Learn what employers can do to support women’s health in the workplace!
We’re back with episode 2 of our new podcast series, Work Happy!
Work Happy is centred around workplace happiness in all its glorious forms.
Our host, Angelica Malin, Editor-in-Chief at About Time Magazine, will be talking everything from transformational breathwork to digital nutrition with experts, entrepreneurs and coaches who are making happy waves in the wellbeing industry. We’ll be exploring the landscape of workplace happiness to gain tips on how to move, eat, sleep and work better.
This week, Angelica sat down with Social Media Manager at Moody Month, Tara Scott.
Moody Month is a free women’s health app that’s designed for women to track their moods and physical symptoms during their cycle, so they can recognise and combat any related physical or mental health challenges.
Tara explains that Moody wants to change the way we interact with periods, “we found other period trackers treated your period like an event to anticipate or avoid […] on our Today page we have information on how you could be feeling that day based on where you’re at in your cycle and may give different support suggestions for exercise or nutrition or vitamin supplementation.”
Tara’s own wellbeing journey began after she was diagnosed with ME at the beginning of 2013: “I ended up having to close my business that I ran and owned at that time and take a year off to build myself back up […] it was nutrition and mindset that got me back to a place where I can work four days a week”.
To improve her mental health, Tara used techniques like positive self-talk to consciously limit the negative mental effect that harsh words can have on the psyche, “it’s not me versus my body but is about bringing them both together”.
Tara’s work at Moody, managing the community and being “the eyes and ears on the ground” for their users, sees her celebrating this mindful connection as she talks self love and understanding: “It comes back to the idea of basic self love. Taking proper, functional care of yourself […] also, body literacy; taking time to learn the right words to talk about your bodies […] so you can have a symbiotic relationship, where your body is giving you what you need and you what it needs”.
When it comes to employers doing their bit to alleviate some of the physical and mental symptoms of a woman’s cycle, Tara believes they should be pre-empting problems, rather than waiting for women to ask:
“The majority struggle to ask for support from employers, especially if they love their job. When it’s day one [of your period] you may not be any use at work anyway, or could be more productive working at home”.
Tara cited a recent case at Moody where most of the staff were working overtime on a new launch and afterwards were all told to take one or two days off, “that comes from understanding burnout and how we can avoid that”.
Although Tara counts herself as lucky to love her job and to feel supported in her mental and physical wellbeing, she explains that not everyone is so lucky. She says that in certain industries, especially more male-dominated fields, there’s a lot less understanding, “it’s a very empathetic way of doing things which is traditionally a more female approach”.
At Moody, Tara has found workplace happiness comes from the little things; “I’m allowed to bring my dog into work! It brightens people’s day. I see the smiles around the office…”
Click here to listen in to the whole conversation and learn more about Moody’s mission to destigmatise women’s health and the importance of understanding your body in living better and happier.
