GRATITUDE + CONSCIOUS LIVING Page 7 of 17

Why you should do something nice for yourself today

Posted on 2015-03-16 at 9:31 pm.

images in this post from the fab workshop I took with Philippa Stanton (@5ftinf on Instagram)

I woke up at 5am on Sunday morning stressed about one of the projects I am working on. I couldn’t get back to sleep, as one particular problem kept going round and round in my head like a siren. Mr K got up and made me a cup of tea, we talked through it and I felt better. But I still felt like I needed to do something about it, to spend the day working on it, even though it was Sunday. And not just any Sunday, but Mothering Sunday.

The ever-thoughtful Mr K was planning to have Sienna for the day while I took a workshop with Philippa Stanton, known on Instagram to her nearly-half-a-million followers as @5ftinf, famous for sharing stunning still life photos of flowers and objects laid out on her wooden kitchen table. This was to be my first creative workshop in months, and I had been looking forward to it for ages. But as I sat there eating my toast and giving Sienna her breakfast I nearly cancelled the workshop, feeling guilty about wasting money if I cancelled, feeling guilty about wanting to work on Mother’s Day, and so it goes on. I am sure you know the feeling.

But Mr K encouraged me to go anyway, to forget about everything else and have a nice time. It felt very indulgent – six whole hours arranging objects into pretty configurations, when I had other pressing things to do – but I went, and I am so glad that I did. Those six hours disappeared in a dreamy haze of colour exploration, meditative composition, nosing around Philippa’s lovely house, picking flowers from the garden and sharing stories over tea and cake with the five other mothers at the workshop.

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Nurture yourself: part 2

Posted on 2015-03-11 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

5 Energy-Boosting Snacks for Busy People

Snacking is a normal part of 21st century life and, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s estimated that by 2015 the world snack foods market is expected to reach almost $335 billion. So why is the industry growing so fast and why are we snacking more now than we ever have before? It seems that longer work weeks, busier schedules, irregular meal times, and stress are all key triggers, and that we also snack for comfort or to give ourselves a pick-me-up if we’re feeling low, tired, lonely or bored.

Snacking isn’t necessarily bad; it can even be healthy. But it depends on the food you choose. When a snack attack strikes, instead of heading for the vending machine, opt for foods that are high in fibre or protein and low in sugar which will stop your hunger pangs and keep you going until your next meal.

Here are some simple healthy snack ideas for busy people on the go…

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Nurture yourself: part 1

Posted on 2015-03-04 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

How well do you look after yourself? When we get busy it can be easy to neglect ourselves; we eat badly, put off exercise, don’t get enough sleep, and spend too long in front of the computer screen. Taking a few minutes of ‘me time’ each day is not a treat, it’s vital for your physical health and your mental and emotional wellbeing. It really does make you happier, more focussed and more productive. In a series of weekly posts throughout March we will share some simple tools and techniques which we hope will inspire you to take better care of yourself.

“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.” ~ Max Ehrmann

5 simple yoga poses for busy people

Relaxation, weight loss, greater flexibility, glowing skin, a calm mind, improved health and a more positive outlook… yoga can give you all this and much more besides.

If you’ve never tried it before, you might just assume that you need to be ‘good’ at folding, twisting, standing on your head or bending like a pretzel but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Yoga is an art of personal discovery and growth. It combines mind (focus, concentration and meditation), energy (life-force cultivation through breathing practices) and body (physical movement and postures) to create complete wellbeing – not just physical but mental, and spiritual as well. This results in a powerful all-round practice that restores health, mental balance and vitality.

When you lead a hectic life finding time to nurture your mind, body and soul can be a challenge. But the great news is that you don’t have to take a 90-minute class to start feeling the amazing benefits of yoga. When your energy levels are waning it’s incredible how a little deep breathing and muscle movement can completely re-invent your mood. These simple techniques and poses are suitable for all ages and levels of fitness and you can do them as a series, or mix them one by one into your hectic schedule to help you feel relaxed, refreshed and re-invigorated.

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What will make you happy this March?

Posted on 2015-02-27 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

March is on it’s way… and that means springtime, flowers and many more hours of sunshine! So much to be thankful for.

On my happy list… discovering a secret fairy door on an enchanting woodland walk

Each month we share a free downloadable ‘Happy List’ as a place for you to capture the things – big and small – that make you smile each day. Get yours here.

Wishing you a magical March!

Rachel

In their words – why the Do What You Love e-course could be just what you need

Posted on 2015-01-22 at 1:55 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

We are always humbled and thrilled to hear how our courses have helped people change their own lives, sidestep mountains, move forwards, and find fulfillment and happiness on their own path. As we prepare for the Do What You Love course to begin on Monday 26 January, we thought we’d share some of the latest words we have received about the impact of the last class, in the words of the participants themselves.

If any of these resonate with you, and you’d like to be able to say the same within five short weeks, then join us for the online adventure of a lifetime.

Our acclaimed course Do What You Love begins on Monday 26 January and runs for five weeks. In those five weeks, everything could change for you – not least how you see yourself, others, your future and your place in the world. It’s powerful and inspiring – don’t miss it. Book your place now.

New Year Happier You. Begin today.

Posted on 2015-01-04 at 9:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

A new year brings a sense of new beginnings, of possibility, of the chance to start afresh. So what kind of a year will you make it this year?

What if 2015 was the year that you became a happier version of yourself? What would that look like, and what would be different? What would have to change to become that version of yourself?

In our community of tens of thousands of people spread across the world, this is a question that has been asked many, many times. Often the answer lies in a few small but important decisions.

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New Year, New You. Begin today.

Posted on 2014-12-31 at 6:55 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

‘New year, new you’ must be the most over-used phrase in the world of magazine headlines, but there is a very good reason for that. The beginning of a new year can be a watershed. ‘Next year’ becomes ‘this year’. The time is now. If you had a bad year, that is now in the past. If you had a great year, you can step it up a level and make this one even better.

A new year is like a gift. It’s a chance to start again, and to tell yourself you have the power to decide how this year pans out. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you spend time with? Who will you avoid? How will you behave differently so things work out differently? What different choices will you make? What will you tell yourself about what could be possible for you? And what steps will you take to make that happen?

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Grateful everyday (PLUS Your free 2015 Happy List is here)

Posted on 2014-12-08 at 2:43 pm.

Written by Beth Kempton

So winter is finally here in England. The dark nights are setting in early and log fires are flickering to warm our homes. I’m going to keep it short today – we just got back from a short trip to Copenhagen, where we had lots of fun and started to feel very Christmassy. The 40ft Christmas tree in our hotel lobby, and the magical lights of the Tivoli Gardens Winter Wonderland probably helped with that…

Anyway, after my recent post about having had a tough time these past few weeks, it was a brilliant way to relax and forget about everything except spending time together. I felt grateful many times on that trip – grateful that our little girl is such a good traveller; grateful that we have such beautiful places just a couple of hours away; grateful for my lovely family, who know just how to make me smile.

I’m also grateful to our brilliant team, some of whom joined us for a fun team day at the Brighton Cookery School recently. You can see what we made, and what surprising lessons we learnt, in this blog post by our editor Rachel.

If you want to take more notice of the things that make you happy in the months ahead, please feel free to download our Happy List – it’s completely free, and it’s a simple interactive PDF which allows you to note one thing every day that you are grateful for. Thousands of people used it last year and really enjoyed noticing the small and big things, and having a record to look back on. You can get yours here:

I hope you manage to find some time for yourself over the busy holiday times ahead to appreciate all that is good in your life, and that you stay warm if you are somewhere cold like us!

Beth

Food for thought

Posted on 2014-12-02 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Celebrity chefs, cookery shows and recipe books… everywhere we look there’s advice about what to eat and how to eat it and yet how often do we stop to listen? How often do we take the time to plan a meal, gather the ingredients and prepare them with love? And how often do we sit around the table with family, friends, or just by ourselves, and savour every mouthful?

All too often we find ourselves grabbing fast food, eating on the go, or opting for quick fix ready meals to fuel our busy lifestyles. Yet food is nourishment, not just for our bodies and minds, but for our souls too. So last week, in order to help us re-connect with food and rediscover our passion for learning, cooking, and eating, the Do What You Love team went to cookery school!

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Use your hands – Our review of the TEDxBrighton 2014 event

Posted on 2014-11-07 at 8:55 am.

Written by Beth Kempton

Last Friday saw the annual TEDxBrighton event take over Brighton Dome to offer a series of inspiring talks from speakers of all backgrounds. From knife-maker to journalist, from Frog Agent to poet and from truffle hunter to novelist, there really was something for everyone!

This year’s theme was “Many Hands” and it was fascinating to get the speakers’ views on topics like collaboration, consumerism, sharing messages and knowledge, and using our hands. Most importantly, they spoke about their passion for doing what they love, with real genuine passion and we’d like to share some of it with you.

DWYL_TEDxBrighton_ManyHands2

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