Five Top Health Tips From My Career Break

Hola desde Costa Rica!

If you've missed it, I've taken a break from my corporate life for 2 months and I'm spending the first part in Nosara, Costa Rica. Nosara is a village on the Nicoya peninsula which is one of the world's Blue Zones (the areas of the world where they live longest without illness). It's famous for surfing and yoga, gorgeous beaches, wildlife and the amazing people.

I wanted to take a break as I felt like I was having to fight against circumstances to be well. I was sitting for hours a day, fitting in activity around work, constantly stuck inside staring at a screen and struggling to find time for joy and socialising. I've been working, studying and building a business while also working on getting rid of H Pylori and reversing my hair loss so I felt it was time to take a step back and create more space in my days to do what's most important to me. I also want to be in a place where wellness flows into everything so Costa Rica is our first stop!

I finished work on 26th March and flew to Costa Rica on 28th. We had to go via Amsterdam to San Jose then stay in San Jose for a night before driving to Nosara for 5 hours. Flying always messes me up a bit - airports are total food deserts and it's so hard to get anything that isn't ultra-processed. I bring snacks with me but ultimately have to eat the food on the plane as it's such a long flight so I land feeling rubbish and it takes a few days to feel better. I was so excited for the gorgeous, fresh food in Costa Rica though!

Part of the reason we've come to Nosara is to go to Spanish school. We love going to Mallorca and plan to spend a lot more time there so taking time to learn Spanish feels like an investment in our future. Learning a second language is great for brain health and studies show that knowing a second language prevents cognitive decline in later life.

Anyway, we've been here for over a week now so I wanted to share four of my reflections so far. I plan to do this throughout my career break so make sure you keep an eye out for my blogs!

Reflections

Artificial light at night is affecting us more than we think

In Nosara there are no street lights, it's a town that gets up early and goes to bed early because the streets are so dark at night, and because the surfing is perfect in the morning of course. Artificial light at night (ALAN) can disrupt your circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion. This effects sleep which through studies is correlated with increased rates of cancer, Alzheimers disease. weight gain, insulin resistance and low mood.

ALAN has an affect on wildlife so it's probably a purposeful decision in Nosara not to have street lights as there are so many amazing species here.

Since getting here I've been waking with the sun and once the sun sets I feel ready to head to bed soon after. I've felt the impact almost immediately and it's surprised me how much the high ALAN at home has been impacting me.

Getting your brain back into a learning mindset is hard

I've been studying for nearly 2 years now so I'm more adapted to learning than my husband is but I'm still struggling with learning Spanish. I planned to work on Wellness Effect while here but I ended up taking the full first week off as my brain was so scrambled after Spanish classes in the morning. BUT it's also really fun, I've learned at lot really quickly which I'm happy with.

Learning increases neuroplasticity by creating new pathways and strengthening neurons which keeps us sharp as we age. I highly recommend that you try to always keep learning throughout your life for brain health.

Sunshine is great for you

Stating the obvious much? However, the sun has been so demonised for causing skin cancer and a lot of people will completely avoid it. Sunlight on our skin is the main source of vitamin D, deficiency of which is associated with ill health. Vitamin D has been associated with reduced cancer risk, and improved skin and hair health. Sun damage can effect the skin negatively and cause cancer but safe sun exposure, without burning, is having an amazing impact on my skin. Not to brag but my skin seriously looks amazing right now. I use non-toxic suncream and I'm very safe in the sun but I don't avoid it. If you've followed my journey on Instagram with hair loss, you'll know I'm also hoping to see positive impacts on my hair during this break and I hope the glorious sunshine will help!

Being rigid is keeping you stuck

At home I eat minimal ultra-processed foods, the only ultra-processed items are my protein powder and anything I eat at a restaurant, but even then I choose wisely, picking an organic protein powder with only 3 ingredients and usually opting for meat and vegetables in restaurants. However, I'm somewhere where I have less control over what I'm eating. The B&B host makes amazing breakfasts for us everyday, and I'm cooking a lot but it's actually quite difficult to find non-UPF convenience items in the shops here, unless you're willing to pay a lot for it. For example, I CANNOT find a Greek yogurt without antioxidants in. So, it is what it is. It's important for me to eat as well as possible but it's not something I can control fully. I could freak out and stress about it, or I could accept it and know that a bit of additive in my yogurt isn't going to kill me for a few weeks. Does that mean I go completely wild and start eating sweets, crisps and white bread with 30 ingredients? No, I control what I can't and don't worry about the rest.

Five Top Health Tips From My Career Break

You're reading all this thinking, 'Helen that's great for you but what does it mean for me?' So, I've decided to put together five top health tips from my career break that you can apply to your everyday life, even if you aren't in a gorgeous tropical country.

Sunlight every morning - every morning spend at least 10 minutes outside in the daylight. Even if it's a cloudy day the light will help regulate your circadian rhythm which will improve your sleep, your stress levels, balance hormones, improve digestion, reduce brain fog and improve your moods.
Reduce artificial light at night - by turning down your lights, setting the screens aside and keeping them out of the bedroom. You can purchase red light bulbs which will help as it's the artificial blue light that's most disruptive to our natural sleep rhythms. Bon Charge have a great selection of red light devices and you can save money with code: WELLNESSEFFECT
Cultivate a flexible mindset - being super rigid in your thinking tends to create an all-or-nothing approach to health. When people have this mindset they tend to fall down when they can't control every aspect of their diet and go completely off the rails from there. Instead, focus on controlling what you can and be kind to yourself when there's pockets of time where you have less control. This takes time to create and working with a coach is one of the best ways to develop it.
Get outside - make sure you get outside a few times throughout the day to increase vitamin D production. If you can expose more skin the better although I know that's difficult in the UK most of the year as it's so cold! I don't believe you should wear suncream in the UK in winter as we need all the vitamin D you can get, so stop worrying about your wrinkles and start worrying about the health benefits you're missing out on.
Choose your skincare wisely - when you are having a higher level of sun exposure, choose suncream with minimal ingredients. I prefer a zinc oxide suncream and I love Fierce Nature's sun balm. You can get 10% off via this link, just search for it in the search bar!

Work With Me

I know you juggle a lot, and it can feel like the weight of everything is starting to take its toll. Your career, your personal life, your health—there are days when it all feels like a bit too much. You’ve been dealing with low energy, and gut or health issues that just won’t go away. Maybe you’ve even felt frustration building up because no one has truly taken the time to understand what’s really going on, leaving you feeling dismissed by doctors or overwhelmed by the constant barrage of “solutions” online that don’t seem to fit your life.

I know that you’re not just looking for a quick fix. You’re ready for a shift—one that aligns with your long-term vision of health, happiness, and balance. You’re not just doing this for today, but for the future you want to build: a future where you are vibrant, confident, and at peace with the way you nourish yourself.

You’re ready to embrace a new way of thinking about health—one that supports your goals, your creativity, and your unique needs. You’re open to learning and growing, and together, we can create the kind of wellness that truly transforms not only how you feel but how you live.

Take the next step and book a free Functional Health Consultation with me. You'll leave with a roadmap of the next steps you need to achieve your health goals, and you'll feel listened to and seen.

Look forward to meeting you!

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