It’s National Stress Awareness Day and as I glance over my Instagram feed all I can see is a barrage motivational quotes from over-achievers running marathons and climbing mountains. I just can’t seem to get away from memes telling me to ‘never give up’ or ‘you can do this’ or a personal favourite ‘you don’t… Read More Give yourself permission to rest
10 years ago after months of running on my own I decided I was ready to take the next step.On a cold February night I pulled up outside my local club, spotted the gathering of super-fit people and fled. The week after I went again, this time got out of the car. It changed my life… Read More Why everyone should join a running club
Having long had my own addiction to self-help books I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Marianne Power’s Help Me, which sounded like the self help book to end all self help books. Marketed as ‘one woman’s quest to find out if self-help really can change your life’ each chapter is a canter through famous… Read More Book Review: Help Me by Marianne Powers
‘Amazing things happen when you start your own love affair with happiness,’ says Jacqueline Pirtle in the opening line of 365 Days of Happiness. It’s a great concept and one explored in other ‘self help’ books I’ve read which encourage people to really focus and embrace happiness. Swiss-born Pirtle aka Freaky Healer is an energy… Read More Book Review: 365 Days of Happiness
Many of us have thought, at one time or another, how great it would be to leave the shackles of the day job and make a living from what truly makes us happy. But is it really possible? The lure of a regular income keeps many of us in jobs we otherwise may have left.… Read More Book review: Ruth Kudzi Is This It?
I’m alway sceptical of books that tell you how to be happy and transform your life with some magic formula. However having seen one of the authors, Andy Cope, speak at an event a few years ago I had an idea The Art of Being Brilliant might be a good read. The book, also written… Read More Book review: The Art of Being Brilliant
It’s a funny old thing grief, before you have experienced it you might imagine it to be a series of sad episodes, a few tears before really feeling like you are over it, then getting on with your life as normal. Of course, for those of us who have experienced it that couldn’t be further… Read More Slightly quirky ways of dealing with grief
The Christmas frenzy is officially in full swing and we are all hurtling towards December 25 looking forward to all the overindulgences it brings. For lots of people though this time of year can be really hard, often because it has a nasty habit of shining a huge Christmas light on difficult issues. Grief, loss,… Read More Christmas stress and your mental health
Winter is well and truly here and, this week with a mixture of fog and rain, it has felt like daylight has never actually arrived. I live in a semi-rural location facing the Yorkshire Moors so once it is dark outside it really does feel very bleak. It can have a negative impact on your… Read More Getting some winter sun with a SAD light pad
Bernie Leonard mindfulness expert We all want a bit more mindfulness in our lives but with work, children and everything else life throws at you it can be a struggle. One formerly stressed-out busy mum, Bernie Leonard, believed mindfulness was so important she gave up a successful teaching career to completely focus on it. Mum… Read More Want a bit more mindfulness in your life? Here’s how
