This month, we sat down with Luminate's newest team-member for a chat about wellbeing, walks and biscuits! Meet Poppy - our new Marketing Executive.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO A CAREER IN WELLBEING?
I’ve always been very interested in wellbeing and mental health as someone who, like all of us, has had a few brushes with mental ill-health themselves. I think what Luminate do in normalising conversations about mental health and promoting how we can support our own and others’ wellbeing is incredibly valuable and was really excited at the opportunity to work, for my part, towards this.
WHAT ARE THE THREE NON-NEGOTIABLES FOR YOU TO LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN MENTAL HEALTH?
Getting eight hours of sleep a night, feeling close to my friends and family and making sure I’m eating my 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 a day – I love vegetables.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB?
My favourite part of the job is conducting the research that goes into Luminate’s articles and posts. Learning about emerging ideas in wellbeing, following public conversation around mental health, and discovering some pretty wild wellness trends (I’m desperate to try goat yoga!) is really interesting and a great jumping off point for new ideas, both in and outside of work.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BISCUIT?
Hands down a jaffa cake… even though they’re legally recognised as cakes. I hope I can get away with that answer!
WHAT BOOK OR PODCAST ON WELLBEING WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
The Simplify podcast is great. It’s interviews with non-fiction authors on topics like habits, health, happiness, relationships and productivity - like listening to bite-sized versions of their books.
WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUMINATE WORKSHOP?
It’s hard to choose! But the workshop on time management and productivity goes into detail about managing your energy which was really illuminating for me and has impacted the way I now approach my working week.
WHAT WOULD THE PERFECT DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
My perfect day would involve waking up in a comfy bed somewhere warm. Followed by a morning swim and a long lazy breakfast eaten al fresco. Then a day spent out exploring with friends – perhaps in a new town, or on a country walk, or in an art gallery or museum. In the evening, I’d like to eat my dinner outside too, with a cold bottle of beer, good conversation and lots of cackling.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO FIND ZEN IN THE CITY?
I’m based in South-East London which is quite a green and leafy part of the city, so just taking a long local walk is my favourite way to find zen.
WHAT'S COMING UP IN 2020 FOR YOU?
It’s hard to say what’s coming up for me with the pandemic still on-going but I moved into a new flat not too long ago so hunkering down over winter and properly nestling will be nice.
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Get to know rest of the Luminate gang a little better on our 'Meet the Team' page or read our blog, where you can follow our research and opinions on wellbeing and mental health.