- 14 hours ago
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00We are bombarded with all of these different self-care techniques, products, accessories.
00:06We sort of live in this world where we want to be spoon-fed the answer.
00:12Our bodies know what is best for us ultimately and I think information overload in the brain can just become very overwhelming.
00:22Do we really know what we're talking about when we talk about self-care?
00:25Joining me to discuss this is Rebecca Moore, the author of Radical Self-Care, Rituals for Inner Resilience.
00:32Rebecca is also a yoga teacher and a breathwork facilitator. Welcome Rebecca.
00:37I'm also delighted to be joined by Nicola Elliott. Nicola is the founder of Neon, one of the biggest and most well-known wellbeing brands in the UK. Welcome Nicola.
00:47So let's talk about self-care. Maybe we can start with you Rebecca. What is self-care?
00:52So the way that I would describe what self-care is, is the ways that we intentionally tend to ourselves, the ways that we intentionally tend to ourselves through practices, through rituals, through our habits, to nurture our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
01:12By practicing self-care, we build inner resilience, which means that we are better resourced to face like the inevitable challenges that come up in life, but also as a way to thrive.
01:26Because I think sometimes we think about self-care as a way to survive or to get through something, but it's also just a way that we maintain and resource ourselves to thrive in our lives.
01:41So I guess it doesn't need to be prescriptive, but I wonder whether we've sort of lost the meaning of it a little bit, because when I see the term used, I don't often think about the definition that you just gave.
01:53Yeah. And that's, I think the main issue is when it does become too prescriptive, actually, because ultimately self-care is about our relationship with ourselves.
02:04It's not about consumerism. It's about connection. And I think when it becomes too prescriptive, we can start to think that we're doing something wrong or we're not doing enough if we're not keeping up with the latest trends or if we don't have all of the accessories or the outfits.
02:21And it's really not about that. It needs to, I think, be stripped back down and simplified.
02:29Ultimately, it's how we take care of ourselves. And because we are also unique and we all have unique needs and our needs also change and shift.
02:39It's really about maintaining that connection with ourselves so that we know what to do to take care.
02:45Yeah. This really chimes for me with this concept that I've been writing a lot about recently, which is wellness washing.
02:51The idea that people are slapping wellness on anything and saying that it's doing a lot for their health when actually it's probably not doing a lot for their health or it's making them feel worse.
03:03And often a lot of this stuff ends up in landfill. It's not good for the environment. It's not good for us.
03:08But Nicola, I wonder whether your experience of hitting on self-care also kind of chimes with what Rebecca was saying, because I know that you had an experience of feeling quite burnt out and then discovering that there was another way, which I suppose is kind of what you were describing, wasn't it?
03:26Well, first of all, she just gave the best description, didn't she? Thank goodness you asked her first.
03:31So, I mean, I concur with everything you said there, but I suppose what I found is a challenge, just coming to the answer to your question, but is that that's the ideal, is that people will take that sort of onus and that responsibility and create that kit that's bespoke and works for them.
03:50Yet, the reality I always find is that people go, well, yeah, tell me what the five things are.
03:57You know, we sort of live in this world where we want to be spoon-fed the answer.
04:03And so I spend a lot of my time trying to say to people, exactly to your point, you have to create a kit.
04:10It has to work for you. It will change.
04:13And that degree of ownership really surprises me and it's kind of quite sad, I think, that people really feel a loss with that.
04:22I started Neon because I was a journalist for eight years and I'd just started suffering from awful anxiety.
04:28I suppose it was really interesting when I looked back was that nothing traumatic had happened.
04:34I think it was literally just me shoving too much into my life and not looking after myself.
04:42And so I decided to just kind of go on a little bit of a journey of how I could look after myself.
04:49During that period, I retrained as a nutritionist and an aromatherapist and just was sort of throwing everything at, you know,
04:56all the things that I could do to make myself feel better.
05:00And that really was the start of Neon for me, was the idea that actually looking around,
05:05everyone I knew seemed to struggle with either the stress and or the ramification of it in some other way.
05:09Mine was panic attacks, but maybe in other ways.
05:13And I remember thinking, wouldn't it be great if you could create some kind of beauty brand,
05:18but that wasn't concerned with how you looked, you know, wasn't that classic, you know, oily skin, dry skin,
05:26combination skin that you use to beauty.
05:28It was kind of like, how do you feel?
05:29And that was sort of the inception of Neon, really.
05:32I hope that you're enjoying this episode with Nicola and Rebecca,
05:35but I want to interrupt for a second to tell you about our sponsor, Visit Costa Rica.
05:40I did just that last month.
05:41And between yoga sessions in the jungle, watching the sunlight filter through the canopy,
05:45ocean therapy and swimming in volcanic hot springs, Costa Rica fixed me up.
05:50Mind, body and soul.
05:51Home to 6.5% of the world's biodiversity, Costa Rica is an incredible place to connect with nature.
05:57If, like me, you've ever dreamt of seeing humpback whales in the wild,
06:01turtles laying their eggs on the beach, tree frogs and sloths in the wild,
06:05Costa Rica is an incredible place to see all of this and more.
06:09And they are all protected, along with the country's incredible cloud forests and coral reefs.
06:14Pura Vida is the heart of Costa Rican culture.
06:16It means pure life, but it's also a mindset grounded in gratitude, simplicity and connection to the natural world.
06:23It's the reason so many visitors choose Costa Rica for health, healing and a genuine opportunity to unwind.
06:29I'm already planning my next visit.
06:31Now, on with the show.
06:32Rebecca, you specialise in self-care in other ways.
06:35I know that you work with breathwork and yoga.
06:39And for lots of people, I think they worry that there's this prescriptive way to do self-care.
06:45And they think, must do the face mask, must have the bath, must do the yoga.
06:49But it does really look different for everybody, doesn't it?
06:52Yeah, totally.
06:54And again, it shifts.
06:56It's really about, you know, where you are and what you need.
06:59And I think because of that, the foundation of self-care, again, comes back to that connection,
07:06that relationship that you have with yourself.
07:08For me, when there's certain times in my monthly cycle where movement really works.
07:16But for the majority of the time, something that is more holistic, like yoga, for me personally, is my medicine.
07:26But that's not to say I'm going to tell everyone in the world that that's going to be their medicine too.
07:32I may say, try it, see if it fits.
07:35If it fits, keep it on.
07:36If it doesn't, you know, throw it away or put it away and return to it at another point.
07:41And I think that's the main thing.
07:43I think the issues that I see so much with many different things within self-care and outside of it is that we have, you know, people who are so desperate for answers and, you know, desperate to be feeling better.
08:00But then people saying this is the right way and this is the wrong way.
08:03And again, that's when it becomes very counterproductive.
08:07You know, we are bombarded with all of these different self-care techniques, products, accessories, you know, outfits, all of these kinds of things.
08:17So it's important to, I think, take something, try it on for a while, give it a chance and think about what really calls you.
08:24Listen to your body, notice how your body reacts when you are trying something or you're even considering trying something.
08:31And our bodies know what is best for us ultimately.
08:34And I think information overload in the brain can just become very overwhelming.
08:39But I also want to talk about the dark side of self-care in terms of it being used to justify certain behaviours.
08:46So I see a lot of these memes that are like, hey, Slay Queen, Girly Pop, just eat KFC all day and spend all the money on the credit card because that's self-care.
08:54And actually, that's a little bit dodgy, isn't it?
08:56I think if we are using self-care to excuse certain behaviours that can be quite toxic and quite extreme, it's potentially, you know, being used in the wrong way.
09:08I don't think that we can use self-care as an excuse to, you know, not be accountable for our own actions or to max out a credit card or to do the thing that feels instinctively really good,
09:21even though the little voice is telling us, hmm, maybe shouldn't be doing that.
09:25I wonder what you both think about that.
09:27I think about self-care as being very closely connected with self-love.
09:31And when you think about love, there's like the soft love, the, you know, like the soft, like, you know, you deserve this kind of love.
09:38But there's also the tough love, like you need to get up and do something else now.
09:43Like you need to cut this and do something else or you need to implement that boundary now.
09:48And it's the same with self-care.
09:50I think it's about being really honest with ourselves.
09:55And also, I think it's really important to think about, is this thing that I'm doing going to feel good tomorrow?
10:02Is it going to feel good in a week?
10:03Is it going to feel good in a month?
10:04Is it going to feel good in a year?
10:05Is it going to feel like, because some of the things that feel amazing, incredible, you know, ecstatic in the moment can often feel horrendous, you know, whether it's the next day or whether it's in a week's time.
10:21And so I think that's a really good way of being discerning.
10:25Like, okay, I know this is going to feel good in the now.
10:28But is this for the betterment of my well-being long term?
10:35I would say.
10:36That critical thinking is really important, isn't it?
10:38I think we can shop really impulsively.
10:40We can act really impulsively.
10:42I mean, Nicola, do you think that self-care is maybe being used to sell more plastic tat that we need to be more aware of that?
10:47Well, it's funny.
10:48I'm not targeted with those memes.
10:50I've never seen that.
10:52But I wonder, I was just thinking then, I wonder if that's because my own brand of self-care probably is a bit more tough, lovey.
11:01You know, I'm probably more the person who will be targeted with the get up and go kind of mantras or something.
11:07Because to your point, that brilliant word thriving, thriving for me is a balance of achieving and running the business and that being a success and squeezing quite a lot out of the day.
11:26But then also having the flip side of that sort of the balance of it, the form of self-care that allows me to achieve that.
11:34So that's kind of what my sort of toolkit looks like, if you like.
11:38Like everything in life, it's the balance.
11:40And ultimately, this is what we come back to.
11:42It's not surviving, it's thriving.
11:44It's being able to look after yourself well enough and tend to yourself well enough and get the machine in an optimum place so it can go and do other things.
11:58It's all of this sort of stuff.
11:59So it's making sure that there's constantly that sort of balance is in check.
12:04I hope that you're finding Rebecca and Nicola's advice useful.
12:08In order to keep making episodes like this about crucial topics that explore well-being, we really need your support.
12:14So what you can do for us is like this video and subscribe to the channel.
12:18Thank you so much.
12:19I also think self-care can be quite gendered.
12:22And I wonder if either of you agree with this.
12:24You know, it has its roots in rebellion, in black writers like Audre Lorde.
12:28It has this kind of incredible legacy as quite an important thought process for people.
12:37But now we have kind of taken that and we've applied it to face masks and bath bombs.
12:43And therefore, maybe it seems that men don't necessarily want to interact with it.
12:47Now, is that potentially because to take care of oneself shows a vulnerability or is it just because maybe it belongs to women more than it belongs to men?
12:58What do you think, Rebecca?
12:59From what I see, actually, a lot of men are engaging in self-care.
13:05I think there is the wellness scene, which is slightly different, I think, to what comes under self-care.
13:16For example, you could go on a wellness retreat and have a packed schedule full of these kind of, you know, very nervous system upregulating activities and not actually get the downregulation that maybe you most need.
13:32But what I see is at the moment is targeted for men is this kind of very like high endurance, you know, upregulating wellness kind of activities, products, experiences, the ice baths.
13:49But yeah, so I think that actually more men connecting with self-care again in, you know, what do I most need right now and can I give myself permission will be really beneficial for them.
14:03But for everyone, I mean, if we're living amongst people who are genuinely well, it's better for everyone.
14:09And I think there's a difference between wellness and well-being.
14:13So wellness, you know, is now an industry.
14:16It's hugely, you know, commercialized, commodified, all of that.
14:19Well-being is a state.
14:20We can reach a state of well-being.
14:23We can be doing all of the wellness activities and not actually genuinely feel that state of well-being.
14:29So I think that's an important differentiation to sit with.
14:34It's a really good point.
14:35I mean, I think asking, you know, regardless of who you are, what do I need right now is the essence of it, isn't it?
14:41And it's not about performatively filming yourself, dunking your face in ice water.
14:46I mean, what do you think, Nicola?
14:48What's really interesting for me was when you speak about a wellness retreat, it always fills me with horror, the idea of going away on a well.
14:56I mean, it's mad, isn't it?
14:57Not for you.
14:58Well, to say that, you know, we run such a big wellness, but again, it comes back to what's your own version of it.
15:05You know, I like to be doing, I don't know, maybe more creative things and I'm not a big yoga fan.
15:13I don't, you know, I will do an odd ice bath, but I don't want to do it every day.
15:16So the idea of there being a prescription every day, you know, just seems kind of really oddly counterintuitive with everything we've been saying so far, because, you know, I think it should be about finding what works for you.
15:33It's clear that we do really need self-care as well.
15:36You know, 2024 statistics show that the gender imbalance in this country is still way off.
15:41Women are struggling with the vision of labour, you know, with household labour.
15:46Also, you bring in things like perimenopause.
15:49Women are finding it very difficult to carve out time for themselves.
15:52And they're also shouldering a lot in terms of domestic labour and then the work that they've chosen to do.
15:58So shouldering all of that suggests that obviously we need this.
16:03We need it for ourselves, regardless of how you identify.
16:06It's very important.
16:07I mean, I can just tell you from Neom's point of view, some interesting stuff that comes to mind when you talk about that.
16:13We sell pillow mists, for example, which are one of our best selling products, more in packs of four than we do in single units.
16:22National data is that about 87% of all household purchases are done by the woman.
16:27I find it fascinating that typically we don't get many male customers.
16:33We are primarily a female purchase brand, but they will buy for their whole family.
16:40And I think that's really an interesting thing, you know, how that kind of works.
16:44We get so many men if I do, you know, events or I meet people just out social.
16:51I love Neom and stuff.
16:52I get my wife to get X, Y, Z.
16:54And so I think that's really interesting.
16:58And I suppose commercially, we don't massively push against that.
17:01We work with what's happening, but how we can get to the wider family.
17:06And I always prod it develop into what I see as sort of family pain points.
17:12So the first one we launched, this is a calming pad, which actually we sell out more than anything else, kind of constantly can't keep this thing in stock, was when the children were slightly younger.
17:22And I used to think that moment, if you've got kids where they're like screaming in the back of the car and you're dropping them off, is like the most stressful point in your day.
17:32I thought I really need to develop something for that sort of moment.
17:36And then similarly, there'd be those times where everyone's going to bed and stuff.
17:39And so I think these things all affect everyone in the family.
17:45You know, the children, the partners, husbands, men.
17:48But we still find it comes back to year after year after year.
17:52That figure very rarely changes.
17:54It's always over 80%.
17:56Do women need it more because we are more stressed and in need of more self-care?
18:00Don't know.
18:00Or are we more comfortable giving ourselves that time?
18:04Or do we feel that it's our role to create that zone and we are responsible for that?
18:11You know, maybe that shifted a bit more from making family dinner or something to being, you know, creating that kind of zone in our home for our families, for our children, modelling for them.
18:25Maybe that comes with its own set of pressures.
18:28You know, when you think about the idea of creating safe spaces and creating calm spaces, that's something that Naomi does very well.
18:37It's obviously something that your customers do very well.
18:41And, you know, Rebecca and I have been on retreats together and it's all been women and it's been really good vibes.
18:47So it's a really interesting thought to pause on.
18:51We've defined terms and we've talked about what self-care is and what it can mean to different people.
18:57But I also want to discuss some of the practical takeaways.
19:02I mean, we've talked a little bit about scent and how you created Naomi and how scent is a really important part of what it is that you do.
19:11I'm really into the idea that neurocosmetics can do a lot for us and our mental health.
19:16And it's something that I've written about for The Independent.
19:18But it's a term that I think many people aren't really familiar with.
19:21They don't understand necessarily that connection between scent and the limbic system.
19:26So I want to talk a little bit about when you realise that scent could really affect mood and how that became part of self-care.
19:33Sure. Well, I suppose I'd precursor it by saying we've always said that, you know, there is no silver bullet.
19:41And I think what's, again, what's kind of difficult is saying, you know, I absolutely believe that no brand, no gym, no water bottle, no ice bath, no neon can say, there you go, that's the answer.
19:55And that's when you tip into this being wrong, you know, being prescriptive and being, you know, the one answer is the wrong thing.
20:06However, I think if you can present something as a piece of a toolkit, like, you know, a way of breathing or a retreat, you can go on a book, you can read a piece of information.
20:21If you can, if you can present that as a piece of that toolkit and say, hey, there's also other bits and pieces around that can create a richer toolkit for you, then I think then it can be very powerful.
20:35And so I've always said that, you know, aromatherapy was a was a really interesting part of that journey for me because I loved the idea of buying those little essential oil bottles and, you know, said dusty health food shop on Upper Street and bringing them home and creating those.
20:53Spends the whole ritual of thinking, how do I feel? How does my flatmate feel? How can I help spending that time in the bathroom, creating something that felt, you know, yes, unashamedly, quite luxurious.
21:10Why should it be a pill? Why shouldn't it be something? Why shouldn't you want to go to a nice gym and put on a nice outfit as much as, you know, create a lovely, a lovely scent?
21:18So the whole experience of that for me was was very much part of the self-care journey.
21:26That was always what was really important to me. And I think we'll speak about the book in a bit.
21:30But that was kind of part of my reason for writing the book was, listen, we can help.
21:34But, you know, you must also read Rebecca's book and you must also listen to this podcast and you must also try this thing.
21:41So it's very much the part of the kit. So for me, I think that was that and becoming really interested in nutrition.
21:50Those were the two bits that got me got my kind of wellness journey going.
21:57And I loved how those fragrances could really change the way I feel.
22:00And, you know, it's a very simple science that, you know, essentially the molecules will travel up your nose and your olfactory gland will speak to your limbic system.
22:09And essentially that will sort of will help spark moods in you, essentially.
22:17So it is very simple. And it's fascinating, I find, that, you know, your body will be attracted to certain fragrances at certain times of your life.
22:26I wanted to come on to some of your techniques, Rebecca, because obviously your expertise lies in yoga, breathwork, meditation.
22:33I mean, how did you hit upon those as ways in to self-care and how, you know, how do you teach them to other people so that they can use them?
22:42I used to run a magazine. I was running a magazine for about 10 years.
22:45And at the time I was full on party gal and I was actually looking for an easy way to kind of, you know, feel a little bit well.
23:00And to your point before about like these entry points are actually really important because I think for me it was pure laziness and vanity
23:08that kind of led me into my first yoga class and being able to access this, you know, deep connection with myself,
23:21this deep space of just bliss and presence.
23:25And then knowing that that's accessible for me, that changed everything.
23:32And so I think from that moment, from that very first class, I was open up to the possibility of being able to be at peace and feel well and feel connected.
23:42And then from that, I was then inspired to look at what other ways I could access that place.
23:49And so, you know, similarly, I've done, dabbled in nutrition, aromatherapy, as well as yoga, breathwork.
23:59I like to think about yogic philosophy as invitations on how to live in ways that benefit ourselves and the world around us
24:07and reduce suffering for ourselves and for the world around us.
24:11So it's a very broad term. It's not just about the physical movement.
24:15So the book is a combination of all of these different rituals, practices, habits that I've learned in that time of self-discovery.
24:26But there's nothing in there that will take you longer than 10 minutes.
24:30And I think that's really important as well, because often what I hear the most from people I feel like that need self-care the most is,
24:38well, I don't have time.
24:39And I think, you know, everyone, no matter what your schedule is, you can carve out five minutes, you know?
24:48Absolutely. I mean, time and money seem to be the big barriers to entry for a lot of people or, you know, the perceived barriers to entry, right?
24:56Because, as you say, things like, you know, moving your body, breathing deeply, meditating,
25:02it doesn't actually cost any money to do those things.
25:05And they are, like, really, really big for self-care.
25:08When we then go on to things like aromatherapy or maybe changing what you eat,
25:12maybe then, you know, you start experiencing some of those cost blockers.
25:16And I wonder whether you both think that there is too much of an emphasis on the things that you need to perform or achieve self-care.
25:26And we then see, again, this kind of wellness washing, this intersection with capitalism and the idea that self-care is something that is performed and not necessarily felt.
25:36And I like what you were saying, Rebecca, about being able to just drop in and to find that space.
25:42And that's also why I guess both of your books can be really, really useful because they provide these toolkits.
25:47And you mentioned some of the rituals that are included in your book.
25:53But I wonder if you can maybe talk us through a couple of them and then maybe we can talk a little bit more about your book, Nicola.
25:57Yeah, sure.
25:58I also I want to just say that there is, I believe, space for everything.
26:04And I think that it's really, for me, beautiful that I know I don't need anything to tend to myself.
26:13I just need myself, but that I can choose because, again, self-care is all about empowerment.
26:18I can choose to, you know, treat myself to a beautiful candle because for me, that's part of my my routine is to when I sit down to to breathe, to meditate, I will light a candle.
26:33But yeah, the book.
26:34So it's 40 different rituals and they're all categorized.
26:39So there's rituals for being present, so being in the here and the now, because it's only when we are really present with ourselves that we can actually check in and know what we need and know what we want.
26:50Then we have embodiment practices to deepen our connection with our bodies.
26:55I think one of the best and there's been so many incredible things that have come as a result of me practicing yoga.
27:02But one of the most powerful is the connection that I've developed with my body.
27:08You know, our bodies are, you know, these homes that we get to inhabit, you know, from the very beginning to the very end.
27:15And so it's important, I think, to to maintain that connection so that we we can hear what our body's saying, we can hear what our body needs.
27:25And then there are other chapters like check in and reflect with like journal practices.
27:31There's a chapter on release because I always say like we're we're clingy creatures.
27:35We like to kind of hold on to things way beyond, you know, what we need.
27:41And so, you know, releasing creates space for for new things to come in.
27:46And then there's also nature's gifts, which is a chapter that I love because, you know, there's nothing within that chapter that requires anything that you would, you know, not even a pen.
27:58You know, it's things like air bathing, just allowing fresh air to hit your skin.
28:04We're constantly in clothes and, you know, our skin needs that fresh air, needs that, you know, the hydration that comes from that fresh air.
28:13And then there's our thing, which is so simple, you know, knowing that actually being in connection with the earth is so healing for us.
28:24And it's so simple. It's so simple.
28:26But, you know, like you were saying before, yes, this is simple.
28:30But when was the last time you did it?
28:33You know, we forget, don't we forget.
28:34And also we're distracted.
28:36The amount of times I've been pitched barefoot shoes and grounding sheets.
28:40And do you know what you can do instead?
28:43Just take your shoes off.
28:43Just take your shoes off.
28:45Take your shoes off.
28:45Even just taking your shoes off and just standing still and taking a few breaths for a couple of minutes, you know, it will ground you.
28:54It will have grounding benefits on your body.
28:58And then things like being in tune with the seasons.
29:01So, you know, we are nature.
29:03So it's good to notice what nature is doing.
29:06For example, now we're in autumn and we're seeing lots of shedding happening, you know, with leaves falling from the trees.
29:14And it's a really good opportunity to, you know, have a clear out.
29:18Think about what we want to be letting go, whether that's, you know, limiting beliefs or ways of being that aren't really serving us or relationships or whatever it is.
29:32It's a good time and we're supported in this time and letting go.
29:36And whereas winter is a time, you know, of really coming in and of deep rest.
29:42And it's good to be aware of these things because, for example, in winter, we have one of the busiest holidays of the year.
29:50And one of the highest rates of burnout, which is so at odds with actually what our bodies want to do, right?
29:55Yeah, exactly. So I always, you know, now I'm I before I was so connected with the seasons in nature, I would go all out, you know, during the holidays.
30:07And now I'm just like, absolutely not, you know.
30:10And I think when we we give ourselves permission to do what feels good, we also give other people like where examples then for other people to do the same.
30:19So sometimes it feels I know that I can experience guilt for like having my boundaries and, you know, saying, actually, I can't I need to rest.
30:28But then it's nice to see when other people around me start to start to do the same and seeing how that then benefits them as a result.
30:37The final chapter that I want to mention is a chapter on togetherness.
30:42And this is it kind of brings everything into full circle because, again, our relationships are the most important things in our lives, like our connections.
30:53And yes, the relationship we have with ourself is the most important, but that's then enables us to show up well in our external relationship.
31:01It's just incredible to be able to start practicing self-care in community, sharing that that wellness, you know, radiating that state out into the world around us so that we can be in a world that is more well.
31:16And if we're taking better care of ourselves, we are we're better for others, aren't we?
31:20You know, we're better for our kids. We're better for our partners.
31:22We're better at work because we're more pleasant to be around, which, you know, is just a no brainer, really.
31:27So I love that the community aspect and looking after oneself in relation to other people, I think, is so important.
31:34And I know that obviously there's some crossover with a lot of the tips that you recommend, Nicola, because your book is also this incredible toolkit for encouraging people to take better care of themselves.
31:45What are some of your favorite accessible ways in? And, you know, what would you recommend?
31:50I love journaling. I think for me, that's something that's I came to probably quite late.
31:54I thought, what a nurse does that mean? I did an Instagram live with somebody who really explained it to me.
31:59And I thought, well, I'll have a go. And I won't make it. You have to do it every day.
32:04But I'll just sort of write down what I'm thinking. I think it's fascinating how you can percolate on a thought.
32:09And when it's down in front of you, you force yourself to write it.
32:12I think, I don't know, I'm not doing very well at X or, you know, I'm somebody's really doing my head in or whatever it might be when it's actually written down.
32:22It sort of takes a lot of the noise away from that thought and and and makes it something that's more easy to understand and therefore deal with to a degree.
32:35So I find that's really fascinating and really interesting for me. I just like walking.
32:41You know, that works for me. And I like I really find having a sleep routine.
32:47I mean, that is pretty on brand for me. But I do find that's absolutely crucial for me.
32:51It's become more so as I've got older. Definitely used to be able to sleep anytime, any place, anywhere sort of thing.
32:57But I really do need that. And I notice that if I don't do that, I know it involves sort of not eating and drinking too much before I get to bed.
33:06Or if I do, knowing, OK, if you're still having a glass of wine at 10 o'clock, it is going to affect my sleep.
33:11So at least understanding that having a bath, you know, reading a paper book makes a difference to me.
33:18A couple of magnesium supplements do really help me.
33:21You know, I've tried with and without. They do really help getting the right ones.
33:23Not huge, expensive, fancy ones, but getting the right ones.
33:28So a bedtime routine that really, really helps.
33:32So so so there's some of the tools eating proper whole foods, obvious thing.
33:38But nutrition for me was such a same way, you know, same spark my interest in wellness as much as aerotherapy.
33:47And I trained as a nutritionist at the same time.
33:50So eating foods that are nutritionally dense makes a big difference.
33:55If I have two or three days where I don't, I can definitely feel the difference.
33:59So it's that sort of it's that sort of those kind of swaps.
34:03So my book was I felt very responsible, if I'm honest with you, that we'd got to the stage where the brand was, you know,
34:10I think kind of the biggest well-being brand in the UK and we had this huge platform with millions of people and people were coming and asking, you know, quite big questions that I could sort of say, hey, this is a really interesting piece of information or you should really read this book.
34:27We're not really for, you know, we're not for somebody who is we're probably for somebody who's starting that journey or is relatively new to wellness.
34:38But if you want to start that journey, I think it's a really, really good place where I've sort of I give pieces of advice from so many people.
34:48I mean, it's it's 80 percent not my voice, to be clear, because I bring in some some great voices.
34:54Exactly. And that's what I like about the idea, because, you know, no one invented self-care.
35:00No one no one invented wellness.
35:01We are all drawing on the expertise that we have inherited, essentially.
35:07Right. These tips, these lifestyle tools.
35:11And I feel like we see constantly people trying to break the mold by saying, forget everything you ever knew about this.
35:17It's time to start doing this. And it's like, well, is it time to start doing that?
35:22I don't think so. I think we're fairly certain that, you know, exercise, sunshine, whole foods, you know, moving your body.
35:30These things are all pretty sound and we don't necessarily need to reinvent the wheel, which is why I do think when we see a lot of crazy biohackers on Instagram, I tend to just keep scrolling.
35:41Some of it is quite interesting to me, but a lot of it, I think, you know, if I don't broke, don't fix it.
35:47But a lot of people were not taught this stuff, certainly not when they were kids and not looking for this information as adults.
35:54And then they're wondering why they don't feel good.
35:56And that, I think, is where both of your books and all the advice come in and are really, really useful.
36:01Yeah. And I think I did, I did a couple of events in the store way before I'd written the book and we were doing like a sleep kind of campaign.
36:10And we'd, we'd done this piece of work with this really interesting guy called Nick Whitton.
36:13And he'd kind of told us about these, these really, really important steps to help you get a good night's sleep.
36:20And some of them I thought were relatively, you know, known, some less so.
36:24And I remember doing this event and we did Leeds, we did Newcastle, we did Edinburgh, we did a few different towns.
36:31And the women just didn't know, like 80% came as a massive shock to them.
36:38And I think that for me was a bit of a, oh gosh, you know, there's a lot of people that just really don't know much.
36:46And that was really sad. I thought we need to kind of bring this information, some of the more basic, but sort of real backed information.
36:55We need to sort of go, hey, you, you should, you should know this.
36:59And that was really a catalyst, I think.
37:02And, you know, you're, you're right.
37:03I do think that we're in a bit of a bubble, aren't we, as people that are in the wellness industry.
37:08And there, you know, there is a dearth of information for some people in some areas, in certain demographics.
37:14And everybody deserves to have access to this stuff, to this information.
37:19So speaking of which, I always end the podcast by asking my guests for their one wellness non-negotiable.
37:24The one thing that helps them feel well all of the time.
37:28Let's start with you, Rebecca.
37:29What is your one wellness non-negotiable?
37:31First thing in the morning, I stretch.
37:34I stretch in bed.
37:36That's my, that's become a thing for me.
37:38I stretch in bed first, and then I will get up and move to my mat, stretch some more, sit down, be with myself, you know, meditate, do some breath work.
37:51And that's my non-negotiable.
37:53So I will always take some time in the morning to give my attention to myself before starting to give it to, you know, my tasks, the external world.
38:08I think it's, for me, my non-negotiable is being my own energy before I'm then pouring it out into the world.
38:16That's really good advice.
38:17I like that.
38:18Because I also, you know, lots of people say, don't look at your phone, you know, don't immediately feel like you have to, you know, be present for somebody else.
38:27Take that moment for yourself.
38:28I think that's really great advice.
38:29Yeah, I think, I think, and I'm still can be guilty of this.
38:33Let me just, you know, say that before I go and say this, I'm not preaching at all.
38:40But I will say that I think that the, you know, one of the most unhelpful things that we can do in the first thing in the morning is open up the phone and like open up an app, like a social media app.
38:54Because you are literally plugging in to, you know, like so much different energy frequency and yeah, it's, it's, then that's then how you're starting your day.
39:09Whereas when you start your day being in your own energy, you get to kind of start from a place where you're, you're grounded, you're, you're, you're connected to your own voice.
39:24And I often think it's really interesting then when you do plug in or you do open your WhatsApp and then to notice what comes up in your body.
39:34Because for me, sometimes that's where I start to feel like, oh, like a little bit of anxiety or like I notice my mood will kind of shift slightly.
39:42But if you, if I'm just starting my day like that, then it's like, I don't have that, that layer of awareness.
39:48Um, so yeah, it's good. The idea that you can, you can be more mindful if you take your time with it.
39:54It's really good advice. What about you, Nicola? What's your one wellness non-negotiable?
39:59I think just having a laugh with friends, actually. I think, you know, I was thinking about that when you asked the question.
40:05So many things, obviously. Um, but really if there was one, I think it's that.
40:10I think that's the thing that can change me, soothe me, lift me up, calm me, you know,
40:17you've got to get the right friend on the right day.
40:21You might put the phone down and go, I'll try somebody else.
40:23But I think that, I think that connection with people, it's, it leaves a lot to be desired, doesn't it?
40:29Um, and you know, we all live all over the place now. So quite often it's on the phone, you know,
40:33girls night out would be the best. Um, but to have that kind of just be able to laugh about things
40:40with somebody is always for me the best thing.
40:43Yeah. I think the idea that our brain chemistry is so dependent on whether we smile or whether
40:50we frown is a huge one. And we forget about that. And you know, they all say laughter is
40:55the best medicine, which is a bit of a cliche, but it's so true, isn't it? That community element
41:00is so, so important for wellbeing. So I think that is a great tip. Thank you both so much for sharing
41:05both of those tips with me and for all of the other tips that we've covered on the podcast.
41:09I'm so grateful to you both. Thanks for having us. If you enjoyed this episode with Nicola
41:15and Rebecca, I know you'll enjoy this episode with Jonny Wilkinson and Estelle Bingham. It's
41:20all about dropping out of the mind and into a flow state that feels truly authentic.
Recommended
0:40
|
Up next
2:13
Be the first to comment