I founded Frontline Wellbeing after seven years on the road as a paramedic. My path began with studying paramedicine at Charles Sturt University Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. After graduating, I moved to the UK after being recruited by South East Coast Ambulance Service for a graduate paramedic position. Two planned years became seven, alongside many great friends and a roller coaster of an experience on road. Spent many occasions travelling across Europe during my days off and it became a perk of shift work. 

Like many of you, I experimented with performance and recovery the hard way. I’ve tried just about every kind of diet and routine in search of steady energy, clear thinking, and durability across rotating shifts. Having a 24 hour fast, meal replacement shakes or the classic British meal deal. These are some of the many diets I tried, not because I was trying to lose weight but to find something I can stick with that is easy to implement, decrease time allocated and also taste delicious while maintaining at least a 12 hour shift work, that can stand the test of overtime, finishing late or night shifts. Eating was one part of the day that I enjoyed and look forward to and the opposite would be exercising but with a demanding job that deals with emergencies on a regular bases, I prioritise strength training and even brought over my gym membership from Australia to the UK. Even my exercises have change over the years from strength training, crossfit, and bouldering. Today I have a huge interest in Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai (spent 2 months in Thailand training).

I have slowly learnt over the years that our mind are affected by what we put into our bodies and also how much exercise can have an impact on our mood and even our sleep. Building a routine that would accommodate my shift schedule was part of my personal development on having the right mindset as a paramedic but also as a human being. Discipline became my driving force to maintain a routine, even to this day but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. Motivation is what I ended up using to keep going when discipline is faltering, it could be group holiday to Ibiza or saying no cake and sweets at the station. Under all the mindset work, it’s to help build resilience as a frontline worker that inspires me to make this website in the first place and to help any aspiring, current or retired frontline worker to look after themselves and each other because it can be lonely journey out there when you are battling the constant barrage of frontline work.

“I didn’t choose paramedic because of the money” is something I used to say when asked why I became a paramedic. I remember being asked this exact question by my first year lecturer at university and I remembered replying sheepishly “I just wanted to help people”. After leaving the paramedic career, my purpose to help people hasn’t change, but who I help has changed and I noticed that when I left the ambulance service that there isn’t enough support for frontline worker. This is especially true when it comes to money, I remember working overtime to pay for those trips to Europe or preparing for Christmas parties because I money would go out as it comes in or ultra saving mode rest of the time. It wasn’t until I got introduced to Rich Dad Poor Dad, that it changes my mindset on money through investing, multiple streams of income and the side hustle culture that I expanded and became more financially literate. 

I am here with Frontline Wellbeing to help give back to my community of frontline worker to keep fighting that good fight because we have your back.         

  

Some things worked for me, some didn’t and here are my experiences/wisdom gained over the years.