A fun exercise to solve The ‘Empty Bottom Tier’ Problem
If you watched yesterday’s Wedding Cake exercise and thought “yes, but how do I fill up the bottom tier?” you’re not alone.
The thing is - many people don’t really make a conscious effort to ignore their own wellbeing - they’ve just lost touch with what actually fills them back up.
Sophie’s solution is fun and will give you a page full of ideas. If you’re not feeling it today - or are coming up blank - come back again later and try when you have time to focus.
Watch sophie’s exercise:
Why this matters → (30 sec read)
When people realise their bottom tier is empty, the next thought is often panic.
What am I supposed to put there?
Yoga? Meditation? Things I don’t even enjoy?
After years of putting everyone else first, many people lose touch with:
what they actually want
what gives them energy
what feels joyful or grounding
That doesn’t mean you’re bad at wellbeing, it means you’ve been busy surviving.
Wellbeing isn’t about forcing yourself into someone else’s idea of it.
It’s about reconnecting with what genuinely fills you back up.
For leaders → (30 sec read)
When people are asked to “look after themselves” without space or support, wellbeing can feel like another demand.
Many employees don’t resist wellbeing — they feel disconnected from it.
Years of sustained pressure can dull people’s sense of preference, joy, and choice. Supporting wellbeing sometimes means helping people rediscover autonomy, not prescribing solutions.
Choice, space - and most importantly your support - could have a far greater impact than corporate programmes.
How could you use this exercise (and yesterday’s) with your team to support their wellbeing?
why we love sophie’s exercise to fill up the bottom tier
One of the most common reactions to Sophie’s wedding cake exercise isn’t guilt or embarrassment — it’s confusion.
People stare at the empty bottom tier and think:
“I don’t even know what I’d put here.”
And that makes sense when you’ve spent years prioritising work, meeting others’ needs and pushing through exhaustion.
your wants can go quiet.
Wellbeing advice often jumps straight to solutions — meditation, exercise, routines — without acknowledging this disconnection first.
But wellbeing doesn’t start with discipline.
It starts with permission.
Permission to notice what you miss.
Permission to choose things that don’t look productive.
Permission to enjoy things without justifying them.
If you plan to make space to build your bottom tier:
What do you want more of?
What have you stopped doing, not because you didn’t love it — but because life got full?
What drains you that you’ve been tolerating for too long?
Who do you need to get on board to help you make space for your bottom tier?
If this week resonated, Sophie’s live event on Monday 19th January is the next place to go.
Not yet a member of Cultural Calendar Club? Join today or Contact Us.
🔔 Tomorrow on The Work Edit:
This Week, Edited: What We Really Learned About Wellbeing, Stress and Burnout
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Blue Monday: Keep Calm-ish and Carry On
Monday 19 January 2026
12:00 13:00
Beat the Blue Monday slump with a practical, uplifting session focused on building real resilience and confidence for the year ahead.
Join wellbeing specialist Sophie Coulthard for an energising virtual workshop packed with simple strategies to help you reset, refocus, and feel more in control. You’ll explore how to manage pressure, shift unhelpful thinking, and support your own wellbeing, as well as those around you.
Whether you're already flagging in the new year or just want to start 2026 feeling steady and strong, this session is a great way to press pause and build momentum.
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