Wellbeing
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Make your day work for you!
Sometimes it seems like we are at the mercy of the day’s events! We might start off with the best of intentions, that we are going to have a highly productive day, breeze through our tasks and bask in that wonderful feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment by the end of it…. Yet we find ourselves having to sort out an array of issues that pop out of nowhere and just seem to get sidetracked and distracted throughout the day. By the time we manage to put our feet up, we realise that we have done very little of what we actually needed (or wanted) to do! While we are not…
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How can thinking like a monk improve your life and career?
Review of Think Like a Monk: Train your mind for peace and purpose every day by Jay Shetty (2020, Thorsons, 352 pages) As I have been aiming to create more ‘zen’ in my life through daily meditation and mindfulness, I have become increasingly curious about the underlying philosophy behind such practices. This is why I was initially drawn to Jay Shetty’s book, Think Like a Monk*, which promises to teach us how to move away from the preoccupied, fearful and ego-driven ‘monkey mind’ and to step into the monk mindset which, in contrast, is calm, focused, purposeful and service-driven. *Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may…
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How to build a daily mindfulness practice
That special time of year is creeping upon us and while quality time with loved ones, showing our generosity, and having a good old knees-up is lovely it can also be a bit hectic as we prepare for the festivities, finish up work projects, and respond to all the requests from school which seem to multiply towards the end of the autumn term. Pass me the mulled wine and a few mince pies quick! Of course, it’s not only this time of year that can leave us feeling a bit frazzled. We can get so caught up in the everyday busyness of life: the daily stressors, running here and there…
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Beat Digital Overwhelm
Ah, simplicity! That has become my word of the year especially over the last few months as I have been desperately trying to get on top of the digital deluge that seems to have taken over my life. I noticed that I was spending way too much time filing away emails from the many mailing lists I had subscribed to (and then never actually reading them), loading up dozens of tabs with interesting articles that I was sure I’d read ‘someday’, downloading lots of cool freebies, signing-up to online courses, joining every Facebook group related to my industry, regularly falling into scroll holes on social media, succumbing to click bait…
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5 Morning Journal Prompts To Kickstart Your Day
I have often fantasised about having one of those super chilled and invigorating morning routines that are frequently recommended in the personal development and wellbeing space. You know, where you wake up naturally, basking in warm sunlight, switch on a guided meditation, slip into your stretchy pants and do some gentle exercise, have a healthy breakfast, read a few pages of a book, and then journal until your hearts content… While I have been able to incorporate some of these things into my morning routine, the reality is that during the week I am a mum of two, and the beginning of the day mainly involves making sure that both…
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What’s Your Summer Holiday Survival Strategy?
The end of the school year is in sight (or it may already be done and dusted for some of us!) and that six week stretch will soon be upon us. On the one hand there is the wonderful prospect of quality time with the family, heading off on holidays, exploring new places together, and not having to leap out of bed for the school run (whoop!) On the other hand though there is the dreaded juggling act between work and home life, figuring out how much holiday you can afford to take, who is going to look after the kids, and how you are going to keep them suitably…
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Looking for some inspiration? Create your own inspiration board!
This highly motivating and creative activity came to mind after a journal prompt got me thinking about all the things that have inspired me over the years. As I ran my eye over the various sources of inspiration that I had listed out I felt butterflies buzzing around in my stomach and a rush of determination to get on with my plans! I wanted to bottle that ‘get up and go’ feeling that had been evoked by my list, especially for days when some sort of setback occurs or for when I’m just feeling a bit stuck! Leaving the list in my journal, possibly never to be looked at again,…
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Let’s talk about the ‘F’ word…
Well, I don’t know about you but I’m thinking about FUN! How much of it do you have in your life currently? I know it can be hard to remember what fun is and how it even feels to have fun after the dire events of the last 12 months! However, it’s something that really struck me after looking back over 2020 and realising just how much I had thrown myself into working, studying, and stepping out of my comfort zone (which I can safely say also takes a lot of energy and emotion!) When it came to prioritising some carefree fun that would help to fill up my cup…
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Kickstart your yearly review and find your focus for the year ahead
After reluctantly emerging from my Christmas cocoon, and finding out that another lengthy period of lockdown loomed ahead, I made the decision to pause and take stock of the last 12 months. I wanted to extract any useful ‘life lessons’ that I could from what was such a challenging time (for many different reasons), to ponder ‘What next?’ and start the year with renewed focus and something positive to work towards as lockdown continued. If, like me, you love putting pen to paper and taking time out to journal (or just really want to give it a try) then I have packed this post full of questions that will prompt…
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What has Lego got to do with self-care?
Review of Build Yourself Happy by Abbie Headon (2019, DK, 160 pages) When you think of mindful, relaxing activities that take you away from all the hustle and bustle of daily life, Lego building may not immediately come to mind… But then, as Abbie Headon points out right from the beginning of her book, Build Yourself Happy*, there is something joyful and liberating about allowing yourself to get lost in play even when you are all grown up! *Disclosure: If you buy books linked to my site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. It certainly provides a much needed break from your everyday routine…
