Minderful
My name is Lucy Wilson, nature nerd, and founder of Shine Strong Revolution.
I’ve spent the last two years creating holistic classes to help people who want to invest in their mental and physical health, because they are struggling, or because they want to build their resilience.
My mission came from my experience suffering with my maternal mental health, my love of nature, and the wellbeing routine that helped me feel better.
Motherhood
When my first son was born, he had a rare bowel condition and needed 3 operations in his first 7 months. Then my second son was just 5 months old when covid hit, and we went into lockdown.
Both of these experiences had a huge negative impact on my mental wellbeing and forced me to look carefully at what I could do for myself to help build my resilience and feel better.
Shine Strong Revolution
Nature and exercise were, and are, a huge priority for me to feel good and they were key elements to include in my classes.
I realised I wanted to help other people feel better. Many of us need help with our mental health, but not everyone has easy access to nature, so I want to bring it to everyone at home when they need it most.
I came across the benefits by accident, watching nature programmes and feeling more relaxed. But when I started to look, I found lots of research to show images and videos of the natural world actually have a physical effect on our bodies, similar to going out into nature. I would never swap the real thing, and I get into nature as often as I can, but when that’s not possible, digital nature is a fantastic second best.
So, I created wellbeing classes using beautiful digital nature videos, meditations, positive affirmations, and exercises to help people look after their mental and physical health in one simple session.
My first goal is to get my classes prescribed for new and expectant mums, to help benefit their maternal wellbeing. I am working hard with my mentor to try and roll out a trial with the NHS later this year.
These are the things I do to feel good…
Nature & Exercise
I try to get up and go out for a run a few mornings each week, nothing very long, just enough to get my endorphins going. I find it a wonderful way to de-stress and I love listening to Sounds of the 90’s with Fearne Cotton while I’m out, it helps keep me very motivated.
I walk as much as possible and again this helps to clear my head. I’m a massive advocate for fresh air and wellbeing. I’m lucky to live by lots of beautiful green spaces and looking out over the changing landscapes each season is definitely one of my favourite things to do.
Meditations
On the days I don’t run, I like to listen to a short, guided meditation in the morning to help ground me for the day. I have a very busy mind, so it’s helpful to try and calm it down first thing.
Similarly, if I feel anxious or stressed in the day, I will listen to another one before bed to help relax me and quiet my mind.
Shine Strong Classes
Now my classes are live I also do them now when I can’t get outside, they really help with my nature fix and stop me missing my exercise if the weather is awful.
Cooking
I’ve always really loved cooking, and before kids I would spend hours every week preparing everything from scratch, which was a great way for me to relax. Unfortunately I don’t get that opportunity now, but I do make sure that at the weekend I get to make at least one nice meal when the boys are in bed. I love following different recipes and get into a flow state. It really helps me switch off from the week.
Food
Food is a big one for my wellbeing. I’ve had IBS for years so am quite careful about what I eat. I find nuts are brilliant to snack on as I’m always hungry. I try and eat the rainbow and know I feel so much better when I do. I would never stop myself having something, but I know from experience that good wholesome food will give me so much more energy and help me feel more level and happier.
Alcohol
I still enjoy a drink and I love red wine but gone are my days of overindulging. I’m pretty strict with myself on the alcohol front. I’m careful only to have a couple of glasses and I only drink a couple of times a week. Any more than that will impact my mental health and outweigh the benefits.
Social time
It can be hard trying to see friends, juggling my boys and work, but it’s always worth it. I’m very lucky to have wonderful supportive friends, and spending time with talking about our lives, and what we might be going through always makes me feel lighter and more connected.
Sleep
Lastly, but high on my wellbeing list is sleep. Getting a decent night’s sleep makes a massive difference to my wellbeing. It can be hard to get a good night’s sleep with young kids, never knowing if I’ll be woken in the night. But to make up for it, I make sure I go to bed early. This means whatever happens I can get a good few hours in first. Plus, I love getting up early and feeling well rested, going to sleep nice and early is well worth it for the way I feel when I wake up.
You can discover more about Lucy's Shine Strong Revolution at www.shinestrongrevolution.co.