Seema Naz of Better You Within on Helping Readers Notice the Patterns Behind Their Habits

Seema Naz is the founder of Better You Within, a site where she writes about habits, self-awareness and everyday behaviour. She studied psychology and English literature, and later ran an Amazon business before returning to the interests that had always been there.

Alongside publishing articles, Seema learned to build and manage the site, and she is growing a weekly newsletter, Weekly Reflections, that gives readers a thought or question to take into their own lives.

In this Q&A, Seema shares how her path from psychology and business led to Better You Within, the one idea she most wants readers to take away, and what is next for the site, including a Conscious Living section.

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Q: You studied psychology and English literature, and you've also run an Amazon business. How did that path lead you to start Better You Within?

Writing and psychology have interested me for a long time. I studied both psychology and English literature during my bachelor’s degree, but for many years my attention was mostly on my family and, later, my business.

About four years ago, my children and I moved back to our home country. It was a big adjustment. Along with arranging our home, I was helping the children settle into new schools and a different environment, while trying to feel at home myself.

Around that time, my Amazon business collapsed. I tried to launch another ecommerce venture after that, but it didn’t work out either. After spending so much time learning and trying, I found it difficult to be without something of my own to work towards.

Eventually, I came back to writing and psychology. These interests had always been there, and Better You Within gave me a way to explore them.

I also had to learn how to build and manage a website. Some parts were frustrating, but I enjoyed figuring things out. Seeing an article take shape or getting a page to work gave me a small sense of accomplishment.

I fit it around family life, mostly at night. It feels like relaxing time for myself, doing something I enjoy and that reflects who I am.

Q: Much of your writing is about subconscious patterns, perfectionism and why change feels so hard. What's the one idea you most want readers to take away?

I want readers to understand themselves a little better, to notice what is happening inside them, especially the familiar thoughts, assumptions and reactions they may not be fully aware of.

Sometimes we repeat a behaviour without understanding what brings it on. We might avoid something because we’re afraid of getting it wrong, or react strongly before we’ve had time to think. Then we judge ourselves for it.

Through Better You Within, I hope to help readers recognise those patterns and become curious about them. What am I feeling? What am I assuming? What keeps bringing me back to the same response?

That awareness gives us a place to begin. We can learn to manage our reactions, adjust our habits and make more thoughtful choices, while being less harsh with ourselves along the way.

Q: You're building the site and growing your weekly newsletter. What's next for Better You Within?

There’s still a lot I want to learn and develop. For now, I want to keep publishing useful articles and make the site easier for readers to find their way around.

I’d also like Weekly Reflections to become a more personal connection with readers, a chance to share a useful thought or question they can take into their own lives.

I’m gradually developing a Conscious Living section, looking at how we can become more aware of our everyday choices instead of moving through everything automatically. Further ahead, I’d like to explore sustainable fitness and nutrition, with the same interest in what helps people make changes they can maintain.

Women over 40 were among the readers I originally had in mind. I relate to that stage of life: family still matters deeply, but you also start thinking about your own interests and what you want to make room for. I’d like that understanding to remain part of Better You Within as it grows.

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