Pretty Good Thinking: Make some time for you

If beauty comes from the inside, it begins with the way you feel about yourself.

During TEDx Brighton, a disparate crew of innovators shared their outsider journeys at The Dome. A confessional thread emerged in response to the theme of 'losing control'.

Absorbing young peoples' tragic stories took its toll on the Save The Children communications pro, Cat Carter. Her 'eureka moment'came during a flight safety announcement. The bit about fitting your own oxygen mask before helping others struck a chord; Cat saw that she was out of steam, before she took back control.

When the going gets tough, we either refocus to optimise our energy, or risk burnout. In small ways, a nurturing self-care routine at home can help. It might not seem that relevant in a war zone, but if beauty and calm are to come from the inside, they start to manifest with how you feel about yourself each day. Commit to making the time to slow down, and to notice the differences.

I don't need to peddle branded solutions when pure products like certified organic coconut oil can gently heal in so many ways. Try it for massage and moisturising, facial cleansing, as a hair conditioner or the base in a DIY deodorant. Or go bake a cake with it!

Dr Laura Marshall-Andrews, principal GP, and Chris Dance, acupuncturist at Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Centre, were also at TEDx to discuss how the centre has become one of the first NHS GP practices to integrate with complementary therapies and healing arts. They won the General Practice Award for Innovators of the year in 2014, and deservedly so. It is my surgery and I am delighted to be registered there. The Wellbeing Centre runs free talks for an hour some Saturday mornings. I learned how to boost my immunity with nutrition and vitality coach Rani Louise Don (you don't need to be a patient to pop along).

Back at TEDx, Jo White was eloquent about the inspired use of music for kids and the elderly in hospital or care (dementia was an omnipresent sub-theme). The Happyologist made good sense of her unusual job, and whimsy, sound, and colour were in force at the creative arts section upstairs at the Ideas Lab.

Charlotte Chorley's theories about beauty and feminism didn't compete with the real life stories, let alone Lorraine Bowen's astonishing arms and legs. I'm so very glad Brighton is what it is.