I’m Eloise, founder of ESC Mindfulness. My decision to embark on a career in mental wellness was born out of a self-made mental transformation, combined with a long-standing fascination about the inner workings of the mind and a penchant for helping others.
Writing this at 30, it’s interesting how much pressure I put on myself during my twenties; pressure to fit in, to find love, to have a great job, and to have a certain amount of money in the bank. I also wasn’t aware that, it’s very possible to achieve equilibrium in all of the above, you just have to never give up on yourself.
I couldn’t tell you how many times I used to think to myself “is this really what life is meant to be like”, but it’s a hell of a lot. I experienced a general feeling of unfulfillment throughout my twenties, particularly in my career, something I couldn’t shake no matter what new company, or country I moved to.
Having lived what feels like a thousand corporate lifetimes in the past decade, I convinced myself there was something wrong with me, and that I simply “wasn’t meant” to work. I then realised, I wasn’t the problem, my job was. I was wasting everyday doing something that didn’t align with my values or who I was at my core. I became bitter and grew jealous of anyone that seemed genuinely fulfilled by their day-to-day lives. Desperate to find my “passion”, I dipped my toe into new ventures, got scared, made excuses, and ran right back to my comfort zone. In case you’re wondering, that comfort zone was real estate and it’s one that I stayed in for around 8 years. Despite my frustrations, one thing I will say is that dealing with clients in the luxury property market is no easy feat, and really required me to tap into their psyche in order to guarantee their business. It’s also pretty rewarding helping people get what they want, so I guess you could say this is where my affinity for improving the lives of others began.
This developed into my mid-twenties due to my own personal issues. Like many young people struggling with confidence and boundaries, I found myself in & out of toxic relationships that temporarily stripped me of my identity and rocked my sense of self. Toxicity breeds toxicity, so the more lost I felt, the more I self-sabotaged, making decisions that widened the gap between who I was and who I appeared to be. This led me to realise that, rather than trying to find myself in a job, place, or person, the answer lay within. It’s true what they say, self-love really is the key to happiness.
To cut a long story short, I found myself aged 27 without my dream career, without love, without financial success, and with an overall confusion about who I was and what I wanted to do. By this point, I refused to believe that this was how life was meant to be. I was convinced there was more and was determined to find it. To me, life is an accumulation of lessons that, when applied correctly, allow us to achieve our highest possible selves. So, I dove into myself, began identifying my insecurities, consolidated my lessons, revisited my passions, and channelled my strengths, all of which lead me to my purpose. To delve deeper into the human psyche and enhance my credibility, I also decided to pursue a degree in psychology (BPS accredited).
Upon starting my mental wellness career, I realised that, whilst my story is dear to me, my circumstances are nothing out of the ordinary, and with that, I bring high levels of relatability to my practices. Combine that with my unique blend of corporate experience and psychological insight, my approach is results-driven and practical.
Ultimately, the pressure I put on myself for all those years was completely unnecessary. In living authentically, I’ve been able to achieve success in all areas of my life. If I can do it, so can you.
Eloise
St
Clair-Charles