BalanceAprilIssue2017 - 39

R E AL E X P ERTISE

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C A RMEL A PA P IL I O, 39, I S A N
HR M A N A G ER FROM PA L MERS G REEN

When I was buying my house
last year, I struggled to find
time to relax and one evening
I collapsed. I knew I needed to
restore my inner balance. I now
meditate using the Headspace app
and receive daily motivational
quotes from mentor Bev James
(bevjames.com). I also love the
Ministries podcast by US pastor
Joel Osteen. At work I compose
myself before a tough discussion
- recently a colleague said: 'You
seem very calm.' That felt nice.

have no rules
P SYC H OT HER A P I S T JA S ON WO OL FE,
4 8, I S A DA D OF T WO L IVIN G
IN WAT ERLO O

I was 16
when my
father
passed
away - it
transformed
my whole
perspective
on life.

HAIR & MAKE-UP: MALIN COLEMAN STYLING: JADE HARDING PROPS:
ORANGE CHAIR, HABITAT; WHITE TRAINERS, NEXT; THANKS TO AMARA

sing!
talk, talk
A C TOR JA S ON WON G , 31,
L IVE S IN Q UEEN'S PA RK

MY TOP TIP FOR FINDING BALANCE IN THE
CRAZINESS OF LONDON is to pick up the phone
and speak to a loved one. We're so obsessed with
texting and messaging that we rarely use our
voices to express ourselves and, as recent events
in London prove, life's too short to keep quiet.
When I was 16 my father passed away and
it transformed my whole perspective of life.
Health and wellbeing became hugely important.
Fear of failure keeps me up at night, but
Brazilian jiu jitsu is my saviour. It's a beautiful
art because it addresses your body's dynamics.
With physical balance comes mental balance.

JENNIF ER ROBIN S ON ,
26, I S A MEDI C A L
PA F RO M C L A P H A M

I work full time
and I'm studying
to be a child
psychotherapist
- it can be stressful.
Volunteering at
the Samaritans
once a week,
ironically, helps
me switch off, - it
is very humbling.
My top tip for
feeling happy?
Sing in the shower
- you'll feel alive!

April 2017 BALAN CE

I FOUND BALANCE WHEN I MOVED
FROM SURREY TO LONDON at the
age of 30, after quitting a stressful
career in journalism to work as a
Gestalt therapist. There's no similarity
between my life then and now. Then
I was trying to be a good employee,
a good husband, a dutiful son and
financially successful, but those
pressures were pulling me in different
directions and the tension was awful.
I felt empty and unhappy.
At the beginning of my therapy
training, I became ill. At times, I was
so weak I couldn't walk. I eventually
recovered and, in retrospect, I learned
to treat myself with compassion.
My rule for balance is not to have
any rules. Often, I don't take lunch
breaks, I'm unreliable at meditation
and I like coffee, chips and cake - but
that's all fine if you balance them with
positives, such as a good hobby. Mine
is slack lining, which is like tight-rope
walking, only the line is slack - it's
great for dexterity and composure.
One day last year, I was walking in
London and the humdrum of buses,
traffic and people sounded beautiful
to me. I thought 'this is life and it's
wonderful' because I'd rediscovered
my capacity to be appreciative. That's
when I knew my life had changed.

39
http://www.bevjames.com
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