and the tools that I'm sharing with other people, just how to be assertive about their mental health and wellness. I think it can. It kind of stems from there.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Okay, well, let's get into some of those tools that you're teaching people because today's episode is really all about how to cultivate routine for your mental well being. How have you seen mental health improve as a result of having a steady routine?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh my gosh. We are creatures of habit. I see this a lot with my children. If I take them on the road or take them anywhere with me. And we don't have some kind of structure. Yes, it could be chaotic and we can't always plan for everything. But planning to not have everything go according to plan is part of the process. And so I think that, you know, the same as children, we as adults, we thrive with routine and structure. And so if there are certain things that we can do in our day that help us to maintain some type of homeostasis, then I really think that it's so important. And I feel like whether it's your bedtime routine and just making sure that you are keeping up with the same routine every night. Turning off that screen. Stop scrolling TikTok. Stop scrolling Instagram. Sleeping with your phone away from the bed. Don't charge your phone next to your bed. Leave it in the bathroom or somewhere else where it's not so easily accessible. And then just even having a morning routine and everyone's so busy. We are juggling careers. Everyone has children. There's so much going on. But waking up early and just taking an extra 10 to 15 minutes of quiet time to yourself can really take you a long way. So incorporating small things like that doesn't have to be huge into your daily routine.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. I mean, it's so interesting because as a mother, I know that my kids go to bed at a certain time, they eat at a certain time, they have outside playtime in the sun, getting vitamin D. But then when it comes to myself, I don't always implement those same things. I'm not strict with myself about bedtime. I'm not strict making sure I have protein in every meal. All of the things that we do for our kids, we should really be doing for ourselves.

[Nina Westbrook]

Absolutely, Absolutely.

[Brooke Devard]

You've got to parent yourself now. You talked about waking up early before the kids get up. This is something I hear a lot. It's kind of one of those like, standard advice things. I personally need every minute of sleep I can get. How do you force yourself to wake up early? I mean, because kids wake up so early.

[Nina Westbrook]

Okay.

[Brooke Devard]

I don't know what time your kids wake up, but my kids are up at like 6am Ready to start the day.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. My kids are can get up at six on a good day. My son will get up at 5:30 sometimes. It's awful.

[Brooke Devard]

So you wake up before that.

[Nina Westbrook]

I'm just like you. I need so much sleep.

[Brooke Devard]

Right.

[Nina Westbrook]

But I found that when I switched my workout routine to 5am oh Lord. I know. Wait, hang on. Stay with me now. I switched my workout routine to 5am I hated it. I dreaded it. But what was happening was if I left it in the middle of my day, I found 20,000 excuses and reasons to cancel and push it aside. Right. So there's nothing popping up on my calendar at 5am I would hate getting up, but I did it. Once I was finished, I felt better. I felt energized. Yes, I was tired waking up, but I had the most energy for the rest of the day with a clear mind and a good little dopamine boost. So it's definitely worth it. But it is a struggle and it's a challenge.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Now, you were an athlete. You're married to an athlete. Do you still consider yourself. Is it like once an athlete, always an athlete?

[Nina Westbrook]

I feel like I'm going to say yes because the strain that your body goes through, both good and bad, I'm still seeing the results of that. Right. I have a really good heart rate. I'm very, you know, I love that.

[Brooke Devard]

You know your heart rate.

[Nina Westbrook]

I have.

[Brooke Devard]

I don't even know.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. I have a very, really steady low heartbeat. And I'm always very easy to work out. When I work out, I get muscle really quickly. That muscle memory is always there. But also, I have so many aches and pains, so.

[Brooke Devard]

Right.

[Nina Westbrook]

So I'm like, oh, I remember where this one came from and where this one stems from. And then depending on the weather and the time of year, everything flares up. And so, yes, I would still consider myself.

[Brooke Devard]

And am I correct that you met your husband playing basketball?

[Nina Westbrook]

I met Russell at ucla.

[Brooke Devard]

At ucla. But you were both playing basketball.

[Nina Westbrook]

We both played basketball.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay. Very loving basketball.

[Nina Westbrook]

Very loving basketball. Very.

[Brooke Devard]

But obviously you weren't like playing on the same team. So how did you. How did you meet?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my gosh. College campus is small.

[Brooke Devard]

Right.

[Nina Westbrook]

You know, and especially when you're both in the same sport, you do a lot of things as athletes. I mean, I would say the whole group as athletes together on campus. But honestly, Russell and I met. I was still in high school when we met. I was visiting.

[Brooke Devard]

How old was he? To clarify before people start getting.

[Nina Westbrook]

First of all, we didn't freaked out. 80 yet. But he's only two months older than I.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay. In November, you know, people will. People go crazy with the. You were in high school, you were being groomed. He's two months older. He's two months older.

[Nina Westbrook]

Two months older and whatever. But we weren't dating at that time. I met him during a college visit. We kind of hit it off as Friends. And then as soon as I went back and coming freshman summer, we just started dating and it was great.

[Brooke Devard]

And how long have you been married now?

[Nina Westbrook]

It'll be our 10 year in August. So we've been. It'll be 10 years in August. 18 years maybe together.

[Brooke Devard]

That's so sweet. That's so sweet. So do you all work out together?

[Nina Westbrook]

No, no, no. I don't work out with Russell. He's too hoorah for me.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay.

[Nina Westbrook]

Like he was cheering and clapping. He's loud. He likes to play music. I don't have time for that.

[Brooke Devard]

I've seen his. His TikTok. What's it. What's it called when you're on the bench? Sideline side.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, the dancing.

[Brooke Devard]

The dancing that he does when he's on the bench. The TikTok dances. I'm like, I know he's fun at home.

[Nina Westbrook]

You know I'm fun at home.

[Brooke Devard]

Of course. I saw your. I know. I feel so honored to be on your close friends when I saw your reel pop up with your daughters dancing to Bodyguard by Beyonce.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah, I know.

[Brooke Devard]

So fun.

[Nina Westbrook]

People don't understand how fun I am. Russell's definitely fun. He's full, full of energy. He has way more energy and requires a lot less sleep than I do. And so. Yeah, but workouts are no. For me. I want to just be depressed and work out and like miserable and then I'll be happy after and then we can start to talk.

[Brooke Devard]

Speaking of fun, one of the things you said really helps your overall mental well being is making time for girlfriends for you. That's a non negotiable.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, definitely. I mean, even for myself, when I feel like I want to cancel on a friend, there's something in me that is just like, no, don't do it. Because what happens is I go. I get immediately energized. I have so much fun. I'm able to really relax, get out of kid zone, work zone in my mind and just connect. And I think it's so important for us to have and maintain those. Those connections that really, like, fill our cups rather than, you know, drain us.

[Brooke Devard]

So let's talk about canceling plans, because I think this is a big topic. Sometimes you commit to a plan when you're feeling great. Then a week goes by, it's time for those plans you committed to and you're not feeling it. And there's honoring the person you made the plan with, but then there's honoring yourself. How do you think through canceling plans? What do you think is the Right. Etiquette around canceling plans. And when you do cancel, how do you approach it?

[Nina Westbrook]

It depends on who I'm canceling on.

[Brooke Devard]

Let's say we had plans. You know, we've met a few times, we're friendly.

[Nina Westbrook]

I would not cancel on you.

[Brooke Devard]

But what if you had a horrible day and everything was falling apart and you just really weren't feeling like it?

[Nina Westbrook]

Would assume. I would, like, have optimism that meeting with you would make my day brighter. Because if I put if we're on the calendar, that means it's important to me. So I wouldn't cancel on you. And I. If you were my high school best friend, I would cancel on you.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay. Because they understand.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah. Like, we're. We're nurturing a relationship and getting to know each other, and that is not who I would want you to think that I am.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay. I understand that. I understand that. I find it very difficult to make time for friends between work and. But I kind of squeeze it in. Yesterday I got my hair highlighted and. Thank you. And my best friend Amelia just, like, popped by the salon because she lives walking distance. And we just had, like, a quick catch up while I was, you know, under the dryer with my foils in.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

I think that really good friends that you've had for a long time, don't take it personally when you don't have time. But I feel bad when I have to cancel on people I don't know.

[Nina Westbrook]

Well, me too. I do. I think so as well. But it also depends on, like, what are you looking to get out of the relationship? Like, why are you canceling? If it's just something that you have no control over, then you got to, like, let that go.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah.

[Nina Westbrook]

There's no country you don't have any control over whether or not you can make it to this outing occasion or whatever. Just let it go. The other thing is, there will always be other opportunities to meet up and hang or grab a drink or a coffee or whatever the case may be. And if that person's meant to be in your life, whether it be business wise or new friendships or whatever the case may be, they'll be there.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah. I have one tip for this that I feel like I've learned over time. When you're not feeling it, I think cancel as soon as you're not feeling it, rather than telling yourself, like, you know, like, sometimes I'll wake up in the morning and I'll see, like, I have this thing at six o' clock and. But I sometimes think, okay, maybe by six I'll be. Feel. No, you kind of know that. Cancel as soon as possible out of respect for the other person. I think.

[Nina Westbrook]

Love that. I would agree with that. I totally. I don't like same day canceling.

[Brooke Devard]

Right. And if it is going to be same day, do it like, not an hour before.

[Nina Westbrook]

No. Let me know in the morning, and then I can plan and readjust and schedule accordingly. And I'm like. And most of the time, if it comes down to me, I'm happy for someone to cancel a plan, but I just need a little notice. I think that you're. That's being very respectful.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

I love hearing from organized moms like you that have their life together because you've got three kids.

[Nina Westbrook]

Is that what you think?

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

Is that what I'm giving?

[Brooke Devard]

That's very much what you're giving, and I feel like it's what you are. But you shared something with me on the phone that really blew my mind because I think I'm like a mama bear. Like, I love to do things for my son, which is not good. As, you know, our kids are at the same school. I feel like teachers always tell us, like, give them independence, let them struggle. They talk about frustration tolerance, increase their frustration tolerance. If you see them struggling with the shoe, don't go in and put the shoe on their foot. You shared with me that you. One of the things you do with your kids is you make them responsible for their schedule. Tell me more about this.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my gosh. Honestly, out of necessity, almost for myself, I've had to teach my kids how to care for themselves because I can't do everything all the time. And then what I found is that, you know, by teaching them these skills and them building that confidence and that awareness and that skill set that they're going to need at some point, I'm also helping them to grow.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

So I'm getting a break. In little small places, they're learning and growing. For example, when my kids come in from school, we line our backpacks up, we take our shoes off, we line them up, we remove our lunch pails from our backpacks and our water bottles, we put them by the sink, we wash our hands, and then we load the. Load them into the dishwasher machine. All during this time, I'm making dinner, prepping dinner and getting things together, reloading new water bottles, putting them in the fridge. But we're spending time together, we're bonding. We're connecting over the chores and responsibilities that we all have. And instead of me having to do all that on my own and still do dinner and still do bath time. We're kind of working together, and I'm like, taking off and killing two birds with one stone or three birds with one stone. So it's really good for kids to develop their sense of self and build confidence in their abilities so that they. That's part of the process. That's the only thing that they're meant to do, is to learn how to be independent little people.

[Brooke Devard]

Right?

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. And having three kids is a lot. Are there times where it is just pure chaos?

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

Yeah, I'm happy to hear that, Nina. Honestly, I'm happy to hear that.

[Nina Westbrook]

I mean, I like. That was so kind of you. You just told me that I come off as very organized and everything. I rolled in here 20 minutes late, so that's okay.

[Brooke Devard]

Things happen. And I feel like for moms especially, things are always happening.

[Nina Westbrook]

There's always something happening. And I'm also a Capricorn, so I don't leave myself enough time to do things. That's a problem that I've been constantly working on. But having three kids, yeah, it's about organized chaos, you know, and if they. If their structure and we. We're going back to this structure thing, they can really take ownership over their responsibilities. We have a board at our house. It's a calendar. It's called the hearth board, I think, or organizer. And it's every. Like, literally every time a friend. We have a playdate, a friend comes over, they're like, oh, my gosh. Immediately. What is that? Because it is a beautiful calendar and schedule that we can put everyone's activities in. And also you can put their routines in there. So then they can tick off their little morning routines, afternoon and bedtime routines, and they're, like, proud to do that. They're so excited, and they're happy to do it. We stay organized. They can go to the board and look at what they have on their schedule. My son will be like, mom, I have practice. Who's taking me? And I'm like, oh, my gosh, he does have practice. So, like, just putting all these little systems in place that can really help you to stay organized, but also organize your kids. And then everyone can kind of just. Then we can roll with the punches as we go.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes, yes. It's like their Google calendar.

[Nina Westbrook]

Exactly.

[Brooke Devard]

Their source of truth.

[Nina Westbrook]

I know.

[Brooke Devard]

And isn't it so funny how our kids have such robust lives? I mean, it's like there's school and then there's after school activities, like My son's in soccer, he's in T ball, he has dance class, he does gymnastics.

[Nina Westbrook]

That's what my son literally, I think yesterday he was yelling at me, mommy, I have so much to do, mind you.

[Brooke Devard]

Do you think it's over scheduling? Sometimes.

[Nina Westbrook]

Okay, so here's the. Here's another thing. I went to this thing. I'm always trying to figure. I don't have all the answers, and I'm always trying to figure it out. So I went to this coffee where this woman was teaching us or telling us or sharing about, you know, children's schedules and how we can help to maintain them. And something. One of the biggest takeaways I got from her was that if my kids are going to bed on time, then their, their scheduling is okay. Okay, so my kids go to bed at 7:00 and 7:30, and so we're clearly not that scheduled. Over. Scheduled. Right. And they need things. They need things to stimulate them. And when I feel like this is like back to the reflecting thing. When I feel like we just need a day, like, cancel everything. We're not going to soccer. We're not doing piano. We don't. We're not doing, you know, tutoring, like, whatever the activity is. If I think my kids just need to come home and play outside, then everything's canceled. And that's what we're gonna do.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

You know, we have to kind of. I kind of take their lead on that. When I feel like they're a little exhausted, then we need to tone it down a little bit.

[Brooke Devard]

And the same goes for us as adults. Right. When you're, when you feel like it's just too much, you've got to go and cancel things.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes, exactly. Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

I was, you know, just in New York and then I'm going to London next week, and I told my producer. I was like, I just have too much this week. Like, where can we cut back? Where can we. And I think having that internal check in is so important. I know you have an app that's. That's soon to be. Probably by the time this is out, it will be available in the App Store. But a lot of what you encourage people to do through the app is to check in with themselves. Can you share a bit more about that?

[Nina Westbrook]

Absolutely. The app is called Nebby, and basically.

[Brooke Devard]

It'S spell Nebby for us.

[Nina Westbrook]

N, E, B, B, I.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, what does that mean?

[Nina Westbrook]

It's like a little combination between ebbing and flowing and nebula because, you know, our lives are in orbit and everything requires homeostasis and we just want to be balanced and try and figure out how to. The best way to go about doing that. And the main preface is that reflection piece. You know, checking in with yourself. You start every day with a check in. And I think that is so important just for us to educate ourselves emotionally. Like we need to be able to understand how we feel, what makes us go, who makes us feel good and who doesn't make us feel good. And so we can really prioritize and manage where we want to put our energy and our time. So every day starts with a simple check in. And I think you know every.

[Brooke Devard]

And what are you checking in on?

[Nina Westbrook]

You're checking in on. On your emotions and how you feel.

[Brooke Devard]

So is there like a prompt?

[Nina Westbrook]

There's definitely a prompt. So there's a. Definitely a prompt and you checking in. It's all evidence based. You're saying, how are you feeling today? I'm feeling flat. I'm feeling happy, I'm feeling anxious and whatever that may be.

[Brooke Devard]

And then what does feeling flat mean? I haven't heard that.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, that's a good question.

[Brooke Devard]

Is it like not up or down?

[Nina Westbrook]

I feel like flat is like how we probably feel so often. And because we have so many things on our plate, like you said, we as adults are over scheduled sometimes our children are over scheduled and we become in this kind of autopilot mode. Right. We're just on the hamster wheel and we're running and we're running and we are not really feeling. And we don't really feel terrible. Like we're not in a crisis, but we don't feel like we're thriving. I've spoken to so many moms and parents and friends who are just like, I don't know what's going on with me. I'm feeling like I just, I don't have it, you know, I don't have the energy that's sparked. Overwhelmed. Yeah, there's just no zest there. And I think that that is the equivalent of feeling FL flat. But you can't quite describe it. But you know that you're not feeling that your best. Right. And I feel like most of us fall into that little category. So you log your emotion and then we're going to give you three simple tasks and actionable. Actionable and small tasks that you can do to help improve your mood. And it's that simple.

[Brooke Devard]

I love that. Yeah.

[Nina Westbrook]

Because we're busy. Like no one has time to do all the things right. I'm all about efficiency.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

I'm super type A Capricorn. We need to be efficient, like, realistic, and, like, find something that fits into our schedule. Right.

[Brooke Devard]

So if I did wake up feeling flat, what are three things that I could quickly do to get out of that feeling?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my God. Well, you could work out.

[Brooke Devard]

Work out. Okay. We love a workout, everyone.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. Always work out.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. Moving your body feels so good. In the intro, I talked about how I've been strength training, and it just makes me feel so powerful and good.

[Nina Westbrook]

I know. It feels good to feel strong, right?

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

The other thing that you could do if feeling flat is check in with that one friend, that one person. It could be your mom, whomever it is, and just be like, hey, let's put something on the calendar. I would love to see your face. And you know that through that encounter, you're going to be energized and maybe you'll be motivated or inspired in some type of way, right?

[Brooke Devard]

Yes. I love that. Something to look forward to.

[Nina Westbrook]

Give yourself something to look forward to. And then the other thing that you can do is one thing that makes you happy. Like, figure out what you can do today. That's a small, small win that will make your day a little, tiny bit better. Because it's all about, like, small wins and small actions that create big change. For me, that would mean getting my kids into bed and down all the same, you know, at the appropriate time, and then putting on Housewives or something and having a glass of wine with my dinner like that for me is going to make me so happy. It's just. It's the simple thing.

[Brooke Devard]

Someone needs to write a dissertation about how educated women love the Real Housewives franchise. There. It is. Truly a phenomenon. The smarter you are, the more you love the Real Housewives. What's your favorite city?

[Nina Westbrook]

Ooh, ooh. That's tricky. I mean, I really loved last season's episode of Beverly Hills Housewives because I live for both.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes, we love both.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh, my gosh. She was my favorite. And I just loved how quick and classy all of her little clapbacks were. I just loved it.

[Brooke Devard]

What do you think it is about the Real Housewives that attracts people that, you know, have high powered jobs and are using their brain all the time? Is it this idea that you can turn your brain off? Is it escapism?

[Nina Westbrook]

I think it's escapism and it's both. I mean, when I watch Beverly Hills Housewives, first of all, I love fashion, so I'm interested. Like, I like looking at pretty things. I don't care What? Yes, I. It's fine. I want to see beautiful things and people and fashions and whatever. And then I also don't want to have to think about. I just want to watch. Like, I have so much drama and so much stress in my own life. It's nice to sit back and, like, not have to be a part of it.

[Brooke Devard]

Right.

[Nina Westbrook]

And I can just tune in and, like, be like, oh, I guess I'm okay. You know, like, this is, like. This is, like. This is mild compared to what's happening on a Real Housewives right now. It's like a little boost of energy for me. It's just pure entertainment.

[Brooke Devard]

Entertainment and a little barometer. Like, okay, I have drama in my life, but it's not like this drama question for you, because we're on naked beauty. Beauty discussion. Your skin is just phenomenal. I'm sure everyone around you asks you for skincare advice, and you can't have great skin without a routine. So the same way we're saying you can't feel good in your body without a routine, you cannot have good skin without a routine. I mean, if you're really genetically blessed, maybe, but the skin is phenomenal. Oh, my gosh. So take me through your a.m. and p.m. routine.

[Nina Westbrook]

Okay. So I was a little nervous you were gonna ask me this.

[Brooke Devard]

Why nervous?

[Nina Westbrook]

This is the only thing I thought about. I reflect reflected on before coming here, because I was like, well, I'm probably gonna have to share some skincare information. So I don't really do makeup. I. I genuinely did this. All for you.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

All for you. I would never, on a random day look like this during the day. Thank you. I heard from so many estheticians, but Sarah Ackerman, to be specific, she's like, don't ever do anything to your face. If you take care of your skin, you're so young. Take care of your skin. Use quality products, and just make sure that you are maintaining and being proactive with taking care of yourself.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

You. Then you don't have to do anything, and you don't have to wear so much makeup.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

And you can just feel confident and comfortable in your own skin. And. And that's typically how I like to be.

[Brooke Devard]

Let's double click on this because we are both 35. Right? Right.

[Nina Westbrook]

I'm 36.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, 36. Basically the same age, living in LA. The fact that we have to be told, like, don't do anything to your face, and that's seen as radical at our age is really something. And I've been doing Kind of skincare conversations. For a long time. In the past two to three years, I have noticed this increase in people wanting to do Botox fillers. People want to do the most extreme things. And I'm like, what about good old fashioned skincare? Can we just get that down?

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. I mean, I use so many different brands. One time someone told me about deodorant. If you use the same deodorant all the time, it kind of like stops working. It's like if you have surgery or something and you're using Tylenol the whole time, then your body kind of becomes acclimated to it. So that's why you flip back and forth between Tylenol and Motrin. And that's such a random example. But same thing with the deodorant.

[Brooke Devard]

Oh, wow.

[Nina Westbrook]

For every two weeks, use one deodorant and like just have two and rotate them.

[Brooke Devard]

I've used the same deodorant for 15 years. Donna Karen White Cashmere Mist. Everybody says that I'm not. I'm not a good.

[Nina Westbrook]

No, I've never said it.

[Brooke Devard]

I'm addicted.

[Nina Westbrook]

I need to try it.

[Brooke Devard]

But don't. No, it's. It's like not even. No. Just stick with what you've got. So tell me, tell me your morning skincare routine.

[Nina Westbrook]

My morning skincare routine. You're not going to love this. I really don't do a ton.

[Brooke Devard]

I love. Not a ton.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah. I do more at night and then by the time I wake up, I just do a little light wash with water and then I pile on my serum. I do my. I will just do whatever little accumulation that I want of products before I hit the door. And I try my best to end with a spf, but I use Augustina's Bader. I use Vintner's Daughter, which I really love them because.

[Brooke Devard]

What do you use from Vitner's Both.

[Nina Westbrook]

Because.

[Brooke Devard]

Well, serum and the Essence.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah, I use the cleanser sometimes also.

[Brooke Devard]

I love that cleanser.

[Nina Westbrook]

But I mean, it's. I love it because it's so simple and so easy. And I don't want to do a huge routine. I just started with Dr. Diamond.

[Brooke Devard]

The medicine line.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. And I use those products sometimes. And I also use biology. Yeah. And I kind of just rotate everything all the time.

[Brooke Devard]

What's your go to lip balm and go to sunscreen.

[Nina Westbrook]

I'm so happy you asked me this. I'm obsessed with maid.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay.

[Nina Westbrook]

Have you tried it?

[Brooke Devard]

Denise Vazi's product?

[Nina Westbrook]

It just came out.

[Brooke Devard]

I need to try it.

[Nina Westbrook]

And I am like, okay, first of all, it goes on so beautifully and like the lip part is so big and so it's nice for girls with larger lips.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

And it's cold and so it just feels nice coming on. And then she has like a serum for your lips which I had not really experienced that before and I love that. And then there's also a scrub and it's, it's a whole new, it's my new like love affair.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay, I have to try it.

[Nina Westbrook]

So there's, there's that and then what, what was the last one?

[Brooke Devard]

Sunscreen. Your go to sunscreen.

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh my gosh. My go to sunscreen. I have like four and I don't even know the names. I don't. But they're good.

[Brooke Devard]

You wear them?

[Nina Westbrook]

I wear them, yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

That's the most important thing. I have two final questions for you. For someone like you that's super busy when you do want to have a self care moment at home, what does that look like in terms of beauty? Do you, do you draw a bath for yourself? Do you like a long shower? Do you do a face mask situation?

[Nina Westbrook]

I will, I hate my bedtime routine because it involves so many different products. So what I will do is I will do my full bedtime routine. I shower, I use all of my creams, all of my oils and do like a full blown situation. I also use a face mask. I love home face masks.

[Brooke Devard]

Which face mask do you.

[Nina Westbrook]

The biologic and I also.

[Brooke Devard]

Which one? The one that smells terrible.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah, like I don't, I don't need my skincare to smell good. Like I just needed to work.

[Brooke Devard]

Brown waxy one. I think it's called Vivant.

[Nina Westbrook]

Vivant. And they have one now that you can actually leave on overnight or just leave on in general. But no, I'm talking about the sheets.

[Brooke Devard]

Oh, the sheet masks. Okay.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes, I use a face mask sheet. I have, I do have that also. I just, I mean I love it. You just feel your face tightening up and it just, you know, and so that's what my self care routine is. Just my full bedtime routine. Lots of oils and products and creams and a face like a face mask.

[Brooke Devard]

Sometimes that's all it takes to feel good.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yeah.

[Brooke Devard]

All your creams and potions and lotions.

[Nina Westbrook]

Exactly.

[Brooke Devard]

Then getting into bed.

[Nina Westbrook]

Exactly.

[Brooke Devard]

And then my final question for you is when do you feel most beautiful? Beautiful?

[Nina Westbrook]

Oh my gosh. My son said to me the other day, mommy, you look beautiful with your makeup, but you just, you just are the most beautiful when you don't have any makeup on.

[Brooke Devard]

How old is your son?

[Nina Westbrook]

He's gonna be 8 tomorrow.

[Brooke Devard]

Oh, my God.

[Nina Westbrook]

In May.

[Brooke Devard]

That is just this because, you know, we see you on the Vanity Fair red carpet. We see you at all of these events, Right. And you've. Did you have. You've done the Met Gala, right?

[Nina Westbrook]

No, I've not done the Met Gala.

[Brooke Devard]

Anyway, we see you at all of these very fancy events, looking gorgeous. Hair, makeup, the whole thing. But for your son to say, you're the most beautiful without makeup. So do you feel that way too?

[Nina Westbrook]

I mean, I do. Like, I. For me, I feel the most beautiful when my skin is, like, popping.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes.

[Nina Westbrook]

And I'm out to dinner. I'm out. I will go anywhere without any makeup on. Like, I feel like that's when I'm at my best.

[Brooke Devard]

Yes, yes, yes. When you can just be like, here's my face. The skin is perfect. Maybe a little lip gloss.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. Or lash. Little. I like, I get individuals.

[Brooke Devard]

Okay.

[Nina Westbrook]

So I feel like with a lash and a little skin. Yes.

[Brooke Devard]

That's what I mean. What else do you need? What else do you need? Well, thank you so much, Nina, for joining Naked Beauty. I'm so excited to try Nebby and, like, track my moods and just, like, get into a flow. I love what you said about it's a flow.

[Nina Westbrook]

Yes. It's all about finding the right flow.

[Brooke Devard]

Love it.

[Nina Westbrook]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Brooke Devard]

Thanks. Wait, you're not a Hotels.com member, so you're choosing to pay full price? Did you not hear the song?

[Nina Westbrook]

How could you not be a member and save up to 20%? That's less than 50%, but it's more than 0%. You're welcome.

[Brooke Devard]

See, the math is mathing. Save up to 20% on hundreds of thousands of hotels.

[Nina Westbrook]

With Hotels.comacast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's the show that we recommend.

[C]

The Real Housewives is a guilty pleasure for most. But if you're looking to not feel guilty about that pleasure, tune in to everything Iconic with me, Danny Pellegrino, where I break down all the messy moments and behind the scenes antics of Bravo's popular franchise. And on everything iconic, I also interview celebrity guests like Kelly Ripa, Keke Palmer, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and more about their guilty pleasures, their past work, and so much more. So if you're pop culture obsessed and find yourself watching way too much reality TV like me, tune in to everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino. Wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Nina Westbrook]

Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.