The Corporate Wellness world has changed a lot since I set up my first pop-up massage & reflexology clinics in 2003. 17 years later, Covid changed everything. Until then, Working From Home was something you did only when you were waiting for a delivery or for the boiler mender. Suddenly health was more than a hot topic, it was life and death.

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Were stress and anxiety even measured in those intervening years? Judging by the levels of stress I saw coming through my door in a weekly basis, one assumes not. Long hours, workplace bullying, unfair work practices, job insecurity and just plain unhappiness were rife.

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Now Workplace Wellness is all about strategies, employee assistance programmes, inclusivity and of course, mental health first aid training. Investors, shareholders, the government and employees themselves are placing more and more responsibility on employers to provide support - in a myriad different ways. Whereas workplace wellness was often an additional role taken on by someone in HR, now many companies have dedicated leads, even whole teams working on this, the entire concept of Corporate Wellness, happiness at work, and ultimately, how to KEEP the staff you have trained.

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So where is all this leading? Data collected in the name of Employee Wellbeing over the last year indicates that Stress, Anxiety & Depression, Musclo Skeletal Pain, Financial health were highlighted as key areas of concern in the workplace, with stressors outside of work (such as relationships, parenting, housing, bereavement and fears around ill health) also adding to concerns.

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Ultimately support, understanding and good information can be enormously helpful in any organisation, along with fostering a culture where individuals actually like to physically 'be' at work. I'm happy to say that most of the companies I've worked in have shown great creativity and resourcefulness in their quest to take care of their employees needs. From carefully curated Wellbeing events, to one off talks & webinars, healthy canteens & snack bars, to panel discussions, women's circles, pop-up clinics, fun health challenges, charity fundraisers, lunchtime classes and more. 

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As a Nutritional Therapist, Naturopath and Health Coach I am delighted to be invited to speak at or run events, workshops and pop-up clinics. Nutrition is my passion and I never get bored of finding new ways to get people thinking about the direct impact of their diets on their health. Stress and overwhelm are huge drivers in the development of poor, and even dangerous, coping strategies. And I think we can all agree that sedentary lifestyles combined with poor diets, in a stressful environment, can cause long term health problems.

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There are many aspects of nutrition and naturopathy ​that are very relevant here: the gut-brain connection for example, and it's affect on mental health, the physiological effects of stress on the digestion (leading to IBS, malabsorption, dysbiosis), on menopause symptoms, not to mention creativity, productivity and focus. I can't think of any aspects of human health that are not linked to the raw ingredient we give our bodies. And don't even get me started on UPFs.

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The people who come to my talks represent an incredibly wide range of the population - from foodies and home-cooks, to people genuinely interested in learning more a bout the science of nutrition, to those that are just beginning their health journeys.

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This Autumn, my focus is on Mental Health Awareness Day on October 10th and International Menopause Day coming immediately after on October 18th. In November, we consider Men's Health. There are of course thousands of Awareness Days on the menu. Perhaps World Kindness Day on November 13th should warrant a bit more attention ..

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Awareness Days provide great context and structure throughout the year, however, and it's useful to be able to focus the collective mind in this way. 

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The talks I deliver (see below) cover many aspects of health that are relevant to the workplace. Avoiding burnout, balancing stress & hormones, boosting winter mood & immunity, understanding the landscape of our body's systems and staying young and healthy. These talks take my audience through the science of the subject, directly into solution mode, with clear guidance on the nutrients and key lifestyle hacks that are easiest to implement.

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Pop-Up clinic sessions are always busy, and Seasonal Health Challenges can be a great and fun way to get everyone motivated. How about a smoothie making session, packed lunch demos, Salad Workshops - you come up with it, I'll provide it!

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If you would like some help figuring the next stage of your Corporate Wellness schedule, feel free to drop me a line. My current talks are below: