Physiotherapist and coach Sue Fuller-Good is here to demystify wellness.
In between counting your steps, making sure that you add cottage cheese to absolutely everything (got to get enough protein, after all) and finding the best brand of creatine, you’re probably feeling stressed rather than brimming with wellness.
That’s why Sue believes there has to be a simpler way, as she explains in her book, The Sweet Spot. “The problem is that wellness is pretty complex. We imagine that if we focus on one thing, we’ll get it right. But the reality is that wellness is a puzzle, made up of many different pieces – and it feels like as soon as your puzzle is nearly complete, a piece goes missing.” Making it even more complicated is the fact that wellness is fluid, so just when you find that missing piece, another is certain to disappear.
Take into account the number of puzzle pieces, and you’re bound to feel daunted. Sue says that wellness has 11 dimensions – general health, muscular-skeletal, physical fitness, stress and fatigue levels, gut health and nutrition, relationship health, financial health, emotional health, mind health, sexual health and personal mastery, or how well you know yourself and are able to live your passion. “Each of them is critical, so you can’t ignore any,” she says. The good news, though, is that it’s enough to focus on just one – probably the area where you’re struggling most – and, as soon as you feel that you’ve given it enough attention, you can move on to the next.
That’s where the sweet spot comes in, Sue says. “Wellness is a continuum, and we’re moving along the spectrum all the time. You need to approach it without self-judgement, turning your attention to where it’s most needed before moving on to the next area with gentleness and compassion.”
Sue’s approach has been informed by her many different areas of study, starting with physiotherapy. She says that although she initially wanted to study medicine, a stint in the mining hospital where her father worked opened her eyes to the difference that physiotherapists can make. “I worked with people who had lost their fingers in mining accidents, for example, teaching them how to use their hands. It felt like an occupation that was both hopeful and optimistic.”
Sue loved practising physiotherapy, but after completing her Masters, she became aware of the enormous interplay between emotion and the body’s systems and felt a keen need to acquire more knowledge. This, combined with her own journey into spiritual and personal wellbeing, gave rise to her unique approach to wellness, which goes beyond the physical.
“My interest in the emotional was prompted when I was working in a ward for the dying elderly in the UK,” Sue remembers. “There, I met a very old man who had lost both legs because of gangrene … a consequence of drinking and smoking excessively when he was younger. He once told me he wondered what his life would have been like if he’d done things differently. That made me realise every single day of our lives is a choice.”
This insight led to a journey of inner exploration through meditation and mindfulness, supplemented by trips to the East where Sue learnt yoga and was exposed to different ways of thinking about spirituality. She then qualified as a life coach, so that she could lead others on their own journey.
And her learning continues. Sue is currently completing her studies as a somatic experiencing coach, a qualification which will equip her to help patients work through trauma stored in the body. She’s also preparing for her PhD, which will focus on the effect that boundaries (or lack thereof) have on our health, a topic which got her attention after noticing how many of her patients suffer from burnout and fatigue.
With so many different interests, two businesses to run (Body Brilliance, her physiotherapy practice, as well as Energy Incubator, where she offers personal and corporate coaching) and a busy schedule giving talks and hosting workshops, how does Sue manage her own sweet spot? “I’m fortunate in that I have always had high energy levels,” she answers. “It also helps that I am working in an area I love. Wellness was a part of my life from a very early age, and I have always kept active, but, at the same time, I have been on a quest for wholeness for as long as I can remember. All of these interests are expressed through my work, and they feed each other.
“Learning excites me,” Sue continues. “It’s my greatest hobby – it keeps me excited about life. Some people might think it’s like being on a treadmill, always looking for the next thing, but my view is completely different. It’s about finding out how everything fits together.”
Sue’s top tip
The one thing you can do to enhance your wellness right now? Simple. “Just slow down. Taking just five minutes to let your mind wander, notice what’s around you and find stillness is incredibly important. Peppering your day with these moments allows for a reset.”
Details: Suefullergood.com; @suefullergood
Article by Lisa Witepski.
