My first tentative steps…..

Most of what you read will be my musings of my week or month, and sometimes I will ask other people to write some words too – guest bloggers if you will! I don’t want you getting fed up of me do I?

I will also try to pass on my knowledge and maybe some hints and tips. The story of my journey to this point and what inspired Bergamot and Flow to become a business I now treasure. I may share stories from a rare trip we take (we are not big travellers, are you?) but I will try to do this from a perspective of always keeping wellbeing and self care at its centre – after all, I think that is what connected you and I in the first place.

Some of you will know that I was a pretty sickly kid (more on that another time!) so I have often had to ask myself ‘how do I feel today?’ so I know how much I can push myself to do or if I should ease back a bit that day. Life gets in the way as you grow up (boooo!) and my priorities shifted hugely when I had our boys, the question was always ‘how are they doing?’ and I, quite rightly I felt, got sidelined a little. Putting others first became the norm, as it will be for lots of you reading this. Totally normal.

But what if it wasn’t? Normal that is..

There’s a reason you have to put your own air mask (is that what it’s called, I said we didn’t travel much!) on before you tend to your children’s masks on an aeroplane. Take care of yourself and you will be far more capable of taking care of others. Makes sense when it’s pointed out doesn’t it? We’ve all heard the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’. It’s true, try it (literally, not figuratively!!)

So what might that look like? It might mean getting up before everyone else to have a quiet time before the daily routine kicks in (not sure why that’s my first suggestion, this is my worst nightmare – but it’s not all about me!). It might mean making your own favourite meal once a week rather than everyone else’s, to nourish yourself for a change. You could take time out whilst everyone else is watching a programme you don’t like to do a half hour yoga flow, or read a book, or go for a walk, have a bath, or even (heaven forbid) spend 30 minutes scrolling funny cat videos on Instagram. Whatever brings you a little release, a little calm, a little self care – it’s all good!

One of my favourite ways, now that we have established I won’t get up any earlier, is to tick self care off at the start of my day. This isn’t all I do, but it’s begins my day off in the right way. I have my aromatherapy blends lined up on my dressing table. Yes, I have a dressing table at last (I waited 20 years but I have one. Sorry to my youngest who can never come to live back in his old room – it’s now mine!) At the start of each day I dry my hair, apply my make up and choose a blend. Sometimes I work through them in order, other times I am more drawn to one than another. I roll the blend on my wrists, on the sides of my neck and sometimes on my heart space too. And then I breathe…………