Ceri Wheeldon of Fab after Fifty  interviews mind and body expert Susan Scott , author of the book Life Force.

In this episode Susan talks about why we feel constantly tired

The role technology plays in ongoing fatigue

How we can best avoid stress

How we can create more energy

How to create a more positive mindset

The role of diet and exercise in creating more energy and balance in life

3 top tips to improve energy

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Read Full Transcript:

Full episode transcript : Interview with Mind and Body Expert Susan Scott on How to Have More Energy and Improve your Work Life Balance

[00:00:04] I'm Ceri Wheeldon. Welcome to the Fab after Fifty podcast. Leading the pro age conversation, talking about all things life after 50.

 

[00:00:17] Hello and welcome to this week's podcast. And I'm delighted to have with me today Susan Scott. Now, Susan Scott is a mind and body expert, a professionally trained nutritionist and psychologist, and she's also the author of two best selling books, How to Prevent Burnout and How to Have an Outstanding Career. And her latest book is called Life Force. Hello, Susan. Welcome to Fab after  50. Hello, Ceri. And thank you for asking me to join you now. Why Life Force? I know this your latest book. You sent me notes through ahead of today's conversation. I was absolutely astounded to read that one in five people in the UK reportedly feel tired all of the time. Why is that?

 

[00:00:59] I know. I know. I mean, it's quite shocking. And actually, I'd even suggest it's more than that. It's I think it's an awful lot about the life that we're living at the moment. We're living in this world and always on the pace of life is growing at a phenomenal rate. We're working longer hours. We're cutting back on recreation time. More importantly, we're cutting back on me time because we just want to keep doing everything. And it's taking its toll now.

 

[00:01:28] Does Technology play a part in that? I mean, I know that when I was certainly I would say at the peak of my headhunting career, we weren't expected to be on 24/7. If I travelled it on the train. That was my thinking time. Whereas now I'm on the train, I'm there with my smartphone catching up on social media and emails on the go. So you never really switch off.

 

[00:01:53] But the thing about technology now is it's broken down all the boundaries. So one of the things people often ask me or my workshops is how do I get my work life balance? And actually, I'd say it doesn't even exist anymore. It's about life balance because technology means we're accessible all the time. But so is work accessible all the time. So we keep dipping in and out. I mean, I would get a train at 7:00 in the morning into London. And people will be on that train on their laptops, working, trying to get on top of it. And they're doing the same on the way home. So, in fact, rather than saying, oh, they're spending eight, nine hours of work, they're spending more like ten, eleven hours at work, actually. So it is it is contributing significantly to this feeling tired all the time. And what's exacerbating that is the stress that's being built up around it. The chronic stress of actually dealing with it for your body it's almost like being in constant fight or flight. And that's exhausting.

 

[00:02:55] And I don't know about, you know, the people that you have coming through as you or your clients or through your workshops. But I know if I consciously take a day off and switch a laptop off, the phone off, et cetera. I feel so guilty. I did that recently as I was so exhausted that I actually need to clear my head and I just need my space. I had day in the sunshine, but then I feel really guilty afterwards for having taken that time out.

 

[00:03:21] Ceri, you mustn't feel guilty you've got to be kind to yourself. And I think that almost is a mantra. Be kind to yourself, because if you're not kind to yourself, you're no good to anyone. And when I mentioned about work life balance