‘Unattainable’: Elaine Crowley talks about the pressure to ‘have it all’
Summer has arrived and for many of us, it means different things.
Longer, brighter evenings, beer gardens, a chance to get on a plane and lie by a pool…
We're halfway through the year and our New Years good intentions are more than likely waning fast – we've given up on the gym tbh.
Thankfully, we have TV presenter and journalist Elaine Crowley is in the same boat as us and she knew she needed help in certain areas of her health – which is why she is the ambassador for Lloyd's Pharmacy Change Your Health Direction program.
The program aims to improve your health during the next eight weeks – from quitting smoking to helping you get on top of your exercise and nutrition.
Sign us UP.
Elaine can't praise the program enough, as she has been suffering from ''shocking insomnia'' and Llyod's have helped her find a cure – magnesium supplements.
She said, ''It's making a huge difference. I've tried sleeping tablets for years but this is helping – and zinc as well. I'm 41 now and I think your health priorities change a bit – it's not about what you look like, it's about the whole body creaking a little. I don't think we're getting everything out of the foods we're eating unfortunately so I'd take a few supplements every day.''
When it comes to other health niggles that she wants to nip in the bud, getting enough kip is the strong foundation she wants to build upon.
She said, ''It's well documented that I have depression, so if I don't get enough sleep everything psychically and mentally collapses. Tiny things like getting out for half an hour at lunch can make a huge difference.''
Ok, so what about us who have fallen off the bandwagon?
Elaine's advice is, ''Baby steps. Do something achievable. Like having one meal that isn't processed three times a week or only having meat once a day – tiny, tiny things.''
Sounds doable to us.
While taking care of your health on a physical level is important, we mustn't neglect taking care our minds as well as Elaine understands.
She is managing her depression but says that the fact Lloyds' door is open for a chat is a great starter if you don't quite know how to tackle your mental health.
Something that doesn't help our mental health is the pressured environment of today's world and the ''having it all'' mentality.
Elaine is having NONE of it when we mention it and makes some great points.
She revealed, ''You'll exhaust yourself if you keep chasing something that is unattainable. At one point last year all my hair was falling out from stress – you can't have it all.''
She continued, ''Be kind to yourself. Don't be looking at Instagram and television thinking, ''Oh my God their life is perfect'' – nobodies life is perfect.''
Her parting words of wisdom were, ''Having it all doesn't mean having the perfect job, house, and husband. Having it all means whatever makes you happy. Being happy in yourself is as much as anyone should expect you to have and be.''
And to that, we say hear hear.
