My top three goals upon starting the 6-month program were to try and leave the house once a day, to go to bed before midnight at least once a week and to attempt to eat three meals a day.

To help me work toward these goals Ali and I spent the majority of sessions doing one simple thing – talking!!  It is something that should never be underestimated.  It is incredible the power it holds in recovery and how just opening up and accepting your thoughts and feelings can have a great impact on your wellbeing.  One of my main goals was to try and leave the house once a day, so we discussed ways in which that was possible; we decided to start with that I was to sit in a ‘sun beam’ in the garden and vocalise what I was thankful for in that day and then progressed to walking one mile every morning.

We also looked at meal planning and setting individual tasks to cook something easy and new in between sessions.  I also discovered that making overnight oats whilst my mum was cooking tea, was a great way to motivate me, as well as providing a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

I recognised that I needed to be in control of everything going on in my life and that manifested in chronic insomnia – I hated not having control of my body.  With the help of mindfulness, meditation and a set ‘evening routine,’ I was able to train myself to appreciate the benefits of winding down and sleeping.

The biggest tangible/significant change I have noticed since beginning the program has been definitely my self-esteem and overall mood.  I came to Ali after my nursing career in the NHS broke down after I raised concerns about improper practice; the experience left me with reactive depression, severe anxiety and anorexia –  I was rock bottom and I couldn’t see a way out.  However, working with Ali and putting into place the mechanisms and wellbeing routines turned my life around.  With the correct sleep, nutrition and exercise I was able to start seeing the good in life again and achieved things I never thought possible.  I have recently started at university again and even won the British Taekwondo National Championships.

Accepting that it is ok not to be ok was probably one of the most helpful tips Ali gave me; writing down mantras on a piece of paper to remind me of the positives about myself certainly helped.  Taking the first step on a journey is always the biggest barrier, so a ‘just do it’ attitude, diving head first and just cracking on, knowing Ali was there to support me, was fantastic.  Standing in a sun beam with members of my family was also really useful for me as it helped me to, not only vocalise what I was grateful for and put it out into the universe, but also provided a way in which I could reconnect with my family.

From working with a health coach, my health has improved because….Simple – I eat, I sleep and I exercise!

I would describe my Health Coach, Ali, as….Where do I begin?  My guardian angel, a superhero… the strongest, most inspirational person I have ever met.  She picked up the pieces and glued me back together; without her I wouldn’t be here today.

I would recommend her to anyone!!  From people going through a stressful time and just need to talk, to people who need help in their recovery.

THANK YOU ALI, YOU SAVED MY LIFE <3