The Wellbeing Journey For Kids & Adults

I was asked a question recently about 'what are the differences in wellbeing for adults and children' and thought it was poignant enough to share as I have learned so much from witnessing it that it just might help you (the person reading this post).

As a Wellbeing Therapist I have supported adults for the majority of my career (30 years so far as I type this!). But, in the last 2.5 years I have been working with more children than adults every week. I also felt restricted in the therapy room, only able to ever reach a few people in one week yet now I see up to 105 children a week!

So, with this question in mind what is the difference?

My restrictive feeling as a Therapist to adults came in the form of feeling that I had to be the one to justify the importance of spending time on wellbeing. Convincing my clients that they were doing the right thing by looking after themselves, and that this kind of care wasn't just a luxury it was a necessity. I found myself repeating this over and over and as such not gaining the progress I had hoped or that I knew I could achieve with them. Some clients would leave long gaps between their treatments and hope that I could get them back on track (recover to where I had already got them to). Those clients that did return consistently felt the progress as did I but I wanted to achieve this on a much greater level.

The expansion I witnessed with children didn't come from just seeing more each week but, it was the way they shared what they had learned not only with their peers but their families and communities. They also felt the importance of looking after their own wellbeing. I still have a few that make self-care products for others rather than themselves and so their journey will be different but the fact they come to a wellbeing space is a huge step for them. It's thoughtful and kind to make things for others but there is power in self-love and kindness.

Wellbeing Club or Massage?

Is the format a factor? I offered massage and beauty therapy to adults for many of those years whereas with children the setting was a workshop style format which I now share with adults alongside massage.

My answer is yes and no to this question as it has still taken the children's imparting of wellbeing knowledge to open the adults vision to see the importance of self-care.

Massage provides a physical then emotional release of stress and tension as it takes away the barriers holding us back from caring for ourselves.

Workshops bring back the skills of exploration and curiosity which has been a great loss to humans, and bringing it back releases feelings of joy, connection, and that of feeling understood and seen.

Is being a Mother a factor?

In part yes, although when I was asked to conduct four wellbeing sessions within a primary school it was not a path I was even looking at in my business. But, the experience stopped me in my tracks and I witnessed the need for healing so deeply that I could not turn away and ignore it.

By chance my own motherhood path taught me so many things along the way too of anxiety, neurodiversity, health, self-harm, depression, and simply growing up! These personal lessons have deepened my listening skills and have helped me to see the reality of how someone shows up in the space and what support they may need, oftentimes its just to be seen and heard.

Children are our teachers

'Beacons of light' I call them as they help spread the knowledge and get involved in community wellbeing events as wellbeing entrepreneurs. They love to share how to make a self-care product and how it can support them.

Children that I work with take the knowledge into their home. I know this as parents tell me so many stories of how their child came home and showed them how to do a tea meditation, or have encouraged them to have a foot spa. Most recently I held a photoshoot to capture the work I am doing in the community, and invited some Mums to experience what I share with the kids, all five of them signed up to my senses workshop. I've been promoting it for over a year!

Permission?

Another train of thought and in part due to my own journey I notice adults feel guilty for self-caring, there is over-thought and self-doubt on whether they deserved the time that would often end up in last minute cancellations. Once in the wellbeing space and are receiving they could 100% appreciate the value and impact of it.

Whereas children have already been given permission by their families to attend the wellbeing club and therefore learn these valuable skills but, interestingly those 'beacons' are giving permission to their parents and are encouraging them to self-care. Plus, children notice when a parent is out of balance and rather than feel helpless they can now feel empowered. That is why I do what I do!

The future of wellbeing

My hope and vision is to provide a series of invitations to be well, and create your own bespoke self-care toolkit. I will continue on my mission to help this reach far and wide wherever you are in the world in many different formats.