Creating healthy, happy & balanced lives with the strength to 'stay anchored' in stormy seas
Things have become very complicated and confusing when it comes to knowing what’s best for our health and wellbeing. I like to keep things simple. Rather than striving for unrealistic ‘perfection’ in one area, such as diet, I take a more holistic approach and strive for balance across our whole life, but with room for imperfections and flexibility along the way.
I help people to create more positive energy so that they are able to live the life they want, instead of being held back. But this isn’t just about physical energy. It’s how we feel in our mind and in our relationships too. Our thoughts, stress levels and who we spend our time with can have as big an impact on our energy as food, exercise and sleep. We can’t control all aspects of our life, but there are many small, achievable tweaks we can all make that can have a significant impact on our health and how we feel.
My work as a coach focuses on 6 anchors that effect our energy and wellbeing. Find out more below.
Food
It’s not just about WHAT we eat, but also how, when and our mindset around food that’s important when it comes to our wellbeing. My approach to nutrition is all about balance - it’s about making sure we’re getting the nutritious, wholesome food in, rather than taking lots of things out. It’s about enjoying food and simplifying as much as possible rather than trying to follow complicated rules and restrictions. I help my clients with realistic, long term habit changes so they can ditch the diet for good.
I personally follow a plant based diet, which doesn’t mean I’m strictly vegetarian or vegan, it simply means that vegetables and plant foods such as grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds make up the base of my diet. But I’m not here to tell you what to eat, I’m here to educate and guide you to make healthier choices that suit you, your body type and your lifestyle.
Movement
Our bodies are designed to move and we feel so much better both physically and mentally when we do, but our modern world has shifted our mindset to think of it as a chore rather than a joy. We don’t need to go to the gym every day or run a marathon, it’s the small bits of movement that make up our everyday habits that have the biggest effect on our long term health and wellbeing - walking to work, taking the stairs, standing at our desk, meeting a friend for a walk rather than a coffee. There are many small, easy tweaks we can make to our routines to bring in more movement and feel the benefits.
Sleep
Many of us are simply not getting enough sleep and it could be doing more damage to our health and wellbeing than we realise. We are in the middle of a sleep deprivation epidemic. The good news is, a few simple changes to our lifestyle can make all the difference. It’s not just our bedtime routine that has an effect, but our nutrition, movement and even what we do in the morning plays a part. We should be waking up feeling refreshed. Our sleep hygiene has a significant effect on all the other anchors so it’s important not to overlook it.
Relaxation
Stress is behind almost every illness and disease out there, so it's vital we learn to manage it and make time for relaxation. From the minute we wake up, we are bombarded with emails, breaking headlines, people asking for our time, and the pressure from our never ending to-do list. These every day modern life stressors can build up and cause us to be living in a constant low level stressed state without us even realising it.
Life is never going to be stress-free, there will be bumps in the road and that’s ok. In fact, having some stress is healthy. But to stay well we need to carve out regular time to slow down, be present in the moment and doing things we enjoy. By bringing this balance into our lives we will be better equipped to deal with stressors calmly and mindfully.
Connection
Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions in the UK and it’s across all age ranges. In some ways we are more connected than ever before with modern technology, but at the same time we’ve never felt so lonely. We are social creatures and thrive in community, but these days we can do pretty much everything without leaving the house. Technology isn’t going to stop developing and in many ways it makes our lives so much easier, but it’s essential we don’t lose touch of this basic, primal need for human connection.
It’s also important that we stay connected to ourselves. We often get so stuck in the day-to-day responsibilities, to-do lists and routines that we sometimes forget what life is all about and what lights us up. We all crave meaning and purpose, to feel we’re contributing something to society and we all have our own set of values that we seek - in ourselves, others and in life. To truly feel happy is when we are living our life based on these values and surrounding ourselves with like minded people.
Nature
When we are in nature we know instinctively that it’s good for us because we feel calmer, happier and more connected with the world around us. This is why we often go for a walk to ‘clear our head’ or to relax after a stressful day. It makes us feel good because it’s an innate need in all of us, we are part of nature after all. When we are surrounded by trees, or near the ocean or just listening to bird song it has been proven to reduce stress, anger, fear and increase pleasant feelings, improving our overall wellbeing. But it doesn’t only make us feel better mentally and emotionally, it also contributes to our physical health, reducing blood pressure and our heart rate as well as the production of stress hormones and inflammation. So if all that isn’t enough to get outside I don’t know what is!
Time for a lifestyle change?
I'll help you to break those unhealthy habits once and for all. Step by step we'll replace them with postive ones for a helthier, happier and more wholesome life that works for you.
Let’s get to the roots of the problem…
Are you ready to take a holistic approach to your health and wellbeing for positive, long term change?
My 12 week 1:1 wellness coaching programme Flourish will get to the roots and identify which of the 6 anchors in your life are potentially holding you back from living the life you love.
Working together closely, you’ll start to make small, simple, changes in your lifestyle one habit at a time. You’ll feel empowered with new knowledge, confidence and tools to take control of your health and happiness going forward, no matter what challenges you face.