A life that wasn't always calm
This time of year is poignant for many people as Christmas approaches, a time to reflect on life, family and friends.
Christmas in 2019 was the time when life took a dramatic change.
You see, life up until then had kept throwing big challenges my way: an unloved child of the 70s, homeless at 16, spinal surgery at 21, temporary sight loss in 2012, not to mention a constant increase in my addiction to alcohol and cocaine.
I lost my business, my home, my marriage, my dignity and self-respect had gone long before this.
Understanding myself: The ADHD diagnosis
In June this year (2026), on a hot, sunny Sunday morning, I had an online appointment with a consultant psychiatrist. We spoke at length about my life and, at the end of the conversation, he simply said:
"Mr Chambers, I am satisfied that you meet the criteria for moderate to severe ADHD. We will add you to a waiting list for medication."
There was no feeling of emotion, as my partner, a former nurse, had spotted the signals and asked me within weeks of meeting five years ago if I had ever been tested for ADHD.
I was expecting this diagnosis and had already done a couple of years of obsessive research!
For anyone reading this who has been diagnosed, you will likely share the sentiment that everything makes sense after a diagnosis.
School days spent daydreaming, the addiction, the constant mind noise, chopping and changing jobs to avoid people who trigger emotions.
Falling out with people, then feeling shame afterwards. My favourite ADHD analogy is having a brain like a Ferrari engine, but the brakes of a bicycle.
Hearing that for the first time felt very relatable indeed. It made me realise that for all of my life so far, I had very little to no mind brakes.
If I had a pound for every time I had said something that I later regretted, then I probably wouldn't need to work as hard in life as I do!
The power of mindfulness
So how did I transform from a life of addiction to spending the last incredible six years of my life in the happiest state I've ever lived?
Mindfulness.
One very simple word, a word that has proven to be incredibly powerful, life-transforming, even life-saving if my doctor's opinion was right.
I used to tease friends, asking if they wanted free head medicine. Yes would be the answer. When I mentioned it was mindfulness, a groan would often be the response.
"That's woowoo, that is Kev, a load of nonsense."
And this woowoo nonsense is what took me from a full-blown, helpless drink and drug addict to someone who has been living a clean, fully enjoyable, happy and loving existence since 2019. I like to think the photos show this progress.
If this is what woowoo does, then I'll take it!
Discovering the origins of SOOTHR
It's this life experience that is the catalyst to creating SOOTHR, and hospitality was always going to be where we started the business.
As a trained chef who only got to cook for a year before sustaining a spinal injury, my passion has always been in hospitality, and it feels amazing to be involved in the industry again.
I have been fortunate enough to have stayed in some beautiful hotels throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.
ALL of these hotels had one thing in common: none of them displayed any interest in my personal welfare.
Hotels will quickly point out the wonderful room, the restaurant, the wellness spa, but not one hotel showed any interest in my mental health while staying there.
And this is exactly why SOOTHR was created.
What working in mental health taught me
During those many years in addiction, I somehow managed to carve out a career in the mental health sector, as ironic as it sounds.
I worked in psychiatric wards, high-secure units and forensic mental health units, supporting people who were unable to support themselves.
These were the types of places that most people would say, "No thanks," to working in. Yet these same places were where I met some of the most troubled people in society.
One of the saddest aspects of working in these environments involves reading case notes. The realisation that these people were not born this way, that they had deteriorated over long periods of time due to abuse, neglect and addiction.
I used to kid myself that although my addiction was bad, at least I was not as bad as the people I supported. I can clearly see now how sick I was then to think that way!
During all those years, drifting from one contract and environment to another around Bristol and Bath, I had been introduced to mindfulness. It was also the first time I had heard the term 'soothebox', a humble, plain box of items to pacify a service user.
Like many other addicts, we have to hit rock bottom before rising again, and so the idea of SOOTHR was created.
Bringing calm into hospitality
A box of rituals to help with grounding and relaxation, to enable the mind to rest.
Luxury hotels do an incredible job of creating rest for the body, but SOOTHR is about creating a rest for the mind.
So, to you General Managers of Boutique Hotels, what do you do for your guests to offer them an opportunity to settle their minds on arrival?
I'm among the many adults in the UK who have received an ADHD diagnosis, and there are many more who remain undiagnosed. Your hotel will welcome many people struggling with addiction during a year.
They will mask and hide their addiction and struggle with sleep, just as I used to.
There are also menopausal women who have incredible challenges with sleep, and an army of people in business running on adrenaline and high anxiety.
This makes up a large part of guest arrivals.
THIS is why we created SOOTHR: to offer a support solution for the stressed traveller, away from home, in an unfamiliar environment, dealing with the First Night Effect, a scientifically backed phenomenon where half of the brain plays the role of night watchman in a new bedroom.
SOOTHR delivers a potent mix of organic magnesium butter, an organic aromatherapy roller, pillow spray to set sleep intention, positive affirmation cards and a light-touch app with relaxation exercises and natural soundscapes.
I've created a business model that allows luxury hotels to introduce something genuinely different to their guest experience, while creating an additional revenue opportunity and a healthy margin for the hotel.
Looking beyond the welcome
But for me, this has never been just about selling boxes.
It's about bringing something into hospitality that I believe has been overlooked for far too long: the mental wellbeing of the guest.
We spend so much time thinking about the quality of the bed, the thread count of the sheets, the restaurant menu and the spa facilities.
All incredibly important, but what about the mind of the person lying in that beautiful bed, struggling to switch off?
Perhaps it's time we started thinking about that too.
Because a truly memorable welcome shouldn't just make someone feel good about the hotel. It should make them feel good about themselves.
So, here's my question to the hospitality industry:
What are you doing to help your guests find a little calm when they arrive?
