You are allowed to let go of the rules and routines that no longer fit your healthiest self, and this episode might just be the permission slip and re-evaluation you've been waiting for.
In this episode of The Balance Theory, Erika sits down with Dominique Elissa, founder of Selfdom, for a conversation that moves through pregnancy, body image, grief and gratitude, and keeps landing on the same question: what does it actually mean to be well when your body, your routine and your world are all changing at once? This is not another conversation about doing more, optimising harder or adding one more rule to your routine. It is an honest look at why flexibility, not discipline, is what actually makes you well.
If you have ever caught yourself thinking:
"I am doing all the right things and it still is not enough"
"My body is changing and none of this feels like mine anymore"
"I want to trust what my body is telling me instead of following another rule"
"I know gratitude is supposed to help, but some days it feels impossible to even try"
Then this episode is for you. In this conversation, Erika and Dominique cover:
- Why being told she wasn't "good enough" for a modelling job changed the way Dominique saw her own body
- The moment Dominique realised her wellness rules were about control, not about actually feeling good
- How pregnancy is reshaping her relationship with discipline, structure and flexibility
- Why rigidity can cap your life experience more than it protects you
- Grieving a parent while building a family of your own
- What Dominique wants her children to know about their Nonna
- Why gratitude only works when it is practised consistently, not just in the hardest moments
- A simple explanation of cycle syncing and why most women are never taught it
- How to stop wellness tracking from becoming another source of pressure
- Whether a content creator can ever really be present, and where Dominique draws the line
Wherever you are in your own version of change, whether that is your body, your habits or your grief, this conversation is proof the flexible path can be the healthiest one too.
SPONSORS:
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Filmed at Pivotal Conversations Studios
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CONNECT
📸 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dominiquelissa/
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TIMESTAMP
(00:00) Introduction
(07:14) What did you think your future would look like?
(18:09) They cancelled my job because my belly wasn’t “big enough”
(20:31) Having anchors that make you, you
(21:31) Wellness habits that are more about control than a benefit
(25:04) How do you manage your self-talk?
(26:59) How has pregnancy changed the way you grieve your mum?
(30:19) What would you want your kids to know about their Nonna?
(31:16) Everyone should ask their mums this
(36:43) Does gratitude actually work in your hardest moments?
(42:49) Cycle syncing: What you need to know
(51:36) The role of intuition when you’re pregnant
(56:15) Can a content creator ever fully be present?
(58:47) Will you post your child on social media?
(1:00:22) What does wellness mean to you today?
WHO AM I?
I’m Erika, an Australian living in Dubai, a mum and the creator and host of this podcast. After almost a decade in law, I’ve stepped into a new chapter centred on what I love - helping people understand themselves, grow and build lives that feel aligned. As someone with big ambitions, I’m passionate about pursuing what matters and to do so, we need to create our own lives intentionally. This channel is a space for honest conversations, curiosity and practical tools to support that journey. Welcome - I’m glad you’re here.
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