BeautyNZ Magazine Autumn 2024

Wellbeing
REDEFINING MENTAL
HEALTH & WELLNESS
What started as an Instagram page to
publish her illustrations, Journey to
Wellness rapidly became a growing
community of over 450,000 people,
interested in Rebekah’s tips and advice
on creating a calm, connected and
centred life.
“For me, it’s simple - I’m on a mission to
remove the barriers that prevent people
from working on their mental health.
I want to see a world where people
prioritise their wellness and get the
support they deserve,” she says.
Rebekah set out to create her own
resources by illustrating therapy tips
and counselling concepts that are
relatable, colourful, digestible and
accessible. Her work simplifying
thousands of support methods, as
well as creating her own, has seen the
creation of an online membership and
courses blending a mix of cognitive
and somatic practices at her website
journeytowellness.online.
“I combine elements from all of the
modalities I have trained in - somatic
based interventions (Yin, Polyvagal
Exercises, Somatic Therapies, Breath
Work, Mindfulness & Meditation),
Mindfulness teaching and facilitation,
Grounding, Narrative & IFS/Parts Work,
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, &
incorporating skills from DBT & ACT.
“You don’t have to know what all of that
means,” she laughs, “But my approach
is evidence based and strengthened by
my years of training, my own journey
to wellness, my experience of working
with thousands of clients and my
deep respect for trauma informed and
scientifically researched practices.”
With seven books now under her belt,
her newest release is 101 Ways To Find
Calm, a delightfully presented and
illustrated book packed with simple
powerful tools for everyday resilience.
In 101 Ways to Find Calm, Rebekah
outlines a different tool on each page
to calm and connect. Learn how to
safely feel and process your emotions,
how to rewire your brain and nervous
system, and how to deeply connect
with yourself.
REBEKAH SHARES HER TOP FIVE TIPS FOR HELPING
MANAGE ANXIETY AND STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Take micro moments to pause and check-in with yourself. Scan your body for
sensations, tension, emotions etc and listen to the language of your nervous
system. It’s often sending us signals that we ignore, like a tight chest, shallow
breathing or breath holding (aka laptop apnoea!), shoulder tension etc. If you
can start to tune in and respond to these cues by meeting your own needs
you will feel more safe and connected to your body.
Discharge the stress response. Often at work you’re overloaded by to-do
lists and rushing. To the nervous system this feels like a threat and anxiety
and stress creep in, letting you know that your sympathetic nervous system
is dominant (ask fight/flight). Rather than moving straight to a calming tool,
help your body complete the stress response. To do this you could: stand up
and shake out your arms and legs, throw a pillow repeatedly into the ground,
tense up all your muscles for seven seconds then release, push into a wall for
30 seconds etc - following your nervous systems natural instincts.
Find moments of stillness. Allowing yourself to slow down and find calm
in small pockets throughout the day tells your nervous system that you’re
safe. You could try belly breaths while the jug is boiling for your afternoon
cuppa, sitting outside with your bare feet on the ground or five minutes of
‘legs up the wall’ on your lunch break or putting your hand on your heart and
repeating some affirmations at your desk for 30 seconds (or any of the bitesized
tools in my new book!).
Focus on what’s within your control. Tick off items on your to-do list and
release and let go of the things that you simply cannot do today. It is within
your control to break tasks down into manageable chunks or to weave some
nervous system regulation practices into your workday.
Sit with it. Don’t resist or fight your emotions. If you say things like “I can’t
stand this feeling” or numb them with doom scrolling, emotional eating
and over-thinking, this takes you away from processing the emotion,
embodiment and it actually results in the emotion getting stuck. You need
to create space for your feelings and to work them through with somatic
practices in order to manage them.
Journeytowellness.online
THE BOILING BREATHER
Every time you boil the jug for a cuppa, rather
than scrolling on your phone or rushing off to do
something else, stand by the jug with one hand on
your chest and the other hand on your belly and
breathe deeply and slowly.
Stay here until the jug has boiled, breathing and
listening to the sound of the bubbling water.
AUTUMN 2024 EDITION
77