Women's Health Week: Guest blog by Dr Elena Seminati (Department for Health)

Curiosity, social life and ‘me time’. These are some of the things that you will read about in this blog for the Women's Health Week. I thought it was useful to share 7 good-practice hints that I consider useful, and healthy as an academic a woman, mum, and a person of many other roles. You can digest each of them every day or you go through all of them now and put them in practice whenever you think it works for you!

1. Book your meetings in person: this will force you to move from your office to somewhere else! My office is close to the East car park, so quite far away from everything. Do you know that you can do about 2000 steps (back and forward) from the EDGE to 10 West? And, if you want to make it harder, go via the Chancellor building! There are 105 steps to do from the ground floor to level 5. Movement is great for us and our bones.
2. Plan your shopping, so that you eventually eat what you find in the fridge. Start being healthy from your shopping. Don't go shopping on an empty stomach (I’m not the best in this), this will allow you to avoid buying a lot of snacks. Buy a combination of fruit, vegetables that can last (also frozen berries are great). I like cooking Italian meals, but I also like to experiment with new flavours and recipes. Be creative with your fridge storage and try to vary what you put on the table.
3. Be social! This is not about Tik Tok, but it is about relationships. We live in a world where we can work remotely, but I really value the in-person side of my job. Stay in contact with your colleagues, take part in seminars, build friendships, share ideas. It’s important to stay connected. Not only you can have a lot of benefits in terms of mental health, but at the same time you can build a network of support with and for others, meet people who are facing similar challenges, while seeing things from a completely different perspective.
4. Try something new! I’m a very curios person, and although I’m biased through my engineering background, I like to experiment in trying different activities and areas of potential interest. This year I have tried Sophrology - a holistic mind-body practice that combines elements of relaxation techniques, meditation, mindfulness, visualization, and gentle movement exercises. That was a kind of a ‘me time’ every week. So, find your own ‘me time’ and explore something new!
5. Listen and take care of your body. Take some rest whenever you need it. Go for a walk. Have a break, sleep more. I find myself working much more efficiently after the weekend or early in the morning after a good sleep. Listen to your body and understand when you are too tired. Also remember that ‘mass can neither be created nor destroyed’, but only transformed. Imagine your body is like a piggy bank, and the coins inside represent the food you eat. When you eat more food than your body needs it’s like putting extra coins in the piggy bank. If you eat less food than your body needs your body has to use some of those saved-up coins for giving you energy. Stay healthy and put just the right amount of coins into your piggy bank. And don't forget to spend some of those saved-up coins by being active!
6. Celebrate your success: Don't be afraid to share your achievements with others, whether it's your family, friends, colleagues, or mentors. Celebrate your successes openly and proudly and allow others to share your joy and accomplishments. Set new goals, share your knowledge, expertise, and experiences with others, mentor aspiring academics, or volunteer your time to support causes you're passionate about.
7. Set your boundaries and accept your limits: Acknowledging your limits reinforces the importance of respecting personal boundaries and the boundaries of others. It encourages healthy communication and mutual understanding in relationships, as well as the recognition that everyone has different capacities and needs. This is a mindful and empowering practice that I have acquired later in my life, but it really contributes to a balanced and fulfilling life, where I accept that "Enough" is not only okay but crucial for maintaining balance, well-being, and satisfaction in life.

 So, what are you going to do this Women’s Health Week? Will you be able to maintain it? Don't forget to wrap up the week with a celebration of achievements and reflections on the week's activities. Continue prioritizing your health and wellbeing beyond the week-long event.