One of the first exercises I do with health coaching clients is the Circle of Life, as it’s a great visual picture of aspects which are fulfilling at this stage of your life, and which need a bit more love and focus.
To feel truly happy and healthy, most of us need to feel satisfied in a range of aspects, including health, physical activity, home cooking, home environment, relationships, social life, joy, spirituality, creativity, finances, career and education.
As Joshua Rosenthal, founder of Institute of Integrative Nutrition, says ‘someone who spends their entire day hating their job is probably not going to go home and make a salad’.
A perfect example of a self-perpetuating cycle easy to get caught in. I certainly have, many times.
When we are feeling stressed, anxious or tired, we’re more likely to make poor food choices, which in turn feeds the very feelings we are trying to dampen.
And while what we shouldn’t be choosing to eat is familiar to us all, such as processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners and other inflammatory foods, did you know there are certain foods that are particularly good at boosting the feelings we wish to have more of, and reducing the effects we wish to have less of?
Some might call me the ‘party lady’; or if they were feeling more derogatory, the ‘cleaning party lady’, complete with upturned nose and plummy accent.
To be honest, I called myself that at the beginning too. I was really surprised to find myself wanting the role of party lady so very much, and wondered why.
It took me three months to figure it out.
‘It all started here, in Queenstown’ my husband chimes in.
Which rather took my breath away.
It had indeed.
Just over five years ago, in late summer, I lay curled in the foetal position on the bathroom floor of a Queenstown hotel, in between bouts of vomiting from the sudden pain. Absolutely unwilling to miss my 40th birthday present, trekking the Milford Track with hubbie, my parents looking after our children, I somehow struggled onto the transfer boat and along the 4-day hike. Each time the pain took over, every ten minutes or so, I’d assume the foetal position, initially on the dry track, later in the mud, trying to focus on the rain on my face, rather than the wave of agony rising, and thankfully also falling, in my groin.
It took a health crisis for me to radically reduce harmful chemicals in our household. I’m now passionate about sharing what I’ve learned with others – before the health crisis.
These 10 ways to reduce harmful chemicals in your household are not expensive, ineffective or difficult, they simply require a shift in perspective.
I look forward to your questions.
THE top question of me this last few months has been:
How are you settling in?
And my answer?
Wonderfully thanks!
Now, as I look back, I see I was putting a positive spin on the whole move. [Read more…]
It’s fantastic to be back in Australia, as much as we enjoy living overseas. Supermarkets carry more products than we can possibly imagine ever needing. Rules and laws generally make sense, as we grew up with them. Friends are crazy busy with work, children and keeping up with the Joneses, but can usually find time for a cuppa with us. Extended family can be visited for the day or weekend, on the spur of the moment, rather than via international flights booked months in advance. Internet is almost always available. As is power. Day-to-day living is in some ways easier, other ways less so.
In any case, now we’ve made the decision to spend the next handful of years in Australia, to allow our girls a little stability for their high school years, we are embracing what is good about living here, and considering what we can tweak with the aspects we find challenging. [Read more…]
Welcome to Relocation Recap, a regular feature on the Health & Wellness Revolution blog – sharing the relocation experiences of people from across the world.
Feeling alone is a common challenge of relocation.
This interview series aims to shines light on the many ways you can feel more connected, inspired and capable when moving from your comfort zone to somewhere new and unfamiliar.
You may well read about someone who faced similar challenges to your own, and surmounted them. As you can too.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to be featured in this interview series, please contact Kylie here.
I have a confession to make.
I’ve been avoiding putting out a blog post.
Procrastinating. For days – actually, weeks – on end.
Without really knowing why.
It doesn’t really make sense. You see …
It took me a very long drive to puzzle it out. From Queensland to NSW to ACT. About 18 hours all told.
I share this here, as I know some of you are feeling a little lost, or puzzled by your actions – or lack thereof.
We’ve just completed our third international move in three years – Australia to Tonga in 2014, Tonga to Vanuatu in 2015, and Vanuatu to Australia in 2016.
We’re getting better at it every time.
These are the tools we find really useful when moving. And they’re free!
