Selah Founder, Lowina, Talks the Importance of Wellness for Creative Professionals

Wellbeing is crucial, especially when you're navigating the challenges that come with any creative pursuit—whether that's painting a masterpiece or launching an innovative business. In this blog, we'll explore how to maintain your well-being in the face of these obstacles, helping you stay on track to produce meaningful, impactful work. Plus, in today’s Entrepreneur Spotlight, we feature Lowina Simms, Psychologist and founder of Selah Holistic Therapy & Wellbeing Services. Lowina shares her insights on the importance of wellness and her journey towards a holistic approach to wellbeing.

First Things First: Identifying the Challenges

For creatives, challenges can range from a lack of inspiration and limited resources, to struggling to meet a brief. However, today we’ll focus on those that may directly impact your well-being. Why? Because before tackling any challenge, identifying it is the crucial first step. Let’s explore some of the specific hurdles creatives often face:

• Deadlines The pressure of looming deadlines can create an environment where creativity can feel rushed or stifled. This usually leaves little room for reflection or quality work.
  

• Burnout Continuous creative output without proper rest or balance often leads to burnout, where you may feel mentally and physically exhausted. Burnout can seriously diminish your passion to create meaningful work. A 2024 study by Mental Health UK revealed despite some improvement over the years, burnout effects one in five workers in the UK.
  

• Imposter syndrome Depending on where you’re at in the journey, you may experience imposter syndrome where you: constantly question your abilities, doubt yourself or fear that you don't really deserve your success.

Creating a Wellness Routine that Improves your Creative Output

Good mental and emotional health play a huge role in keeping your creativity flowing. While life has its ups and downs, staying clear-headed, getting enough sleep, and keeping a healthy work-life balance can really help your creativity and productivity. Here are some simple actionable tips for maintaining a wellness routine that supports your creativity:

• Setting boundaries  like managing your workload and avoiding overcommitting to too many projects at once, helps protect your time and energy, ensuring you can focus on what matters most.
  

• Managing your time effectively by being intentional about how you structure your day to allow for both focused work and creative freedom. For example, blocking out time for free-flow creativity. 
  

• Prioritising self-care such as getting enough sleep, and engaging in relaxing activities (like journaling) helps recharge your energy and sustain creativity over time.

• Getting outdoors: Taking a moment to step away from your work is part of the creative process . You can do this in a number of ways; however, spending time in nature can help reduce stress and boost mood, offering a mental reset that enhances creativity and inspiration.
  

A consistent well-being routine can help boost your creativity, confidence, and overall sense of balance.

Meet Lowina, Psychologist and founder of Selah Wellness Centre

Meet Lowina, Psychologist and Managing Director at Selah Holistic Therapy & Wellbeing Centre. With over two decades of experience in the field, Lowina shares her expert insights on how creatives can integrate well-being into their daily routines. She also opens up about the inspiration behind Selah, and how the space is supporting the mental and emotional health of many, including those in creative fields.

Selah: to Pause, to Rest, to Affirm 

What inspired me to open the wellness centre was my own personal journey—my own need for growth and expansion. After years of working in the public and private sector, I realised I didn't always fit into these spaces with my whole self, which meant a lot of the time I had to do things like “code switch” or leave parts of myself at home to fit in. After a while that kind of thing takes its toll on you. So, for me, founding Selah came out of a need to develop and maintain my own wellbeing (both personally and professionally). I just needed a space where I could just be. 

Now I do things to regularly top up my wellness pot. I love abit of self-care! Whether it's massage, going to the gym or journaling. It’s basically recognising what I need, then following it up with something that’s going to meet that need. Keeping up with wellbeing is a daily challenge (especially with the demands of running a business!) but I make it a priority to create space for balance.  

Creating a Safe Space for Wellbeing 

I’d recommend that creatives engage in spaces that allow them to be their authentic whole selves. For one, they can benefit from spaces like Selah—spaces where you can show up as your true self without having to compromise who you are. We offer a range of wellness activities that take a holistic approach to well-being, combining psychological services like therapy with physical offerings such as Pilates, massage, and a host of wellness events designed to hold space for us. I’d encourage everyone to come down and experience it for themselves!

Wellbeing as a Positive Lifestyle Choice

When we’re trying to maintain a healthy diet, we often choose foods that are going to nourish us and replenish our energy. We can take that same approach to looking after our mental and emotional health, being intentional about how we care for those areas just like we do our physical well-being. It’s all about finding a balance that supports your overall wellness. I believe wellbeing requires maintenance, and that it's not given, it's something we’ve got to put energy into— myself included!

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Book an appointment or session at  Selah Holistic Therapy & Wellbeing Centre