I’ve worked in advertising for over a decade and have had very little work/life balance. At one point (in my early 20s) I was even called a “sales bitch”. Charming, eh?! I think I speak for the majority when I say that it’s a relief to see work/life balance and culture shifting in the right direction after lockdown. But as the tubes get busier, sales stretch into the evenings and we return to more regular days in the office, I have to ask, are we still looking after ourselves?
Our mental health is more important than ever, and it’s something I’ve been especially committed to since beginning my own sobriety journey. Since going public with my lifestyle change, I’ve been on a mission to connect with lots of like-minded creative people and find healthier ways to network and socialize, while also prioritizing wellness, in a booze-obsessed industry. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to ignore how special the feeling of sipping a cold drink in the sun outside a busy pub in Soho is, but new year, new me, right?
This week I put the idea into action and teamed up with Lucy Spong from Wave to bring some legendary women from the advertising industry to a Reformer Pilates class. A mixed group of Pilates Princesses from Mother, Leo Burnett, Anomaly and Hogarth came together, all bright-eyed and ready for the class to come. It was a dreary, rainy Wednesday morning in May, and despite the previous day being 22 degrees (great British weather!), I knew nothing would improve my mood or get me naturally uplifted quite like exercise.
Although I had some tough moments in class, where I was shaking during the Pilates poses and had to apologize to the girls, I left feeling rejuvenated. Our group ended our hour-long class at 1Rebel laughing and reflecting on the morning over delicious pre-ordered smoothies. We also spent some time chatting a bit about work and introducing different agencies before heading our separate ways for a busy day. It was so nice to gift our agency partners something good for their mental health and a refreshing start to their day.
The response to the Reformer Pilates class has been amazing and we already have a list of people eager to join us for the next class. Not a night to forget, but a night to remember that is different! We plan to make this a monthly event, so keep an eye out for an invite from KODE and Wave in the mail. 😉
