Welcome to Time For You, HELLO!'s series that asks wellness experts for the one thing they do every day to boost their mood – take notes!
This week we spoke to skincare oracle Pauline Paterson, co-founder of Dr. PawPaw, about the one way she makes time for herself every day - and how it helps her solve work dilemmas.
Having just launched Dr. PawPaw's first skincare range, Your Gorgeous Skin, Pauline is busier than ever, so her me-time has taken on a whole new importance, especially when it comes to clearing her busy mind.
Pauline, how do you spend your me-time?
It has to be exercise! In particular my Peloton. I absolutely love the flexibility and convenience of it. I can walk to my garage in seconds, close the door and be ready to go. I don’t have to worry about traveling to a gym, class schedules or making sure the kids are looked after, I can exercise any time of the day too and create my own schedule.
I can also easily tailor my workout to how I'm feeling or what I want - it has everything from high-impact spinning to yoga and meditation.
TIME FOR YOU: The 90-second ritual that wakes me up more than coffee
So convenient, why does working out make you happy?
Even if I have had the worst day, or I'm feeling angry, or stressed out and tired, by the end of my workout I feel so much better, more energised and happier.
Music really helps my mood too, so it’s great you can select your music depending on how you're feeling. Sometimes I opt for the Feel Good Ride session and the music, self-love and self-confidence talks from the trainer on this make me feel instantly better and happier.
What do you enjoy most about spinning?
I enjoy getting into the zone, locking the world away and focussing on myself. I get instant gratification from exercising on the Peloton as I'm selecting exactly what I need based on my mood that day.
I’ll often replay work situations in my head whilst exercising and by the time I finish the workout I have solutions and everything is so much clearer. I really enjoy taking care of my physical health too as well as my mind.
RELATED: How I take my mind off work when being self-employed gets too much
How often do you use your Peloton?
A minimum of three times a week, up to five times.
It’s not always as often as I would like - my work diary does dictate and take over on occasion but no matter what kind of work week I have I always make the time at the weekend and I do a longer session too.
How long have you been using your Peloton?
Ever since I hit 40, which was five years ago now. I was doing nothing at all when it came to exercise, so I decided I needed to change that in order to keep a healthy mind and body. I got a cheap exercise bike and used that for around a year to make sure it worked for me and that I enjoyed it.
I then moved onto the Peloton right before the first lockdown, which I’m so glad I did as both myself and my husband could exercise at home and we could escape and block out the world without traveling any further than the garage.
Four years on, I still love it and even the kids get involved now too!
Shop Dr. PawPaw's Your Gorgeous Skin collection at LookFantastic.
