In the final few months of 2021 I couldn’t shake my post-Covid brain fog. I'd had Covid in early August and was mostly recovered, yet my sense of taste and smell hadn't fully returned and I didn't feel 'with it'. 

I was still able to deliver to my clients, but found my creative side - something I rely on a lot for business ideas and to give me a zest for life - had pretty much disappeared. My motivation was low, my inner drive had gone on holiday and life felt very dull!

As someone used to having ‘get up and go’, I became increasingly frustrated. Being someone who helps others to be happy, healthy and high performing and having suffered burnout in the past, I had pretty good lifestyle habits. I exercised, ate well and looked after myself mentally and physically. 

Even with good habits, I was still languishing in bed in the morning or being unproductive in the office. I can’t quite describe how ‘meh’ I felt. It was...

Switching off can feel somewhat of a luxury when you’re an overthinker, but even for the most relaxed of us, COVID presented us with a situation none of us were prepared for.

At the beginning of the pandemic, there was an abundance of support and ideas - from workouts to working from home advice. New hobbies, new ways of working and a feeling of being in it together.   

We continue to be faced with change and uncertainty, it is little wonder many of us are feeling demotivated and anxious, with switching off being an ongoing struggle.

Whether you’re working from home,  running a business, actively seeking work; or finding yourself twiddling your thumbs – you can find your mind is always switched on.

It’s important to keep our minds active, but the stress that comes with rarely switching off can have long term mental and physical health impacts, in addition to the impacts it can have on relationships, connection and confidence.

We have to...

I first came across the term ‘selfcare’ in 2018, when my coach suggested I was desperately in need of some. During our first meeting, she barely had to scratch the surface and I was in tears. ‘I’m just so tired!’ I said. On my ‘plate’ was:

• A demanding career
• Leading a significant project
• Managing a team
• Being a mother of two
• Managing a home
• Being at risk of redundancy

I was a juggler, only without the clown costume.

Selfcare…wasn’t that another word for selfish? Lacking in consideration for others and putting your own needs before everyone else’s? Me…never.

How could I do that? People needed me. People were relying on me. I was reliable, dependable, a mother, a wife, a manager, a leadership team member.

She then explained to me that selfcare was like putting on your oxygen mask on an aeroplane before helping others. You can’t help other people if you’re not fit and well. A dictionary definition is...