How I became a Meditation Convert
By Jean Flynn on
I can’t open a magazine or look at a blog these days without reading an article about mindfulness and meditation. Though neither are new ideas – Hindus have been practising these calming techniques for thousands of years – both have recently hit the mainstream and are now popular with the over-worked and ultra-frazzled. Being busy is out and deep breathing is in. Goodbye multi-tasking, hello relaxation.
I never thought I was the meditating type. It sounded very nice and everything, but – like yoga, paleo and Zumba, – just not for me. My favourite relaxation activity involved a couch, a television and a block of chocolate.
But then my eight-year-old daughter started waking up three or four times every night, terrified and unable to get...
Managing your daily life stressors without smashing the booze
By Jaye Hoelscher on
One of the first things so many of us hear ourselves saying is: “I need a drink!” And when we get that first bevvy into us, there is this real feeling of “aahhhhhh”. A chance to breathe, relax and let go of the day’s stressors. That sigh –
that deep breathing – is something we clearly don’t need alcohol for – it’s just often we go until the end of a long day without ever taking a deep breath and allowing ourselves a moment to be still.
Breathing via different channels in the body, physiologically counteracts our stress response and begins processes to ease the nervous...
Motivation to Exercise
By James Anderson on
This whole “exercise thing” can be so annoying. From finding the time to finding the motivation, exercise – can be a real bitch.
We both know it’s good for us, so why is it so difficult to stay on top of?
Well, I think there are 3 main problems.
Problem #1 - It’s painful.
We’re genetically wired to try and achieve pleasure whilst avoiding pain. We create a “pleasure hierarchy” for ourselves, putting the most important things first and everything else, well, who cares.
After all, which would give you more pleasure?
Staying in your warm bed on a cold winters morning or doing burpees at 6am?
So how do we overcome this?
Solution - Set goals.
Create an inspiring vision that allows you to rise above “the workout” and able to see the bigger,...
Top five tips for keeping hydrated during Dry July
By SodaStream on
The Dry July month is the perfect time to reassess all of your health and wellbeing goals for the rest of the year.
Hydration is a key element to ensuring physical and mental performance as our body water content declines with age, from about 75% in babies to 60% in adults.
According to research conducted by Sodastream, there is mass confusion around the effects of dehydration, with only a third (35%) of Australians recognising key symptoms like lethargy, despite the majority (80%) suffering on a regular basis.
Despite many believing that two litres is the recommended daily amount for all, the amount needed varies, dependent on individual factors including age, diet, climate and levels of physical activity.
Sodastream put together 5...
10 Routine Changes Scientifically Proven to Make You HAppier
By Sam Bailey on
Nothing spells a bad day more than spilling coffee on a crisp white shirt come Monday morning, but trivial as it may seem, it can be an instant downer on your mood.
While it’s only natural to get in a funk every now and again – according to a British survey, we have at least 10 grumpy days a year (five hours a week) – it can play an unhealthy part in our overall sense of wellbeing.
The biggest mood booster for women, according to the Healthspan survey is ‘me time.’ So while you can’t out run a bad day, you can shape and mould your routine a little bit each day to care of yourself and make the overall outcome that bit brighter.
Here, scientifically proven tweaks to make life happier.
1. Do exercise you like
With music you like. A McMaster...
A Bloke's Guide to Surviving Dry July
By Dry July on
So the thought of drinking mocktails makes your stomach turn, heading to yoga class is the last thing you want to do on an early Sunday morning and Euro 2016 finished this morning. How do you make the most of the clear headed, hangover free mornings during Dry July? Well we rounded up the blokes in the Dry July office – who are seasoned Dry Heroes, to give us their tips on surviving and thriving during Dry July:
- Socialising doesn’t just have to be in the pub. Why not go out for a winter surf, hit the trails on your mountain bike this weekend, bring your A-game to the table and host a sober poker night.
- Host a BBQ - believe it or not there are some really good non-alcoholic beers around, We're fans or Erdinger
- Be the designated dryver to...
Healthy Sleep
By Mel Ingram on
Every single one of us needs to simply stop and recharge – regularly! Most of us have experience times where stress is high, deadlines are tight and yet we still seem to be able to move mountains. On the flip side, I can guarantee that all of us have also experienced periods of the same pressure yet feel we are not firing on all cylinders – resulting in lower quality of work being produced or it taking longer to complete.
Allow your body enough time each night to recharge. Start with attempting to get 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep every night. We are all different with regards to the amount of sleep we require to operate optimally, however the average 7 – 8 hours is a great place to start. While we sleep we unplug from our lives and...
It takes 21 days to create a habit.........But Only 1 to set the challenge
By Dan Churchill on
Monday Motivation
We all have our own gifts and talents… some of us can sing like serious weapons… have a wealth of knowledge on beauty and wellness… others can win an NBA championship after being down 3-1 in the play offs (lets not kid ourselves in saying Lebron James is not human).
There is definitely natural talent within us all, something that we have that just fits, comes with ease… i feel my ability to create my own vocabulary of words such as “goodness, awesomeness & babin” is super simple to me.
When it comes to a task or challenge, eg. setting a 5 minute km pace for a half marathon, losing 10kg/ pounds, watching all the seasons of Game of Thrones back to back ;)… its not something we generally achieve within a day, but also...
12 Weight Loss Rules To Cheat On
By Sam Bailey on
Health and fitness might be having a moment – but really, weight loss just got a hell of a lot harder.
With so many conflicting messages now (hello fitness bloggers, diet cookbooks, e-books, apps and wellness coaches), it’s a jungle out there.
Do we cut carbs? Do we focus on abs? Do we join a gym or do it at home? Do we eat superfoods? Do we eat fat? Do we cut back on calories? Do we drop diets all together? See? It’s exhausting.
In Australia 63.4 per cent of the population is now classified overweight, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics – and it’s no wonder we’re stuck, there are too many ‘rules.’
But hey, rules are meant to be broken. Read on for the most common weight loss myths and why you should cheat on them.
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