Today is special and I have reason to be feel happy, grateful and proud. elementas has come of age, my company is 10 years old, a decade old! It marks a milestone on a journey to founding my own business and living a life that I love.

I am particularly thankful to all my clients, friends and supporters who have encouraged me from my very early days with elementas.

I can still recall meeting new start-ups and discussing our ambitions and hopes. I remember being a fledgling learning to fly, talking to other new start-ups who were mapping their futures to run their own businesses. Today I work with such people as a volunteer mentor. I was leaving behind the certainty of a secure 9-5 type job and a regular salary to follow my dreams and carve a new way to live and work. It was exciting and liberating but rather scary at the time, I didn’t have an anchor. I remember taking some months out to volunteer in South America, and writing my elementas (elements was taken!) business plan and deciding on my company values (natural, creative, holistic) half-way up an Andean Mountain!

This last year we have all had to deal with unplanned change and had to find new ways to live and work. In the middle of a global pandemic wellness and illness are at the front of mind for many of us at work and at home, with our loved ones. More than ever I sense that people are starting ‘to get’ the benefits of the work I do through elementas; combining my business background with mindfulness, wellness, compassion, heart-focused emotional intelligence coaching. A fellow professional and respected friend calls my work ‘gold standard’. In the earlier years it was tricky as these ideas and concepts were more alien or unfamiliar to many I came across. I had to be brave and muster up my courage and it paid off. More and more I see first hand the difference mindfulness techniques and mindfulness practices and compassionate leadership makes to individuals, teams and leaders. Clients find more clarity, develop more self-trust and insights. It is magic and simple!

I am grateful that I kept trusting my instinct, learning from wise experts, building my knowledge, skills and experience, taking time out (to keep well) and keeping going. After a decade of doing the work I love, navigating being a small business in a pandemic the words “together we flourish” ring more true than ever. I am truly grateful and resourcing my inner resilience and wisdom on my fascinating journey!

(On the way back from a break in Skye, May 2021)

I have always enjoyed working with men, in business and industry. In more recent years, I have become more curious about men’s health, as more men have come to me for coaching for help with work pressures and stresses; be that personally or with their colleagues and teams.

Recently I took the opportunity to train as a Men’s Health Champion, with the Men’s Health Forum. It was as chance to improve my own skills, and to better understand men’s health. I thought this would to help me in my role as coach as well as better support the relationships with the men in my life both professionally and personally. It was great to work with men’s health trainers Peter Baker and Jim Pollard, experts in this field.

We all came together as like-minded and enthusiastic practitioners, including organisations like the NHS and police, to learn more. Together we learnt more about the do’s and don’t and how to get men talking with appropriate conversations about their health. We used tested frameworks and processes to understand the stages of change and the best ways to support men in their journey to improved health choices. Together we explored the barriers that men say get in the way of their wellness. It was good fun and definitely a worthwhile experience. I was able to sharpen my awareness and knowledge about the current issues and challenges around men’s health. Here are some facts that cannot be ignored:

• Culturally and socially there is still a pressure for men to be strong.
• Health and wellness is a tricky subject to talk about; we need to learn to listen well.
• Men are less like likely to see a doctor, go to the opticians or visit a dentist than women.
• In the UK, one man in five dies before he reaches 65 years old. 
• Four in five suicides are by men – suicide is the biggest cause of death for men under 35 and there has been a sharp increase in the rate among men aged 35-64.

We can all support the men in our lives be they friends, family or colleagues by being present and being ready to listen; when men are ready to talk.

To find out more about 1:1 wellness coaching and business mentoring or organisational wellness sessions, please get in touch WhatsApp 07715814833 or email Lou@elementas.co.uk

Find out more about the great work of the Men’s Health Forum (MHF) and their mission to improve the health of men and boys; all backed up by the latest research and facts. Discover partners that work with MHF, online resources ways individuals and organisations can get involved and raise awareness about Men’s Heath and Wellness.

elementas “Together we flourish”

Wellness has been front of mind for most of us, as we have navigated unfamiliar waters over the last year. Life changed beyond all recognition for many, whilst others found they were on the front line almost like “warriors of light” in the effort to save and maintain lives. I feel extremely grateful for all of these individuals and their service to humanity.

I also feel reflective and sad about the pending anniversary this week of the death of my client and dear friend Artist David Burrow (1945- 2020). Dave was one of the first to lose his life (15 April 20) during the pandemic. Dave was a pleasure, a brilliantly talent artist, who like many famous artists before him had, suffered with ups and downs of a long term mental health condition. A close friend of my late mum Cath, Dave became a close friend, an kind of uncle/ father figure, during our “Artist Endeavours” together planning exhibitions and trips out for coffee and cake. I miss his wisdom and laugher dearly, and the lost opportunity for his heartfelt presence he brought to our shared conversations about my mum and her life.

Over the last few months I have been designing e-books of wellness (to be released May 2021, celebrating 10 years running my own business).

The well books have been a labour of love. They are packed with inspirations from art to poetry, ideas, thoughts and tools intended to bring more wellness and harmony to our daily lives. I’ve created a series of six linked books (mind, body, emotions, spirit, resilience, kindness and compassion). These simple books are designed to focus our hearts and minds towards a journey of greater wellness, rather than illness. The intention is to help us all to explore the interconnectivity of our mind, body, emotions and spirit.

I have dedicated my “wellness of emotions” to Dave. It includes one of my favourite oil paintings by Dave, appropriately named ‘Hartz Mountains, Germany”.

“One of the reasons Dave said he loved painting is that every brush stroke is a part of him, his way of contributing something to the world.“ Clare

Here is a sneak preview of Dave’s contribution to emotional wellness:

Working from home, home schooling, isolation from our loved ones and restrictions have been tricky. This last year may have brought some gifts; time to pause or reflect and reassess, more time in nature, or a new family pet. However for many it has also brought much loss, and suffering and lack of the support of physical connections and interactions, that ‘someone’ to talk to or share our personal experiences with.

More and more people are starting to appreciate the value of keeping well and maintaining good health. The benefits of mindfulness are starting to become more widely recognised, which means my skills are increasingly in demand. After nearly a decade in business, I still strive to build my understanding, skills and experience in coaching and mindfulness, to ensure I can offer the best professional services and importantly something useful and relevant to clients.

This year is no different, my passion is for bringing wellness, coaching and mindfulness into our everyday lives continues. I am mid-way through a mindfulness MSc at Aberdeen university I and have been attending Mindfulness training on-line. Last August I become a licenced Heartmath coach.

Over the last six months I have successfully designed, delivered and facilitated a pilot Wellness and Resilience Peer Group with a diverse group of Lancashire business leaders. This project was on behalf of Boost Lancashire and gratefully funded by The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The project included personalised 1:1 coaching as well as mindfulness and group action learning. Client feedback was great, it was transformational experience. I feel proud of what the individuals and groups have achieved together, and how they supported each other personally and professionally, how they made each other feel…..

I hope to run this project again in May, 2020 please get in touch if you are interested in this fully funded programme.

To find out more about 1:1 wellness coaching and business mentoring or organisational wellness sessions, please get in touch WhatsApp 07715814833 or email Lou@elementas.co.uk

Now more than ever, wellness is at the front of all our minds. So, what is wellness and how does it relate to our mental health?

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) definition is “Wellness is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” 
 
We all have mental health and it can vary throughout our lives, depending on our experiences and life situations. Lockdown has had a heightened effect on our mental health with:

• Increased use of technology to work, shop and socialise.
• Feelings of isolation, physical absence or loss of loved ones.
• Being locked up with family, without space or a channel to release.

Yet, mental health may still not be an easy subject to talk about.

Growing up in a small village, my mum suffered with her mental health. She was highly intelligent, yet never got true help. As a young child and teenager, I remember experiencing ridicule, shame and prejudice towards my mum’s mental health, often from adults. It stayed with me for a long time. My experience brought firsthand understanding and empathy for those suffering from mental health problems. 

I now know that, with professional support, peoples’ stories can turn out to be very different. Tough experiences can help us develop grit and resilience. With support and new purpose, people can achieve great heights.

Public figures are now talking about, and not hiding from, their own experiences of mental ill-health. Be that anxiety, panic attacks and depression to repeated feelings of low mood and feeling unwell. 

Sports personalities like England’s Football Team Manager Gareth Southgate and film superheroes like Chris Evans (Captain America) are sharing their experiences. English actor and comedian Stephen Fry is a well-known figurehead and the President of UK’s Mind. Young royals like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and their ‘Heads Together’ campaign all help to reduce the stigma around mental health.
 
However, we can still hold mental and emotional scars. Our wounds can surface when we least expect, especially when we are under extreme stress. Taking the time to be kind and tend to our wounds first can bring about healing and great strength, building our capacity to support ourselves, and others.

A trip to Tibet taught me about the power of kindness and compassion, not yet so familiar in our UK culture, and the great impact this can have to heal ourselves and others.

Dr. J Travis’ Wellness Inventory Workbook is brilliant, a really useful starting point. A progression of his “Illness – Wellness Continuum”, that he developed for the medical profession in the 1970s. Dr Travis’ inventory enables clients to self-assess, and then plot their strengths and areas of deficit, bridging the gap in traditional medicine – revealing the interconnectedness between our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.  
 
In this holistic approach, “thinking, feeling and sensing” all make up the elements of mental health, whereas “work and play, relationships and communication” form part of our emotional health. Developing self-awareness and self-responsibility is empowering, bringing the choice to act – be that to talk to a trusted friend, to seek professional help, via a therapist, coach or the NHS / GP or to leave alone at this time. 

As we move through change, we many need to find new ways to work together. New ways to engage with clients, colleagues and our teams. As you move though the process of change, elementas can help support you to keep well, so you can thrive and flourish. 

elementas consultancy helps new start-ups and SME’s wanting to branch out and flourish. A combination of business mentoring, coaching and wellness services provides you with a Bespoke and Personalised service to make magic happen.

elementas unlocks your potential, your wise knowledge to help you to make confident decisions. From connecting you with new specialists or working with you and your team we ensure everyone knows their role and is heading in the same direction to reach their potential.

“Lou Booth is a brilliant mentor, she has lots of business knowledge in terms of planning, manufacturing, sales and  marketing. She is also very helpful and is able to identify exactly what it is that is holding my business back from growth, and giving plenty of tips and ideas of how to eliminate them. She is wonderful to work with!” 

Steve Allen Operations Director Darwen Terracotta manufacturing

elementas successfully nurtures and brings teams together, energising and enabling you to: 

• Connect the disconnected to collaborate and grow.
• Be solid and reassuring when the growing pains seem too tough to take, sincerely holding the ground for people.
• Provide a safe setting where people can relate and figure things together and be heard and have a voice. 
• Provide wellness coaching to make a different to peoples’ lives at work and home.
• Help with internal communications to keep everyone onboard.
• Support external marketing communications to customers.
• Mentor staff in business and marketing with design flair.
• Explore new ideas to re-vitalise your products and services.
• Strategically Plan your special formula, your best direction to bring your plans and ideas to life.
• Develop Management and Leadership skills.
• Build resilience and resources to reach goals quicker.

“Lou has many skills including being understanding open and honest which supports communication between us and helps me with others, be they directors, volunteers, or staff”

Dave Watkins Chairman Ribble Rail Ltd and Ribble Steam Railway and Museum

In projects, elementas brings together other like-minded people enabling collaboration. Sharing understanding and wisdom.  Together we come together and support individuals and organisations to find the right solutions that work best for them.

Business Mentoring is available at daily and half daily rates. To find out more and book your first session contact lou@elementas.co.uk 07715814833  www.elementascoaching.com www.linkedin.com/loubooth @elementaslou www.facebook.com/elementascoaching

elementas Executive and Leadership Coaching  is suitable for owner managers and people in senior positions in organisations, and works with wellness approaches. elementas Coaching information.