Rest has become my word of the year. In a culture that glorifies constant doing, many of us are tired yet struggle to stop. This piece explores what happens when productivity starts to cost us our health, clarity and connection, and why rest is not indulgence but essential maintenance.

The more time I spend on this planet, the more I have come to really appreciate communication. I have also come to realise that good, clear communication is an underrated ability and underused skill. What causes us to miscommunicate and how do we improve our interactions?

Google Calendar has several simple features that can be used to organise your day, help you focus and carve out time for self-care.

Where does the time go? I find myself asking this question a lot during the week. I use several apps to help manage the various tasks I have to complete and keep some order to proceedings. Although the majority of these apps are used for business, some are invaluable for my personal life too but are not always well received.

Scheduling apps such as Calendly are used for scheduling meetings, more specifically it allows people to choose my available times to book a meeting. The appointment is neatly synced to my calendar and I receive notifications ahead of the meeting. It is easy to see how useful this would be as a business tool but what often makes people recoil in disgust is when they receive a Calendly link from a loved one to book an informal “catch-up”.  Understandably this may seem like a boujee, detached way to connect for some. However, the opposite is often the case.

As many of us have, I have been indoctrinated with the mindset that work has to be gruelling, monotonous and stressful, and anything that deviates from that is wrong.

Work patterns, habits and locations have changed significantly in recent years, but has our conscience followed suit?

Today's grumble

I am fortunate to have the perspective of a 'service provider' and all the joys and challenges it brings. Technology is excellent in helping to bring about more joyful moments but when human error comes into play, technology can be destructive for a business.

I have been guilty myself of not correctly updating contact information on all of my social media platforms or creating email diverts and missing the emails all together (the latter I was able to salvage thanks to a very understanding client). These things happen and it is difficult to estimate how much such mistakes may have cost in bookings, leads, collaborations, etc.

Today's grumble however originates from my perspective as a consumer. A few days ago, I booked a treatment online. I received the automated confirmation email and an automated reminder email a few days before the appointment.

My phone had become an extension of my arm and the constant notification sounds, flashing lights and vibrations had become addictive. I feared my happiness, sadness, anger, compassion were being dictated by an algorithm. Real, heart-felt interactions were being replaced by miscommunications and misunderstandings.

To the week that was.

Once I drove to the Peak District with the intention of visiting a very specific location within the 554.83 square mile national park. I entered the details into Google Maps and after a stress-free journey, I arrived at the Peaks but couldn’t find the spot I wanted to visit. After a few minutes cussing to my phone, I realised that I was in fact standing in the exact spot I wanted to visit. I literally couldn’t see the woods for the trees. The journey only improved as I found a free parking space a few minutes away from the visitor centre which was pay and display (I love free parking - another story for another time).

The festive season can be a stressful time of year for many people - with family obligations (despite how much we may love them), feelings of loneliness, financial worries, etc. 

Running through the park in the rain towards about 100 Park Run runners who looked at me as though I was lost or crazy. It made me recall a conversation I had earlier in the week with a small but ferocious young woman about the fact that not everyone will see the journey you have decided to take.

More than a quarter (26.2%) of days lost through sickness absence in 2017 were attributed to minor illness (such as coughs and colds). This adds up to 34.3 million days per year.

The cold and flu season is upon us, and unless you plan to spend this time travelling to work and sitting in meetings wearing a hazmat suit, you will need to take some action. As well as the usual good hygiene tips, there are some simple things you can do which were proved effective by somewhat unsavoury characters.

Like many millions of women in the UK, I have experienced menstrual cramps at work. Struggling to stand up, to talk to people, to not burst into fits of tears. However, hearing about the possible workplace reforms for period leave, did not make me feel as happy as the women in the sanitary towel adverts. 

Many people assume that hiring a Well-Being Consultant is just for big companies however, my Well-Being Mentor services are ideal for small businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals.

Leveraging tasks or collaborating on projects is actually cost-effective, drives business growth and gives you more time to focus on key areas of your business or your personal life.

We all have protective mechanisms to help us deal with pain, trauma, loss, anger, etc. and our bodies will always try to revert to a state where we feel safe and protected. But we can't go it alone.

Recent figures indicated that no-shows or missed appointments cost the National Health Service £1bn in 2017. Self-employed practitioners and therapists feel the sting of missed appointments even more acutely.

It is important to take a few moments each day to check in with yourself, to ground your feet into the floor, to hear the sound of your own breath, to feel grateful…