Mindfulness is about coming alive in the moment. To get a feel for what mindfulness is like, think about times when you already feel really alive, when you’ve experienced a really vivid and vibrant quality to life. For example, one of the things I like to do is to take photographs of beautiful landscapes. I […]
Listening to Life
Have you ever been talking to someone, and had the experience that they’re not really listening to you? Maybe they’re busy thinking their own thoughts, or distracted and daydreaming. How do you feel when that happens? The weird thing is, we do this to ourselves all the time. We’re doing one thing, but thinking of […]
How Claire brought her love of nature to the office
Claire has a real love of nature – so much so that she’s made it her profession. She manages multiple projects for Bird Life International, from their head office in Cambridge. Unfortunately, this means spending a lot of time in the world of planning and spreadsheets – so much so that she sometimes finds herself […]
Two Types of Relaxation
We normally think of relaxing by getting out of the situation – taking time out, chilling out, getting out of the country for a wonderfully relaxing holiday. That’s very important. We need it – and most of us need more of it. Time doing nothing is a valuable activity! But there’s another way: relaxing into activity. We do it naturally […]
Before the Cabaret: Emma’s Experience of Rapid Stress Reduction
Emma woke in a state of panic. That evening she was to give her first ever live poetry performance. It was high profile too – tickets to the “Cambridge Creative Cabaret,” cost £18, and Emma was on the programme next to Britain’s Funniest Woman of 2012. No pressure! Emma was also starting to realise that her […]
Keeping Your New Year Resolution Alive
Last week I wrote about making New Year Resolutions that Work. And of course, if they only work for a week they’re not a whole lot of use! Now I don’t know about you, but the concept “New Year Resolution” feels like yesterday’s news… we’re only 11 days into the New Year but it doesn’t […]
Leadership Lessons from Nelson Mandela
Watching “Mandela,” I was struck by his leadership: His people were angry. Understandably so, after years of violent repression. He called for peace – and they heeded his call. He said: “I am your leader. While I am your leader I will give you leadership. If I think you are wrong, I will tell you […]
Creating New Year’s Resolutions that Work – 3 Simple Steps
According to one survey, 88% of New Year’s Resolutions fail. Phew – glad it’s not just me! But how can we make resolutions that actually work? 1. Aim for What you Want (not what you don’t) If you went to the supermarket with a list of things not to buy, you’d come back with a pretty […]
The Power of a Positive No
What do you do when you’ve got too much to do? You can work your tail off and get it all done (but at a cost to health, relationships and happiness in general). Or you can fall behind (and let people down). Its not a great choice, is it? So let’s step back and see […]
From Fear to Joy (in minutes)
Ed was facing a deadline for submission of a PhD Dissertation Proposal Paper. He was feeling stressed, exhausted and even scared. His breathing was tight and fast – almost hyperventilating. When he told me what was at stake, I wasn’t surprised he was so stressed. In order to go ahead and finish his PhD, this […]