As a very experienced Holistic Therapist, and owner of The Willow Rooms, Skerries, has been helping people through Reflexology, Craniosacral Therapy and Mindfulness, Adrienne discussed how important it is as women in business to look after yourself both physically, mentally and emotionally.  When you look after yourself you are looking after your business too, as you are your business.  Through dealing with people’s health and wellbeing over the years Adrienne has seen that when clients experience calm and balance in there lives they ultimately make better decisions which is always good for business.  She also advices that small changes can lead to big results e.g. walking in the fresh air everyday, drinking more water, getting some early nights, reducing your caffeine intake etc. Investing in your health and wellbeing should be a priority especially when self employed.

On 19^th October, I had the great pleasure to speak at the Breakfast meeting of NFWIB on the theme of Look Well, Feel Well, Be Well. I am a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach working in The Willow Rooms, Skerries. I am currently in the 3^rd year of my 3 ½ year course training as a Nutritional Therapist. I work as a primary school teacher, with training in delivering a Resilience and Wellbeing programme for children.

My talk centred around the benefits of looking at our current health and lifestyle habits, evaluating where we are in that regard. Running your own business is difficult at the best of times, and it can be very difficult to prioritise time to focus on yourself. The intention is to look after yourself when everyone else is sorted. But, as we all know, that time rarely comes. And to add insult to injury, we feel guilty when we do give ourselves that time.

Work-life balance and health and wellbeing are inextricably tied together. If the work-life balance rests in favour of work, health and wellbeing suffers. The physical response, if we ignore warning signs from our body, is to become sick, tired, lacking in energy. In the busy, stressed state we find ourselves in, our body cannot efficiently digest the less than healthy convenient food we may ingest, probably as we race around doing other tasks.

So where to start?

STOP, TAKE A BREATH, A LONG DEEP BREATH. Take 5 long, slow, deep breaths! Notice a difference? Deep breathing – of only 5 breaths – has a positive, physical, calming impact on the nervous system.

LOOK AROUND. NOTICE DETAILS OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT. SEE THE POSITIVE. If you can’t find any, step outside into the fresh air. Breathe. Look up at the sky. Go through your 5 senses in that moment.

• What do you see?
• What do you hear?
• What do you smell?
• What do you taste?
• What do you feel on your skin?
• Focus on the positives.

Now continue with your life.

If you can implement this lifestyle habit, know that you are having a profound impact on your health. Doing it before you eat will mean your digestion will be more efficient, you will extract more nutrients from your food.

Research is showing that sustained unrelenting stress is hugely damaging, but breaking the stress, even if you end up back in it, has such a positive benefit on health.

So next time you feel under pressure, STOP, BREATHE, LOOK AROUND AND APPRECIATE. You will do more for your health and wellbeing than you could ever imagine!!

Have a great day!