Science Communicator and Model Laura Wells on Building Resilience and Effecting Change

The environmentalist and soon-to-be mum shares the morning and nighttime routines that support her multiple roles.

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routines and sleep secrets. For this instalment, science communicator, presenter, and model Laura Wells shares how she balances her work life with looking after herself.

Laura Wells epitomises what it means to be a good role model. The science communicator, environmentalist, presenter, and model spends her time educating the public on the natural world and how we can protect it, as well as promoting positive body image in an industry that used to be very narrow-minded on what it portrayed as beautiful.

Laura describes her career as a rollercoaster that has worked its way into a choose-your-own-adventure book. "There has been no linear progression, no defined structure, and no big goal that I was chasing, but rather a f**k around and find out the style of movement through multiple industries and degrees that has allowed me to explore and find out what I love doing," she shares with Bed Threads Journal.

She completed degrees in biology and law and intended on working as a scientist somewhere in the environment and ocean areas. "However, I was slightly derailed from this for a little while when I moved to NYC and London to work as a curve model after graduation." For four years she stayed working as a model overseas, learning to appreciate her body and practice self-kindness. She also realised she wanted to make a difference. "I realised I wanted to make a change in the world and help people understand that their actions really do make a difference and that we need to protect the planet for a healthier future."

Laura has been able to combine her love and curiosity of science and the natural world with the skills she's learnt in front of the camera to work as a science communicator. This involves hosting documentaries, TV shows, public talks and conferences, and working in the environmentalist and activist movements, to push governments and corporations for policy and legislative change.

The demands of educating the public on a topic as serious as the environment and being a soon-to-be mum are no mean feat. Below, she shares what self-care means to her, how she balances her work life with looking after herself, and the sustainably-minded practices she follows.

Hi Laura! Welcome to Bedtime Stories. Can you walk us through your bedtime routine?

I love getting into bed, the feeling of lovely clean sheets and now, being pregnant, building my pregnancy pillow fort to keep me comfortable and sleeping on my side all night.

Before bed, I have a basic routine. Pee, brush, moisturise! Fresh chompers and a 3-step moisturising process for my face mean I wake up feeling pretty fresh and dewy. Nothing worse than waking in the morning to witchy breath and lizard skin!

What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

I lather my face in Face Theory Vitamin C serum, topped with Saya Hyaluronic moisturiser and then locked in with Weleda Skin food! Can’t go wrong with these three products. I’m not anal about it, just slap it on rub it in and you are good to go all night long.

I also have been loving a good organic Rooibos tea before bed, caffeine free and a good warm to relax before shutting off your brain for the night.

How have you built confidence and resilience throughout your career?

Working in an industry where you are constantly and instantly judged on your appearance, as both a model and science communicator, can be taxing. But I learnt early on that if I was to succeed, I had to believe in my abilities in delivering final products and effecting change; not listen to the external commentary on my body and looks, as difficult as that may be.

Over the years social media has taught me to stop comparing myself to people because what we see online is a fraction of someone’s life, a heavily curated highlights reel that doesn’t show all the shit and heartache, the messy times, the bad days. Quite often it's a photoshopped and false version of reality and comparing yourself to this and setting unrealistic expectations is only damaging your mental health and stops you from achieving your best.

I unfollow anyone online that makes me feel bad about my body or makes me think I should look a certain way. I follow people and accounts that encourage and inspire me to be a better person, not fit into a stereotyped ideal of beauty. We are all beautiful in different ways which is what makes the world such an interesting place.

How do you create a calm and relaxing environment in your bedroom?

Natural materials, plants, and good lighting! Being surrounded by soft, sustainable materials such as linen in muted, contrasting colours is such a great way to create a calming space. The goes the same for lighting. Lamps and warm lights are your friend and immediately make a space relaxing.

And you can never go wrong with house plants. Bringing the outdoors in is a way for me to relax – nature is a great healer.

What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

I pride myself on how good of a sleeper I am. As in I can sleep a whole eight hours and not even move, full vampire mode. But on the off chance I have a night where my brain just won’t turn off, and there have been a few of those since becoming pregnant, I’ve learnt to not reach for my phone. That’s a recipe for disaster, but instead, get up out of bed, get some water, walk around the house, sit on the lounge, do some breathing, and then hop back into bed. This usually works and I’m back off to slumber town.

What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Can you walk us through your morning routine?

Being a freelancer and someone who loves sleep I don’t have a standard alarm time. Some days I’m up for work at 4 am, other days I’ll roll out of bed at 8 am. Pregnancy has also made me super tired, so I am happy to get the z’s in when I can and not feel guilty about it.

Mornings though now consist of breakfast straight away because I wake up in hungry, hungry hippo mode, a walk to the beach, and then getting stuck into whatever work is required for the day! No two days are the same for me, and I am very much used to not ever having a proper routine!

What does self-care mean to you and how do you practice it?

I find self-care for me comes in so many different forms. It could be getting out into nature, a walk, hike, snorkelling, getting salty with our underwater friends, or it could mean lying on the lounge, eating half a block of chocolate and having a laugh.

I like to listen to my body and what it needs in the moment and try not to put too much pressure on myself to conform to a certain ideal or structure. If it makes me happy in the moment great – everything in moderation.

What does sustainability mean to you, and why is it important?

Sustainability has become such a buzzword in the past five years. Everyone is throwing it around, quite often in an unsustainable way.

To me, sustainability is a philosophy. It’s a way to live and move consciously through the world. It considers the environment, economy, resources, humans, ethics, and morality. It's important because if we don’t balance all of these things, if there isn’t equity and equality throughout the world, then the world is not sustainable for a lot of people and ecosystems and they will be disadvantaged, sometimes to the point of extinction.

What are some sustainably-minded practices you follow on a daily basis?

Conscious consumerism is definitely a sustainably-minded practice I follow daily. Taking into consideration whether I really need an item? I consider: Where it was made? Who made it? What is it made from? How will it be disposed of? Can it be recycled? Is it a part of the circular economy? Is there a better alternative?

These are questions I ask about almost every purchase, from clothing to food, furniture to cars. To think in this way is a mindset shift, but it ultimately allows for better decision-making, a better planet, happier people, and the ability to live a little more harmoniously with the world around us rather than engage in the materialistic, disposable world many have become accustomed to.

How do you balance your work life and looking after yourself?

I’ve finally learnt to say ‘no’ to things that don’t bring me joy or that are incongruent with my values. This has been a great way to shift and make sure I’m looking after myself in all aspects of my life. Work-life is such a huge part of everyone’s day, and to ensure that I am doing something that I love, that affects change in the world and fits my values really means that I have a great balance between work and life in general.

It also helps that several of my jobs see me travelling and working with scientists in the field, scuba diving, and presenting and hosting events that encourage people to learn about natural history and change their behaviours to create a better future. All things that I truly love and enjoy.

Do you have any specific strategies to help you stay focused and motivated throughout the workday?

Offffph, I can be a huge procrastinator and get distracted by lots of little things, including, literally birds! I’ve found that having a list, when I write one, and ticking off the things that I do really does motivate me to get shit done.

Also exercising in some way during the day is a great way to break things up. It could just be a walk but it helps to start fresh when you are feeling unmotivated.

You’re a busy person, what are your favourite things to do when you have downtime?

Get outside. I love exploring and hiking, snorkelling, and adventuring. Getting into nature and being curious about the world around me is such a great way to recharge and have fun. Sharing the experiences with friends makes it all the better.

For more from Laura follow her @iamlaurawells