Audra Starkey is a clinically trained nutritionist, accredited trainer, shift work veteran and host of The Healthy Shift Worker podcast. After more than twenty years in the aviation industry, Audra decided to switch careers and complete a Bachelor of Health Science Degree, majoring in Nutritional Medicine, to gain a better understanding of the impact a disrupted sleep-wake cycle and poor dietary habits have on our health.
Audra Starkey is a clinically trained nutritionist, accredited trainer, shift work veteran and host of The Healthy Shift Worker podcast. After more than twenty years in the aviation industry, Audra decided to switch careers and complete a Bachelor of Health Science Degree, majoring in Nutritional Medicine, to gain a better understanding of the impact a disrupted sleep-wake cycle and poor dietary habits have on our health.
With a particular interest in preventative health, she went on to found ‘The Healthy Shift Worker’, an organisation that provides shift-work-specific wellness services to individuals, along with corporate wellness programs via her signature Healthy Shift Worker Workplace Wellness Seminars. She recently launched her first book – Too Tired To Cook – The Shift Worker’s Guide to Working (and Surviving) In A 24/7, which is available via Amazon worldwide.
Find inspiration as we talk to Audra Starkey in our #StrongHealthyWomen interview.
Hi Audra! Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
As I work from home these days, my days can be quite varied. I also spent 20 years of my career working shift work so am not really familiar with the term ‘routine!’
My day may include undertaking a Skype consultation with my clients, recording a podcast or prepping for an upcoming workplace wellness speaking engagement. The past few months in particular, have been really focussed on completing the final manuscript of my book ‘Too Tired To Cook – The Shift Worker’s Guide to Working (and Surviving) in a 24/7 World’ but that finally came to fruition when it was finally launched globally on Amazon last week!
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you overcome it?
When my workplace underwent massive changes without any consultation to the staff. This included things like procedural changes, restructuring, policy revisions and roster changes which included split days off. You name it, it was all happening, and with very little consideration to the fatigue-inducing effects that it was having on every member of staff.
This went on for 8-months before I ended up taking time off work for stress. Something that I had never done before, despite working shift work for 13 years prior, without a hitch. Incredibly, I even felt a tinge of guilt for taking time off, but looking back now, it was definitely needed. The only regret is that I didn’t take more time off but the words “self-care” and “burnout” were pretty foreign back then.
What does being healthy mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
I’ve always had a very holistic view on health, in that I do not believe any one element is superior although having worked shift work for so many years (and undertaken a great deal of study and research to put together a Better Sleep Program for Shift Workers), sleep is without a shadow of a doubt, right up there in the level of importance as the air that we breathe and the water that we drink.
Unfortunately in today’s world of “busyness” combined with an addiction to our mobile phones, sleep often gets pushed down the order of priority despite it affecting every area of our life.
This is because when we don’t sleep well it affects our nutritional intake, our ability to want to get up and exercise, our ability to handle stress, our immune system, and most notably our relationships because the less sleep we acquire, the less empathetic we feel towards others which over time, can cause long-term repercussions on those around us whom we love and cherish the most.
Quite simply, there’s not one area of our life that is not affected by lack of sleep which is why we must prioritise it and protect it like our life depends on it – because it quite literally does.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
Having worked in the airline industry for over 20 years, I’ve been very lucky to travel to all different places around the world. As I’ve always had a thirst for travel, each time I step on board an aircraft to travel to a new destination, I regard it as the biggest investment in my health and well-being. One of the most memorable holidays was a 7-day cycling tour with my husband through the Loire Valley in France. We got lost so many times but it was so much fun exploring the countryside on a bike and being able to really immerse ourselves in the French culture which of course included the beautiful food and wine!
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, tell us about yours?
I’ve always thought of myself as a fairly “low maintenance” kind of a girl (as I repeatedly tell my husband!!), but one of my favourite forms of self-care apart from a regular yoga practice is immersing myself in a flotation tank. I find floating in a gravity free environment to be one of the best ways to unplug from the everyday stresses of life, as it helps to block out all external stimuli and calm the nervous system down which is a key part of our health and well-being.
For further information regarding Audra’s newly released book – Too Tired To Cook, or her Healthy Shift Worker Workplace Wellness Seminars, visit www.healthyshiftworker.com
Want to tell your story? Reach out to us via info@healthandfitnesstravel.com.au and be featured as our next strong, healthy woman.
