My name is Andrew and I live in a house adjacent to my hotel business with my gorgeous wife Mandy, 2 boys Ollie and Robbie (aged 10 & 8) and our cocker spaniel Freddie (aged 3).
I am the owner of Wolfscastle Country Hotel and as such I do a lot of administration, organising parties and weddings and work in the hotel on evenings when we are busy.
Things that make me smile
Everything makes me smile, I try to be a ‘half full’ rather than a ‘half empty’ person. I am very happily married with 4 adorable children. I enjoy work.
Symptoms and triggers of decreased mental/physical health
I am now 69 years old . When 40, I had Lymphoma Cancer caused by stress (I was married to the wrong person) working too hard, playing a lot of squash and burning the candle at both ends.
How I manage my wellbeing
I am a believer in complimentary therapies, healing, meditation, diet, visualisation and similar therapies.
I try to take a few holidays a year to give one something to look forward to. Otherwise, I enjoy a glass of red wine to relax with.
Finding support
I was brought up to ‘cope with life, not to look for excuses’ so it is highly unlikely I would seek any support.
As my lovely mother said when she had terminal cancer at the age of 83 (but wouldn’t let the doctors tell myself or my sister), “I do not want to be a burden to my children”
She also would say “Give yourself a good shake and get on with the day”. Such a great lady and viewpoints I was brought up to concur with, yet you can see I’ve since discovered personal ways to manage my wellbeing.
3 things I feel are essential to sustain a positive level of wellbeing
- Make sure you can laugh and smile
- If something isn’t right in your life – change it (I got divorced at 50)
- Just be positive
Many thanks to Andrew for taking the time to share his personal experience about physical and mental health with the West Wales community. We hope these stories will provide you with food for thought and inspiration to take positive action for your own wellbeing.
