Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Welcome to my blog
There is a lot of information around on the importance of looking after our health, like maintaining a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. This is all well and good if your aim is just to keep your body healthy. But what about your brain?
From chocolate to coffee and sleep, to sharper smarter thinking, join me for an article or three as I share insights, tips and ideas on what it takes to keep your brain operating at full speed, so you can wake up feeling refreshed, happier and healthier every day.
Why the Best Gift to You in 2021 is Your Mental Wellbeing
As 2020 draws to a close, are you hearing a collective sigh of relief?
It’s been a challenging year on so many levels and we’re not in the clear yet.
The thing I worry most about beyond these things is this. We are in a mental health crisis, the extent and severity of which has never been experienced before.
The World Health Organisation recently released a report that shared how in 130 countries surveyed, 93% reported mental health services had either been disrupted or halted as a result of the global pandemic – at a time when those services are needed more than ever.
Which is why I believe the time has come to REIMAGINE mental health and what that might look like.
For too long we’ve ignored the obvious. Our mental health system has been chronically underfunded and failing badly in providing timely and adequate mental health services to those in need.
Throwing more money into a broken system won’t fix it.
It’s time for a new approach.
Giving Thanks. Why Gratitude Matters.
Despite the fact 2020 will be remembered as a basket case of a year associated with terrible loss and grief, hardships and fear, there has been some good. Acknowledging this and counting our blessings is important, firstly to remind ourselves that even in times of adversity, there will always be some positives though we may have to look really carefully to find them. Secondly, that focusing on those small things that give us a sense of joy or happiness is essential to being able to find the motivation and confidence to move on.
In this blog I share 5 ideas on how to show more gratitude and the benefits gratitude provides our mental wellbeing
How Spending Time With Mother Nature Does Us Good
I’ve always valued time in nature. An early morning walk before the rest of the world awakes, a stroll along the beach as the waves crash onto the shore, there’s nothing that gives me greater pleasure than feeling the warmth of the sun on my face, a soft breeze and the sounds of birdsong and feeling at one with the world.
But as we have moved to live in more urbanised centres, where work takes precedence over almost everything else, the time we spend outside has diminished. The NHAPS survey reports that the average American spends 90% of their time awake each day, indoors.
This can have a number of adverse effects on our health and mental wellbeing. It’s time to get out more to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and reap the benefits of better health and happiness.
Lost your mojo? How to rediscover your motivation and passion for your work
Exhaustion.
Apathy.
Feeling dispirited.
If you’ve been experiencing any or all of these, welcome to the club. The last few months of the year in the lead up to Christmas are typically the ones where we’re desperately trying to tie up all those loose ends, complete outstanding assignments, organise a break away with the family and finish off the year, and we’re beyond tired.
Many people I’ve spoken to haven’t taken any time off since the beginning of the year.
Disrupted travel plans or deferred events have led us to forget that despite everything we still need time off to rest and restore, even when working from home (and possibly more so).
Why am I so darned tired all the time? (and what to do about it)
The Covid-19 pandemic has created massive disruption at a global level. We have had to deal with the fear of infection and potential risk of death, the requirements of working from home, adhere to lockdowns, adopt physical distancing and wear masks all while trying to hold some semblance of normal life together.
It’s exhausting just thinking about it.
But workplace fatigue is increasing at an alarming rate. In many conversations I’ve had recently I’ve heard the same concerns being shared about the rising levels of stress, which were already too high before the pandemic, burgeoning workloads, the uncertainty about how long the pandemic will last and how bad the economic repercussions may be.
Here are 5 things to help.
How will you reconnect in 2021?
The one thing that’s been hardest to bear during the Covid-19 pandemic has been the need for social isolation away from your family and loves ones or working from home. As we move towards the end of 2020 this is the time to take what you have learnt about yourself in this time and what you want for your future and goals. What do you envisage the challenges of workplace connection to be like next year and what do you believe will help?