Why personal wellness can be infectious
Understanding your own mental and physical wellbeing can put you in a position to be understanding of and helpful to those whom you work with, says Lou Allen, MD at Factory and SIREN. Here, she outlines her journey from depression to positivity and how it impacted on her work and life.
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Over the past seven years I have undergone a complete overhaul of myself. I quit drinking in 2018, which gave me time to think with clarity and that’s when I realised, I was burnt out.
I was knee deep in perimenopause, I was anxious, depressed, and I was at the mercy of some very old, difficult traumas which I couldn’t move past. So, I decided to make my wellbeing and self-healing my biggest, most ambitious, project to date.
To move forward with my life and progress my career, I needed to understand myself.
To move forward with my life and progress my career, I needed to understand myself. I needed to take responsibility for my own self-healing. I had to rebuild myself emotionally, physically and spiritually. I’ve literally become someone new; my authentic self.
Above: James Clear's Atomic Habits was a guide to understanding habits around a healthy life.
I went to work on understanding my hormonal health by researching nutrition, exploring different therapies and working with therapists, trainers and healers. I’ve explored some unconventional methods and pushed my own limits physically and spiritually, the results of which I’ve poured into my role as MD at Factory and SIREN.
The first book I read was Atomic Habits, by James Clear. He explains how tiny changes (habits) and routine (I like to call them rituals, sounds less dull!) can have significant results. I started with having a morning and an evening ritual, which I still have and undertake every day. It can be as simple as getting up at the same time every day (even the weekend!) and sitting with a cup of tea for 10 minutes, and then building on that.
I’ve explored some unconventional methods and pushed my own limits physically and spiritually, the results of which I’ve poured into my role as MD at Factory and SIREN.
But you can tweak those rituals. Don’t get bogged down by them because that defeats the intention. The results for me are that my nervous system can handle whatever happens between those rituals, since I’ve signalled to myself that I am safe. This was such a simple start, but it really did make a huge and immediate difference. I learned that I was living in a permanent state of fight or flight, body and mind always waiting for something bad to happen. That's not a good place to be. So, once my nervous system settled, I began to try different things. I’m not very good at sitting still for meditation, so I do 20-30 minutes of yoga three times a week, and my breath is my meditation. Personally, I prefer movement than stillness, but that doesn't mean you have to.
Above: Whether it's through movement or stillness, find something that works for you.
Never ignore nutrition. I turned to a coach who taught me about eating simple but nutritionally packed meals and, most importantly, what to snack on. This is not about cutting out, this is about fuelling your body for what it needs. I have very simple meals that I semi-prep on a Sunday for Monday-to-Friday, and then at the weekend I can eat whatever I like but, to be honest, I know my body feels good and I function so much better when I’ve eaten a good combination of protein, fibre and carbs, so I tend to stick to that at the weekends too. But I do have a soft spot for cake!
To keep evolving you need to keep asking yourself, 'is this still working for me and my lifestyle?'. This ethos I’ve very much taken into my role as MD.
And, of course, movement. I love walking. I have a dog and my aim is 10,000 steps every day. I walk in and out of work a couple of times a week. That also doubles up as ‘me’ time. Time to think about the day ahead or, on the way home, digesting what’s happened that day. Excellent for mental health. Also, do not underestimate the power of laughter. I try to find joy in most things. Having a good laugh with your mates is so good for your soul.
Remember, you’re not always going to get it right first time round. No one is perfect and I found the more mistakes I made, the more I learned. To keep evolving you need to keep asking yourself, 'is this still working for me and my lifestyle?'. This ethos I’ve very much taken into my role as MD. I’m not perfect, but I am willing to make mistakes, and I encourage my team to do the same. Stay curious and listen to yourself. Us humans are very intuitive but it just takes a bit of learning to understand how to hear that and act on it. That gut feeling? It’s always right.
Above: Being happier and healthier had helped Allen be more supportive to her staff.
When you put the work into self-healing the results are mind blowing, and self-healing can happen in many ways. We are all so different, and we’re all battling old trauma, mental health issues or hormonal changes, so we all have different needs. But what I want to say to everyone is don’t sit around waiting for something to happen. No one is coming to save you. No one can do it for you. You have to do it yourself. And let me get real for a minute; it’s hard, it’s traumatic, it’s sad but it’s also wonderfully rewarding, and the sense of freedom is euphoric.
I now know myself so well. I can keep myself safe from anxiety and the outside noise of judgement and hostility. The result is a version of my real self; someone who's calm, level-headed, empathetic and understanding. At Factory and SIREN, I feel that my evolution has cascaded through the culture. I don’t pretend to know everything, but I do have a good understanding of human nature, and I like to think my vulnerability at work is an invitation for the team to be vulnerable too. And, as a team, I feel we’re much more open about how we’re feeling which brings phycological safety and inclusivity.
Don’t sit around waiting for something to happen. No one is coming to save you. No one can do it for you. You have to do it yourself.
It’s so important to support the team’s mental health. I believe this creates a happy, creative and fulfilling place to work, and the natural progression was to have Factory and SIREN become certified B Corp companies. We are independently owned and have been for over 28 years. We know ourselves very well and we felt we were already working towards the values of B Corp, but we wanted to ensure accountability and transparency.
B Corp certification is a clear signal that we are serious about balancing profit with purpose. It’s a framework for building a more responsible, sustainable and human-centred business. B Corp certification is independently verified, which means we have to prove our impact rather than simply talk about it. It gives credibility, structure and transparency. It also strengthens our culture. We are committed to ethical practices, inclusivity and employee wellbeing, which naturally creates a more positive working environment.
