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.
Quiet! The Restorative Sound of Silence
Noise is a stressor. Our brain longs for quiet. It helps to alleviate stress, restores cognitive function, boosts brain health and elevates performance concentration and insight. Celebrating silence is something we often avoid, it can make us feel awkward when there is a lull in the conversation, panicky when exposed to silence in an unusual format or even lonely.
In an increasingly nosy world knowing how to find enough quiet can be tricky, but there are a number of things you can do.
Why a dose of awe and wonder does us good
When did you last experience awe?
Was it while standing under the black mantle of a starry night gazing at the Milky Way?
Was it on a holiday where you visited a well-known monument – the Taj Mahal or La Familia Segrada in Barcelona?
Was it when you got to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon or to hear exquisite music being played at the Sydney Opera House?
The magic of awe is only now starting to be better understood.
It is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast, transcending our existing understanding of the world. It is a complex emotion. When gazing out into space it can make us feel small and insignificant compared to the vastness of the Universe. Our concerns and worries feel less important as we gain greater perspective of what’s really important to us.
Awe is important to our physiological, psychological and social wellbeing.
How do you experience awe in your life?
Can’t bear the thought of exercise? Here are 5 tips to get you moving more.
Do you hate exercise? I hear you.
We’re always being told how important exercise is for our health and wellbeing, so what do you do if the thought of going to the gym brings you out in a cold sweat, you’re allergic to Lycra and you get short of breath just thinking about going for a run? It’s time to remove all the angst and guilt and do things differently.
Don’t Overlook the Silver Lining of Flexibility and Autonomy
The trials and tribulations of the modern workplace had been well documented prior to the arrival of the global pandemic. As more businesses gradually return to the office, now it’s time to use the silver lining of flexibility and autonomy to make work, work better.
If you’ve enjoyed working from home, have considered moving to a more rural setting because you feel better, work more effectively and are happier then this is our chance to bring about much needed change to the how we do our work.
What a Horse Taught Me About Communication and Teamwork
My best friend at school loved horses. She desperately wanted me to love them too. But there was a problem. Every time I came close, the horse invariably STOOD on my foot, which cause me to squeal and my friends to laugh.
I avoided horses mostly after that, until I went to the Four Legged Sages in Dural NSW where the horse was the teacher and I was the pupil.
We had a few issues to sort out, like communication skills, collaboration and effective teamwork.
What I didn’t expect was the direct and immediate feedback from the teacher.
Whoa!
The insights and aha’s from that day have remained with me long after the event.
Which got me thinking. We’ve endured so much living at a time of a global pandemic but the one thing that will help us the most as we move into recovery mode will be our level of social and emotional intelligence. That’s your ability to recognise the strengths and skills in others and yourself so we can work together to build a better, brighter and happier future.
Have you ever had a lesson from a horse?
Is too much work turning you into a Grumblebum?
Are you a bit of a Grumblebum?
We’re all busy and sometimes we take on too much. Too many projects or too much commitment, and the danger is this can lead to rapidly escalating stress levels, that if not adequately managed trigger negative thoughts and unhelpful behaviours.
You can evict Grumblebum by getting better at recognising your limits, sticking to your boundaries and giving yourself permission to work less.
Life’s too short to have Grumblebums. Let’s have less Grumble and more time for Fun and Play.