Well Being | Megan Williams
Model Megan William talks to WELL CURATED about staying well in the city and the launch of her collapsible and reusable coffee cup, HUNU.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness is so much more to me than what instantly pops into most of our minds… good body, good skin etc. Wellness to me is a whole package, when your body, mind and spirit are all working to benefit each other. For example if I don't feel good in my mind I often get aches and pains in my body and wont do things that are good for me like working out and I won’t eat the things that make me feel good. So wellness for me is more a mindset. If my mindset is positive or is using the right tools to cope with the rollercoaster of life, everything else seems to fall into place. So I put time into realising the habits that benefit me and make me feel good. For example, I know if I immediately check my phone when I wake up I often feel overwhelmed for the rest of the day. So I put structure into place where I get up, have a shower, make my bed, get a tea and then when I am settled I will check my phone. It's about listening to what patterns nourish me and what doesn't. I know the things that will make me feel good like mediation, eating well and working out so I take joy in setting time aside for them.
What are your favourite sustainable beauty, fashion brands?
Dr. Hauschka has been a long time favourite brand of mine. Firstly because I love the products and they work beautifully for my skin. But also I love everything the company stands for with how they think about their sustainable farming practices for the natural ingredients used, to the economic factor of fair trade conditions.
Fashion brands I love are Reformation who just do it right, from how they give information to you about sustainability to creating designs that are just done right. Another is one I discovered recently, a workout brand called Girlfriend Collective that uses recycled materials to make their pieces.
You have incredible skin and hair. Is it simply down to your DNA or are there any tricks you can share?
I think less is more, works well for me. I really don't do too much and over the years I have realised when I use less products and let my skin and hair do what it's meant to do, they seem to look better. I also really do feel there is a big connection to what I eat and drink to how my skin and hair looks, so trying to stay healthy and hydrated is my biggest tip.
Tell us about HUNU and how you came to developing the idea?
HUNU is a company that my boyfriend and I started about a year ago now. So it all started when we had the idea about a product we felt was missing and would be really useful in our lives. We designed a collapsable coffee cup that folds down to 2cm so you can literally carry your cup around in your pocket. We wanted to resolve the problem of why many of us don't have a cup on us all the time, convenience. After an amazing launch on kickstarter and pre-selling over 15,000 cups to date we can't wait to get the cups out to people. It's exciting the stage HUNU is now at in developing its brand and identity. We want to create an honest feel good brand that helps people find sustainable solutions, and develops and grows as we do on this exciting journey.
Being a city dweller you know how a fast, convenient lifestyle is ingrained in our society. Are there any ways we can make simple changes to live more sustainably?
Just really simply leaving the house more prepared. It's become part of my routine before I leave the house to fill up and pack a water bottle, have my HUNU coffee cup and have a reusable bag on me if I know I am going to go by a shop. It's just about making these small changes a habit in your normal routine.
In the fashion and beauty industry being healthy is primarily championed by aesthetics. Hopefully mental health coverage in the media is helping to change focus so it is more about how you feel than how you look. How do you keep your mind healthy?
It's definitely been a journey finding what works for me to keep my mind feeling healthy and calm, and it will continue to be as we all are faced with new struggles. Meditation helps a lot as of course many people who have tried will know. Finding a passion outside the fashion industry has helped my mind a lot. Something I have more control over, as my role in the fashion industry as a model is mostly out of my control. Having this other place to focus my mind and dive into a passion, or trying new things to discover what else I enjoy has been very therapeutic for me. Also as I have got older I have learnt to become more self accepting. Just accepting who I am and loving me has really been a huge relief from some of that mental strain. As you said our industry has been based mostly on aesthetics but I love the way I see it’s heading, where personalities are championed more and the person behind the face is becoming more and more important. It's amazing to see.
Do you have any particular nutritional supplements or practices you swear by?
I've started drinking oil of oregano in the morning. 4 drops diluted in water. I've heard it's very good for your digestion and it's been really helping me in that way. All year round I take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, a form of probiotic and cod liver oil and they seem to keep me feeling fit and healthy.
Nutrition is an important part of your job. With the amount of travel you do staying healthy must be imperative. Are there any nutrition hacks you can let our readers know about?
The only strict diet I stick to is eating gluten-free foods. This isn't so much a diet for me but just what works for me, I'm intolerant to it and haven't eaten it since I was 17. I was reluctant at first to stop eating it when I was told to but as soon as I cut it out my diet, wow I felt the difference dramatically. I suffered from stomach problems so I felt the difference quite quickly and never looked back. But I do think it's also a great diet in some ways as it made me pick healthier options when on set, having to go for the less processed food choices generally.
Which guided meditations, podcasts, books are you reading/listening to?
Meditation wise I switch between two apps: Calm and Insight Timer. Podcasts I love are Tim Ferriss, The Daily show with Trevor Noah and the New York Times podcast The Daily. I'm currently working my way through the very long but amazing book Shantaram.
Has the current Covid lockdown inspired you to make any changes to your lifestyle in the future?
Do things for the sake of doing them and enjoying them and not just for the outcome. I'm usually so focused on doing things that seem to be productive work wise instead of putting importance and time to things I enjoy. I've been cooking more trying new recipes, spending time painting, reading my book and just being. I've realised that when I'm happier and make time for things I enjoy in my day I actually end up being more productive in general. I do have the luxury of time right now so I know this may be hard to incorporate into my normal busy life, but I do hope to set time aside still in the future.