Channel Islands Edition ISSN 2516-3426
No.19
Autumn/Winter 2018 Happy | Healthy | Inspired
Creating a Life By Design
1a0les% ds procee
s to of the edition of this t ated o be don Charity rth 10% discou Silkwo up nt Gro for all Wel
lBeing World readers on Sh albeck Life Centre sess ions in Jersey and Guernse y– take this copy simply along to claim your di scount – more info pa ge 97.
FEATURING
Cycling – the Perfect Remedy for Mind and Body Becoming Your True Authentic Self MAN-datory Checks for Guys! Wellbeing in the Entrepreneurial Workplace Empowering Yourself When Cancer Steps in the Way
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Creating a Life Better Than Your Dreams Change Your Habits, Change Your Life What You Value You Will Fight For. Burnout Prevention Take a Step Back and Unwind And much more to inspire, energise and make you FEEL GOOD!
£3.99
www.wellbeingworld.je
WellBeingWorld
WELCOME
Welcome
WORDS: Beverley Le Cuirot, Founder and Editor
Welcome to our ‘Life By Design’ edition. When we set out to produce this edition, we knew we wanted to bring together the best contributors locally and internationally to share their wisdom, but we had no idea of the momentum it would create. The response has been phenomenal; we have attracted doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists, entrepreneurs, authors, PR experts, researchers, coaches, and many practitioners of note from all corners of the globe. Every single person we reached out to has agreed to feature and, as a result, we have more International Contributors than ever sharing their knowledge, along with a host of new and existing Local Expert Contributors. I thank them all. This edition has been an absolute delight to curate. The messages which run through the articles are invaluable to us all whether we’re in a corporate role, an entrepreneur, a parent at home, between jobs, a retiree, a volunteer or a carer. From how to find your purpose in life, to enjoy what we already have, to cultivating resilience through physical, mental and spiritual good health and fitness, to overcoming the obstacles life throws at us and still realise our full potential, to understanding the rules we need to break to get ahead in life. Above all, knowing that luck is never enough; it takes vision and massive action.
I know now that THIS is the work I was meant to do and it has brought me great happiness and fulfilment to explore the work of these amazing people and to share it with you here. What brings you great joy? Identify that and you’ve found your purpose. Life is electric. Our vital signs (heart rate, heart rhythm, and brain activity) are electrical signals that doctors use to diagnose medical problems. But the electric nature of life runs much deeper than this. Dive into this edition and live your BEST life. I have never felt more inspired than I do now. I hope you feel the same when you read this edition. Happy, healthy regards, as always, and huge inspiration!
Beverley beverley@wellbeingworld.je
It’s all here in this edition, whether you are looking to work smarter, find more time, be a better partner, parent, employee; whether you want to achieve more balance in your life, to be more healthy, to change your habits or your mindset, this is the edition for you. If you would like to buy a friend, colleague or loved one a subscription to WellBeing World, please visit: www. wellbeingworldmagazine.com – alternatively speak with your Employer and suggest to them that they join our Employer Scheme to purchase copies for your organisation – we’d be eternally grateful to you. Thank you. More info on page 26.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
3
CONTENTS
Contents
What’s Your Bullseye?
Introducing our International Guest Contributors … And our Local Expert Contributors
18
6 8
FEATURES
Why Confidence is Important to Living Your Most Desired Life 10 Creating a Life Better Than Your Dreams 12 Editing Your Life 14 What You Value You Will Fight For 16 What’s Your Bullseye? 18
WHAT’S NEW
Biohacking: the Next Scientific Revolution First Jersey’s WellFest New Classification for Hoarding ‘Wonderful News’ for Millions Employers Leading the Way
ENTREPRENEUR
Wellbeing in the Entrepreneurial Workplace Procrastination Will Delay Your Life On Surviving, Recovering from and Preventing Burnout
20 22 24 26 28 30 32
SPECIAL FOCUS: DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AT WORK Chemical Dependency and the New Disability Discrimination Law
WORK
Happiness is a Requirement at Work A Dedication to Workplace Wellbeing that Raises the Bar Productivity, the Collaboration Conundrum and the Digital Workplace Promoting Wellbeing in the Inter-Generational Office
4
10 Steps to Making Change Easier
BODY
Raindrop Therapy … As Powerful as a Trip to See the Northern Lights? Why Acupuncture Can Help Everyone! Cycling – the Perfect Remedy for Mind and Body
FITNESS
Fitness by Design Creating Habits You Won’t Want to Give Up Actively Helping You Live Your Best Life! Work vs Health
SPECIAL FOCUS: CHANGE
10 Steps to Making Change Easier The Importance of Gratitude, Purpose and Being Positive Change Your Habits, Change Your Life!
LIFE CHANGES
What Happens When Life Makes a Decision for You? Building a Big, Bold, Beautiful Life – Embracing Cancer
FOOD 34 36 38 40 42
58
Healing Autoimmune Disease with Diet and Lifestyle Creating the Adventure of a Lifetime
MIND
How to Design YOUR Own Life Creating Your Best Life with Sophrology Mindfulness for Well-being Your Life, by Your Design
44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 76 78
CONTENTS WELCOME
Change Your Habits, Change Your Life
RELAXATION
Take a Step Back and Unwind
WOMEN
Becoming Your True Authentic Self Why Accountability is The Key to a Limitless Life
MEN
MAN-datory Checks for Guys!
62
80 82 84
72
How to Design YOUR Own Life
BOOKS
A Wealth of Words Book Review – Great Reads for Your Best Life Yet!
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY
88 90
92
86
The WellBeing World team (pictured below from left to right): Lucy Sanderson, Beverley Le Cuirot
Thank You and Disclaimer: WellBeing World would like to thank all of our contributors, members and advertisers for making our magazine what it is; and to you, our readers, for your support. We aim to bring you properly researched information that enables you to make wise health decisions and which support your general health and wellbeing.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
Although every effort is made to ensure the veracity of published information, WellBeing World and its Directors and Publishers cannot be held responsible for the information contained herein or for the views and actions of individual contributors. All contributors are qualified to practice in their own fields of expertise. If in doubt, please consult with a medical practitioner before acting on health information received.
5
CONTRIBUTORS
Introducing our International Guest Contributors: We are delighted to welcome so many distinguished authors, thinkers and inspirational experts from around the world.
Dr Andrea Pennington Integrative Medicine Physician
Dr Anna Scelzo Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist
Carrie Copley Founder of Love Your Life
David A. Morrison Burnout Prevention Specialist
Devin Burke Author, Speaker, Coach
Dominique Antiglio Author, Founder of BeSophro
Ilona Suojanen Happyologist, PostDoctoral Researcher, PhD
Jana Martin Founder of She Can Create
Jessica Huie MBE Business Woman and Author of PURPOSE
Kate Johnston-Allen Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer and Coach
Kate Jay Founder of Healing Family Eats
Kelly Cohen Holistic Health Coach & Blogger
Louisa Jewell MAPP Founder, Canadian Positive Psychology Association (CPPA)
Madisyn Taylor Co-Founder, DailyOM
Dr Nicola Millard Head of Customer Insights & Futures at BT
Romi Neustadt Entrepreneur and Author of ‘Get Over Your Damn Self ’
6
CONTRIBUTORS WELCOME
Contributor Focus:
LOUISA JEWELL MAPP
JESSICA HUIE MBE
Louisa Jewell is Canada’s Leading Expert in Positive Psychology who has facilitated thousands of people towards greater flourishing both at work and in their personal lives.
Jessica went from being expelled from school to having a glittering career in PR working with some of the world's biggest stars and business people including Samuel L. Jackson, Simon Cowell, and Sir Bob Geldof.
She is the Founder and Past-President of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association (www.cppa.ca) an organisation that brings together leading-edge researchers and practitioners to share the latest knowledge on psychological wellbeing to improve the mental health of all Canadians.
Her first business Colorblind cards, became the first independent multicultural greeting card line to be stocked in the UK high-street, earning her an MBE for services to entrepreneurship – all by the age of 34. She is a champion of social mobility and inclusion sitting on the boards of several national charities, and ambassador for The British Library where she hosts monthly workshops training small business owners on how to embrace visibility and promote their purpose driven business.
She is a professor at the University of Texas-Dallas and faculty for the Certificate of Applied Positive Psychology programme and her work has been featured in Forbes, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Huffington Post, Canadian Living Magazine, Live Happy Magazine, Chatelaine, and Psychology Today. Louisa is a contributing author to the European Handbook of Positive Psychology, Positive Psychology at Work, Positive Psychology News Daily, and the #1 Bestselling book ‘Ready Set Live; Empowering Strategies for an Enlightened Life’. Her latest book ‘Wire your Brain for Confidence; The Science of Conquering SelfDoubt’ was released in 2017.
More info: www.louisajewell.com
Jessica’s first book ‘PURPOSE - Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling’ was published in 2018 by Hay House. “A timely call for us to enquire within to find our true purpose in our work and our life” ~ Sunday Times Style.
More info: www.jessicahuie.com Creating a WORLD of Difference
7
CONTRIBUTORS
...And our Local Expert Contributors:
Alexia McClure Jersey Business
Carmelita Fernandes Greenhills Country House Hotel
Claire De Gruchy Shalbeck Life Centre
Georgina Hopkins Healthhaus
Glenda Rivoallan Club Soulgenic
Jason Wyse Silkworth Charity Group
Julie Dryburgh Empowerment Coach
Lorna Jackson Health Point Clinic
Louise Augré Augré Physiotherapy
Michael Canas Personal Trainer & Performance Coach
Michelle Wedgbury Wellsteps Jersey
Natalie Clare Natalie Clare Consulting
Nathalie Le Mottee Healthhaus
Paul Bisson Jersey Festival of Words
Siobhan Durcan Deloitte
8
FEATURES
Why Confidence is Important to Living Your Most Desired and Authentic Life WORDS: Louisa Jewell MAPP Founder and Past-President, Canadian Positive Psychology Association (CPPA)
When I was a child, my mother and father fought a lot. One night, after a particularly bad fight, I finally spoke up. “Mom, why don’t you leave him? You are so unhappy in this marriage.” She looked at me through her tears and said, “Where am I going to go? I have a grade six education and four mouths to feed. There is nowhere for me to go.” Those words hit me like a lightning bolt. I knew right in that moment – that will never be me. I worked hard my whole life to get a degree and go after jobs that paid good money. And I succeeded. From the outside looking in, I seemed like a confident
10
go-getter, but on the inside, I was a mess of self-doubt. No matter how much I accomplished, I never felt smart enough or talented enough. I had a great corporate job but I really wanted to work for myself, write books and speak to large audiences. I did not have the confidence to go after my dream job. Pursuing my most desired life was just too scary for me. I wondered how I could be so confident in some areas
of my life and yet so devastatingly fearful in other areas? When I completed my master’s degree, I discovered that there are different kinds of confidence. Once I learned how to build a more action-oriented kind of confidence, everything changed. I started to go after everything I wanted in my life – joyfully – without the worry and anxiety. I am now a speaker and an author and loving my life. Here are three strategies I learned that reduced the fear and moved me into living the life I wanted:
FEATURES
1. Competence breeds confidence. If you want to pursue something but you are too afraid to go after it, you need to work on mastering it and the fear will disappear. Now most people don’t have the confidence to try something new because that is when our fear of failure is the strongest. Very few people feel confident the first time they try something so it’s normal to be fearful. The best strategy here is to take your big goal and break it down into tiny baby steps. Want to write a book? Why not start by writing a guest blog on a friend’s website first? Build your blogging skills, master that first, then move to mastering the next baby step. With each step, you get closer and closer to your dream with confidence. 2. Stop Trying to be Perfect. Before I
delved into the research on self-doubt, I thought fear of failure was the main reason why people don’t go after their big goals and dreams. But it’s really fear of social evaluation that stops us. If I asked you to go out and try something new on a deserted island where no one will see you, you wouldn’t care so much about failing. Go out and make mistakes, celebrate the fact that you’re doing it no matter what the outcome. Research shows that social support can be a powerful confidence booster. Surround yourself with encouraging positive people and turn to them for support when things don’t go as planned.
3. Practice Self-Compassion. When things go wrong – and when you’re going after big goals and dreams, something will always go wrong – don’t beat yourself up. I used to have this bully following me around all day criticising my every effort.
"I learned how to build a more action-oriented kind of confidence, everything changed." Do you know who that was? It was me! We would never say the things we say to ourselves to even our worst enemies. Research has shown that what you say to yourself after a disappointing performance is the single most important thing to high performance. The next time you try something and it goes horribly wrong, be a positive, constructive self-criticiser. Silence the name calling and focus solely on how you will make your performance better the next time. Then go out and try again and keep trying until you succeed. Decide that you will have an amazingly supportive friend following you around all day. And that friend is you.
Louisa Jewell, MAPP, is the author of ‘Wire Your Brain for Confidence: The Science of Conquering Self-Doubt’.
More info: www.louisajewell.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
11
FEATURES
Creating a Life Better Than Your Dreams WORDS: Devin Burke Author, Speaker, Coach
Finding your passion and purpose isn't easy. We don't wake up one day and just realise "yes, I've found it. This is my purpose.” Discovering one's purpose is usually found through experience and often through pain. I love Mark Twain’s quote:
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain.
My journey to creating a life better than my dreams started with struggle. I grew up eating the standard American diet (SAD), mac and cheese, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, pasta, lunch meat sandwiches, sugary breakfast cereals, and fast foods. We didn't have much money growing up and my parents just didn't know better. As a result of leading an unhealthy lifestyle, I was over-prescribed
12
antibiotics which destroyed my immune system (70% of our immune system is in our gut) leading to multiple ear infections and eventually to a myringotomy surgery on my right ear. It wasn’t until after my grandfather passed away from cancer that my parents realised it was time for a change. My Mom quit smoking and began to educate herself about health and wellness. She transformed her health and in the process our family’s
health. As we all began eating healthier foods we all started to look and feel better, got sick less and had more energy. This experience changed me forever because I discovered that the choices we make and don’t make, have a profound effect on how we look, feel and live. I discovered that extraordinary health and an extraordinary life go hand in hand and that both happen by choice, not chance!
FEATURES
I realised that we each hold the power to reclaim our health and shape our destiny and that small choices really do make a BIG difference! This realisation inspired me to study Exercise Science and Health Promotion in college, attend the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and continue to educate myself via various health courses, seminars, and workshops with some of the world’s leading experts. Today I’m the author of “Healthy Eating in the 21st Century,” a speaker, and highperformance health coach. I specialise in helping entrepreneurs, business leaders and high performers experience how good their bodies are designed to feel through my coaching programmes, workshops, and seminars. My gift is inspiring and guiding others to feel and look their best by making health a priority and choice. My reward is living a healthy life by design. To me, health is all about energy and vibrancy. The healthier you are, the more energy you’ll have to experience life. If you’re taking care of your health, you’re going to have the energy to give and show the world your best and REALLY enjoy doing the things you love with the people you love … health is essential to living and leading a life by design. When you have vibrant health you're able to tap into more passion and purpose. Passion and purpose are a recipe for success. To me, health is all about balancing.
Finding balance in your physical body, balance in your diet, balance in your relationships, balance in your work and finances, balance in how you organise and spend your time and balance in your mind and spirit. Finding balance isn’t easy, we’re not taught in school how to find and maintain it and were inundated with distractions and “to do’s” that pull us further and further away from finding our true balance. I’ve discovered through my years of trial and error, studying nutrition, health and personal development that in order to find balance, it’s essential to keep things simple. Simple works. What you’ll get from me is simplified, clear, actionable health and wellness tools and strategies that cut through all the hype to get you the results you’re seeking to live a vibrant life by design.
More info: www.devinburke.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
13
FEATURES
Editing Your Life WORDS: Madisyn Taylor Co-Founder, DailyOM
You have the choice to accept your life script you've written thus far, or edit it so you can create a life that fulfils you.
Our lives can be compared to an ongoing movie script over which we have complete creative control. Within us lies the power to examine what works or isn't working in our lives and make "edits" to our life's script, accordingly. Choosing to actively edit your life can be incredibly empowering. As you evolve, you have the choice to accept the script you've written thus far or edit it so you can create a life that fulfils you. You can cut out from your life's script what is no longer working for you. Acknowledging that you are responsible for the experience you create gives you the ability to create the life you've always longed for.
situations or beliefs that you no longer wish to have as part of your life, you can now include the kinds of positive experiences, people, and beliefs that you would like to fill your life with. The manifestation of these thoughts and images as realities in your life will inevitably follow. As you make changes to your life, you can also add in the bits where you choose more intimate, healthier relationships, seek out adventure over tedium, and are no longer negatively impacted by old experiences. To begin editing your life, simply think about your positive and negative experiences. When you determine what parts of your life are no longer serving you, make the commitment to remove them, though, it is important to remember that there is no proper timing or way to do this, and patience and compassion for yourself are always important during this process. Then, ask yourself what has brought you profound bliss and consider how you can make those experiences and beliefs part of your life now. With a little editing, you'll be able to clear out what is no longer serving you and make room in your life for more happiness, love, and wisdom.
"When you determine what parts of your life are no longer serving you, make the commitment to remove them."
Granted, editing your real life isn't always as easy as erasing a line of text. If you've carried emotional baggage or held on to an unhealthy relationship for a long time, these may be difficult to edit out. But when you do cut out what isn't working from your life, you'll feel lighter and more alive. Editing out activities that you find stressful, disassociating yourself from people that drain your energy, and letting go of your emotional baggage are all beneficial cuts you can make. In the empty spaces that are left behind, you can add in anything you like. Just as you have the power to edit out negative
More info: www.MadisynTaylor.com – please also see pages 58/59 14
FEATURES
What You Value You Will Fight For Burnout prevention from a different perspective. WORDS: David A. Morrison Burnout Prevention Specialist
Burnout is a widely used term these days. As our world has become more complex, connected and certainly faster, classic burnout symptoms are present within all of us, to a lesser or greater degree. Classic signs of burnout include: • Being easily stressed and anxious
• Tired and lacking energy during the day • Struggling to sleep at night
• Relying on poor diet choices to get you through the day – coffee and alcohol • Putting on weight
There are of course others, these are just some of the more obvious signs. The more subtle ones are often happening inside your head
16
or affecting those close to you like your family, friends or your team at work; these take some time to be confronted.
the additional energy and drive you are bringing every day is yielding results, hitting milestones and getting the big tick from the senior executive team.
Think about this example, I call it ‘The New Project Scenario’. It may be someone you know or it could be you. You are always first in at work and last to leave, especially now you have kicked off your new project that is going to put you on the map for your career. At first, things are going well,
Then, there starts to be some cracks, you are being shorter and less patient with your team, the odd day off starts to come up and although you say “it must be something going around the office”, in fact it’s more that you are out of balance.
FEATURES
The weeks go on, and you start to rely more on coffee every day to get started and you’re more tired and stressed at night from not eating as well as you should. Then there’s a couple of glasses of wine most nights to take the edge off the day. Let’s not mention the need to check emails late at night as well. You are becoming the cranky person outside of work, too, with those who are most important to you; your family and friends. Then eventually you have “that” conversation with your partner when they say that things need to change. This happened to me, a tough conversation that had to happen. This scenario plays out daily in businesses and homes all around the world. You might be in a high powered corporate role, or in business for yourself and this is your entrepreneur’s journey as you push yourself to success.
yourself this question “what is important to me in my job/ business/life?” Write down the top 5 things that come to mind. Then in the next column write down the top 5 things you do each day at work. Compare the two and notice the differences. Are you living your best life? When I do this exercise with clients, if they are looking for an improvement in their health, it is often the case that health doesn’t even feature on their list. If you don’t value something you simply won’t allocate time to it or prioritise it. And it doesn’t take a lot to realise what happens when you don’t value yourself.
"You are becoming the cranky person outside of work, too, with those who are most important to you; your family and friends."
The most obvious steps you can be advised to do would be to take more care of yourself, eat more healthfully, take some exercise, get a hobby, practice relaxation … These are all essential however they don’t get to the root cause – if we don’t address this, we will sabotage ourselves. The driver here is linked to your values. Once you see it, you can create the right boundaries in your life.
How do you understand the values in your life right now?
Here is a practical exercise to give some clarity. Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle and ask
Your values evolve over time and sit deep in your unconscious mind. Life moves really quickly, and we often find ourselves in a place that does not line up to what you really want. Once you get clarity on what’s important to you then you can go about making changes to align your day with more of what you want to do.
In the case of preventing burnout on a personal level this process can be very helpful as it gives you a strategy to move passed this, put in place boundaries and identify areas where you can change. The most empowering step is to get through a simple process of realigning your values on a conscious and unconscious level. Think of it like re-setting the GPS in your car so you always get to where you want to go. Once you get your values lined up and beliefs that support that outcome, your attitudes and behaviours line up and all of a sudden you start to move in the right direction.
More info: www.davidamorrison.com David Morrison is a balanced life expert and mindset coach, specialising in burnout prevention. Having experienced his own burnout five years ago, after a very honest discussion with his wife Lisa, David began to make the small changes that had a really profound effect. First it was his health and not being that ‘cranky Dad’ anymore. Then, having then found his real passion in assisting others, he now lives his best life helping people to connect with their own passions and vision for life. He lives with his family in Sydney, Australia.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
17
FEATURES
What’s Your Bullseye? WORDS: Carrie Copley Founder of Love Your Life
I haven’t played darts in years, but I remember the goal of the game, to get the most points! Initially, I struggled with even hitting the board, but with coaching, practice, patience and perseverance, I eventually hit the board and was able to get the darts closer and closer to the bullseye.
18
The more I played, the better I got. I don’t think I ever hit the bullseye, but I was always aiming for it. Actually, darts was a very small stage in my life, but it helps me introduce you to the idea of shooting for a bullseye life.
be in one year or 20+ years. First you must figure out what you want your bullseye life to look like and then you must create a plan of how to get there. Once the plan is in place you can break it down into years, months, weeks and days.
When you can clearly see where you want to be headed in life, you can keep your focus and aim towards your bullseye. This concept can work for where you want to
Most people create the vision and forget that a vision without a plan, stays only a vision. Honestly, this idea works equally well in your business life and your personal
FEATURES
life. For some crazy reason, people tend to understand this idea better in business than in their personal life, but it works both ways. I coach my clients to create their life and business vison as one big vision. People are always seeking “balance” and balance in your life is not 50/50. By creating this vision, you are creating a plan that works for you and when you create it, you own it.
Without a bullseye, you have nothing to shoot for. Some get lucky with this strategy, but most don’t. Too many people simply wake up to their life one day and wonder why they are not where they had hoped to be by this stage of life. Isn’t it better to aim high and barely miss, then to not aim or aim too low and miss out on living the life you were created to live?
Here’s the deal, just like in darts your aim is for the bullseye, right? When you create your bullseye life and create a plan, you start taking daily action steps towards your bullseye. Along this journey, you may have to tweak parts of your plan as things in life happen that are beyond your control, but your eye is still on your target. Just as I got better at darts, through coaching, practice, patience and perseverance, you too can get better at hitting your target. The more you practice, the more skillful you become, and the more likely you are to hit your bullseye. Daily action steps in the right direction is the key to hitting your bullseye.
“The greatest danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” ~ Michelangelo Are you willing to take a chance, or do you want to create your bullseye life and know exactly what you are aiming for? When you can clearly see where you want to be headed in life, you can keep your focus and aim towards your bullseye. Remember, it's the little things you do every day that will get you to where you want to be in life. Keep your focus and aim!
About Carrie … in her own words. “I’ve been where you are and I’m living proof that change is possible. It was the acknowledgement that I wasn’t living the life I had dreamed that pushed me to learn more about how I could live a more fulfilling life. In doing so, I leaned on my faith while I cultivated insight and tools to help myself and eventually others reach their full potential. I have merged my extensive schooling and years of practical experience to develop a faith-based understanding of how to inspire others to reach their life goals. My practical experience includes: · BA in Sociology from Iowa State University. · More than two decades working in leadership positions in the non-profit and corporate environment. · Studied with the Career Coaching Institute · Elite Life Coaching Certification from the Coach Mindset Elite Life Coach Training Program. · Nearly five years of hands-on Coaching as founder of Love Your Life. I’m married to my best friend Chad, and we have four children. We live in Ames, Iowa and in our free time, we enjoy attending Iowa State sporting events, biking, running, hiking, church activities and just hanging out with family and friends.” She is also the author of ‘Finding Joy’.
More info: www.loveyourlife2.com Creating a WORLD of Difference
19
WHAT’S NEW
Biohacking: The Next Scientific Revolution WORDS & RESEARCH: Lucy Sanderson
“Biohacking is the future – we’re opening up the world of science and increasing science and innovation literacy across the world …”
~ ELLEN JORGENSEN New York-based molecular biologist leading the do-it-yourself biology movement
The term ‘hacker’ might conjure up the notion of some hidden keyboard warrior with an axe to grind, a person or a team who ‘hack’ into our digital lives and create merry mayhem in our modems as they go along. Attach the prefix, ‘bio’ and well, it kind of creeps toward you like the dude who created Frankenstein. To hack, however is also nowadays attributed to making things quick and simple; easily explainable and thus in turn, often doable. For instance, it was a life changing moment for me when I saw the YouTube video of the lady folding the fitted sheet. Google it; Life hacks. Mind, blown. So, we’ve established that to hack isn’t necessarily to attack and that hacking has its place in regard, from folding a sheet to swiftly removing the stalk from a strawberry with a straw. Well, biohacking is something that, in comparison to the cheeky little time saving life-hacks I’ve stumbled across online, has the truly lifechanging potential to open up new pathways into innovation, science and regeneration … the new revolution in science on a grand scale.
20
If you’ve never heard of it, biohacking is a modern day percolating cauldron of creatives, scientists, engineers, tech wizards, digital nomads, thinkers and tinkerers with all varying levels of ability and some with little or no academic qualifications at all. The thing with biohacking is, anyone who is interested can get involved in one way or another. You can literally become a biohacker this afternoon. Homemade labs, garage based research spaces, bedroom set ups … to full blown collaborative laboratories and offices where hundreds of thousands of enquiries, experiments and research is all taking place right now across the world. Biohacking has gone from an underground phenomenon to an all-out game
changer for science, innovation and our wellbeing. Before we embark on a tour of some of the world’s most interesting biohacking labs and discover more about the most prolific biohackers on the planet, let’s take a sec to consider where two of history’s most notable scientists began; at home … Einstein and Darwin. Prime examples of biohackers, before the World Wide Web lit up our ability to communicate and changed everything. Science has always been for scientists; labs, universities and offices of highly trained and lengthily school academics – a clique of genius caliber human beings who share their research findings, generate medicinal change and provide information to us in order to make our lives better. Thank goodness for science and up until now, the way with which the process has transpired has been formidable. Penicillin isn’t even 100 years old and since 1928 just think of all the advancement in medicine and science pertaining to our wellbeing?
WHAT’S NEW
With more access and innovation in the global community than ever before, why not consider the prospects of biohacking as added expertise and gusto to the force and speed with which humans can effect change and progress? The very core of science comes from the first ever person to become curious about something and investigate it. That starts with an idea; no lab necessary, just a thought followed by action. Taking this as the basis from which biohackers embark on their various quests to search for answers and solve scientific; mathematical, technical, digital, biological, chemical, astronomical, geological (and other) questions – we’re all potential scientists and we can kick start a journey into our curiosities by the easy click on a button from eBay, Amazon and other sites. If you’ve ever done a DNA genealogy test from home, you’ve effectively been a little biohacker. On a larger scale, people like award-winning Ellen Jorgensen, have pioneered serious biohacking set ups on a global effort to bring science literacy to the masses. Setting up Biotech Without Borders and GenSpace (a collaborative working space for groups to get involved), Ellen has been a brilliant spokesperson for the new science revolution – biohacking.
biohacking for personal use. Adapting our behaviours and actions by using data and technology as well as bespoke diet and exercise to enhance our optimum wellness!
"Using apps to monitor our sleep for example, eating right for our type and getting all our steps in are ways with which we are already biohacking for personal use." Go on a biohacking adventure on the internet and discover for yourself, the science revolution evolving across the globe. Check out all of the people getting involved in all manner of scientific progress. If you feel like testing out the hype, use all the tech your phone can handle to tap into your best self by biohacking your way to better health!
Biohacking is also something we can do for ourselves – the biohackers handbook would also explain the best ways we can biohacker our own wellbeing. Using apps to monitor our sleep for example, eating right for our type and getting all our steps in are ways with which we are already
Creating a WORLD of Difference
21
WHAT’S NEW
First Jersey WellFest Islanders of all ages will be able to try new sports and activities and learn about staying healthy at the ‘Jersey WellFest’ in October. The inaugural Jersey WellFest is a free event at the Les Ormes Resort that takes place over two days, Friday 26th and Saturday 27th of October 2018, to coincide with World Mental Health Day. Friday 26th October is confirmed to have year 7 students from most schools attending, and the Saturday will be open to the public. The event will include talks, workshops, interactive market stalls and activities on staying mentally and physically fit. The two-day free event is being led by the States of Jersey’s Health and Community Services Department and Children, Young People, Education and Skills and supported by other wellbeing partners including Mind Jersey, the Bosdet Foundation, Jersey Sport, Les Ormes and Creepy Valley to promote mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. WellBeing World and many of its Member Practitioners will be at the event, along with charities, Jersey Sport, Les Ormes and other local businesses to encourage Islanders to try out new things. Daniela Raffio, from the Jersey WellFest organising team in the States of Jersey, said: “We’ll be having some inspirational talks and some new sports to try out. It will be fun and
22
informational. It’s all about how we look after ourselves. You never know, it could be the start of a new hobby or interest that you’d like to do for the rest of your life. “Looking after ourselves is important. It helps us be stronger and more able to cope with the stresses and strains of everyday life. It’s sometimes difficult to know where to go for help or what to do – if you come along to Jersey WellFest you will be able to ask questions and try out new activities. The event has been designed based on feedback from Islanders. It is an excellent opportunity for businesses and charities to showcase their work, and we hope people will enjoy it and find it valuable and informative.”
The event will include a range of health, wellbeing, lifestyle and sports activities including: • Workshops, taster sessions and inspirational talks • Interactive exhibits, stalls and activities • An arena with displays and presentations
The programme on Friday, 26th October will be tailored to school-age children, whilst the talks and activities on Saturday, 27th will be aimed at all ages, including families and the elderly.
WHAT’S NEW
"The aim of the event is to promote the importance and understanding of the interaction between mind, emotions and physical wellbeing and the things we can do to improve and look after them."
Jersey WellFest is the outcome of the Mental Health Strategy Key Priority 1: Social Inclusion & Recovery: ‘We will work closely with the Public Health Department and the Community and Voluntary Sector to build a co-ordinated programme of mental wellbeing awareness delivered with the aim of reducing stigma and discrimination’ and Key Priority 2: Prevention and Early Intervention: ‘We will work with key service providers so that that all sites to which the public have access provide a range of information about the services offered at that site, as well as information about other services including mental health advocacy and the services provided by voluntary and community organisations’. The event also links in with the outcome of Health and Wellbeing in Shaping Our Future Jersey. The aim of the event is to promote the importance and understanding of the interaction between mind, emotions and physical wellbeing and the things we can do to improve and look after them; for Islanders to become more aware, motivated and empowered to make choices that enhance their health and wellbeing; to increase awareness of the many services and activities that are
Creating a WORLD of Difference
available on the Island; and to reduce the stigma of mental health.
The event will feature various specialist workshops, activity taster sessions, inspirational talks, and 60 stalls around these areas in an informative and interactive style from States of Jersey departments, community and voluntary sector services, charities and private businesses. The organisers are looking for volunteers to assists with marshalling at the event. If you would like to volunteer, or to get involved in any way, please contact the department. More info: JerseyWellFest@health.gov.je
If you are reading this article after 27th October 2018, it is likely there will be other events to follow this one, keep an eye on the States of Jersey Facebook page. Alternatively, there are a wide range of practitioners available to support you at www. wellbeingworld.je – we will post details of followup events and news about Jersey WellFest as it develops in the future.
23
WHAT’S NEW
New Classification for Hoarding ‘Wonderful News’ for Millions As we go to print, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has added ‘Hoarding Disorder’ as a distinct medical disorder to its now revised International Classification of Diseases. Expert opinion suggests that this could benefit many thousands, if not millions of people in the UK. Psychiatrists say the “extremely significant” decision would help doctors and the NHS to identify people struggling with hoarding and improve treatment for a condition said to affect potentially 1 in 20 people. According to Linda Fay, Director of Life-Pod UK, Hoarding Disorder is characterised by an excessive accumulation of items, a significant anxiety caused by the thought of letting things go, and the impairment this causes in people’s daily lives and in their home not just for the individual themselves, but also their family and friends trying to understand it. She said there are many reasons why people hoard, but this is often rooted in trauma. Megan Karnes, Founder and Director of the charity, Hoarding UK, said it was “wonderful news” for the 2% to 5% of people who exhibited at least some symptoms. She said that although there had been improvements in care and recognition since the US Psychiatric Association classified it as a disorder in 2013, many sufferers were threatened with eviction rather than offered effective care. Previously classified as a subset of OCD, Hoarding is now
being recognised as a distinct condition, which Linda Fay feels is due to the considerable number of people affected. Talking on BBC Radio Jersey, she called for professionals to work together to look at more effective support mechanisms. At the moment the go-to solution is to do a clear out of people’s belongings – which she said is known to be “ineffective, costly, and harmful”. She said that housing, health and social care professionals often work in isolation and put in different solutions to help people – but they need to work together to find ways to come up with more effective solutions. In order to encourage professionals to work together, whilst raising awareness for the fact that Hoarding is a mental health condition, Life-Pod UK is organising a conference in October, in Edinburgh to bring together the various professionals and to explore different and more effective ways of helping people.
"Hoarding Disorder is characterised by an excessive accumulation of items, a significant anxiety caused by the thought of letting things go."
More info: www.life-pod.co.uk/conference/ 24
WHAT’S NEW
Employers Leading the Way WORDS: Beverley Le Cuirot Founder and Director, WellBeing World and WellBeing At Work
Employee wellbeing is fast becoming the #1 priority for employers with many organisations rethinking their employee wellbeing strategies to include a comprehensive suite of programmes focused on physical, mental, financial and spiritual health. This is seen by leading businesses as a corporate responsibility as well as a strategy to drive productivity, engagement, and retention. Solutions do not have to be expensive. One such example to pack a punch is WellBeing World magazine. For £1 or less, per copy per month, the WellBeing World Employer Scheme enables organisations to provide copies to their employees, and in so doing demonstrate their commitment to their wellbeing.
It’s a relatively small investment for a potentially significant outcome as each edition is packed with hints and tips for improving overall health and wellness, as well as personal development and motivation from a local and increasingly international contributor base – and readers want to come back for more.
Leading employers such as Intertrust, Deloitte, EY, Rathbones, First Names, Accuro Group, Moore Stephens, Enhance Group, Link Asset Services, Fairway Group, Minerva Trust, Equiom Group, Rossborough Group, Fox Trading, Regus, and Liberty Bus, are registered with the scheme, with other major employers also looking at it.
“No magazine like it” … “Always something of interest” … “Another great edition, love the new international content” … “Can’t wait for each new edition” … “Well done on bringing these subjects out in the open; it’s good to know there are solutions out there” … “Gets better and better, just love it” … “The best wellness magazine, anywhere!” are just a few of the wonderful comments received over the years.
The scheme also provides 10% of the revenue raised through sales of the magazine to a local charity of choice, and James Le Feuvre, Executive Director at Mind Jersey, the one of the charities to be nominated, said: “When employers take the lead in this way, it helps to ensure that some really important messages can be shared.” Kerry Petulla, Chairman of the Donna Annand Melanoma Charity, another charity to benefit, said: “It is great to see employers taking the initiative and supporting the importance of wellbeing and raising awareness amongst its staff. The articles are informative and relevant and provide a fantastic forum to share a wide variety of essential and valuable wellbeing messages.” WellBeing World magazine has been likened to the ‘little hinge that swings a big door’!’ Certainly, if it leads to employees feeling valued and equipped to excel, resulting in them being more resilient, productive, engaged and motivated, that’s an excellent return on investment, for sure.
"The Little Hinge that Swings a Big Door!" More info: www.wellbeingworld.je and www.wellbeingworldmagazine.com 26
Through our WellBeing At Work platform, we have developed a bespoke online survey for employers to inform future employee wellbeing strategy, giving vital insight into culture and employee priorities.
Check us out, now!
www.wellbeingworld.je/wellbeing-at-work
ENTREPRENEUR
Wellbeing in the Entrepreneurial Workplace
WORDS: Alexia McClure, Head of Operations, Jersey Business
It’s a conundrum. Entrepreneurship promotes wellbeing by satisfying an individual’s basic psychological need for autonomy, freedom and positive relationships but at the same time can be the biggest cause of stress, fatigue and mental health issues particularly in the early stages of creating a new business, according to Nadac Shir’s research at the Stockholm School of Economics. For those who can’t navigate the uncertainty of the early stages the pressure can be detrimental to both physical and mental health. Shir believes that this is one of the reasons that so many new ventures flounder and also why people who work by themselves can experience higher levels of stress than those working for someone else. However, for those who succeed in developing a thriving organisation the benefits of the entrepreneurial journey can be outstanding, from skills development to personal fulfilment and financial freedom. Shir believes that the entrepreneurs who thrive get a positive wellness kick from the process of starting up and establishing a new venture. He calls it the ‘Entrepreneurial Well-Being’ factor (EWB) which he says explains how entrepreneurs have the focus and motivation to keep engaged in their venture. Indeed, most successful 28
entrepreneurs talk about the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction they get from seeing their fledgling organisation grow. For these people the positive experience of delivering their vision outweighs the challenges negotiated along the way. Being a solopreneur, when there is only you in the business, brings stresses that employees just don't experience. Knowing that the success of your venture is influenced by the amount of time you can work can create a cycle of never ending activity. Add to this the need to sell and administer the business, not typically the reason for starting on the entrepreneurial journey, and the solopreneur runs the risk of being on an endurance marathon rather than having a positive work life balance. Creating the time to break this cycle can be a challenge but is ultimately the answer to long term business and individual health.
Outsourcing or bringing new talent and skills into a business enables an entrepreneur to delegate tasks and create value and capacity in their organisation. It is also the route to ensuring their own wellbeing. It might be obvious, but the one thing that makes the biggest difference is accepting that individuals need time away from their business in order to rest and rejuvenate. After all, working yourself to the bone is the biggest cause of stress and fatigue and will ultimately reduce your effectiveness. Reducing stress therefore has to be a key objective for any entrepreneur. Perhaps take a moment to remind yourself about the aims you had for your business when you started out and why you wanted to work for yourself. Think about all the elements of your daily routine and identify the things that are important for you, that you are good at and love doing. Then find a
ENTREPRENEUR
way to enable you to bring others in to support you in doing those things you aren’t good at and don't like doing. Of course the life of the entrepreneur isn’t straightforward and it might take time to get to the position to outsource tasks and employ others, but thinking ahead and understanding when your business can accommodate these additions is really important. If you do end up employing others you are then responsible for their wellbeing too. At Jersey Business we have learnt this as we have grown. We are a team of nine people and that makes us big enough to have allocated tasks and responsibilities, but we are still small enough that when things get busy it's all hands to the deck and we work excessive hours. Recognising this, and the needs of each member of the team, we have introduced desks that rise, flexible
working hours, technology that enables mobile working and, when the weather is good, we take our tea outside and have meetings in the park. Everyone works differently and everyone rests differently so not
entrepreneurs and we are delighted to be working with WellBeing World and the States of Jersey Social Security Department to develop these pages together. They are a work in progress and we will keep building on
everyone takes up every option, but the important thing for us is that people are empowered to manage the way they work, within the requirements of the business, and that their health and wellbeing is better for it.
them so if you have anything to add please let us know.
We are currently working on creating a Wellbeing section on our website with links to support that is available around the Island to help
In the meantime remember that just being an entrepreneur is good for your health, giving purpose, satisfaction and, when you are through the starting gates, security and freedom.
If there is any way in which we can help your entrepreneurial journey, no matter where you are in it, please do not hesitate to get touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1534 610 300 or by email to: info@jerseybusiness.je Jersey Business provides free, independent, confidential advice and support to businesses in Jersey. The team works with businesses at all stages of their commercial journey, from start-up through improvement, growth and exit. More info: www.jerseybusiness.je Creating a WORLD of Difference
SPONSORED CONTENT
29
ENTREPRENEUR
Procrastination Will Delay Your Life WORDS: Romi Neustadt
We all procrastinate. Hell, just this morning I delayed my work-out for 2 hours because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it before all the coffee had kicked in. Those little choices we make every day to push aside to-do items and push ahead deadlines can wreak havoc on our productivity. And, over time, can delay our success levels in a big way. But I’m not talking about the little stuff. I’m talking about procrastinating the BIG STUFF. Not the daily workout, but making your health a priority. Not getting to everything on your to-do list today, but deciding what you want your life to look like in 3 years. This month I turn 48. All those times my parents told me to enjoy every minute because it all goes by in a blink? Yep, they were right about that one, too. And I’ve enjoyed most of it. Minus a few awful relationships I shouldn’t have been in and jobs I shouldn’t have taken. And minus that period in my 20s when I had absolutely no clue who I was and what I was meant to do. When I think about the biggest highlights so far, they seem to revolve around the choices I’ve made (or have been made for me) that led me to something new and scary before I thought I was ready. I could’ve waited longer to leave the practice of law, hoping it got better or more fulfilling or that somehow I would magically morph into the kind of person who would love a career as a litigator. Instead, I did the scary thing and walked away and into a new career
and a new city where I had no contacts and no clue what was ahead. Our first son Nate came much earlier than planned, the product of a “make up session” from one of our biggest fights ever. Was I ready to be a mom? Was John out of med school yet? Did this fit our plan? No, No and Hell No. I was terrified, but that little nugget ended up coming at the perfect time, making me grow and stretch as a human and learn a whole new level of love. Then there was starting my own direct sales business. I could’ve easily said it was a horrible time to add something to my very full plate (a baby, a toddler, a full PR client roster, community volunteering, trying to lose baby weight). But I got a bigger plate and, as they say, the rest is history. And intellectually it probably appeared like a horrible time for me to write a book. Our business was exploding, the kids were getting busier with extra-curricular activities, I was getting busier with volunteering
"This month I turn 48. All those times my parents told me to enjoy every minute because it all goes by in a blink? Yep, they were right about that one, too."
30
ENTREPRENEUR
and philanthropy, and we were going to be spending a month traveling around Australia. But I did it anyway. It would’ve been really easy for me to say to myself at all of these crossroads, “The timing isn’t right. This can’t happen now.” To be honest, I did say that to myself, every single time. My answer is what made all the difference, “There’s never a perfect time for anything.” Followed by a “And really, what the hell are you waiting for?” I love what Brené Brown wrote in her book Wholehearted: “Midlife: when the Universe grabs your shoulders and tells you ‘I’m not f-ing around, use the gifts you were given.’” I’m grateful that it didn’t take me to mid-life to stop f-ing around and get to the gifts I was given and to do the things that I wanted. Yet with each passing year, I’m f-ing around less and less, saying No more and more and unapologetically pursuing the endeavours that I know will allow me to serve others while also lighting up my soul. If you’re procrastinating the BIG STUFF, it’s time you asked yourself what the hell you’re waiting for. If you have the courage to dig deep enough, I bet you a big slice
of gluten-free birthday cake that at the root of your hesitation is fear. Maybe fear that you don’t have enough time. But more likely fear that you can’t do it, you won’t be good enough, you’ll be judged, you don’t have what it takes or you aren’t worthy. I know, because I’ve asked myself all of these and more.
"My answer is what made all the difference, 'There’s never a perfect time for anything."' Here’s what I know as I stare down 48 candles and countless lessons learned: It’s always the perfect time to go after what we really want. As I blow out my candles, here’s my wish for YOU: On your next birthday you’ll be able to reflect on the past year and declare, “That was the age I stopped procrastinating the BIG STUFF.”
More info: www.romineustadt.com
Romi lives in San Diego, California and is the author of the best-seller, ‘Get Over Your Damn Self’. A former lawyer-turned-PR executive, she built a successful direct sales business that allowed her to trade in the billable hour for a lucrative, flexible career she loves. Her greatest passion is helping others do the same.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
31
ENTREPRENEUR
On Surviving, Recovering from and Preventing Burnout WORDS: Dr Andrea Pennington
How are you doing – really? Beneath the smile sponsored by caffeine … when was the last time you really thought about your response to that question? “I’m fine, just busy” has become our daily mantra. And it’s easy to understand how we got to this place, but not so easy to come back from. I’m reminded of that old expression, to paint yourself into a corner. I think it’s how we ended up stuck on the burnout merry-go-round. Let me explain …
We are depleting ourselves to meet our basic needs. You are following your ambition, so you live to work and work to live at the same time. You get up early and hit the gym before work, because otherwise you will just never get there. Days are long and tiring, and they seem to roll into each other. But this is normal, right?
a caring role for a sick family member, there are so many ways for it to begin.
So how about your health? Does the amount of rest you get restore you enough to tackle your busy schedule? How about your diet; is your nutrition and hydration keeping you at your best? Our wellness is compromised from many angles. From air pollution and poor water quality, to the convenience food and the notso-great choices we make on a daily basis. Of course, it’s not impossible when we have the time to prepare our meals. But that brings me back to my first point about busyness!
But the biggest problem I see is the cyclic behaviour that follows. When we burn out for the first time, often it is something of a shock. How did we get here? Maybe we thought it would never happen to us, or maybe we weren’t even sure that burnout was a real thing. We find ourselves exhausted, under-functioning, and walking around in a fog. With some help and recovery time, we begin to recover. And when we are just better enough to function again, here comes the tidal wave of guilt! We feel bad for taking time off, for not meeting all those responsibilities or expectations, or for letting ourselves down. So we pick up where we left off, doing all those things that burnt us out in the first place.
It’s a cycle. When we keep going with the busyness, while not resting or giving our body what it needs to keep repairing our cells on a daily basis, our reserves start to become depleted. This is one of the many reasons we are seeing an increase of burnout in society. Of course there are so many more triggers and contributing factors, from living our lives according to the wishes of others, to taking on
As much as everything is telling you to unplug from the mainframe and take a 3-month nature bath – you can’t just drop everything, right? What you can do is make small, sustainable and realistic changes to your lifestyle. From how you spend your time to what you put into your body, every little change helps. And it’s the small changes that are the most sustainable.
"Taking even 5 minutes to be mindful on your walk to the office is an amazing way to stave off feelings of depression, anxiety, or even just the classic Monday blues!"
32
ENTREPRENEUR
You can get started in a really simple way by keeping a food diary (download my food diary template here). Take note of how many caffeinated drinks you really have, and then reduce it by one per day at first. Have an extra glass of water instead. It sounds too simple, I know, but that way of thinking is a sneaky trap! Humans love to complicate things. We think that complex means clever and therefore better. Actually, often the simple solutions are the best. Slowly reduce your sugar intake. We have far too much sugar in our diets, and that little energy rush that sugar gives us is a false economy. Apart from all the damage it does in the body, from corroding our teeth to raising our risk of long-term health conditions such as diabetes and dementia – it’s just not a sustainable energy source. The rapid high followed by the energy crash means you can never get enough sugar to stay energised. You always need more, until one day; you’ve gone too far. By cutting down gradually, you can start to regain control of your energy levels and your overall health. Take mindful mini breaks. Healthy body, healthy mind, right? Surrounded by people too busy to smell the
flowers, be the person who does! Taking even 5 minutes to be mindful on your walk to the office is an amazing way to stave off feelings of depression, anxiety, or even just the classic Monday blues! Your mind and body are intrinsically linked. You can’t have one thriving with the other barely surviving. Look after one, and naturally the other follows suit. Whether that starts with giving yourself the time and space to improve your mental health, leading to you making better decisions about fuelling your body. Or whether that starts with you taking up some gentle exercise, leading to a boost in serotonin and dopamine, putting you on track for better mental wellbeing. It works in both directions. Burning out, then burning out again is a cycle to be broken. Making even one good choice for your health is a step towards breaking that cycle. Yes, it sounds simple, and yes it is simple. We really don’t have to complicate it. If, as the old saying goes, you have painted yourself into a corner, then don’t panic. It’s not forever. The paint will dry. You can choose to do something differently and step out of that corner.
More info: www.andreapennington.com Dr. Andrea is a respected integrative medicine physician, acupuncturist and author specialising in longevity and life transformation. With multiple appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Oz and CNN she is recognised globally as a medical-wellness expert inspiring and teaching us how to live with vitality and purpose.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
33
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AT WORK
Chemical Dependency
and the New Disability Discrimination Law
WORDS: Jason Wyse CEO, Silkworth Charity Group
Chemical Dependency may be an expression that has not been heard a lot within our society here in Jersey or in the UK, however it is terminology that best describes addiction to alcohol and/or drugs that have mood altering effects on an individual. This terminology covers addiction to all drugs including those that are legal such as alcohol, prescription medication or over the counter medication as well illegal street drugs such heroin, cocaine, cannabis, etc. It is no secret just how much of a problem that chemical dependency is on our society, as for many people, a social one or two drinks is not possible, in fact for many it would be nice to be able to maintain some normality behind their drink or legal drug use as opposed to it becoming the crutch that they need to get through the day or escape the trials
34
and tribulations of life that everyone has to face in one way, shape or form. As a society we cannot underestimate the detrimental impact that the misuse of alcohol and drugs is having on communities throughout the world, where the need for alcohol and drug treatment services is becoming more and more and where abstinence from such mood altering substances is the only way for many people to have a chance of a normal life together with their families. We don’t talk enough about the good things that go on in Jersey,
particularly in the area of chemical dependency where we have an extremely large percentage of our island who are dependant on some form of mood altering substance. The Treatment Services that are offered by both statutory and the voluntary sector here In Jersey are a glowing example to the UK and the rest of Europe on how to give best access to a Treatment Model that supports the individual themselves as well as their children, family and significant others. Our latest bit of good news in this area is that Jersey is currently leading the way ahead of our UK Counterparts with the new Disability Law that is due to come into effect from 1st September this year because the law comes into force without any exception for addiction, which is something the UK in particular has
SPONSORED CONTENT
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION AT WORK
not quite got right. That being said, this part of the law is open to further debate and information gathering from key people and organisations that are working in this field within the Island and will form part of the new Social Security Minister’s priorities in the coming months. The importance of the Disability law covering Chemical Dependency is such that a lot of work has been done collaboratively by Government and Silkworth Charity Group over the last ten years to raise the awareness of chemical dependency as an illness and to work towards removing the stereotypical attitudes towards alcoholics and drug addicts. This work has seen more people access help, advice and treatment through workplaces as well as individuals themselves, as people are now starting to accept and understand it as an illness. If the law did not cover this, then all that work could be undone and potentially many people would avoid seeking help at the risk of not being covered under the law through their workplaces etc. For employers, there has never been a more important time to ensure that Drug and Alcohol policies are up to date and fit for purpose. This is something we at Silkworth can help and advise on in order to ensure that employees are being supported in the best way possible if they or a family member suffers with this illness of chemical dependency. It
is also important to know what to look out for and how to best manage situations that may be linked to the misuse of drink or drugs, hence why having robust policies in place and regular awareness programmes in place that can support not only Managers, but all employees so they no how to handle what can be, very tricky uncomfortable situations. Chemical Dependency is one of society’s biggest social problems and it is not something that will be solved over night, in one year or ten years’ time. What we can do is raise awareness and educate people so that we can start to have an impact through generational change. Education with Adults as well as children is key to this have any form of effect, so I welcome with open arms the forward thinking Disability law that has not excluded Chemical Dependency in its current format, as it allows us huge opportunities in continuing to tackle one of our largest social problems.
More info: www.silkworthlodge.co.uk – or if you would like to discuss the implications of this new Law with Jason and his team, please contact them at: info@silkworthlodge.co.uk or on tel: +44 (0) 1534 729 060.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
35
WORK
Happiness is a Requirement at Work WORDS: Ilona Suojanen PhD, Happiness expert, communication, education and science specialist
The recent PhD study on happiness at work from the University of Edinburgh shows that happiness at work has become a requirement, especially among young professionals. It is not about people wanting to be happy at work per se. It is about them wanting to live a happy life, in which work plays a significant role, says Dr Ilona Suojanen, in her thesis, titled: Young Professionals and the Pursuit of Happiness at Work. Happiness is important, because much of our waking time is spent at work and work and our personal lives are inseparable. Work has a remarkable impact on our lives and on the happiness experience in general, especially, but not exclusively, to Generation Y. Participants had experienced happiness having a positive influence on their work and social behaviour. They had acknowledged that happiness was not only a motivating force to get them out of bed in the mornings, but that they were the same human beings, with feelings and emotions, both at work and beyond. On the other hand, the idea of a perfect professional, who is always positive, talkative and helpful, can be seen as a worrisome phenomenon. Participants felt they needed to hide their bad days or mistakes from others and behave as jolly extroverts. In order to be successful, they felt pressure to be happy as well.
Happiness Enablers
Participants took photos when they experienced a workrelated happiness moment. This way the most important happiness enablers were detected: work going well, sense of control, working environment, other people and doing something that matters. People are happy when their work goes well. This is a very simple, but often forgotten aspect of happiness at work. Employees are happy when they succeed in their aims and
36
get their work done. Achieving goals does not only lead to possible rewards but also gives a sense of relief and lessens the stress and worries about future work too, as it gives them confidence and self-assurance. In addition, to make time spent working more pleasurable and happier, participants wanted to find arrangements to help them to perform better in their jobs. Having control over one’s work is strongly related to flexibility, whether this refers to mobile and remote working, flexible working hours and having control on the order and execution of tasks – or even with whom the work is done. The more natural light and green views from the office, the happier the employees were. Green views from office windows can provide a blissful sanctuary during a busy day and make people feel like part of the outside world. This generation is not only satisfied with a positive work climate, they want even more: to have friends at work. Other people are essential to their happiness. They want to feel truly connected with people around them. Also, having friends at work makes it the place they want to be at. Having a meaningful and purposeful job matters to this generation. They want to help, to have an impact, to improve and to contribute to society. Having an impact on others also forms their self-worth and identity. When their work matters, they matter too.
WORK
Who is Responsible for Happiness at Work?
Key Messages: Trust and Listening
They felt responsible for reacting to unpleasant situations in the right way, or even leaving the workplace if it was unhappy. This can also be found in current self-help books of a person as the master of their own happiness.
There is no happiness model that can be copy-pasted from one company to another, and results from surveys will not lead far. Happiness can only be created together.
Most of the participants felt they were responsible for their own happiness.
On the other hand, some of the participants underscored the need to share happiness responsibility between the individual, employer and the colleagues. When happiness responsibility is shared, better results can be achieved, as happiness is a combination of personal effort and the surrounding culture as well as the situation.
The best results can be achieved when employers are genuinely interested in the wishes and needs of their employees.
One of the key structures of happiness is trust. It is crucial for the employee to trust the manager and the company, but also to feel trusted by the employer. Other suggestions for increasing happiness at work were education, increased flexibility, enhancing the pleasantness of the work environment and improved leadership skills and procedures.
"Having a meaningful and purposeful job matters to this generation. They want to help, to have an impact, to improve and to contribute to society." More info: www.ilonasuojanen.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
The thesis was defended at the University of Edinburgh Business School in September 2017. The internal examiner was Dr Thomas Calvard, and the external examiner Dr Mark Cieslik, University of Northumbria. The study involved 24 young professionals from various fields based in Edinburgh, and was funded by Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Finnish Cultural Foundation and The Finnish Work Environment Fund. Dr Ilona Suojanen is currently working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence in Public Safety Management (CESAM) at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, in the Netherlands. Her research interests lie in happiness and safety, and she is curious to find alternative ways to understand these topics. She graduated with a Master in Journalism from the University of South Australia (2006) and with a Master in Educational Sciences from the University of Turku, Finland (2012). Prior to initiating her PhD studies, she worked as a lecturer in marketing and communications in Finland and has also earned professional experience in a variety of positions within journalism, marketing, sales and communications in Finland, Laos, Australia, Germany and the UK. She is the author of the book Work for your happiness (2012).
37
WORK
A Dedication to Workplace Wellbeing that Raises the Bar WORDS: Siobhan Durcan Director, Deloitte
Workplace wellness has gone way beyond a better chair for sitting at a screen, a health insurance package and a day in lieu for lunch-hours worked, nowadays businesses are incorporating employee wellbeing into the very fabric of their strategic priorities. When it comes to maximising productivity and performance through happier, healthier staff and increasing employee engagement and retention, it goes to show that when you implement wellness into your workplace routine, the numbers really do add up.
Great success has been widely reported in regard to businesses that invest in their staff. This makes for an ideal opportunity for both businesses and people to create a holistic workplace environment that encourages less stress, more motivation, the opportunity to eat well, exercise and in turn the chance for everyone to perform at their best.
38
When an organisation endeavours to promote and enhance wellness for its employees, an individual can quite simply, be better; they are more confident and more empowered, they work harder and their productivity trajectory scales up. That employee becomes a conduit for a greater return on investment and that’s where wellness in the workplace can pay dividends.
Corporate wellness began decades ago with a highly specific focus on employee physical health and safety. Today, the definition has expanded to include a range of programmes aimed at not only protecting employee health, but actively boosting performance as well as social and emotional wellbeing. These include innovative programmes and tools for financial wellness,
WORK
SPONSORED CONTENT
mental health, healthy diet and exercise, mindfulness, sleep, and stress management, as well as changes to culture and leadership behaviours to support these efforts. It is our view that expanding wellbeing programmes to encompass what employees want and value is now essential for organisations to treat their people responsibly— as well as to boost their social capital and project an attractive employment brand. Through the 2018 Global Human Capital Trends Report, which received responses from more than 11,000 business and HR executives internationally, including many leaders who were interviewed in depth, Deloitte sought to identify what wellbeing benefits employees valued compared to the most commonly provided benefits. The findings showed that 86% of employees value a flexible workday, but only 50% of employers provide this. Telecommuting was valued by 70% of employees, but only 27% of employers provide it. These kinds of benefits have been shown to boost morale and establish trust as well as allowing a better quality of life for some employees who are managing families or caring for older relatives, for example. Other highly valued benefits included a dedicated office space for exercise (or meditation, on-site screenings and other uses), reimbursement for wellbeing expenses, again, extending to other modalities to
enhance better wellness, such as gym memberships, nutrition training or mindfulness classes; healthy snacks, wellness counselling, employee assistance programmes, mental health counselling, health monitoring or cessation programmes, and back-up daycare . Sometimes ten hours in the office doesn’t leave much time for hitting the gym, so these kinds of benefits are appealing. At Deloitte, we’re dedicated to our employees’ wellbeing. We thrive as a
business when our team is fulfilled. A prime example of Deloitte’s Jersey office bringing wellness and wellbeing to the forefront for staff, was our recent Wellbeing Week, which saw an all-inclusive invite to any member of staff to participate in an array of wellness practices and activities. The week culminated in Deloitte’s second Sport’s Day and proved to be a lively afternoon after a very popular schedule of events – we’re sure everyone felt the benefit after the healthy breakfasts and juices to kick off the week the right way;
mindfulness workshops to provide another important element of our ‘health toolkit’; talks on biomechanics with easy exercises to change the body’s alignment, prevent injury and improve performance; osteopathy for those seeking immediate care with painful conditions; and a session on sleep hygiene to help us achieve better sleep with full daytime alertness. All this, along with hints and tips as to what tasty foods would be the most effective to prepare us for the impending challenges at FB Fields on Sport’s Day! The aim at Deloitte is to ensure that our employees’ wellbeing is nurtured and nourished. We want our staff to know that we truly want them to feel happy and healthy both in body and mind. From our directors to our interns, Deloitte’s wellness priorities cover every team member. There’s also strength in numbers so as we bring opportunities for better health, we are also bringing a change for some good old fashioned camaraderie, which is good for the business and our brilliant employees! As we see it, wellbeing is starting to establish itself as a core responsibility of good corporate citizenship and a critical strategy to drive employee engagement, energy and productivity. It’s no longer an optional extra on the rewards menu, but front and centre as a business imperative for leading, high-performance organisations like our own.
More info: www.deloitte.co.uk
Creating a WORLD of Difference
39
WORK
Productivity, the Collaboration Conundrum and the Digital Workplace WORDS: Dr Nicola J. Millard Head of Customer Insight and Futures, BT
Technology is untethering many of us from our desks and offices and enabling us to collaborate with colleagues, suppliers and partners around the world. 40% of the global workforce already work virtually. Trends towards partnering, shared services, outsourcing and offshoring means that virtual teaming has become integral to the way we work today. Connecting the digital Neanderthal
Inevitably this means that we are often collaborating with people that we don’t see on a daily basis, and may never meet. But when people are strangers, have spent little or no time with each other, and have very little in common beyond their ability to connect, they are unlikely to trust each other. This is not an IT problem – technology can zip information around the world at the click of a button. The snag is that it relies on people being willing to share it in the first place. This tends to boil down to culture and leadership. Collaboration in non-face-to-face situations isn’t necessarily easy for our inner caveman to embrace. There’s still a feeling that ‘face time’ needs to be physical for organisations to collaborate effectively. Co-location may look like an easy solution for fostering collaboration – and it is indisputably the most effective – but it doesn’t guarantee it.
Collaboration doesn’t happen by magic; it happens by purpose
Balancing ‘we and ‘me’: productivity and collaboration overload
However, work isn’t exclusively about collaborating with others. It’s about balancing ‘we’ and ‘me’. We-time and space to do individual work as well. The conundrum is that we tend to reward individuals who look busy (many people’s diaries are filled with meetings instead of me-time). Partially, the problem is around what ‘productive work’ actually is in the first place. Productivity measures are stuck in a manufacturing model that is 40 years out of date. Few of us produce x number of widgets an hour now. As many of us become knowledge workers, our currency is ideas, expertise, contribution – more so in a world where automation will increasingly take on the neat, transactional, rules based and data rich tasks. The messy things that we are left with will be inefficient, chaotic, creative and increasingly difficult to count.
"Collaboration in non-face-to-face situations isn’t necessarily easy for our inner caveman to embrace."
Think of collaboration as a party. Like any great celebration, you need a reason to bring people together. You need a physical or virtual ‘common ground’ to gather them on. You need to make sure that everyone knows each other so that they can start to talk, create and build ‘fast trust’. This is why leaders need to become perfect party hosts rather than making sure that the beatings continue until collaboration improves. We also need to acknowledge that, although most of us think collaboration is a good thing, we aren’t all naturally good at it. Recruitment needs to emphasise collaboration
40
as a key skillset, but leaders also need to recognise and reward contribution (and be good at it themselves) and ensure that technologies enable frictionless sharing, regardless of location or platform.
What is easy to measure is the number of hours worked. In a recent survey of business decision makers, 50% of them said that they could tell how hard people were working by how long they were available on instant messenger. This is the digital equivalent of “I can see you at your desk” and has very little to do with actual productivity. We can easily become a slave to our smartphones, where virtual presence becomes a substitute for real presence.
WORK
Multitasking our way to oblivion
During our daily lives we have to navigate our way through calls, tweets, instant messages, emails, beeps, flashing lights and cope with the pressure of responding to all these like Pavlov’s Dogs did to a ringing bell. One problem with this is that the frequency of distraction is inversely correlated with productivity. As we compulsively check incoming messages, the less productive we become. The double whammy here is that we attempt to make up this unproductive time by working longer hours. The evidence suggests that long-hours cultures also make us less productive – simply because we get tired. Learning to focus on one task at a time, not mistake activity for productivity, and occasionally tune out are going to be vital components to improving our personal productivity and future wellbeing.
Future forward: changing our mindset about work New attitudes and technologies are changing business paradigms. Immense productivity gains can be unleashed if employers understand the forces driving these new ways of digital working and encourages employees to adopt them. However, we need to bear in mind the wisdom of the 17th century poet John Dryden, who said: ‘We first make our habits, and then our habits make us’. Using 20th century mindsets to create 21st century businesses will not create a new, more productive, world of work. We can’t just transpose analogue thinking into digital – automating a mediocre process will just give you a mediocre automated process.
Save the Date – Thursday, 22nd November 2018 Dr Nicola Millard will be one of the Keynote Speakers at the upcoming CIPD Jersey Conference ‘Fast Forward' to be held on Thursday, 22nd November at the Pomme D’Or in St Helier. The conference will focus on the future of work, including how technology is changing our working environment and how we can adapt without losing sight of our work-life balance. Dr Millard was a speaker at WellBeing World’s conference ‘The Future of Work’ in May 2016 and we are delighted she will be joining us again in Jersey for the CIPD Jersey ‘Fast Forward’ conference this year. Her talk in November will include ‘Productivity, Collaboration, and the Digital Workplace’. David D'Souza, Membership Director at the CIPD will also be a Keynote Speaker, along with a number of other expert professionals yet to be confirmed. The event is aimed at HR Directors and Managers, and other Professionals wishing to be equipped and ready for the workplace of the future. Tickets will be available to CIPD Members, Students and Non-Members, and details will be posted on the CIPD Jersey Facebook page. Creating a WORLD of Difference
41
WORK
Promoting Wellbeing in the Multi-Generational Office WORDS: Glenda Rivoallan Founder, Club Soulgenic
Unprecedented change is happening in our workplaces with upto 5 generations currently working together. By 2020 we will have 70% of the entire workforce made up of our 2 youngest generations. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for organisations to reap the benefits of a dynamic, diverse, inclusive and thriving workplace culture. However, it does present challenges around ethics, compliance and of course management and leadership. Each generation brings its own life stage, communication preferences and priorities therefore it needs a careful and considered approach to maximise productivity and reduce risk. This cross-generation skillset is not one that managers may naturally have, but it is one that can be developed. Organisations are beginning to customise their employee rewards programmes to accommodate the values, lifestyles, work habits, and interests of the multi-generational workforce but it is in its infancy. According to a survey by Deloitte LLP nearly a third (32%) of HR professionals plan to alter their programmes with generational preferences in mind. Even in the last 4 years when I moved from selling one business to setting up another the landscape has changed incredibly. Knowing both your customers and your employees is vital. We have all 5 generations currently alive and well working together in one team, and it can be a challenge. It is no surprise that for some people the default position is that the older generation are stuck in their ways, the middle generation demanding and the new entrants lazy! But I urge you to dig deeper. Behind the layers are highly attractive and complementary skill sets. The one size fits all approach – is a thing of the past! These generational differences don’t just play out for employees but also consumers, requiring multiple products, payment options, contract lengths, multiple marketing methods and systems to embrace this diversity. In terms of wellbeing the 5 generations have quite different mantras with the Silent generation (born before 1946) being “why reinvent the wheel?” and Baby Boomers
42
(1946-1964) “work, work, work”. In contrast Gen X (1965-1980) “live life to the fullest” whilst Millennials (1981-1999) see “strong is the new skinny”. The new digital natives – Generation Z (>1999) see “wellbeing as the new fitness”. If we want vibrant healthy and happy employees, we must embrace these! Wellbeing is a concept we think we all understand intuitively, but often struggle to articulate. Improved wellbeing is not currently the reality for the majority of people by almost any measurement you care to consider: obesity, participation rates in sport, health costs per capita – the numbers are moving in the opposite direction to what might be expected in a culture which we perceive to be more wellbeing aware. We are asking people to do more and more with less, resulting in a modern day stress epidemic which is engulfing many leading to mental health issues, sickness and burnout amongst other things.
The impact of wellbeing on other outcomes therefore becomes critical. We need more evidence from the world of work, but here’s what we do know, improving wellbeing can: • boost productivity by as much as 15%
• improve employee engagement and avoid burn out • reduce absence due to negative mental health • reduce presenteeism
• improve creativity and customer experience The reality is that healthier employees work harder, stay in their jobs longer and take less sick leave. Businesses are starting to get the message but a recent CIPD survey showed that less than 10% have a strategic approach to wellbeing linked to their business objectives and the way in which they put it into place is largely ineffective.
WORK
If we are to develop the “resilient employee” or the “resilient organisation” we need to adequately prepare people. Relationships in the workplace are the No1 drain on resilience. We need to arm people with the coping skills to be able to move on from adversity and bounce back with optimism, hope and personal resources. Ignorance on the generations and their complementary work preferences may only make this statistic worse. There is however some promising news … Businesses have been highly active in the mental health agenda, and more publicly than ever before. The growth of campaigns aimed at de-stigmatising mental health is encouraging.
It’s last orders on many of the traditional strategies, we are moving beyond the pub and extreme sport challenges that only excite only 10% of your office population. Companies who offer the most innovative wellbeing packages will stand out and be the employer of choice. We need to work on wellbeing for all where the employee has a key role in this change. A multi-disciplinary programme should consider the use of wellbeing ambassadors, incorporating the mind body connection, emotional wellbeing, holistic wellbeing solutions aimed at the mass population and programmes which embrace technology. Employees of all ages desire a well-rounded wellness offer that supports and promotes their career, physical, financial, social and community wellbeing. Recognition is a recurring theme among all generations and can be a very powerful staff retention tool. People often ask me “how can a company afford to risk providing employees of all generations with ongoing benefits and recognition programmes and how will we justify the budget? However, I say if you are serious about retaining top talent and maximising productivity of your staff then how can you afford not to? When an organisation demonstrates commitment to the complete wellbeing of all employees, everyone wins.
"Behind the layers are highly attractive and complementary skill sets." The growth of mindfulness programmes has exploded in the last 5 years with Google, Facebook, Glaxo Smith Kline, KPMG, Nike to name a few, all buying into the notion of mindful communication, mindful emails, mindful meetings and mindful breaks. Even the Home Office has got stuck in with the release of the Mindful Nation report and The Mindfulness Initiative. Despite the critics who argue that the McMindfulness movement is a reductionist package, the evidence is such that a well taught mindfulness programme will literally re-wire the brain and improve your wellbeing!!!
Creating a WORLD of Difference
43
BODY
Raindrop Therapy … As Powerful as a Trip to See the Northern Lights? WORDS: Claire De Gruchy Founder, Shalbeck Life Centre
In January 2016 I was standing on the frozen Lake of Äkäslompolo, Finland, watching the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Although the electrical energy was many miles above, I remember feeling a beautiful peace and calmness within me; the enormity of the pulsating greens, blues and purples allowed me to BE at one with it! The lights of the villages around the lake were switched off at 10pm each night, creating a stillness and silence that heightened my senses – eyes, ears, skin, nose … even tasting the dry cold air! We slept so well each night and I woke each day with an alertness I had not known and yet with an inner peace too. I was skiing for only the second time, after a 30 year gap, and even with instruction, was naturally nervous! However, each day I felt a calmness that I couldn’t quite explain. It was only a year later I would learn about the healing and harmonising benefits that electrical currents can bring us when stimulated within our bodies. Not this time from the Northern Lights, but from a raindrop like effect of essential oils on my spine and a Tibetan finger-rolling technique called Vita Flex. That started my Raindrop Technique experience – a massage therapy like no other.
44
As a qualified Health Kinesiologist, NeuroDevelopmental and Johansen IAS Therapist, and a provider of Harmony Therapy, (a gentle release of trauma from neural memory), my passion is to enhance life. To this end, in 2017, I qualified as a provider of Raindrop Massage and Vita Flex. In the 1980’s D. Gary Young, Founder of Young Living, was inspired by the Native American tradition of observing the Northern Lights while inhaling the aroma of nearby conifer trees, to develop the Raindrop Technique; by combining Young Living pure organic Therapeutic Grade essential oils, via a ‘feathering’ massage, with Vita Flex. The latter is an ancient Tibetan ‘rolling technique’ using finger pads, where reflex points are gently stimulated on the body. Vita Flex, developed by Stanley Burroughs, who studied Oriental medicine, was adapted from acupuncture, acupressure and reflexology, and means ‘vitality through the reflexes’. Vita Flex involves gentle pressing and rolling of the
BODY
SPONSORED CONTENT
Raindrop facilitator’s fingertips upon the client’s body at specific meridians or reflex points. The theory of Vita Flex utilises the fact that human skin is piezoelectric – so when a slight pressure is applied to the body surface, a voltage is generated and electric charges move accordingly, via the skin and nervous system. The term ‘Raindrop’ comes from part of the procedure when essential oils are dropped through the aura of an individual along the spine; these oils which also possess electromagnetic properties, fall through the outer electromagnetic field (aura) of the client, enhancing, together with Vita Flex manoeuvres, the body’s absorption and use of the essential oils. Most of the Raindrop oils are high in phenolic content to address damaging viruses and bacteria, while cleansing cellular receptor sites to improve inter- and intra-cellular communication and body functioning. Some Raindrop oils contain monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes to assist in deleting misinformation in our DNA and reprogramme correct information in cellular memory. Raindrop Technique and Vita Flex assist in clearing imbalances, toxins, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria and aligning the cellular and skeletal structure of the body
and mind to relax, rejuvenate and renew each individual. Essential oils work on many levels and can also clear emotional blocks via the olfactory nerve which serves not only to let us smell but to connect with our limbic or emotional centres and memories linked to smells. In his book, A Statistical Validation of Raindrop Technique, David Stewart, PhD, explains the scientific basis of how Young Living Raindrop essential oils can help healing – emotional, chemical and physical. Dr. Stewart, Founder of CARE (Centre for Aromatherapy Research & Education) talks on how Raindrop Technique has become a widely used therapeutic protocol throughout the world, and more recently, via several therapists, including myself, in Jersey. As one client said “A unique experience like no other. Very relaxing yet very invigorating too! Gentle though much more powerful than your ‘everyday’ massage.” The fact it is done in total quiet, similar to the quiet of Lake Äkäslompolo, allows the receiver of Raindrop Technique to re-connect with all their Being and assist in their own individual healing process – emotional, physical or spiritual. Each session is totally different and leaves my clients wanting to come back for more.
Claire De Gruchy is the Founder of Shalbeck Life Centre at 25 Pier Road, St Helier. She is trained as a CARE Facilitator in Raindrop and Vita Flex, and the only Neuro-Developmental Therapist in the Channel Islands.
More info: www.shalbecklifecentre.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
45
BODY
SPONSORED CONTENT
Why Acupuncture Can Help Everyone! WORDS: Lorna Jackson 1ST BSc (HONs), MBAcC, AFN
Acupuncture stimulates the body's own healing response and as it is a natural treatment is integrates well with standard medical care. Acupuncture can be used for the whole family, including children and the older generation. What's more you do not need to be ill or in pain to have it! It can be used as a mini break from the stresses and strains of day-to-day. It can help provide pain relief, fast recovery, improved injury resilience, better sleep and stress reduction. It can also help a wide range of conditions, from osteoarthritis of the knee, migraines and tension headaches, neck and lower back pain to nausea and vomiting.
Acupuncture Facts
• Acupuncture does not hurt! • Acupuncture needles are single use, sterile and are as fine as a single human hair! Many patients do not even notice when they are in. In fact, many patients fall asleep during their treatment.
• Many private health providers cover acupuncture treatment. • Traditional acupuncturists have to complete a minimum of 3 years training at degree level in line with the World Health Organisation standards. • Traditional acupuncture originated in China more than 2,500 years ago. • 2.3 million acupuncture treatments are carried out each year by British Acupuncture Council members making it one of the most popular complementary therapies practiced in the UK. • The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on best practice recommend that GPs offer a course of 10 sessions of acupuncture as a first line treatment for persistent migraines and tensiontype headaches.
• Traditional acupuncture can be used for support as well as relief; ranging from: pain management, sports injuries, women’s health, fertility, pregnancy support, nausea, digestive health, stress management.
Aftercare
At Health Point Clinic we are passionate about preventative care. A strong emphasis is placed upon maintainable lifestyle changes that will help you to take back control of your health and prevent further injury. The average treatment is 1 hour; this is just 1.68% of your week. Our goal is to provide you with the tools and support to navigate the 98.32% of your week with the confidence that you are on the right path.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra-fine, single use sterile needles into specific acupuncture points on the body. This involves between 8 to 30 needles depending upon what is being treated. By inserting fine needles into muscles and connective tissue, this frees up the normal flow of blood, energy and nutrients by releasing myofascial and musculoskeletal constrictions. The insertion of needles is intended to create un-noticeable micro trauma; this induces a healing response in your body, releasing pain-relieving endorphins into your bloodstream. Essentially, acupuncture jump-starts your body’s self-healing mechanism. Your body is constantly repairing and rebuilding itself; acupuncture can help direct this healing response in a more efficient way.
More info: www.healthpointclinic.co.uk 46
BODY
Cycling – the Perfect Remedy for Mind and Body Cycling is at its prime. It seems that the health benefits associated with the activity are becoming much more understood and many Islanders are now choosing to use their bikes to get around a lot more often. In fact, we could go as far as to say that cycling is now the ‘in-thing’ to do, thanks to the Dutch trend of travelling on two wheels instead of four. There is copious evidence to suggest that cycling is good for your physical and mental wellbeing, helps the local environment, and offers the perfect break from the busy, technology-driven lives that we lead. The success of HSBC’s Let’s Ride Jersey event back in August is proof that people of all ages are keen to enjoy cycling, no matter what their age or ability, and that they are open to any encouragement or opportunities to do so. The event saw three-times elite BMX world champion and two-time team sprint world champion Shanaze Reade set a time on the sprint challenge for the more competitive, as well as hosting leisurely ride outs for everyone else. There was also a cycling ‘hub’ which buzzed with the activity of food stalls, trial bike shows, cycling clubs and an obstacle course, to ensure that there was something for everyone. Building on the success of the event, HSBC wants to continue to encourage cycling in Jersey. After all, the Island is only 45 square miles in size and has so many 48
beautiful cycle paths and green lanes to enjoy. However, according to the Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, 2017, by the States of Jersey Statistics Unit, only 7% of islanders regularly cycled to work, while over half of us used a car to commute. A report by local action group, Jersey in Transition, found that more people cycled to work in rush hour from the west than the east – out of a total of 386 people during one rush hour (0800-0900) only 37 were travelling in from the East-West route. So, while a number of people do enjoy cycling on the island, there are so many more who would benefit from giving it a go. Not only is cycling a brilliant way to dodge the notorious Jersey traffic jams, it is also the perfect route to better health and good for the island’s environment. In fact, the NHS recommend cycling as a low-impact form of exercise which is easier on your joints than running or other high-impact aerobic activities. Health professionals suggest riding for at least 150 minutes a week, which equates to five 30-minute journeys, or two days commuting and one weekend ride.
SPONSORED CONTENT
British Cycling also report that the benefits of cycling include:
• Reduced levels of stress and increased relaxation • Increased balance and coordination • Having the health of someone ten years younger than your levels before cycling While cycling to work is an easy way to build up those bicycle kilometres, you do not need to commute to see an improvement in your life.
A number of employees at HSBC enjoy cycling both to work and in their spare time, and told us why they love getting on their bikes: Claire Lilley Head of Communications
Since becoming a mum, I bought a cargo bike to go on adventures with my son – we call it our ‘ice cream bike’. It’s a tricycle with a box on the front that has bench seats, storage, and electric assist.
BODY
Joseph Hanford Regulatory Compliance Manager
When I was a teenager, cycling enabled me to get my first job as a paper boy, with a weekly wage of £10. Now, I find cycling really beneficial for my physical and mental wellbeing. You can see friends while exercising and it reduces stress.
Joe Igoe Business Support Manager
As well as the obvious health aspects, the social side is most important to me. I’ve made numerous friends through cycling and we meet on a regular basis to take on new challenges…often with a beer involved. So next time you need to go somewhere in Jersey, try not to reach for the car keys. Think about your route, take a little extra time and enjoy a leisurely cycle.
We regularly pile all our beach things in and pop over to Green Island. Sometimes, we even fit his little bike in the cargo box so he can cycle in safe areas.
Helen Child Product Manager
My parents ride a tandem bike because my mum is partially sighted. When they upgraded and asked if we would like it, we were very quickly converted! You get some great quality time with the other person, in my case that’s my husband Martin. It gives you time to chat and builds trust when you’re going down a hill at 40mph!
PAGE LEFT: Joe Hanford ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Edward Lilley, Helen Child & Joe Igoe
HSBC and Let’s Ride
HSBC understands how important it is to stay active, for your wellbeing in and out of the office. That is why the Bank has chosen to be an advocate for cycling in Jersey and this summer it hosted the popular ‘Let’s Ride Jersey’ event. The Bank wants to get everyone cycling whether it is a quick ride to the shops, with the family at the weekend, or on the way to work. The event saw hundreds of Islanders flock to Les Jardins de la Mer with their bikes to take part in leisurely ride-outs, speedy sprints, watch trial bike displays and to meet world champion BMX rider, Shanaze Reade. To see photos from the Let’s Ride Jersey event this summer, go to HSBC’s Facebook page ‘HSBC Channel Islands and Isle of Man’. Creating a WORLD of Difference
49
FITNESS
Fitness by Design WORDS: Nathalie Le Mottée Co-founder and Managing Director, Healthhaus
We all know that having a gym membership card in your wallet, while being a step in the right direction isn’t going to get you fit! Have you ever considered though, that simply turning up to a training session isn’t enough either? That may come as a surprise but many of us have been in a position at some point in our lives when we’ve set out with good intentions and have exercised regularly but that goal has continued to elude us. Exercise doesn’t automatically equal results. Fitness, health, wellbeing or for that matter, anything worth striving for, doesn’t just happen by default. It takes a lot more than simply showing up. I believe that following a 3 step strategy will help you get the results that you want and while I’m going to apply this to fitness, this strategy will work for all areas of your life. I’m sure that most people would expect me to say that step 1 is to have a goal, but I believe that you need so much more than a goal …
Step 1: Desire
So why do we need more than a goal? We often think of goals as having a start, middle and end. What then? Fitness, health and wellbeing are part of a continuous journey. If you think you can follow a 12 week programme and that’s you sorted, then you’re sadly mistaken. Goals are also often associated with something that another person has told us that we need to achieve in order to be a ‘better’ person and are consequently done begrudgingly. Most people will have experienced this extrinsic pressure at some point, whether it be pressure from family to stop smoking when we’re just not quite ready or pressure from a boss to reach higher sales targets in a job that just isn’t you. We might start off on the right track, but eventually
50
we will falter. Perhaps most importantly, many of us have an underlying belief that ‘goals’ are something that we will never achieve, because we may not have achieved them in the past and that thought in itself is a huge barrier. On the other hand, desire is intrinsic, it is all about ‘me’; it’s about what ‘I’ want, not what anyone else wants for me and it’s driven by a deep rooted passion. Success can only truly be achieved by starting with a desire that burns deep within us. So instead of thinking about what your goal is, look deep within and decide what it is that you really desire. When we truly desire something then we won’t let anything stand in our way.
FITNESS
SPONSORED CONTENT
Step 2: Knowledge
I liken exercise to cooking. If you’re a novice cook and have a tried and tested recipe that you follow to the letter then you’ll most probably get a tasty result. On the other hand if you try to wing it, it’s a gamble as to whether or not you’ll create something edible! The same can be said for exercising. The reason that many people don’t achieve results is that they don’t follow a tried and tested programme. They potter around, usually doing the exercises that they are familiar with or ones that they find easy. They most definitely avoid anything that feels too hard (which is probably what they need to work on most!) Sound familiar? Have you spent hours sweating on the cross trainer only to achieve not very much at all?
Support also comes from surrounding yourself by likeminded people - those who are trying to achieve the same thing as you. That is why being part of a community is so helpful. Join a gym or club, or form your own group at work.
Once you’ve identified your true desire then focus your energy on learning as much about it as you possibly can. This could be through joining a gym, club or group, paying for a professional’s advice or doing your own research through books and the internet. A word of caution though - not everything that is in print is accurate! Do ask a professional in the relevant field to verify your sources.
Finally we mustn’t forget the importance of your fans! They could be friends, family or colleagues and are people who give you the confidence that you will achieve it! They are the people who pick up the pieces when you haven’t quite achieved what you were hoping to and still think you’re amazing! They will remind you why you’re doing it in the first place and will help you get back on track. Your fans are always there to cheer you on.
No matter how badly you desire something and how much you learn about it, there will be times when for any number of reasons things just don’t go to plan. This is when you need a great support team around you!
Now go out and build your support team around you!
Step 3. Support
Think of professional sports people. They definitely have a deep-rooted desire to achieve and they also have the knowledge, but you don’t see them going it alone. They surround themselves with coaches, dieticians, psychologists, and so on. I’m not suggesting that you have to pay for a host of professionals in order to achieve your deepest desires but do get as much support as you can.
More info: www.healthhaus.co.uk
Creating a WORLD of Difference
51
FITNESS
Creating Habits You Won’t Want to Give Up
What is Life by Design? Well one definition is ‘to create habits you refuse to give up for anyone else and to stay true to yourself.’ The team at L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa can help you live your life by design even when you are not at home. Starting Your Day, the Right Way
The AA Four Red Star hotel in St Brelade has one of the biggest and best breakfast menus in Jersey, with over 74 options it is bursting with fresh and nutritious food and the finest ingredients, offering guests the best possible start to the day, whatever your dietary requirements. Hot or cold, dairy free, egg free or gluten free, whatever the preference, the expansive spread caters for everyone, complete with freshly made smoothies for a delicious way to get on your way to ‘five a day’. There is also a fantastic range of 52
‘superfoods’ from dried fruits to seeds and berries, a great source of antioxidants.
A Personalised Workout, Your Way
Most of us spend too long sitting at our desks, behind the wheels of our cars or just watching TV. The team at L’Horizon are conscious of the importance you place on your personal health and wellbeing and the newly refurbished gym, complete with state-of-the-art equipment means that you can work out in style, and tailor your training to suit your individual goals.
Being strong and maintaining that strength helps in every aspect of life. The 7xi Series cardio products from Matrix Fitness include treadmills, ellipticals and upright cycles designed to give you a refined workout experience, helping you keep track of your progress. You can create a personalised workout, set your own targets and define a measure for success! The exclusive app interfaces mean you can log on and stay switched on to what is going on outside the gym, if you want to stay connected, that is! The new-look rubber floored weights area is equipped with free weights, power rack, leg and chest press and shoulder trainer, all designed to help you feel stronger.
SPONSORED CONTENT
Relax and Recharge, Morning Noon and Night
Design really does matter and L’Horizon has just invested £500,000 into a complete enhancement programme of its outdoor area. The newly refurbished Terrace is the perfect place to recharge after a workout, or at any time of the day, and what could be more relaxing than listening to the ocean waves gently lapping the shore. The Terrace is decked out with a new lounge area for drinks, a dining area as well as a dedicated outdoor bar. The granite wall on the edge of the Terrace now sports a new glazed wind break so that guests can enjoy a stylish, yet informal space with fabulous uninterrupted views of the bay.
FITNESS
"The beautifully decked Spa Terrace is just the place to revive the body and mind while making the most of the sunshine." There’s dining by design all day too, with a delicious selection of vegan, vegetarian and healthy options on both the Terrace lunch and dinner menus, so that you can focus on your inner health morning, noon and night.
Me Time, Right Next to the Beach
Stress can really hold you back from reaching your full potential and living your best life, so it’s important to commit to some “me time”,
thankfully L’Horizon has created the perfect spot. The beautifully decked Spa Terrace is just the place to revive the body and mind while making the most of the sunshine. The awardwinning spa offers an extensive range of luxurious treatments which guests can enjoy right next to the beach. L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa set exacting goals every day to help ensure you won’t have to compromise any of yours to live your life by design.
More info: www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/lhorizon/ Creating a WORLD of Difference
53
SPONSORED CONTENT
FITNESS
Actively Helping You Live Your Best Life! WORDS: Louise Augré Augré Physiotherapy
Exercising and keeping active is a really important part of your wellbeing and if it’s an integral part of how you live your best life, it’s something you won’t want to compromise at any time.
54
An injury is a pain, not just in the physical sense ... it’s out of your control and hinders you achieving goals you’ve set for yourself.
Each member of our team is highly qualified and experienced in their own subspeciality of physiotherapy.
Our experienced and friendly team of physiotherapists at Augré Physiotherapy at the Lido Medical Centre expertly treat all sorts of musculoskeletal pain caused by injury to bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves.
We focus on biomechanical rehabilitation, working to help you fix injuries and avoid further ones and to get you fit and flexible and back enjoying the activities you love as quickly as possible.
FITNESS
Living your life in the best way you can is about creating habits you refuse to give up and our range of exercises will ensure you can keep being active while we work with you to get you back on your feet again. We specialise in the correction of muscular imbalance with physio Pilates classes that are suitable for everyone, whatever your age or level of fitness. It’s a therapeutic, gentle and perfectly safe full body workout which will strengthen the muscles in your lower back, abdomen, hip and pelvic muscles. All the exercises involve slow and controlled movement using the six principles of Pilates; concentration, control, centring, breathing, flow and precision, training the body to move efficiently with your spine and pelvis aligned.
"It’s a therapeutic, gentle and perfectly safe full body workout which will strengthen the muscles in your lower back, abdomen, hip and pelvic muscles." We tailor all the exercises to our clients’ individual needs. We will work with you to set clear goals while our goal is to ensure you achieve them! No matter which muscles you are having problems with, we can help strengthen them and get you on the shortest road to recovery. It’s your life by design, your best life, and of course that means it’s up to you to make that happen!
You’ll learn how to focus your body, your mind and your breath so that you are more in tune with how your body works and moves. With better muscular control of your back and limbs you’ll also be far less likely to pick up another injury.
More info: www.augrephysiotherapy.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
55
FITNESS
Work vs Health WORDS: Michael Canas
“Isn’t if funny how men sacrifice their health to make money?” the Indian surgeon commented when I sat in his office, “only to need all of that money just to regain their health after retirement.”
coach. I believe the essence of hard work is a trait that should be instilled in everyone as it helps shape us to be able to push towards various goals.
However it resonated with me and made me think how in the past I had prioritised many factors over my health and wellbeing, leaving those things somewhat as an afterthought that I could consider once I had become materially successful. How often do we forego our diet, our rest, our personal relationships, our relaxation, our hydration, our hobbies and time with our families to be able to put more hours in at work? Now before I sound like I’m encouraging people to disregard the necessity of work - I am NOT! Not for one minute am I saying that people shouldn’t work hard. Hard work is the essence of what I require from clients in my own line of employment as a personal trainer and online
The point I am trying to make however, is how many of us have stopped and thought about the possible ramifications of sacrificing aspects of what keeps us healthy, for our work. Are we even conscious that there will ultimately be a trade-off over where we place things in our life based on their perceived importance? For example, how common is it to sleep less and make poorer food choices just so we can spend more time working towards a possible bonus, or a possible promotion? How much guarantee have these things carried in your experience? Or do we simply try to stack the odds in our favour by working harder for longer without realising the elevated levels of stress, fatigue and poor health?
What a thought provoking premise, and how true. In the middle of Kerala I was having this discussion with the surgeon who was about to repair my ears, chewed up after years of combat sports leaving them uneven and cauliflower-esque. We had a long chat about how I ended up there completing a yoga instructor course. Then, due to his perfect English we had discussed his background and how, even though he now lived and worked in Kerala, he had completed a lot of his medical studies and first few years of work as a surgeon in Britain. I told him that I thought that was a great quote and he admitted that he could not take full credit for it, as it was adapted from a quote by none other than the Dalai Lama.
56
SPONSORED CONTENT
FITNESS
Do we realise that our health is deteriorating through ‘on-thego’ snacks, energy drinks, coffee and isolation, but simply choose to address these things once our goals have been achieved? I’m sure everyone’s experience or perception will be slightly different, but in the same way I’m sure this is relatable to many readers. As a personal trainer I meet more and more clients who have no idea about the effects of energy imbalance and thermodynamics (calories), the effects of stress or the benefits of adequate rest. Each topic is expansive so we can only touch on them here but I’ll give a few, hopefully, relatable examples.
High calorie snacks
Stress – this one has a huge impact
on health. Do you take work home with you or worry about a colleague or manager’s opinion of you? Maybe an upcoming project or deadline? These listed problems can and do link together, leading to issues like being run down, skin problems and weight gain. Then if not addressed these can follow on to much more serious conditions like high blood pressure, poor insulin sensitivity (early warning before diabetes) and depression.
• Aim to take lunch outside work – requires more moving and change of scenery
• 10 minutes stretching at 10am and 3pm (if colleagues are allowed cigarette breaks then you are allowed to stretch!) • Leave work at work
• In bed by 10.30 pm (or earlier to allow your 7 hours minimum)
• Read a book rather than Facebook before bed
"I believe the essence of hard work is a trait that should be instilled in everyone as it helps shape us to be able to push towards various goals."
– the lure of the vending machines offering on-thego snacks that are packed full of sugar and calories. These calories, in layman’s terms, are fuel that you will find difficult to burn when sat at a desk.
Poor sleep and less than adequate rest – not getting at
least 7 hours sleep per night will lead to difficulty concentrating, feeling tired at work and being irritable. Hormones are also released while we sleep to help the body repair and regulate our appetite, but only if given enough time … you will also find you become a slow starter at work, needing more time to get going.
Here is an example of a few adaptations you can make to your working day to try and bring the priority of health back up towards where it should be … • Walk to work
• Stand more than sit
• Avoid the vending machine in favour of fruit
• Avoid the coffee in favour of water
Small changes like these will help bring your focus back onto you.
Let’s finish as we started with a couple of quotes, the first is the original of what I was told in that surgery office: "Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present moment. As a result, he does not live in the present or the future, he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never truly lived." ~The Dalai Lama And finally when I told a client during a training session that I was writing this article he introduced me to another great quote: "No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office."
More info: mike.canas@gmail.com Michael trains his clients out of Temple Fitness on Bath Street (above the Havana club). Main areas of specialisation are fat loss, HIIT, flexibility, resistance training and martial arts coaching – alongside his online coaching business.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
57
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
10 Steps to Making Change Easier WORDS: Madisyn Taylor Co-Founder, DailyOM
Change doesn't have to be hard, here are 10 steps to help make it easier. 1. Begin by making small changes or break up large-scale changes into more manageable increments. This can make you feel better about handling the changes you are about to make while making you more comfortable with change in general. 2. Mentally link changes to established daily rituals. This
can make changes like taking on a new habit, starting a new job, or adapting to a new home happen much more smoothly. For example, if you want to begin meditating at home, try weaving it into your morning routine.
3. Going with the flow can
help you accept change instead of resisting it. If you stay flexible, you will be able to ride out change without too much turbulence.
elements that a change might bring, it is impossible to know everything that will happen in advance. Be prepared for unexpected surprises, and the winds of change won't easily knock you over.
7. Don't feel like you have to cope with changing circumstances or the stress of making a change on your own. Talk about what's going on for you with a friend or write about it in a journal. Sharing your feelings can give you a sense of relief while helping you find the strength to carry on.
"Begin by making small changes or break up large-scale changes into more manageable increments"
4. When a change feels most stressful, relief can often be found in finding the good that it brings. An illness, a financial loss, or a broken relationship can seem like the end of the world, yet they also can be blessings in disguise.
5. Remember that all change involves a degree of learning. If you find change particularly stressful, try to keep in mind that after this period of transformation has passed, you will be a wiser person for it. 6. Remember that upheaval and confusion are often natural parts of change. While we can anticipate certain
8. Give yourself time to accept any changes that you face. And as change happens, recognise that you may need time to adjust to your new situation. Allow yourself a period of time to reconcile your feelings. This can make big changes feel less extreme.
9. No matter how large or difficult a change is, you will eventually adapt to these new circumstances. Remember that regardless of how great the change, all the new that it brings will eventually weave itself into the right places in your life. 10. If you're trying to change a pattern of behaviour or
navigate your way through a life change, don't assume that it has to be easy. Wanting to cry or being moody during a period of change is natural. Then again, don't assume that making a change needs to be hard. Sometimes, changes are meant to be that easy.
More info: www.MadisynTaylor.com and www.DailyOM.com
58
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
Madisyn Taylor is the co-founder and editor in chief of DailyOM. She is also the author of ‘Unmedicated. The Four Pillars of Natural Wellness’ (January 2018) and an awardwinning and bestselling author of two previous books including ‘DailyOM: Inspirational Thoughts for a Happy, Healthy, and Fulfilling Day’ (#1 Amazon self-help, #3 Amazon overall) and ‘DailyOM: Learning to Live’ (#1 Amazon self-help, #7 Amazon overall). Her books have been translated into more than fifteen languages. Madisyn has also been a contributing author for Oprah.com and writes online courses and recorded guided meditations for DailyOM. She was previously a regular host on XM Satellite Radio and is a popular
Creating a WORLD of Difference
guest on many radio shows. Her Meditation for the Highly Sensitive Person was #1 on the New Age album charts for Billboard, Amazon, and iTunes. She was also featured in the movie ‘Sensitive – The Untold Story’ (2015), a documentary about the highly sensitive trait as well as an episode of the reality television series Yoga Girls. Madisyn lives in Santa Barbara, California. We are delighted to welcome her as a Guest Contributor in this edition of WellBeing World and to feature two of her articles – please also see page 14.
59
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
The Importance of Gratitude, Purpose and Being Positive WORDS: Dr Anna Scelzo Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist
In 1948 the World Health Organisation defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO. Constitution of the World Health Organisation. 2006). At the time, this was seen as something of a revolution as it testified to a shift from the idea that health was based solely on a person devoid of physical illness, to a concept where the health of a person took into consideration the mental and social aspects also. Nowadays it is suggested that even this definition has some limitations. Today, those who work in the field of “Health” or “Wellbeing” tend to take a more holistic approach that allows the person to be seen in her/his entire Being (mind, body and soul). The fact that we have access to greater information concerning our health and ways to have a better lifestyle through the Internet, social media, 60
etc. has allowed us to become more and more aware that everything concerned with health is not just in the hands of a few people who hold the “power” of knowledge, instead it has become possible to take responsibility for one’s own health through the choices that we make every day: what we eat, drink, the way we live and think and even how we relate to ourselves and to others. We are in a time where many of the beliefs concerning health are being demistified, allowing us to be more free in the different paths we choose to take. I am a psychotherapist and in my work first and foremost I always try to help people to see their symptoms not just
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
"Creativity can sometimes be the key to helping an individual see what is missing in their life; a way to see things differently." as the “problem to solve” but also as “the lighthouse that can lead them towards one’s real Self ”. Many times I have found that people develop what we now call psychosomatic symptoms, in other words symptoms which are not related to a specific condition, but to a conflict between the body and the emotions (such as anxiety, for example). So many times our mind obliges us to achieve certain objectives just because others have told us to do so. And very often, it happens that even though we have achieved many important goals in our lives, still we do not feel happy. Maybe this happens because there are parts of us which are missing, perhaps there is a disconnection, or a conflict that has to be acknowledged to allow the person to feel happy and complete. During the years of my professional activity I have come across all sort of techniques and I am so grateful to the people who have shared them with me. One of these is the Mandala, which I see as the “Door towards our Self ”. Mandala, (from sanskrit “sacred circle”) together with other tools, is a creative concept. Creativity can sometimes be the key to helping an individual see what is missing in their life; a way to see things differently. Being creative means having the ability to look at the things that happen to us in a way, allowing us to learn from our experiences, bad or good.
A great moment in my professional (and also personal) life has been the research work I conducted recently with the University of San Diego (USA) and the University of La Sapienza in Rome (Italy). The aim of the study was to investigate the positive psychological traits in a group of rural Italians aged 90 to 101, their children and other family members (Scelzo and others, Mixed-methods quantitative-qualitative study of 29 nonagenarians in rural Southern Italy: focus on positive psychological traits, International Psychogeriatrics, 2018, 30:1, 31-38). The purpose of the study was to identify the traits that enabled these people to face many traumatic events: war, famine, concentration camps, loss of loved ones. What emerged from the interviews I conducted with these exceptional people was that the reason they lived so long was having purpose in their life; the land they tend where they grow fruits and vegetables, and having a deep bond with tradition and family. This gave them the resilience and inner strength (and sometimes their stubborness, as their siblings told me!). Listening to the stories of these people who have overcome so many difficulties in their lives, they nevertheless hold a great sense of gratitude towards life. This is an important attribute for all of us. It gives us hope that we can always improve and make those important changes that allow us to have a better lifestyle, be happier (and live longer!).
Dr Anna Scelzo has been working in the field of eating disorders for 15 years; she is a lecturer in Italy and abroad and coordinates a daypractice at a local hospital for the treatment of Eating Disorders in Italy with a private practice in Chiavari and Genoa. She is founder of the Shasta Association dedicated to the prevention of Eating Disorders and body image issues through her work in schools. She is also member of the British Psychological Society (UK), SISDCA and AED. Since 2009 she has been a member of IAEDP and is now Chair of the International Chapter in Italy. She is also the author of the book D(e)i-segni dell'anima. L'uso del Mandala nella cura di pazienti con disturbo del comportamento alimentare" (ed. Zephyro, Italy) about the use of Mandala in the treatment of Eating Disorders. Her future projects include lecturing professionals and the general public regarding her wellbeing programme focusing on Mandala, sand play therapy, and positive psychology.
For more information please contact her at: anna.scelzo@libero.it or visit: www.annascelzopsicoterapeutachiavari.it Creating a WORLD of Difference
61
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
Change Your Habits, Change Your Life! WORDS: Michelle Wedgbury Wellsteps Jersey
I look back now and I’m sometimes a little overwhelmed by how much my life has changed in such a short space of time. A few years back I was in a very different place. I was overweight, stressed out, anxious, tired and plagued by one mysterious virus after another. I spent far too much time in my head with my inner critic worrying about everyone else and their opinions of me. I seemed to constantly live in a state of stress, always anticipating a worse-case scenario. There were times when I drank enough alcohol to float a small boat just to escape and feel better about myself, even if only for a short time. I felt lower than I’d been in years despite having so many things to be grateful for – a loving and supportive husband, 2 great kids (well most of the time!), wonderful friends and family, a roof over my head, a good job and a stable income – but I never seemed to feel truly fulfilled. I used to go to bed at night thinking “There must be more to life than this”.
62
I had become accustomed to living in a state of physical and mental ill health, anxiety, stress and lack. Back then I was a victim, a glass half full kinda gal and I blamed all my woes on external circumstances or events and lack of resources – “I don’t have the time to exercise, the money to join the gym, the energy to play with the kids”, etc. I was beginning to feel really sick of being sick. Something had to change. I needed to escape this never-ending spiral, so I took to trawling the internet for answers. I purchased some personal growth books and attended some online talks and webinars and this was how I discovered health
SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHANGE
SPONSORED CONTENT
coaching. After months of research and learning I enrolled with the Health Coach Institute. One of the criteria of the course was that I had to agree to go through and embrace the transformation process myself (by becoming a client) before I could ever hope to or begin to coach others. I signed up. Through my studies I realised that true health is about so much more than what you eat. True health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. During the process I came to realise there were so many areas of my life that I wanted to improve – my relationship with my husband, my family and friends, my personal growth, my career health, my physical environment, my financial wellbeing and of course my physical health – I didn’t know where to start! The programme taught me to start with myself. The training process made me take a good hard look at me. It made me explore my life and my own mind. Going through the process was, in many ways, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It helped me to recognise my doubts, my fears and how limited, judgmental and negative my thinking was. Most importantly it helped me to recognise where I was getting stuck in my life. It taught me to clarify what was really important to me and gave me a fresh perspective on everything from my relationships with the people in my life, to my relationship with food and everything in between. I’ve learned, and continue to learn and practice, how to stop sabotaging myself with routine behaviours that don’t serve me, I’ve learned how to address and weed out my unconscious bad habits. I’ve learned to think greater than I feel. Today I’m in a very different place – my outlook on my life and on myself has changed for the better. I am more
Creating a WORLD of Difference
self-assured and my self-esteem has sky rocketed, I feel a deeper sense of fulfilment, I’ve gained the confidence to learn a new language, start my own business and live my life the way I want. I’m more present with my kids, my husband and my friends and I’m part of a wellbeing community that I love. The experience of being both a client and a coach has transformed me in so many positive ways. It’s helped me to consciously shape my life, fill it with purpose and bridge the gap between where I was and where I want to be. I’ve come to realise that I was living in a reactionary state, a state of mediocre approval seeking conformity always allowing outside influences to shape me. My journey was so profound that it has become my passion to help others achieve their health goals too. With the demands and complexity of daily life I see coaching as a wonderful tool to help empower people to believe in themselves and do what it takes to succeed in any area of their lives.
More info: wellstepsjersey@gmail.com
63
LIFE CHANGES
What Happens When Life Makes a Decision for You?
Empowering Yourself When Cancer Steps In Your Way WORDS: Georgina Hopkins Personal Coach at Healthhaus Georgina is also a specialist in exercise referral and cancer rehab
We all have the ability to design our own lives. We make decisions throughout our life to guide everything from our choice of job, the people we surround ourselves with and how we look after our bodies both physically and mentally. Well what happens when life makes a decision for you? What decisions would you make if you discovered you were diagnosed with cancer? Our DNA is unchangeable and can have a defect that causes cancerous cells to develop at various speeds. Cancer can present itself through various signs and symptoms including fatigue, pain and change in bowel habits. Our normal day to day choices are put aside as we are forced to make decisions that we may have never considered before.
64
For example, what treatment should I follow? Am I allowed to or can I afford to take time off work? What type of surgery do I need or want? Chemotherapy? Radiotherapy? These are all decisions that will have a knock on effect to our long term health as we have to consider side effects from medication, physical changes to our body such as reduced mobility and other medical conditions that may develop. I have made it my focus to introduce Cancer Rehabilitation on the Island
so people can reshape their lives, as I believe this should be natural part of one’s rehabilitation, to help both mentally and physically. Exercise has so many benefits for each individual such as increasing energy levels, improved quality of life and a more positive outlook. I am currently running classes for Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Oncology, each class targets specific areas that require extra attention as well as a whole body approach. The classes are fun, sociable and for all abilities. You may have never exercised before but decide you want to make a change to redesign your life. After Breast Cancer (ABC) charity was setup in 1999 to support local women
LIFE CHANGES
in Jersey with breast cancer. ABC are a non-profit charity and work solely on a voluntary basis so every penny raised stays on Island to help local ladies. Recently, after years of planning and with the amazing support from Healthhaus we launched ABC Fitness, ABC Pilates and ABC Evening programs. This has proved incredibly popular and has given so many women the confidence to get back into exercise after their cancer treatment. The classes are circuit based and last an hour. To enrol in the classes you will need to be referred by The Breast Care Team in Newgate Street, your GP, the Oncology department, or Macmillan Jersey. In addition to ABC, I am also associated with the Macmillan Prostate Cancer Support Group ( Jersey) (PCSG). PCSG is one of the longest running cancer support groups that holds monthly meetings for anyone touched by prostate cancer including those with cancer, their family and friends. The meetings provide an opportunity for people to comfortably exchange views on matters of common concern. PCSG is also a non-profit charity who work solely on a voluntary basis so every penny raised helps Jersey gentlemen throughout their diagnosis and onwards. Exercise is key for their rehabilitation to improve pelvic floor
engagement, core engagement and strengthening of all muscle groups to gain a general fitness level. These classes also provide a safe, comfortable, community environment for gentlemen who have all received the same diagnosis, giving them a chance to share experiences and support each other.
Every year I believe I am getting one step closer to making exercise accessible to people who are affected with cancer and I will not stop until I have.Imagine trying to get back into exercise after a traumatic event and not knowing what you should and shouldn’t do.
"Every year I believe I am getting one step closer to making exercise accessible to people who are affected with cancer and I will not stop until I have." More recently I have been given the funding from Friends of Jersey Oncology (FOJO) to run a 12 week generic exercise class for Islanders with any cancer diagnosis. This type of class needs to be on offer so that, Islanders suffering from less common forms of cancer can be supported. The classes will run from Healthhaus for 12 weeks starting in September. Before attending the programme participants will attend a brief discussion with me to work out what class would suit them best in order to deliver a person-centred approach.
That is why I am here to help. My inspiration is always my aunt who fought each day, the least I can do is fight for these classes to be offered to all who are also fighting. Although many other decisions have been taken away from you, you can choose to surround yourself with other people who are in similar situations and benefit from a supportive environment. I want to help you get there, so let me help you!
More info: Georgina@healthhaus.co.uk
65
LIFE CHANGES
Building a Big, Bold, Beautiful Life Lessons Learned From an Unexpected Teacher
WORDS: : Jana Martin Founder, She Can Create
If someone told me four years ago, that not only would my life change but so would my body and mind in ways that felt like someone rattled me to the core I would have not believed them. But it took one moment of showering, feeling a lump on my breast and something in me saying this isn’t right that began to put me on a journey that I look back on now to describe as unbelievable. Unbelievable in the sense that the 14 surgeries I had to go through in 4 years wasn’t the worse part of my journey.
to the plastic surgeon crying because I had one girl that looked like a mountain and the other one like Arnold Schwarzenegger twin pec. It was feeling shocked as I looked at him through tears to watch him start laughing.
It was listening to doctors who told me on Day 1 that I had a 2% chance of it coming back and on the last day it went to a 34% chance of coming back. It was being told not to plan my life for two years hence. It was conversations with three different oncologists that if this disease did come back the only thing they could do would be to make me more comfortable until I died.
Someone who I met only once after hearing my story said: “It’s like you have a ticking time bomb inside of you.” And I thought oh my, she gets it.
It was having to prepare my kids for the possibility I wouldn’t be there for them. It was having to prepare myself that I wouldn’t see my daughter walk down the aisle or watch my son grow into the man I knew he would be. It was watching the man I spent 20 years happily married to walk into our room crying because he researched my disease (after the doctor told us not to) so he could figure out a way to tell our kids. It was opening my gown
66
And the stories could go on ... It was simply unbelievable.
Before that statement, I had no way of explaining the raw emotions that kept coming up for me. The feeling that no one understood or was actually was interested in the hell that I felt I was going through was frustrating beyond belief. I became very comfortable with making people around me uncomfortable. Let’s face it, I can’t really blame them for being uneasy around me, I mean after all I did have the audacity to change without warning not only my physical appearance but mentally as well.
"We can’t help it, but if we are not careful, we will lose a little bit of ourselves that can never be retrieved if we don’t take the time to learn how to weave it into our lives with purpose."
I went from having hair and girls to no hair and no girls in 6 weeks flat. I couldn’t force myself
LIFE CHANGES
to wear a wig so I became very comfortable with the “cube ball” look that my husband would affectionately tease me with. Before cancer, I hated confrontation and always thought it was better to take a “higher” road but after cancer I found myself with an amazing super power of valuing who I was and having the courage to stand up for myself. Fear of failure was no longer on the table. Every moment, every day I have I became more aware that I no longer had the option of sitting on the sidelines of my life. I liked, no make that loved who I was becoming. I had found my voice. Every internal and external battle I face to keep true to that voice reenergises me because I know I am alive and I have value to add to this world.
After years of childhood abuse and other trauma, the message that had been received that was “Everyone else is fine. You’re the broken one.” was no longer valid. Different religions studied, one too many self-help books read. It turned out the answers I was looking for, for so many years, was in a disease people wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy. There is a shift that happens when we go through any kind of trauma big or small. We identify ourselves with it and take it in as part of us. We can’t help it, but if we are not careful, we will lose a little bit of ourselves that can never be retrieved if we don’t take the time to learn how to weave it into our lives with purpose. For me, it is about teaching women how to embrace breast cancer in a positive, healthy way that allows them to build big, bold and beautiful lives.
Jana Martin is the founder of She Can Create, a nonprofit that specialises in helping women deal with the physical, emotional and financial toll breast cancer can have not only on the women but their families as well. She does this by providing health and wellness tips to increase energy levels to keep them in a healthy state of wellbeing; she shares strategies to assist in overcoming physical, financial and emotional issues brought on by breast cancer and medical treatments through educational and financial assistance; and connects with other breast cancer survivors who are empowered by positivity.
More info: www.shecancreate.org
67
FOOD
Healing Autoimmune Disease with Diet and Lifestyle WORDS: Kate Jay Healing Family Eats
When I was eight or nine, my paternal grandparents came to live with us in Cornwall. My grandmother was so badly afflicted with an autoimmune disease called Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) that she spent her days in a large cushioned rocking chair, miserable and void of any independence. My grandfather was amazing with her, but decades later I have a vivid memory of her living the remainder of her days in pain. Fast forward another decade or so and to my first full-time job in a bank. One of my supervisors had RA and wore wrists supports to help her deal with the pain of her disease – another memory that has stuck with me. In 2014, when I noticed symmetrical swelling in my thumbs and aching in all my joints, I was reminded again of the two people in my life who had suffered with RA. With a heavy heart I went to my doctor for tests which came back slightly elevated. However, I was waved away and told to "keep calm and carry on". I consulted Dr
68
Google instead. There I stumbled across articles about an elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocol and found people using it to great effect, including RA. I vowed to nip any future disease in the bud so the next day I emptied and restocked my cupboards and fridge. The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) removes a wide range of foods that are known to irritate the gut and therefore cause inflammation. Grains, dairy products, foods from the nightshade-family (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, aubergines, goji berries, paprika, cayenne,
FOOD
chilli), nuts, seeds and seed spices, eggs, legumes, soy, food chemicals, refined sugar and alcohol are all to be avoided. Additionally the AIP focuses on including foods with high nutrient density, such as grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish, shellfish, organ meats, animal and plant-based fats and oils. There's an emphasis on lots of vegetables in varying colours, plus minimal fruits and probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, kvass. It's a fairly exhaustive list, which also removes environmental toxins. These include cleaning products containing harsh chemicals. Aluminium and Teflon in cookware can leach into our food, so stainless steel and cast iron are recommended. There's also a high focus on maximising sleep, incorporating movement and moderate exercise, as well as managing stress and anxiety that very often accompanies chronic illness. Essentially what the AIP aims to do is remove the stressors, and bolster our defences in order to allow us to heal the gut. It works hard to calm an immune system that's on overdrive and eradicate, or at least significantly reduce, symptoms. In many cases the protocol has sent autoimmune diseases into complete remission. It's a temporary diet though, so once symptoms are manageable, foods are reintroduced slowly and methodically, rather like weaning a baby, watching for any reactions that crop up along the way. It doesn't really matter whether one jumps into it cold turkey, or takes several weeks
to get to the full elimination phase. The most important thing is to give it a try. And I am so glad I did! Within days of starting this incredible protocol, my joints no longer ached. The morning stiffness I'd lived with for several months, quietly crept away. My brain was no longer foggy and confused. And after just a few months, I watched my swollen thumbs reduce in size until finally they became recognisable as mine, and not my grandmother's. Today my blood work suggests no elevated markers for autoimmune disease and I truly believe I found the AIP at a point when my immune system was starting to attack my joints. Had I not addressed it then, my Rheumatoid Arthritis story today might have been a very different one. It's fair to say the AIP is a big commitment and, even as a trained chef, I felt a little overwhelmed in the beginning. That's why I started my blog, Healing Family Eats, posting nutritious recipes originally as motivation for me to stick with it. But as I watch the AIP community grow, I'm committed to encourage others to heal on this amazing protocol too. And to prove nobody ever needs to feel that they're missing out.
Kate Jay is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified AIP Coach, trained chef and author of the eBook, Healing Eats: 25 Recipes to Heal the Gut while Soothing the Soul. In 2014, she founded HealingFamilyEats. com, a website sharing recipes with those following the Autoimmune Protocol, in addition to other healing diets such as GAPS and SCD. She writes regular contributions to two major wellness sites, has been a guest speaker on two international autoimmune health summits, and taught paleo autoimmune cooking classes at Bastyr University, WA. Whilst she is no stranger to the Channel Islands, having lived and worked in Jersey from 1985 to 1989, Kate is now based in British Columbia, Canada. She practices Nutritional Therapy, specialising in gut health, blood sugar balance and autoimmune disease wellness in Vancouver, and online with clients around the world.
"Within days of starting this incredible protocol, my joints no longer ached. The morning stiffness I'd lived with for several months, quietly crept away."
More info: www.healingfamilyeats.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
69
FOOD
Creating the Adventure of a Lifetime WORDS: Kelly Cohen Holistic Health Coach and Founder, My Organic Diary
Growing up in France surrounded by all the guilty pleasures my country is known for, my health and eating habits were never a preoccupation for me. It’s only when I moved to the Big Apple that my journey started. To make it short, American food made me sick. It could have been worse but it was enough to alert me: I felt groggy, experienced weight gain, stomach cramp, thin hair, sallow grey skin … just to name a few! Improving my health led to lots of online research, reading and change in general. I started to become aware of so much that was going on around me, realising that most of the people I knew had little knowledge about how to be healthy, I launched my Instagram @MyOrganicDiary and blog www.myorganicdiary.com. It was the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime. They both grew very quickly. From knowing absolutely nothing about blogging I went to becoming a crack at search engine optimisation and photography editing. ‘Everything happens for a reason’ is one of the most annoying and yet meaningful sentences you can hear or say. I believe my health issues happened because I needed to find my purpose. It put me on the path I needed to follow. In 2016, I signed up to Institute for Integrative
70
Nutrition in New York to become a certified Holistic Health Coach. Attending IIN gave me credibility but also the confidence to work with clients. And over the years, I have developed skills I never imagined having, such as food photography, editing, food styling … and not forgetting, basic coding. It’s amazing what you can do when you apply yourself to a task. In New York, I taught cooking classes and workshops and also worked with food brands to create content for them. I moved to Montreal earlier this year, since when I have been focusing on holistic corporate wellness and recipe creation. In September, I am embarking on another new challenge: I am going back to school to become a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist.
FOOD
It was not an easy decision but it feels right. Helping people becoming their healthier selves is my true calling. Over the years, I have tried a lot and also failed a lot, and I am not afraid to say it. It took me time to develop confidence in my brand and in myself. It took me time to accept failure, deceptions and rejections. It took me time to understand that struggles are part of life. I used to be ashamed of my French accent. Today, I make it a strength. My background is what shaped me and it’s what makes me, ME! The times we live in are stressful. Social media is linked to anxieties because we try to compare ourselves to others more than ever. I am no different, but this is what I learned:
• Be happy with yourself. Compliment yourself once a day at least. #SelfLove is everything. • Schedule your use of social media so you become more efficient.
• Be present. When having dinner, put away your phone. • Take a day off social media once a week. Just enjoy simple things.
• Listen to podcasts. Stories about struggles and successes are the most inspiring. • Surround yourself with positivity and love.
• Be grateful. Be thankful. Feel blessed. Every day is a new day and something amazing may happen today.
This is what keeps me going and helps me when doubt, fears and anxieties creep in. It helps keep a cool head. Very importantly, I know I can make a difference, and so can you. Never forget that.
• It’s OK not to be good at everything. Find what you’re good at and give yourself fully.
Kelly grew up in Paris, surrounded by food with parents in the catering industry. She moved to New York City in 2012 and studied advertising. After graduating, she worked for a few years in a big publishing company. Today, she is happy and grateful to be devoted to her passion. She lives in Montreal, Canada with her husband after spending an amazing five years in New York City. She is a Food Revolution ambassador. Please feel free to reach out at: Kelly@myorganicdiary.com – or visit www.myorganicdiary.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
71
SPONSORED CONTENT
MIND
How to Design YOUR Own Life WORDS: Julie Dryburgh Empowerment Coach
If you were to take the time to reflect on your life right now, would you be able to say that it has turned out the way you imagined your life to be? When you were younger did you have an idea of how you thought your life would turn out? For example: travelling, meeting someone, getting married, having children, working your dream job? Are you succeeding with your life plan? It’s fair to say that life doesn’t come with any guarantees. It can be unpredictable and full of twists and turns, ups and downs, moments of glory and periods of despair. So with all that going on how can we achieve the life we dreamed about, the best positive life for us?
loved, safe and secure they can also have the opposite effect, in that you may have a belief that you don’t deserve to be happy. This is one of the first things I discuss with my clients when they come to me for Life Coaching, I assist them in forming foundations and core beliefs, because from there they can start designing the life that they truly want.
Fundamentals First
To create my own best positive life I have ensured I put in place my fundamentals; these allow me to set really strong solid foundations and I have non-negotiable positive core beliefs that have allowed me to design a life that is perfect for me. Do you know what your core beliefs are? Core beliefs are the very essence of how we see ourselves, other people, the world, and the future. So it is vitally important that you know what they are because not only can core beliefs free you, making you feel
72
This is just the start of the process and it is a different journey for everyone. In my view, though, there is at least one essential common denominator for everyone looking for a well-designed life, and that is meditation. I encourage my clients to
MIND
do this because meditation is proven to be good for you and the health benefits speak for themselves. It reduces stress and anxiety, helps with negative emotions, reduces levels of depression and clarifies the thought process; this is important because did you know that we have 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts a day and 90% of these are the same as the day before.
By exploring the fundamentals we can start to become aware of our habits and behaviours. We can then start to identify the emotions that bring us down every day. When we become aware of all of this in our consciousness, it is a true sign that we can start to change and in so doing live the most amazing life that we have designed.
More info: www.juliedryburgh.com
Creating a WORLD of Difference
73
MIND
Creating Your Best Life with Sophrology WORDS: Dominique Antiglio
“Life is hectic at the moment”, “I am so busy”, “I feel exhausted”, “I have no time”. We seem to hear these types of “mantras” everywhere these days and, as a Sophrologist who specialises in stress management, they are often the first words new clients tell me to describe their situation. These words often reflect the fact that people find themselves struggling with their daily life: they are aware that something isn’t right or is out of balance. This is not the “good stress” or the “good busy”, i.e., when things are intense for a while but we still feel positive, motivated and in control. While the current trend is to be busy and be seen being busy living your best life, the opposite can be much healthier. When I was 15, living in my native Switzerland, I was very busy between studying and competitive sport. I was going through a phase of intense tiredness and tensions and needed help. My GP couldn’t find anything wrong with me despite my clear symptoms so referred me to a Sophrologist. A what, you might ask? Sophrology is an extremely popular
74
mind/body practice in many parts of Europe, which is now becoming more known in the UK. A Sophrologist is someone who can guide you through a simple set of breathing, relaxation, visualisation and body awareness exercises to help you connect with yourself, learn to relax quickly and help you transform the way you live your life. As a teenager, following a simple five week Sophrology programme, I noticed my energy levels rapidly increasing, my mood was lifted and, most importantly, I understood what was making me tensed and how I could deal with it more positively. I realised that everything I needed to be healthier and happier was already inside me and that using just 10 minutes a day of my time to listen and follow the recordings my Sophrologist gave me was working to change my attitude towards life and boost my confidence.
MIND
A New Form of Mindfulness
Defined by The Guardian as “the young dynamic cousin of mindfulness”, Sophrology is already an extremely popular practice in Continental Europe for a few decades. Its founder, Professor Alfonso Caycedo, was a neuropsychiatrist who wanted to give his patients a better quality of life, so he deployed a dynamic relaxation technique that involves mind and body equally. He travelled in India, Japan and Tibet back in the 60’s to learn different methods to unveil consciousness and distil them into something unique: a simple 12 levels-method that blends Western science and Eastern practices to manage stress and create harmony in body and mind. His method is now established on the Continent notably in schools to prepare for exams and boost confidence, in sleep clinics to complement more traditional approaches, in maternity clinics to prepare for birth and parenthood, in the corporate sector to prevent burn-out and by top athletes to improve their performance.
What Sophrology Does
Taking care of ourselves doesn’t happen overnight and doesn’t necessarily mean changing everything in one day, especially if we are used to be busy and our schedule doesn’t allow us to take many breaks. Sophrology empowers people to do something deceivingly simple but efficient like focusing on our breathing, which can truly help us to relax, balance the nervous system and help us realise that we are solely in charge of our life and health. The first step towards a calmer, more balanced you is, quite simply, to allow yourself to pause everything for 10 minutes and start to invest in yourself and only yourself. This is in no way a selfish move but a tool for self-care.
During a Sophrology session we usually start with a simple body scan, done either standing or sitting, to access that alpha brainwave state that has been proven to be beneficial to recuperate, relax and balance. We learn to notice where tensions are in the body and how to use the breath to release them. It is hard to meditate when the mind is overactive, but when you follow the Sophrology exercises where you breathe and move your body slowly you start concentrating on the sensations in your body. This is the first step towards a liberated mind. The practice cultivates positivity by teaching us to notice good sensations or by creating positive images, which in turn make us realise that we always have the choice about how we want to feel or how to look at life. Repeating the exercises every day is key in the path of transformation and the more you do it, the more you get. Beyond stress management, Sophrology becomes a self-development tool allowing you to access your inner resources and reach your goals.
Embracing Your Purpose
Moving on from being busy and believing that there’s no time to take a restorative break, through Sophrology you can learn how to feel centred and more relaxed in an active life. With the practice and progressing through the 12 levels, you will be invited to discover what are your deepest values and aspirations, and help you manifest what really matter to you. So, what is the next step? Why not discover Sophrology for yourself: you can start from reading my book The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology, to get some inspiration and embrace the process of positive transformation to create your best life ever.
Dominique Antiglio is the founder of BeSophro, a Sophrology clinic based in London’s Mayfair and at the forefront of the Sophrology movement in the UK. Her book ‘The Life-Changing Power of Sophrology’ is available on Amazon.
More info: www.be-sophro.co.uk
Creating a WORLD of Difference
75
MIND
SPONSORED CONTENT
Mindfulness for Well-being WORDS: Glenda Rivoallan Author and Founder of Club Soulgenic
It’s not every day that you get the chance to write a book. As much as Facebook can be a real bind, a random post one dreary afternoon in May 2017 really caught my eye: best-selling book retreat in NY! Well, after a bit of investigation I really wanted to enrol, it sounded like one for the bucket list. You know what they say though: that the stars have to align and it is an underestimation to say that the timing was far from perfect.
you have. What I have learnt is that when it happens, you need skills for coping and you need to move forward with positivity, optimism and hope! Easier said than done I hear you say.
I was caught in a rut, feeling overwhelmed and more and more stressed after an unhealthy work relationship drained me of all resilience. Frantically living life clinging to hopes of a happier future, I was working too hard on everything but myself. I had officially driven off the cliffs of healthiness and as a result my fitness, nutrition, mind body connection and general health suffered! The lights were on but no one was home.
Then it happened and it was a timely discovery. I went on an 8-week mindfulness course that literally helped me pull myself out of a pit of despair and gave me the tools to reclaim my well-being and happiness.
I didn’t know it at the time but that became the inspiration for the topic of the book. As an entrepreneur, the Japanese proverb “fall down 7 times get back up 8” has always fascinated me but never did I need to enact this indomitable spirit more so than at this time. We have all had it! Whether it’s a divorce, a death, a work issue – that thing that tests every last bit of resilience
Fast forward a year in a much different head space and AJ’s yearly book retreat hadn’t lost its appeal. Well the long and short of it is that I firmly believe that both mindfulness and the book retreat was put in front of me as invaluable life lessons – it often happens that way. There is a message there in itself to grab opportunities when they come up and walk forward with no regrets and, for what it is worth, I think we all have the wisdom inside us to write multiple books should you fancy the challenge?
"What I have learnt is that when it happens, you need skills for coping and you need to move forward with positivity, optimism and hope!"
76
MIND
So it was time to make the change and stop putting things into the “I will do it tomorrow category” and off to New York I went. I am proud to say that I published in May 2018 and indeed becoming a bestselling author, beating Ruby Wax to the top spot – even if only for one week! “Mindfulness for Well-being” is an eight-week course, journal and book all in one designed to help you move on from adversity, help transform your thinking and revolutionise your relationship with fitness, nutrition, health and that all important mind body connection.
I hope it helps you to discover how to: • Make simple changes that stick • Be the best version of yourself • Improve your resilience whilst reducing stress • Optimise your well-being • Live a healthier and happier life Everyone deserves happiness in their lives and I do hope that you too reap the benefits from this incredible practice.
More info: www.amazon.co.uk Mindfulness courses are also available at Club Soulgenic – more info: www.clubsoulgenic.co.uk
Creating a WORLD of Difference
77
MIND
Your Life, by Your Design WORDS: Kate Johnston-Allen
‘Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.’ George Bernard Shaw
How can we create positive changes that reflect our deepest values, such that we feel in charge of our lives and not at the mercy of external forces? This is a question psychologists and personal growth gurus have grappled with for over a century. We are in a time of rapid external change, but for our self-created life to be sustainable – an improving financial position, empowering lifestyle choices, happier relationships and better health, for example – we need more than the tools of how to dream up our ideal life, plan and take action.
studying children’s and adults’ abilities to achieve their goals. Her findings are extraordinary – when looking at a challenge or change, we generally fall into two types of mindsets – the fixed or the growth mindset.
Internal shifts must come first if change is to be satisfying and enjoyable long-term. We have all tasted the emptiness of making changes that did not stand the test of much time – the New Year’s resolution to exercise, for instance. So where do we look when faced with inevitable roadblocks or plateaus along the path to creating ourselves?
The growth mindset thinks, ‘I love a challenge! How can I apply myself and make the effort to learn whatever I need to learn to complete this?’
A growth mindset is a great place to start. American researcher and writer Dr Carol Dweck has spent decades
78
When given something perceived as difficult, those with a fixed mindset think, ‘I won’t be able to do that as my innate abilities aren’t up to it.’
Growth mindset individuals are excited about trying new things because they see an opportunity to learn. They take the attitude that they can work things out, even amidst the biggest unknowns. Many of us were brought up with a fixed mindset – “You are just this type of person (and always will be)”. My mother often said, “I can’t
believe you are so good at Maths. Our family are no good at Maths”. But I remember the day I got my school report and my marks were lower than I expected. I decided then and there I had better apply myself more, as natural talent was clearly not enough. This growth mindset choice skyrocketed my marks and my mother was even more astonished! Those who decide to look at life experiences from a place of “There is always something to learn”, not only achieve more, but enjoy the work more. A growth mindset immerses us in the process of developing skills, habits and new approaches, and we feel the sense of achievement that comes with moving towards a goal. Other fixed mindset thoughts may be familiar: “Just stick to what you know”. “If I have to try too hard I must not be that smart!” Or, “If people see how much effort I am putting in they will think I’m not naturally talented.” This fixed mindset thinking leads to giving up when things get hard, to a feeling of boredom in life and
MIND
work, or to not even giving things a go because of a fear of failure or criticism. How many of us are not reaching for a new place to live or a working life on our own terms, or improved financial conditions because we stop ourselves at any point along the way – perhaps even before we start? If we are feeling stuck, we can try asking, “Am I approaching this with a fixed or growth mindset?” and shift our inner approach to one that shouts, “Learning equals achievement,” instead of “If I can’t do it after all this time, I might as well give up.”
Another huge aspect of Carol Dweck’s work has been to highlight the way we praise children. Let’s extend this to our own inner critic. In her research Ms Dweck found that children who are praised for their innate talents – “You are so talented at painting” – fared less well than those who were praised for the application and effort they put into trying new strategies.
difficult today?” and praise ourselves for this! A growth mindset supports self-belief and persistence, two cornerstone inner perspectives that give us the strength and clarity to create a life on our own terms, not someone else’s! Mindset by Dr Carol Dweck is published by Penguin Random House.
In other words, we need to congratulate ourselves (and our friends and family) on our efforts for progress, asking questions such as, “What challenge did I overcome today?” “What did I do that was
Kate Johnston-Allen and is a mother of two young girls and a health and wellness ambassador for Arbonne, as well as a speaker, writer and coach. Formerly a magazine editor, her passion is passion! She teaches people how they can rediscover and use their unique selves to create change, persist when things get rough and live a bigger, bolder, brighter life on their own terms. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, kids and dog, and loves music, dancing, reading, learning, great conversations and the beach.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
79
RELAXATION
SPONSORED CONTENT
Take a Step Back and Unwind WORDS: Carmelita Fernandes General Manager, Greenhills Country House Hotel
Experience the calming atmosphere of a picturesque Jersey granite country house hotel, together with superb service and sumptuous menus. Relax, soak in the serene ambience, and enjoy a wonderful time in perfect comfort. The 4* Greenhills Country House Hotel is in the tranquil heart of St Peter’s Green Lane network. The refurbished hotel has been designed to be a refuge from day to day hustle and bustle in the most luxurious yet informal surroundings. The acclaimed AA Rosette restaurant is elegant, spacious and beautifully appointed, the snug lounges are welcoming, with a real log fire for cooler days and evenings, whilst the inviting bar overlooks the terrace and gardens full of colour all year round. The chef is proud to use the finest fresh and healthy Jersey produce from the Island’s bountiful fruit and vegetable harvest in all the menus – afternoon teas, lunches, dinners and
light bites – beautifully presented and served with imagination and style. The drinks menu is a showcase of the local apple harvest with Jersey apple juice, ciders and apple brandy. Be enticed by our cocktail menu and enjoy freshly shaken classics from daiquiris to mojitos. There’s also a wide selection of traditional and more innovative soft drinks and spirits including Jersey gins and beers. Bordered by the woodlands of St Peter's Valley, Greenhills is perfectly positioned to allow guests to relish in the local flora and fauna. The valley is coloured by an abundance of ferns and wild flowers, with walking paths to stroll along and breathe in
the fresh country air. If you’d rather relax in our own lovingly tended gardens, their vibrancy and charm create a great sense of unity with the surrounding valley. Escape from the everyday – why not follow dinner with an overnight stay in one of the finely furnished contemporary bedrooms, combining modern comforts and styles with elegance. Each room has its own distinctive ambience and many have garden views and doors leading on to the terraces. There are some superb rates available to entice you. Unique and peaceful surroundings, fine food and drinks, and a friendly attentive team means that any visit will be one that energises, refreshes and leaves you with a feeling of wellbeing that will last well beyond your stay. Take a step back and unwind at Greenhills.
More info: www.seymourhotels.com 80
WOMEN
Becoming Your True Authentic Self WORDS: Natalie Clare Natalie Clare Consulting
Many of us hide parts of our true selves at work – the bits of us that we feel people will judge us for or that make us feel different. Natalie Clare shares her experience of dropping the mask and how it led to a more fulfilling career. Growing up, I was aware that I was different to other children around me – I was quiet, I got excited about anything that was different or out or the ordinary, I didn’t understand jokes (I still don’t!) and I had my own “unique” dress sense. I wasn’t in the cool gang at school and I was OK with that because, for the most part, I lived in my own world. That world got real as soon as I entered the workplace at age 16. I started work in a bank and soon noticed that people behaved, dressed and talked in a similar way. I felt out of place in my girly clothes and my hair in long plaits. I knew from a young age that I wanted to make an impact in the world (although I didn’t know what that was at the time) and I saw how “professional” the managers and directors looked and behaved. I decided that a career in finance was the answer – I wanted to be just like them.
82
Trying to fit in
I upgraded my work clothes. I observed the workplace norms and began to work long hours. I once clocked up a 90-hour week! But worse, I started to mask my quirks and my vulnerability – the essence of my life experiences and the core of my personality that has shaped me into the person that I am. I thought covering up who I really am was serving me well as I progressed through my career, until one day one of the Director’s where I was working asked me, “Who is Natalie Clare?” “What do you mean?” I laughed. “I’ve never known anyone like you, you’re so professional, you’re well-liked by everyone and you produce this excellent work, but we don’t know anything about you. Who you are?” he repeated.
WOMEN
SPONSORED CONTENT
Well, that floored me. I didn’t know what to say or think and I certainly wasn’t about to tell him and risk taking off my mask. Being the reflector that I am, I pondered his question for a while. I had spent so much of my career trying to mask my quirks to fit the mould of “professional” because I was worried that if people saw what I perceived as my quirks, flaws or vulnerabilities, I would lose my professional image and ultimately, my credibility.
Removing the mask
Very slowly, I decided to remove my mask. It took a long time, a lot of practice and there are parts of it that still feel glued to me, but something very interesting began to happen. I started to become more successful and build deeper relationships at all levels. This was not because I was any more skilled or capable, but because people could truly relate to me and my experiences. It’s not what I did, it was how I made people feel. There will always be certain expectations to conform to in any workplace, but regardless of how relaxed or corporate the environment may be, people relate to people. Showing elements of your personality and that you are a thinking, feeling human being will put others at ease and improve your business relationships with both colleagues and clients.
"It took a long time, a lot of practice and there are parts of it that still feel glued to me, but something very interesting began to happen. " I finally decided that it was OK to wear pink (in moderation) and to talk about my personal life (within reason) in the workplace, because people wanted to know that I was a real person, with real feelings and real experiences, and not a corporate robot. Being my true authentic self has finally given me the confidence, happiness and success that I used to dream about.
What are YOU hiding?
So, I ask you, what mask are you wearing to work? Are you hiding your voice, playing down or boosting your achievements, qualifications and successes? Or are you creating the illusion of having it all together in your desire to be “professional” or “credible”? Whatever it is, I invite you to be your true self and to take off your mask, or at least a part of it, whether it’s for one day, one week, or forever, because if not now, then when? I can assure you that not only will people respect you more for it, relate to you and open up to you, they will be more likely to see you as a positive role model and want to follow your lead. And in turn, you will feel happier and more congruent with your true authentic self.
More info: www.natalieclare.com
Natalie is an expert on Authentic Leadership for high performing women. Working with both women in corporate and entrepreneurial environments she helps them to discover the power of their own authentic leadership style, command the recognition and respect they deserve, and translate this in to the financial rewards they desire. Her services include 1:1 Coaching; Custom programmes; and Speaking engagements.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
83
WOMEN
Why Accountability is The Key to a Limitless Life
WORDS: Jessica Huie MBE
“Stripped back is where we meet ourselves.” It’s unapologetically one of my favourite quotes in my book PURPOSE, because it’s the utter truth. We start off as these little children with big imaginations and ideas! We make rockets out of cardboard boxes and dream big, beautiful dreams and then gradually as life serves us disappointments, rejections and a large dose of conditioning around what we should look like, do for a living, believe, we move away from the essence of who we are to fit other people’s boxes and cliques. That works for a while. We may (as I did running my own PR agency with a star studded roster and launching
84
a multicultural card line which made history in the UK high-street) forge supremely successful careers and earn notoriety and acclaim for our work, but if we aren’t living in our truth – and by that I mean living the life which is the truest expression of who we are and what we are passion about, eventually we start to feel internal conflict and dissatisfaction at least, and illness, burnout and depression at worst. Accountability is the tool we use to do this. It means deciding to take
full responsibility for our lives and recognising that our circumstances are a result of our choices. It’s about laying down blame and making ourselves our most important project, and it’s about being really honest with ourselves about what is not working. Self-care has become the buzz phrase for the year but self-care is not about bath oil and massage in isolation. Self-care is about honouring yourself enough to pay attention to whether your thoughts and feelings mentally, physically and spiritually are in alignment with your truth, and if they aren’t, taking steps to adjust, reconnect and centre in the way that feels right to you. Everything good
WOMEN
in our lives stems from this place of wholeness. We make better decisions, experience bursts of inspiration and new ideas, feel calm and able to handle whatever comes at us from this space, and most importantly we see clearly. There is nothing ‘normal’ about continuing in a career, relationship or way of behaving and being which leaves you miserable! And even if you can’t walk out or change today, you can prioritise taking small actions which become your exit route to the calling which is waiting for you. It starts with truly knowing that you deserve to live a life in which you are your true, authentic self and knowing that creating that life is absolutely possible. It will require courage to create the changes which enable you to become who you truly are, but the rewards are worth it and then some.
an abundance of wisdom and truth about who we are and why our lives are the way that they are. Whether it’s why we are still single, why our career isn’t making us happy, why we live pay cheque to pay cheque or why despite our best intentions, we can’t seem to get to the gym more than once every three weeks, a little scraping at the surface of any one of these situations will reveal the true root of what’s really going on with us.
It took me a long time to ask why in the safety of my bed, I clenched my fists before relaxing into slumber. And yet I could have learnt so much about how I was living my life way beyond my bedroom, purely from what my hands were doing … Then there are the bigger signs. The patterns that we repeat over and over which show up in our lives with a new set of circumstances. My unhealthy relationship with money showed up year after year on my annual new year ‘To Do’ list. I was good at making it, but rubbish at holding on to it and making it work for me. I had to get proactive about tackling this blind-spot head on, so I hired a coach to make me accountable in addressing this habit because I was dead serious about crossing this disempowering challenge off my list.
"Accountability is the tool we use to do this. It means deciding to take full responsibility for our lives and recognising that our circumstances are a result of our choices."
When our lives are powered by our truth, we can’t help but be happy, and success flows to us because we are aligned and no longer working against the tide. It is a disconnection from our true nature that sees the vast majority of us miss out on our ability to create lives and fulfil our own purpose for being on this planet. We are so out of touch with who we truly are that we forge our identities based on what we are.
‘Why?’ is one of those magical words which has the ability to completely alter the direction of our lives. Why is the gatekeeper to our expanse, and if we are bold enough to ask its question, then we can begin to unlock
Creating a WORLD of Difference
Which is great. Because it means that once we are confronted with the truth about why we are not where we want to be, we can either step up to the challenge of overcoming the blindspot, or retreat back into low frequency, mediocre unconscious living. For years I fell asleep and woke up with clenched fists, as though I were heading into a boxing ring ready to defend myself ! It took a former boyfriend to make me aware of what my hands were doing as it was such an automatic, unconscious motion that I was oblivious.
If we want to become the most elevated versions of ourselves and enjoy lives which are rich with meaning, then we must be willing to peel back our layers of habitual unconscious being and get very honest about our behaviours and all that doesn’t serve us. It is often uncomfortable, but the reward for disrupting a life in which the outcome would otherwise be more of the present set of circumstances which you are experiencing today, is a life of your greatest, most fulfilling design. A life of purpose. Jessica Huie MBE is Author of PURPOSE, published by Hay House
85
MEN
MAN-datory Checks for Guys! Word up on check-ups – don’t make a balls up of your health, fellas.
WORDS: Lucy Sanderson
We’re going to cut to the chase here, it is literally vital that you check your bits and bobs on the reg. We make priorities of all sorts of dates and events but still not making it an absolute necessity to note down important times for health checks. Our optimum mind and body wellness will be more likely when we make time to take care of them. Too many guys are finding themselves in the age old situation of finding lumps, bumps and irregularities too late. To make this super simple, we have devised a go to list according to your decade. Get this info up on in your calendar or on your planner and get these check-ups, sewn up!
Twenties – In your twenties, a whole bunch of new things are happening and other things have stopped happening. Puberty is wrapped up and it’s now that you need to seriously think about taking good care of yourself. Start the practice NOW … • Visit your healthcare practitioner annually for a physical exam to check weight, blood pressure, etc. • Spend 10 minutes a month examining your testicles for any irregularities in size or shape, or pain. Arrange a screening if you find something you’re not sure about. • Testicular cancer affects 1 in 195 men, mainly between
86
the ages of 15 and 40. If caught in time, it can be treated successfully – this form of cancer has been projected to rise by 12% in the UK between 2014 and 2035, to 10 cases per 100,000. So for goodness sake, check your balls. Do you have a family history of heart disease or diabetes? Your doctor may refer you for an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check your heart health, and for blood tests to screen for diabetes, thyroid disease, liver problems and anaemia. Have a cholesterol test every five years. If you love surfing or outdoor sports or generally hanging out in the sun, you may be at risk of skin cancer; regular drinkers may be headed for alcohol abuse; and sexually active young men are at risk of transmitted diseases and HIV infection. Regular screenings can help pick those up. Don’t be shy, get these things tested and checked. Knowledge is power, people.
MEN
Thirties – In your thirties, you’re still young and healthy, but your lifestyle may be taking its toll on your body, so in addition to the screenings 20 year-olds, think about the following … Book an annual check-up with your healthcare professional. If it’s called for, your doctor may recommend an ECG to check for heart disease, and a blood test to screen for diabetes, thyroid disease, liver problems and anaemia. Your vision and eye health may be changing. Get your eyes tested every 2–4 years.
Forties – It’s a sobering thought, but you’re on the cusp of middle age. You’re probably still fit and healthy, but those wilder days of copious beers, flirtations, fried food and fast living are pretty much done; if you live a fast life in your forties, prepare for it to hit you hard. So, in addition to the tests for younger men … Do not miss your annual physical check-up for all the regular checks – blood pressure and weight, and an ECG (if necessary). Your doc will probably take blood to send to a lab to check for thyroid disease, cholesterol, liver problems, anaemia and prostate health. If you’re a risk for coronary heart disease, you’ll be sent for screening. Have your prostate checked. While a prostate exam is not a dignified procedure, it’s a vital one for all men. Usually, an enlarged prostate does not signify cancer, although this form is the most common cancer in men. (In South Africa, one in 18 men is diagnosed with prostate cancer every year.) If caught early, it can be cured. Once you’re 45, schedule a screening for diabetes every three years. Depending on your lifestyle, your doctor may send you for screening for skin cancer, oral cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, and alcohol abuse. Have an annual eye exam.
Fifties – By the time we reach our fifties, we’re generally
all a little wiser and more conscientious about our health and wellbeing. Having the heart (literally) to keep up with kids and grandkids, enjoying a fulfilling social and work
Creating a WORLD of Difference
life is important and by being accountable and responsible for our health at this age enables us to feel more relaxed and empowered … • Never miss your annual physical check-up, including a prostate exam. • Keep up those testicle checks. • Check your cholesterol regularly. • Screen for lipid disorders and have an annual ECG annually. • Have an annual check for Type II diabetes. • Screening for skin cancer, oral cancer, lung cancer, liver disease and sexually transmitted diseases may be recommended, depending on your lifestyle. • Have annual eye and hearing tests. Worried about your bowel? Your doctor will probably arrange a colon test, such as a colonoscopy. Tired all the time? You may be stressed and/or depressed. Your medical practitioner will advise.
Sixties and beyond –
Hitting sixty and feeling strong and healthy will require some forethought and effort with the years preceding having set the scene for how you’re going to feel at this age. Being mindful of the ageing process and treating yourself well as you ease into older age will mean a longer and more fulfilling life. By keeping on top of your health and the changes within your mind and body, you will be able to retire into more fun, vigour and opportunity to live than ever before! So, in addition to all the tests listed above, and the results of those tests, make sure you’re examined for … • Coronary heart disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and carotid artery ultrasound screening. • Osteoporosis. • Colorectal screening, based upon previous studies and results. (Check with your GP if you’re over 85). • Signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. • Depression. It’s always a good idea to maintain your health as best you can. Check-ups give you the template from which you can plan and map out your best wellness and enjoy your mind and body for all it has to offer, for a long time to come.
87
BOOKS
A Wealth Of Words WORDS: Paul Bisson Vice-chair, Jersey Festival of Words
The importance of wellbeing sits centre stage at this year’s Jersey Festival of Words with a raft of events celebrating positivity, balance and self-care. Telegraph columnist Bryony Gordon, blogger Clare Pooley and writer Laura Freeman will all be hosting events at the end of September, with each discussing their latest literary offering and providing insights into their respective paths to mental and physical health. At the heart of all three women’s stories is a reclaiming of the mind, a conscious and courageous assault on negative thoughts and destructive habits. In a comparison fit for a literary festival Laura Freeman describes the mind as a library, a repository of the soul requiring tending and organisation. ‘You have to pick up, order and shelve all the thoughts that have been scattered, upturned, torn and damaged,’ she writes in The Reading Cure, in which she describes her recovery from anorexia by rediscovering an enjoyment of food through the literary lens of her favourite writers. The necessity of keeping our ‘inner shelves’ neat and free of clutter is
88
touched upon by Clare Pooley in her book The Sober Diaries, based upon her successful blog Mummy Was a Secret Drinker and detailing her first year of living without alcohol. ‘When you’re drinking a lot you simply don’t have the time to deal with loads of stuff, to work out where it goes or what to do with it,’ she writes. ‘So you shove it in a drawer and pour another glass of vino.’ Clare is talking about literal, physical drawers here, though makes the point that ‘we do exactly the same things with our minds.’ She writes about the ‘hole’ that alcohol creates in one’s neurochemistry, the sense that ‘something is missing.’ In Clare’s case this ‘something’ used to be the next alcoholic drink, though we can all sympathise with the distracted mindset that focuses wholly on the future, rather than ‘concentrating on the moment.’ Similar sentiments are expressed by Bryony Gordon in her new book Eat, Drink, Run. For Bryony, the journey
to wellbeing from mental illness is not a sprint, but a marathon. Quite literally so; her book – part hilarious memoir, part reflection on her work as a mental health campaigner – details her battles with depression, her path to wellbeing and an acceptance of her body after committing to run the London Marathon. Bryony shares with Clare the belief in taking one day at a time, of setting achievable goals, of progressing at one’s own pace. ‘All you have to do is hold on,’ she writes, reflecting on her newfound appreciation of both body and mind. ‘Think not of what you aren’t, but what you are … remember that one day, things could happen to you that you wouldn’t be able to believe right now.’ Slow down. Hold on. Spend some time reordering those inner shelves. This is sage advice for all those seeking to retune, improve or heal. Not that one should come to a complete standstill, however; all three books highlight the importance of occupying body and mind with
BOOKS
an activity that offers alternative forms of forward momentum. For Bryony this is running, for Laura it is reading, while for Clare it is her blog that offers a way through that difficult first year of sobriety. All three stress the importance of company, community and friends. ‘Don’t make a Marshalsea prison for yourself,’ writes Laura Freeman, quoting her beloved Dickens. ‘Don’t be Amy Dorrit alone at the mantelpiece when you might be Pickwick dividing veal pie between friends.’ Having finally made it to the starting line of the London Marathon Bryony Gordon reflects on the community of runners of which she is now a part (all of whom ‘have the same desire: to prove that anything is possible. To prove that you should never say you can’t’) while Clare Pooley draws strength from all those who enjoy and interact with her blog, her ‘little band of strong and independent non-drinkers,’ that keep her (and her readers) ‘sane and sober.’ Happiness loves company, as the saying goes, and the three women’s respective journeys all feature a movement away from solitude and into the presence of others. It is important to feel supported, though it is clear from Gordon and Pooley’s books that the act of supporting others is vital to wellbeing.
Finally – and fittingly – the three women’s stories are a testament to the healing power of words, whether as an outlet for self-expression, as a medium for the sharing of personal experience, or the encouragement of others. Words are what we’ll be celebrating this September, when we look forward to welcoming Bryony, Clare, Laura – and hopefully yourself – to the festival. [And of course if you are reading this article after the close of the Festival of Words 2018, all three books will remain available to read at your pleasure long after the final curtain of this year’s event.] PICTURED PAGE LEFT: The Reading Cure THIS PAGE: Clare Pooley (top), Broyny Gordon (bottom)
JERSEY FESTIVAL OF WORDS
Now in its fourth year, Jersey Festival of Words aims to promote a love of the written and spoken word across the community and in a variety of styles and settings. With over fifty events, this year’s festival takes place between September 26 and 30, and features writers including Joanna Trollope, Peter James, Lemn Sissay, Bryony Gordon, Luke Harding, Lucy Adlington, Simon Crowcroft and blogger Emma Critchley. As well as running island-wide writing competitions, the festival’s Santander International Schools Programme provides free events each year for thousands of local children. Festival venues this year include the Opera House, the Arts Centre, The Lido Jersey, Pizza Projekt and Jersey Library. For further details (including ticket listings for the writers featured in this article) please visit www. jerseyfestivalofwords.org. Jersey Festival of Words is a registered non-profit making organisation, and is run by the Jersey Literary Festival Association.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
89
BOOKS
Book Review
Great Reads for Your Best Life Yet!
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind Author: Vishen Lakhiani (Founder of MindValley) Publisher: Rodale Books (13 June 2016)
Give yourself permission to question everything you know and throw out all the pieces that hold you back. You’ll learn to think like the greatest creative minds of our era – including Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Michael Beckwith, Dave Asprey, Arianna Huffington, and other legendary thinkers, ranging from billionaires to biohackers – to question, challenge, and create new rules for your ideas of love, education, spirituality, work, happiness, and meaning. This book will teach you to succeed on your own terms. No matter where you’re starting from, you can build a life that’s truly extraordinary and make a dent in the universe, so you can create greater happiness, meaning, and impact in the world.
Life’s Great Adventure A guide to live an adventurous, purposeful life, whatever your passion Author: Deri Llewellyn-Davies Publisher: Make Your Mark Global (10 October 2017)
Deri’s book is born from a passion, starting out as a journal to capture the essence of what he experienced and learnt along the way. It then became a project born out of wanting to share key lessons in life with his children, to leave a legacy of the mind that will encourage, motivate and inspire them to their own unique greatness and to show them they can really do anything they set their minds to. He wanted them to dream big and aim for the stars. What He Said
What They Said
“We are all so busy in our lives, so distracted by everything around us in the Western world. Information is coming to us at light speed as we find ourselves immersed in technology. Somewhere along the way we have lost connection with our souls, our spirit, and with our connection to who we really are and why we are living. Extreme adventure can reveal who we truly are. (For most, thankfully, it is not the only way.)
"Entertains while teaching, succinctly explaining how to shed the cultural baggage that has been holding you back, so you can free your life and become the extraordinary person you were meant to be.” ~JJ Virgin, Celebrity Nutrition and Fitness Expert, "New York Times" bestselling author.
“When you throw yourself amongst the elements, stripping yourself bare of all needless material wants, pitting yourself in a battle of survival where the next breath, the next step, is all that matters – breaking yourself physically, mentally and emotionally – the only thing left is you and your spirit. From this place, the soul can reveal itself. Your truth, your essence, is fully revealed in all its glory, provided you are ready and able to listen. Such was my experience on many an adventurous occasion.”
Vishen will make you question everything you thought you knew about your life. From happiness and health to purpose and power, this book is a revolutionary roadmap to become the best, most extraordinary version of yourself period." ~Dave Asprey, Bio-Hacker and founder of Bulletproof Exec and Bulletproof Coffee.
About the Author
Vishen Lakhiani is one of the most influential personalities in personal growth today. A computer engineer and entrepreneur in education technology, he is the Founder and CEO of MindValley.
90
What They Said
“If this guy's account of living life to the max doesn't get you off the sofa and planning a more adventurous life, nothing will.” ~Amazon customer review. About the Author
Deri is committed to helping people create a life of no regrets and build a business of no regrets.
BOOKS
Claim Your Power:
The Circadian Code:
A 40-Day Journey to Dissolve the Hidden Blocks That Keep You Stuck and Finally Thrive in Your Life’s Unique Purpose
Lose weight, supercharge your energy and sleep well every night
Author: Mastin Kipp Publisher: Hay House Inc (12 September 2017) – Paper back due out October 2018
Has your vision board turned into just wishful thinking? Do you believe in the power of intention and goal setting, but are losing self-respect because you aren't following through? Do you feel completely stuck in life? Maybe you don't know what your life's Purpose is, or you don't believe you have one, or you thought you knew what it was and you lost it. If that's the case ... it’s time to claim your power! Mastin will guide you on a 40-day journey, inspired by Joseph Campbell's model of the hero's journey, to identify and dissolve whatever's holding you back, break free from trauma and victimhood, and transform your life. Not only will you change your life for the better, but in doing so, you'll improve the lives of the people you love. What They Said
“Distraction, stress, burnout, and feeling unfulfilled are all symptoms of a deeper problem: not knowing your life's purpose. In Claim Your Power, Mastin Kipp offers an innovative and practical approach to connect with your purpose, which is the key to truly thriving.” ~Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and Founder/ CEO of Thrive Global.
“So often we look to diets, supplements, pills, external diversions, and even addictions to relieve our symptoms and suffering. But the pain we feel is that of the body holding past trauma, which none of those will heal. In this book, Mastin Kipp brings us to a possibility of healing – the inspiration we crave and the steps we need to wake up from the trance that is keeping us stuck in the belief that that we are our wounds. If you're tired of living a less-than-satisfying life and are ready to live courageously, this is your next step.” ~Aviva Romm, MD, Yale Integrative Medicine. About the Author
Mastin Kipp is a #1 best-selling author and the creator of Functional Life Coaching TM who specialises in a strategic, no-B.S. approach to accelerate his clients' lives and businesses.
Creating a WORLD of Difference
Author: Dr. Satchidananda Panda Publisher: Vermilion (12 June 2018)
Change your daily routine, transform your health.
Circadian rhythms are biological processes or clocks that exist in each one of our cells. Programmed to turn genes on or off at different times of the day or night, they influence every aspect of our health from weight and energy levels through to resistance to disease and infection, and how well we sleep. Now, in The Circadian Code, this new science is revealed, showing that the timings of our day (when we eat, sleep, exercise, work) are more crucial than we ever thought before. And that, most importantly, if your daily schedule is out of sync with your circadian rhythms, you can fix it! Whether you are a shift worker, a frustrated dieter, someone suffering from sleep problems or chronic illness, whatever your health concern, The Circadian Code is the key to unlocking your health. What They Said
"Satchin Panda's research is an integral part of my 4 Pillar Plan. The Circadian Code explains the crucial "when" aspect of healthy living. You'll learn the best times to eat, exercise, work, and sleep, and if you follow his instructions, your whole family will benefit. I highly recommend this programme." ~Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, author of The 4 Pillar Plan and How to Make Disease Disappear.
"One of the essential factors to ensure longevity is to align your life with your body's circadian rhythms. The Circadian Code, written by one of the world’s leading experts on circadian rhythms, offers a complete programme to recalibrate your day/night activities, optimise sleep, lose weight, learn/work, and exercise." ~Valter Longo, PhD, author of the international bestseller, The Longevity Diet). About the Author
Dr Panda is the leading expert in the field of circadian rhythm research. He is Associate Professor in the Regulatory Lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, a Pew Scholar and a recipient of the Dana Foundation Award in Brain and Immune System Imaging. 91
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY
WellBeing Directory You will find more WellBeing practitioners at www.wellbeingworld.je We print 5,000 copies and achieve +20,000 impressions online, per edition. If you’d like to advertise in the next WellBeing Directory or in WellBeing World magazine, please contact us for a rate card at info@wellbeingworld.je 92
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY WELCOME
AUGRÉ PHYSIOTHERAPY
A small and friendly practice, Augré Physiotherapy is based at the Lido Medical Centre. Their experienced team of physiotherapists have the ability to treat all musculoskeletal conditions and each are qualified in their own sub-speciality of physiotherapy. They specialise in knee and shoulder complaints. They also offer Pilates led by a qualified Physiotherapist and Personal Trainer. Classes are limited to just five people and conducted in a fully equipped gym. W: www.augrephysiotherapy.com E: info@augrephysiotherapy.com T: +44 (0) 1534 280 010
AYUSH WELLNESS SPA
Awarded ‘Best Spa in the South West UK & Channel Islands’ by the Good Spa Guide, Ayush Wellness Spa offers a combination of authentic Ayurvedic therapies and luxurious spa treatments. An Ayurvedic physician works with Indian and Western therapists to provide consultations and treatments and share with you the teachings of this timeless tradition enabling you to develop practices that will help restore and maintain mind and body. The concept is authentic in an environment that advocates a healthy lifestyle, enriching both physical and emotional wellbeing. W: www.defrance.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 614 171 Hotel de France, St. Saviour’s Road, St Helier
CLUB SOULGENIC
ENERGETIX at UP AND ABOVE
Club Soulgenic. So much more than a gym. OPEN NOW
All the jewellery and accessories have the same purpose, to give us moments of wellbeing in our daily life and each of these moments tells us we are on the right track. Designs for women, men, children and a great sports look.
Jersey's first fully integrated fitness and wellness centre. Set in an impressive space over three floors, it provides a range of products and services incorporating fitness, nutrition, general health and mind body. The club includes collaborations with the island’s foremost wellness professionals, providing a community that motivates and rewards members on their journey to optimum health and wellbeing.
W: www.clubsoulgenic.co.uk E: info@clubsoulgenic.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 733 080
Creating a WORLD of Difference
Energetix combines sophisticated exclusive jewellery with the power of magnets. People wear the jewellery because they are fascinated by its radiance and want to have the power of magnets in their immediate vicinity all the time.
T: +44 (0) 1534 758 808 Up and Above, 50 Don Street, St Helier Order online at www.upandabovejersey.energetix.tv
93
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY
GRAND JERSEY HOTEL & SPA
A subterranean haven, The Spa at Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa offers a wealth of amenities. Stretch out in the pool; lay back in the sauna; release your cares with an aromatherapy steam, or under the cascade of an exotic adventure shower. Then revel in your solitude in the comfort of the exquisite relaxation lounge, where you can sample fruit and herbal teas. The Spa offers the ultimate cocooned experience, with a range of VIP, twin and single treatment rooms, indoor heated pool and bespoke treatments from Elemis to ensure quality and results. W: www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/grandjersey E: spa.grandjersey@handpicked.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 288 450 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey
HEALTHHAUS
Healthhaus have created a community where the focus is on supporting members with a healthy, happy and sustainable approach to fitness and wellbeing. The award winning Milon Circuit uses your personalised programme to give simple, safe and results driven workouts in just 35 minutes, leaving plenty of time for a dip in the luxurious Ayush Wellness Spa. Why not contact the membership team to arrange a tour of the club and to find out how Milon training can be incorporated seamlessly into your day. They look forward to taking your fitness personally. W: www.healthhaus.co.uk E: membership@healthhaus.co.uk T: +44 (0)1534 614 800
94
HEALTH POINT CLINIC
Lorna Jackson Acupuncture 1st BSc (Hons), MBAcC, AFN. Traditional acupuncture is more than pain management, treating headaches or back pain, it is uniquely suited to modern life as physical, emotional and mental blocks are seen as interdependent. Acupuncture is safe, gentle and it can be used by everyone, including babies, during pregnancy, sports enthusiasts and the elderly. Lorna operates from her clinics in The Lido Medical Centre and Greencliff Chiropractic Clinic. Most private health insurers cover acupuncture treatment. Please check before treatment.
W: www.healthpointclinic.co.uk E: lornajackson@healthpointclinic.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 852 039 (Greencliff Chiropractic) T: +44 (0) 1534 859 348 (Lido Medical Centre)
HOTEL DE FRANCE
A 126 bedroom four star Hotel conveniently located just outside of St.Helier. Dine in the informal brasserie style Garden View Restaurant overlooking award winning gardens or at the fine dining ‘Saffrons’ Restaurant, renowned for local produce prepared with healthy Indian spices. The Ayush Wellness Spa at the Hotel offers swimming pools, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms and an extensive fitness centre. Parking and Wi-Fi are free. A friendly but professional welcome is assured. St Saviour’s Road, St Helier, Jersey JE1 7XP W: www.defrance.co.uk E: general@defrance.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 614 000
WellBeing World brings together more than 160 categories of health and wellbeing, with a quick and easy online search for the practitioner, supplier or retailer to suit your needs. Check us out, now!
www.wellbeingworld.je
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY
JULIE DRYBURGH – EMPOWERMENT COACH
Change, it’s the first step to the life you truly want. Julie can help you achieve this, she is passionate about what she does and knows that everyone has the right to be happy. She will help you address any challenges and obstacles that are in your life that are preventing you from having the life you truly want. You cannot become what you want by remaining what you are. Julie is an Advanced Craniosacral Therapist, Reiki Master, Life/Spiritual Coach, Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner, Mindfulness & Mediation practitioner. W: www.juliedryburgh.com FB: @JulieDryburghEmpowerment E: Julie@juliedryburgh.com T: +44 (0)7797 742 347
L’HORIZON BEACH HOTEL & SPA
Nestled by the sea, the views are just the beginning. Step inside and let your journey of indulgence begin. The new L’Horizon Spa has been designed to offer a world of pampering whether you are visiting for a wedding, a girls’ weekend away or a break with a loved one. Enjoy a special day reviving mind and body, select an Elemis treatment, reinvigorate tired limbs with a dip in the sea-view swimming pool or simply drift away in the sleep room. Feel your cares wash away, just as the ocean washes over the golden sands of St Brelade’s Bay. W: www.handpicked.co.uk/lhorizon E: lhorizon@handpicked.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 743 101 La Route de la Baie, St Brelade, Jersey JE3 8EF
MICHAEL CANAS
NAOMI WEST PSYCHOTHERAPY
Michael is a personal trainer and performance coach. As a level 4 Master trainer with further qualifications in nutrition, physiology, anatomy and strength & conditioning, Michael offers a wide range of services catering to novices through to competitive athletes. Areas of specialisation include fat loss, health mentoring, hypertrophy, flexibility training, and diet plans. Michael also provides an online coaching platform. He is a qualified Hatha Yoga instructor, and teaches MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Self-Defence.
Find an enriching way through challenging times. Provides a safe supportive space and a path through depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, eating disorders, trauma, panic attacks, stress, paranoia, relationship difficulties, other difficulties, Conflict Mediation and Transformational Coaching. Return to your radiant wellbeing. Book now for a free initial meeting.
BSc (Hons), MPhil.
E: mike.canas@gmail.com T: +44 (0) 7829 874 998
96
BA (hons) 1st class, PgDip, MA, UKCP.
W: www.naomi-west.com E: hello@naomi-west.com T: +44 (0) 7797 77 99 49
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY WELCOME
NATALIE CLARE CONSULTING
Natalie is an expert on Authentic Leadership for high performing women. Working with women in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, she helps them to discover the power of their own authentic leadership style, command the recognition and respect they deserve and translate this in to the financial rewards they desire. Contact her for a FREE 30 minute “Success Through Authentic Leadership Breakthrough Session” to finally understand why you’re not achieving the results that you work so hard for and create a clear plan for achieving greater success. W: www.natalieclare.com E: natalie@natalieclare.com T: +44 (0) 7797 781 203
SILKWORTH CHARITY GROUP
We provide hope for those that suffer with drug and/ or alcohol addiction, together with support for families and significant others. Our services are available to anyone in our local community, through statutory or personal referral, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay or not. These include; Residential Treatment Programme, Family Programme, Recovery Day Programme, Secondary Care Programme, Children’s ( 7 to 12 year old ) Programme, Workplace Education Programme, and our Schools Programme. W: www.silkworthlodge.co.uk E: info@silkworthlodge.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1534 729 060
Creating a WORLD of Difference
SHALBECK LIFE CENTRE
Learning Support: Enhance reading, writing and mathematics, improve memory and study skills. Health Support: Ease the mind, release stress, address physical symptoms and improve health. How? Reflex Stimulation, Raindrop (Aromatherapy) Massage, Health Kinesiology, Acupressure, Sound Therapy, Counselling, and Peaceful Living Workshops. WBW Reader Offer: 10% discount on sessions. Lunchtime Mini Meditation and Skype appointments. W: www.shalbecklifecentre.com E: claire@shalbeckcentre.com T: +44 (0) 7797 714 758 Claire 25 Pier Road, St Helier, Jersey Also monthly at Avenue Clinic, Guernsey
SOUL HEALING
Help yourself to see blessings in past experiences, beauty in the present and an inspiring future. Are you stuck in an unsatisfactory job or relationship? Is stress taking the best of you? Lost touch with yourself? Struggling with your mental wellbeing? Searching for authenticity? Maybe you don't know how to let go? Have you suffered events so bruising that you don't know how to assimilate them? You can change it with Soul Healing. Confidential, experienced and effective counselling and Emotion and Body Code healing. Service available for adults, couples, families and children. In English and Polish language. W: www.soulhealingjersey.co.uk E: soul.healing@icloud.com T: +44 (0) 7797 781 210
97
WELLBEING BUSINESS DIRECTORY
SYTHESIS
Synthesis hosts discovery for change within an Evolutionary Leadership framework. In a safe, supportive holding environment unpack, understand and integrate the whole of yourself. Become selfempowered by stepping onto your personal journey. Take a 360 degree look at yourself inside out and outside in. See what hinders and helps you. Get in touch with your body, thoughts, emotions and energy field. Find innovative solutions to problems providing stepping stones toward transformation. Synthesis provides all this through programmes of Personal & Corporate Coaching, Yoga, Meditation and Energy work. W: www.synthesis-therapies.co.uk E: synthesis.therapies@gmail.com T: +44 (0) 7797 778 965
THERAPYBREAKS
Ann Marie Clarke of Therapybreaks practices at the Lido Medical Centre, Jersey. She provides psychotherapy, coaching, professional supervision and therapy breaks for individuals, couples and families. Psychotherapy can help with many life changes and challenges e.g. Stress, Work related problems, Depression, Anxiety, Loss, Eating disorders, Experience of abuse, Alcohol and drug problems, Parenting and Redundancy. Coaching supports you in discovering effective ways of living your life and achieving fulfilment. Ann Marie offers a free 30 minute consultation to assist you in deciding which is the best support for you. W: www.therapybreaks.com E: annmarie@therapybreaks.com T: Ann Marie +44 (0) 7797 770 059 98
THE AURORA LIFESTYLE
The Aurora Lifestyle is a place to not only relieve stress and improve movement, but give motivation and to inspire you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. We help you to change your mindset through the physical, mental and emotional activities of Pilates, Sports and Indian Head Massage, Personal Training and Sports Specific Equipilates (fitness for horse riders). Seeing people’s lives change in front of our eyes makes us proud and happy that we were and are a part of their journey. W: www.theauroralifestyle.co.uk E: helen@theauroralifestyle.co.uk T: +44 (0) 7797 771 846 Above Blades - Halkett Place
WELLSTEPS JERSEY
Michelle Wedgbury is a certified health coach (ICF accredited*), and adult mental health first aider. She holds a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and is currently completing the life coaching part of her studies. She has trained and volunteered as a Samaritan and currently works with clients from a local charity who have suffered life changing illnesses. Michelle’s services include one to one coaching sessions, pop up wellness clinics and lunch and learns. Contact Michelle for a free discovery session. *International Coaching Federation E: wellstepsjersey@gmail.com T: +44 (0) 44 1534 482 638
Bringing you the best in wellbeing from local, UK and international expert contributors, WellBeing World covers a broad range of topics to enhance positivity and overall wellbeing.
What They Say.. ‘No magazine like it’ … ‘Always something of interest.’… ‘Another great edition, love the new international content’ … ‘Keeping a copy on the coffee table / by my bed / in the car for the school run’ … ‘Can’t wait for each new edition’ … ‘Well done for bringing these subjects into the open; it’s good to know there are solutions out there’ … ‘Gets better and better, just love it’ … ‘One of the best publications I have seen for the broad range of subjects’ … ‘The best magazine in Jersey!’ … and, as described by a national UK retailer ‘one of the best health and wellbeing magazines available.’ Just some of the comments it is our pleasure to receive, thank you all.
Subscribe now!
www.wellbeingworldmagazine.com