Unwind with… is a regular column that explores the simple ways interesting people take care of themselves through periods of change or upheaval.
Megan Waters balances her time between the fitness industry and sports media. The Warumungu/Yawuru woman was born and raised on Larrakia Country in Darwin and is a sports presenter, gym owner, and trainer.
"No day is ever the same … which presents its challenges at times," she says.
Naarm/Melbourne has been her home for the past 14 years, and she says a lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, which she spent "really trying to figure out what [my] steps forward were".
This AFL season marks her fifth behind the camera on Yokayi Footy, a weekly NITV program spotlighting young, diverse players and perspectives.
I feel my happiest when…
I'm with the people I love.
It's also the simple things. I'm fortunate that I live by the ocean and I'm always the happiest when I'm in saltwater and in sunshine.
Nature helps me feel grounded and connected. If I'm with my friends or my family and I'm by the ocean, I am a pretty happy human.
My happy place is also stepping off the plane and feeling Darwin, the different pace and different air. Most of my family is up there.
How I stay organised…
I'm not inherently a very organised person. I've got friends who are so 'Type A', who have everything in a spreadsheet or a calendar. I've always been a bit loosey-goosey with things like that, but because I've been thrust into this washing machine of different work commitments, I've had to become very diligent.
One of my best friends always laughs because up until two years ago, I was still using a physical diary and if I didn't have it on me, I wouldn't write it down. She would ask how I remembered anything and truthfully, I wouldn't.
Having a to-do list is key. I also have a to-do list every day and if I don't get those things done, they're added to the next day.
Every day — sometimes twice or three times a day, depending on my stress levels and anxiety — I remove myself from whatever I'm doing if I'm feeling overwhelmed. I'll go outside and I'll shut my eyes, and I'll just listen to the sounds that I can hear around me and take 10 deep breaths.
Something that's changed…
The way that I move my body has changed.
I might be in the gym one morning at 5am, then I might be teaching breath work that night until 9pm and then going into the studio to record Yokayi Footy in the morning.
I can't train in the same way that I once did because — for one — I'm just so tired.
I've had to really adjust my training to suit my energy levels and that was really hard to do at first because I've always been an all-systems-go, high-intensity, 'let's do burpees' kind of person.
Over the last 12 months, I've really slowed things down and prioritised exercise like hot mat Pilates over a high-intensity workout, because I know that's what my nervous system needs.
I'm also conscious of my hormones. Something which is absolutely wild to me is that it's taken me to get to my mid-30s to have an understanding of my menstrual cycle.
Now I know when I can push my body, and I've adapted my training a lot.
