5 Ways To Well with Selina Moodliar

Selina, Class Teacher at Le Rondin School and President of the Guernsey Go Guetters WI, shares her 5 wellbeing essentials.

 

 

1.  Coconut Oil.

I can remember coconut oil being a pantry staple in my childhood home. It was used for everything from newborn and postpartum massages, oral healthcare, hair braiding and make-up removal to greasing baking trays, boosting metabolism and as an antifungal treatment. I continue to use unscented coconut oil as a scalp and hair elixir and to re-create my gran’s itchy throat and dry-cough relief tincture: 1 part coconut oil, 1 part apple cider-vinegar and 2 parts pineapple juice, sipped slowly until symptoms ease.

 

2.  Listening To My Body. 

My body keeps score. It stores my stories and bears my scars. It carries my emotional wounds and fights daily wars against illness and infection. It houses my heritage and my life force. As a working mum, I've been guilty of pushing through headaches and body pains, ignoring the calls for rest and bringing myself to points of near burnout.  As a diabetic, I've also learned my body's 'tells' and I’ve come to a point where I now respond to it with love and care. Fuelling my body responsibly, being aware of its phases in my menstrual cycle, and acknowledging when my energy feels disrupted, improves my physical wellness. SHEN Therapy has also helped me activate body/mind healing.

 

3.  Embracing Frustration. 

As a teacher, I’ve learnt to adopt and adapt strategies that reduce the demand on the working memory of my students to enhance their productivity and achievement. The gap between ‘not knowing’ and ‘knowing’ is where most frustration occurs. It’s called learning! Being a parent, pursuing a career, scheduling and fulfilling endless tasks and responsibilities can lead to a state of overwhelmed frustration too. And so, with the aid of a very supportive partner, our home has evidence of meal rotation plans, visual timetables, budgets, vision boards and lists that reduce the demand on the working memory of ourselves and three young children. Shifting my perspective and embracing my frustration, and that of others, has also made me a gentler and more empathetic parent.

 

4.  Being True To My Internal Compass.

I am unapologetically me! I trust my intuition and permit it to guide my decisions without regret. Having a core value system helps me to remain in control and be true to myself, at times accepting defeat with grace. Mel Robbins’ life-changing, ‘Let them’ theory has reinforced my belief that one should follow their gut instincts and feel empowered, releasing the burden of societal pressures; and just let others reveal their true selves.

 

5.  Finding My Tribe.

Apart from the joy I experience with my own family and the fulfillment I have as a teacher of children with additional learning needs, I have found inspiration and nourishment from a group of Guernsey women, the GoGuetters WI. Picture a personal network of women who offer invaluable knowledge and support, and a social platform for sharing anecdotes, life hacks, tips and skills from seasoned hands, in-person! For me, the monthly WI meeting is a meaningful opportunity to connect with other women, to build a sense of community and support charity. It reminds me of my South African roots and a concept called Ubuntu which loosely translates to ‘I am well because we are all well.’