5 Tips For Celebrants To Stay Healthy

At ICPC, we like to ensure that every Celebrant we train is confident, happy and fully prepared for their career ahead. We like to also promote good health and emotional wellbeing amongst our cohorts, because we recognise that, as rewarding and exhilarating as the profession is, there can also sometimes be challenges and difficulties. With that in mind, we believe it’s important that Celebrants practise good self-care to ensure maximum job satisfaction. 

Here are 5 tips to ensure you stay healthy and positive within your Celebrant role. 

Construct your business around what matters to you most. 

Celebrancy is a self-employed role - and self employment has a huge number of benefits attached to it. These include:

• Freedom to work whenever and wherever you want
• There’s nobody to answer to - you are your own boss!
• Flexibility around commitments, holidays, children, or a second job
• The ability to set and manage your hourly rate
• A personal sense of achievement
• Creativity to brand / rebrand your business according to your preferences
• The freedom to take a break if needed
• The ability to grow your business in any direction you want

Self employment also means you can prioritise and work around your physical and mental health - something that your average 9-5 worker might not be able to do as easily. Take advantage of this freedom. Think carefully about when you want to work, how much time you want to dedicate not only to ceremonies, but to the admin and business processes that support them. Set boundaries that you will stick to, especially ones that will enhance your wellbeing and prevent burnout. Ensure that you get plenty of rest and leisure time and that work doesn’t become consuming. 

Seek peer support and offer support to others. 

Celebrants are tasked with guiding people through some of the most emotional moments of their lives. Most of the time, this brings up positive feelings and creates a sense of joy and pride. Sometimes, however, difficult ceremonies can create feelings of stress or overwhelm. It’s important that you have people to turn to when a ceremony has been particularly challenging, or you are facing an unexpected hurdle. 

Supportive, non-judgemental peer support can be exactly what you need to deliver difficult ceremonies with minimal negative impact on your wellbeing, and resolve conflicts at work before they even arise. Our Facebook Group is a great place to do this, or Celebrant Connect for our members. Or, if you are not yet an ICPC member and are working as a Celebrant, you can join our membership. 

Keep an eye on the basics. 

When we embark on a new Celebrancy career, there’s a lot to do to ensure it is a success. You may be spending your time crafting your business, implementing marketing strategies, or making yourself known to local funeral directors or wedding suppliers. Remember, even when you are busy and on a roll, you should ensure you are maintaining good basic health. 

It’s easy to forget the smaller things when you’re busy. You might accidentally miss your regular morning run to work on your website instead. You might forget to drink enough water because you’re driving a long distance to a ceremony. If this begins to add up, you can find yourself feeling run down or a bit stressed. So, ensure you check in with yourself regularly and eat, sleep and drink well for general better health. 

Practise good social health

When we think about health, we often think about our physical and mental wellness. But social health is also important. When you become self-employed, you might miss out on some of the more sociable aspects of working in a regular employment setting. Or, you might begin taking ceremonies on weekends when you would normally see friends and family. Take notice of this and ensure that you find ways to socialise throughout the week and compensate for any social time you lose. Good social health can lead to lower stress levels, more energy, and a more positive outlook on life and work. 

Combat negative self-talk. 

Has something not gone perfectly? It’s ok! Mistakes, mishaps and misunderstandings are nothing to be ashamed of and can happen to anyone. Try not to negatively compare yourself to others, criticise yourself, or be too harsh if something hasn’t gone to plan. Everything is a learning experience, and we guarantee that anything that’s happened to you, has probably happened to us too! Good mental health begins with positive self-talk. Whether you’re brand new to Celebrancy or have been at it a while, resist the temptation of telling yourself off. Celebrate achievements and remain mindful of what you’ve done well. 

Remember, good overall health can equate to more job satisfaction, better work performance, more bookings, better relationships with others, and true joy in writing and delivering ceremonies. Even if you feel fit and well, it’s important to consciously maintain good general health and wellness. Importantly, please reach out to us if you are struggling, and we will do what we can to support you. 

Not yet trained with us? Want to learn more about Celebrancy? Download our brochure here.