As someone who runs a business, raises a family, writes books and studies psychology at university, I am often asked how I make it all work. To be honest, it's not always easy, but I have developed some strategies that help me balance these different aspects of my life. Here are some of the things that work for me.
 
The best advice I have received is to prioritise and set boundaries. When you have a lot on your plate, it's important to focus on what is most important and let go of what is not. I have learned to prioritise my tasks and make sure that I am focusing on the things that are most important for my business, my family, and my studies. Setting boundaries has also been crucial for me. I have learned to say no when I need to, and to be clear about my availability for work and family time.
 
The advice I would give to someone in a similar situation is to be organised and make use of your time effectively. I have found that planning and organisation are key to managing a busy schedule. I make sure to use a planner to keep track of my appointments, deadlines, and to-do lists. I also use technology to my advantage, such as setting reminders and alerts on my phone. It's also important to make use of any free time you have, such as studying during lunch breaks or after the kids have gone to bed.
 
Another piece of advice I would give is to ask for help when you need it. Don't be afraid to delegate tasks at work or ask family members for help with household chores. This can free up some of your time and reduce your stress levels. Looking back, I wish I had known how important it is to take care of yourself. When you are juggling so many responsibilities, it's easy to neglect your own needs. I have learned that taking care of myself is not selfish, but rather necessary for me to be able to function effectively in all aspects of my life. After ending up in hospital with exhaustion 3 years into running my own business as a single mum with two little boys (and feeling deeply embarrassed I’d let it get to that point), I always make sure to set aside time for exercise, hobbies, and relaxation, as well as getting enough sleep and eating healthy.
 
Balancing a business, family, book writing and university studies is a challenge, but it is possible with the right strategies and mindset. Prioritising, setting boundaries, being organised, and asking for help when needed are all key to making it work. And don't forget to take care of yourself along the way!
 
A few final thoughts to leave you with:

• Fortune favours the brave
• The Alchemist is a book worth reading at least twice
• The worst times in my life have always been a catalyst to the BEST things that have happened to me.

Many thanks,
Lisa
 
Lisa Burling Blake| Managing Director
Fellow, Public Relations Institute of Australia
M: 0429 976 718 | E: [email protected] | W: www.lbpr.com.au

Next up in our new blog series, A Day In The Life Of, we are overjoyed to bring you the uplifting creative force that is DEE BOOMKENS, Photographer, Author and Founder of @and.bloom | AndBloom
A beautiful soul inside and out, Dee has turned her passion and talent into an inspirational, online community where 40+ women are placed front and centre and celebrated.
Thank you so much Dee for sharing your positive words with our audience.
​Love Trudie & Vicky x

Five years ago, after a work sabbatical, I started portraying women over 40. I was 42 at the time and lacked inspiration, both online and offline, that could take away my worries about the second half of my life.

It seemed that all women over 40 had been "erased" from the media, while I only encountered gorgeous, fascinating, kick-ass women who were well over 40/50. I decided to say goodbye to my former fashion photography and focus on the "older" women to bring them back into the media. AndBloom was born.
​
But this decision has only partially selfless. I was desperately looking for reassurance that my life did not end in my 40s. That there was still a future with endless possibilities. I could still go in all directions; physically and mentally, getting older is okay.

By portraying and interviewing all those women, eventually publishing a book in 2021 called "The art of Aging unapologetically," I also changed my mindset. My fears about the future became more minor; my followers have also helped enormously. AndBloom is now a massive community of women who uplift and support each other.

Best advice I've been given
​Best advice I've ever gotten was from a friend 10 years older when I was about 38. I asked her how she coped with ageing and the changes that come with it, mainly physical. She replied: the sooner you embrace and accept it, the easier it is. Getting older is just part of it, you can't stop it. Accept that you are getting older and celebrate the changes.

Advice I'd give
The best advice is to focus on where you are in life. Do not look (too much) to the past or future; live today and enjoy every day. Stop comparing, especially with that past, and especially surround yourself with women who walk the same path as you or have already walked it. Remember that you don't have to feel "on top" daily. If today isn't your day, it might be tomorrow. And perhaps the most important thing is that you are never alone; there is always someone who wants to be there for you.

What I wish I'd known
​If I had known I would ever be confident I wouldn't have wasted my time being insecure. 😃
By that I mean to say that I used to be so incredibly insecure about anything and everything, a waste of my time! First of all because I was then also a great strong, beautiful, special young woman and when I look back now I don't understand what I was so insecure about (I understand but wouldn't be the same if I had the knowledge of today....) Second, the self-confidence I have now didn't require me to do anything but get older. Ok, and a bit of a self-love and acceptance journey in the shape of AndBloom.
With love, Dee
​
Follow Dee @and.bloom or visit her marvellous website AndBloom 

Hello, I’m Hanna Sillitoe - author, entrepreneur and mum to my one year old, Freddie.

I’m so excited to share my ‘Day in the Life’ with you. Not just because I’m incredibly proud of
everything that’s enabled us to create the life we’re living, but because I want to highlight the
opportunity to work a little differently in the hope of inspiring change. Whether you’re looking to
switch careers, or considering quitting the 9-5 entirely to build your own enterprise, I want to
share the amazing opportunities that await. In short... don’t hesitate, just do it!

To give you a super-condensed overview on how I got here; nine years ago I wrote a book
detailing my personal journey healing eczema through diet and lifestyle change. My book, and the
results people achieved through implementing the changes I shared, eventually led to my natural
skincare range. In 2019 I told my story on BBCs Dragons Den, receiving offers from all five
Dragons and ultimately going on to work with Tej Lalvani and Peter Jones. Fast forward three
years, my little boy Freddie is one year old, my skincare range is stocked in over 500 Holland and
Barrett stores, and my big focus for this year is growing and expanding my brilliant team from our
new workspace in Cheshire.

Pitching on Dragons Den in 2019

When it comes to what a typical office looks like these days, we’re living through unusual times. For some companies, the traditional concept of a strict 9-5 sat at a desk has become redundant. Replaced instead by a hybrid model of hot-desking and flexible home working. My vision was to take things a bit the other way. For me, Covid highlighted the importance of people connections. Whilst I embrace the convenience of a zoom call, there’s something so lovely about sitting in the same physical space as another human. Making actual eye contact, laughing, joking, brainstorming and sharing cups of tea - in real life. I wanted to make our office such a fantastic space that staff would want to come in, rather than asking to work from home.
​
Up until last year I did almost everything in the company. I built the website, replied to customers, processed orders, handled social media, wrote our adverts and more! I struggled to let go. It’s hard taking those first steps to hand control over to someone else. I also know it’s essential for growth. The great thing is, I’ve had experience in all these roles, so when we’re interviewing candidates I know exactly what we’re looking for.

The one thing I am adamant about is that Freddie will always be at the centre of everything I do. He comes to work with me, we travel to exhibitions together, he sits in on interviews, joins Zoom calls, and is of course chief product tester for our baby range. My plan is to grow our company together. Coming from a family where both parents independently ran businesses, I spent many a weekend reluctantly accompanying my mum or dad to work. Never really making the connection that all those hours they dedicated to their respective companies paid for the food on our table and the lovely holidays each summer. As a ten year old you’re not really that philosophical are you! Life is black and white and the truth is, being sat in a shop was pretty boring. I never want Freds to feel that way about coming with me to work and I never want to feel I’m restricted from going into work because of Freddie. It has to suit both of us.

The moment we began looking for a workspace, I set us a mission; to find a place that could double as a grown up office, as well as Freddie’s play den. I wanted it to be so much fun that Freds face would light up at the idea of going to work, rather than dread it! We found that space just before Christmas last year and signed up to move in in January.
​
I love what we’ve done with the office - which is a good thing since most days are spent there! Freddie definitely has the lions share of the floor-space. He’s got his own busy-board with push lights, sliding locks and switches. We found a squishy foam play mat that perfectly fits his corner and furnished it with a soft bean bag, cosy blankets and an ever changing rotation of colourful toys.

Nest at Alderley Park. Coming to work has never felt so chilled!
Who’s to say I can’t run a company and care for my little one? Is it really still taboo to breastfeed on a Zoom call? It’s 2023 - anything is possible! I like inspiring change, doing things my way and you know what the most amazing thing is .. rather than push-back or query it, our clients and suppliers embrace it with us. It’s even led to some of them making changes to their own working practices. We women are trailblazers, we’re multitaskers, and we’re damn good at it! Let’s show the world what’s possible. Here’s to having our cake and eating it.

Best advice I’ve been given
To know my numbers. I’m still shocked by how many people pitching in the Den don’t know their basic turnover and profit. Maths isn’t my strong point, but on the day I knew those figures inside out. My dad threatened to disown me if I appeared on national television stumbling and mumbling over important numbers!! Thankfully I now have a very good, and very patient accountant.

Advice I’d give
Don’t ever feel restricted by convention. Just because certain things have been done in a certain way for a very long time, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for change. Be a trailblazer! Follow your dreams, do what makes you happy and carve new paths if the existing ones don’t match your ethos.
​
What I wish I’d known
How important failure would become in shaping my future. Ten years ago I lost my savings (and my sanity!!) starting an electric scooter business that failed spectacularly. I felt so disheartened. I decided the life of an entrepreneur wasn’t for me. Surely a 9-5 with holiday pay and zero stress had to be easier?! At the time that failure felt like the end of the world. In actual fact it has become one of the most valuable lessons I could have learnt to shape every project I’ve embarked on since.

Hanna’s books and skincare range is available at www.HannaSillitoe.com

Just like the winter season (the water element), with an emphasis on inward development like a child in the mother’s womb, then moves to spring (the wood element) where, just like sprouting plants the child transitions to emerge in to the world with a focus on growth, we then go through the summer (the fire element) the expansive energy of social interaction, creativity and activity. The outward energy, starts to reduce as we age and go towards the autumn/Indian summer the earth and metal elements. We begin to centre and ground ourselves, we let go of self-doubt and gain greater awareness. Once again we move towards a inward phase as we proceed towards the winter- the water element, now focusing on wisdom and inner peace, the more stable life like calm waters. The interconnected nature of our environment, mind and body is often linked to specific organs within our bodies. 

Seasons and emotions.
The interconnected nature of the mind and body
Each season carries its own elemental energy which is then associated with different internal organs. Depending on the season, nourishing and bringing harmony to the associated organ results in good emotional and physical health.

The interconnected and interdependent nature of emotions to organs in our body is increasingly becoming a subject of conversation in the modern world. Research in to the gut-brain connection is progressively showing a strong correlation in studies all over the world. An article by Harvard health states that ‘a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or product of anxiety, stress or depression’ (health, n.d.)

This may be a new and trendy topic of conversation for modern science, however Traditional Chinese medicine has valued this intricate connection of organs and emotions for thousands of years.

The fascinating two way interconnection of emotions to organ health, where emotional imbalances have an impact on organ health and organ health impacts emotions is fundamental to assessing and addressing disease and disharmony in one’s being.
Understanding this relationship and how to connect with your body and emotions using food and lifestyle can have a pivotal impact in overall health and wellness.

ANGER & FRUSTRATION (Liver)
Anger is associated with the liver organ and the wood element. If you find yourself angry, frustrated and easily irritated, this indicates an overworked or stressed-out liver condition.

On the other hand, excess frustrations, rushed mindless eating in stressful conditions and consuming food and drinks that harm the liver for example alcohol, caffeine and processed sugars puts pressure on the functioning of the liver and in turn leads to symptoms of liver fire and imbalance such as dryness in the throat, bitter taste, heavy periods, nosebleeds and skin eruptions. According to the Chinese Meridian clock, a 24-hour body clock which embodies the concept of the energy flow through the body, 1 to 3am is the time of the liver. When the body should be asleep so as to allow the liver to release toxins from the body and make new blood. If you find yourself waking up and unable to rest at this time, focus on nourishing the liver.

How to nourish the liver
Foods: According to Traditional Chinese medicine, sour, astringent foods nourish the liver. Begin the day with a glass of warm water and lemon. Include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir and incorporate cooling foods such as mint and green leafy vegetables in your daily diet. Also avoid excessive spicy foods as these put further pressure on the liver.

Lifestyle: Try to eat your meals mindfully in a calm environment. Avoid excessive intense exercises and instead try to go for walks in nature.

FEAR (Kidney)
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are associated with the emotion of fear. Over long periods, if this is left un addressed, it may result in more chronic conditions such as a lack of will power and a deep feeling of insecurity. Common symptoms of this are panic attacks, night sweats, hot flashes, frequent/involuntary urination, premature ageing and hair loss.

According to the Chinese Meridian clock, 5 to 7pm is the time of the kidneys, the best time to have a light dinner and engage in some gentle stretching. If you find yourself particularly unsettled during this time and having negative fearful thoughts, consider engaging in activities that nourish the kidneys.

How to nourish the kidneys
Foods: According to Traditional Chinese medicine, salty* flavoured and dark coloured foods are nourishing for the kidneys. Include foods like seaweed, black sesame seeds, dark beans like kidney beans and black beans, blackberries and blueberries.

Lifestyle: Rest is essential to nourish the kidneys. Try to get enough sleep and avoid heavy distractions like watching the television and work before bed, instead focus on spending a few minutes reading or having a calming drink. Mindful activities such as journaling and meditation can be very helpful in bringing harmony to the kidneys. Stress is said to be very taxing to the kidneys and where possible avoiding situations of high stress can be beneficial to the kidneys.

*Focus here on a balanced amount of good quality salt like pure Himalayan salt or ‘naturally salty flavoured foods like seaweed’ avoid high levels of processed salts as these are derogatory to health. 

HAPPINESS AND JOY (Heart)
Happiness and joy are unsurprisingly associated with the heart and the fire element. When we experience joy and happiness we nourish our heart, on the other hand ‘excessive joy’ and sadness negatively impacts the heart and can result in a feeling of being stuck, lost and mentally chaotic. It is interesting to note that in Chinese medicine there is great awareness of ‘excess joy’ being connected to damaging the heart in Chinese medicine. This is caused by lifestyles whereby one engages in activities like excessive partying and social commitments and excessive ejaculation and sexual indulgence. The fire element is most active during 11am and 1pm when energy enters the heart meridian channel. This also corresponds with midday when the sun is reaching its peak which is the fire element in the cycle of day and night.

How to nourish the heart
Food: Red foods tend to be very nourishing for the heart. Including red toned foods such as tomatoes, watermelons and beetroots is very beneficial for the fire element. Having a goji berry tea with some jujube dates can very uplifting and help manage feelings of sadness. The taste profile of the fire element is bitter. Foods with a bitter taste like kale and dandelion are said to stimulate the heart and can be very beneficial to nourish the fire element.

Lifestyle: Lighting has a very positive impact on the fire element. Trying to ensure that you work and live in well light bright environments is very nourishing to the heart. In addition, lighting some candles whilst carrying out calming activities like reading, meditating or resting are said to light up the heart and bring more joy.

DEPRESSION, SADNESS & A NEGATIVE TMPERAMENT (Lungs)
According to traditional Chinese medicine grief is related to the metal element and lungs. Prolonged periods of untreated grief are said to have a very detrimental effect on our lungs. Common symptoms of this are shortness of breath, a tight feeling in the chest, crying easily and frequently and being unsettled particularly between 3am and 5am, the time of the lungs in the organ clock. On the other hand, having well supported lungs can have a very positive impact on inspiration and ambition. The concept of having a light energised spirit is often linked to be housed in the chest.

How to nourish the lungs
Food: White or ‘white centred’ foods are said to be particularly beneficial to the metal element which is associated with lungs. Internally moistening foods like radishes, cauliflowers, garlic, leeks, onions, rice and oats help to nourish the lungs. The taste profile that is associated with this element is pungent and lightly spicy, foods such as onions and radishes can be very beneficial to the lungs.

Lifestyle: Deep inward breathing through our nose, then exhaling through our lungs via our mouth is said to be beneficial in letting go of grief. When suffering from grief, it is also recommended that seeking out support systems and among friends, family and professionals can be particularly helpful and in turn reduce the impact on the lungs.
​
So next time you feel overwhelmed by emotions, listen to your body and address it’s needs by nourishing your organs.

This month I am thrilled to bring you a guest blog by the fabulous and gorgeous Sophie Ritchie. Friend of The Blend, founder of Disco BarreTM, The Lotte Berk Technique advocate and owner of the most hypnotic hips in East London! Find out how Sophie keeps in shape, body, mind and soul and her top tips for navigating the challenges of daily life. Thank you so much Sophie - we love your moves! Trudie & Sophie xx
​
 I am 44 years old and uncertain as to whether I have hit the perimenopause yet or not? I definitely haven’t experienced any symptoms, which could be down to luck or it could hit me soon like a tonne of bricks. What I chose to believe, however, is that it’s due to my profession...

I am the founder of Disco BarreTM, which is a hardcore barre concept, with music, moves and vibes inspired by the dance floor and my love for electronic music culture. I am also trained in The Lotte Berk Technique. Lotte invented barre fitness over 60 years ago and I was trained by her daughter, Esther Fairfax. Due to legal reasons I have rebranded it The Barre Lineage. I have a studio in Dalston, London, where both classes are taught and it is the combination of both of these classes that I believe holds a key to youth.

The Barre Lineage is especially perfect for women entering midlife and works on many different levels; the physical, mindful, energetic and erotic.

PHYSICALLY
It is low impact, so is easy on joints and it has one of the most effective core sections out there. I choose not to focus on weight loss when promoting my classes and prefer to focus on how it makes you feel, not look, but, inches will be shaved from your waist, which is very important as we get older as excess abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Joseph Pilates famously said you are only as strong as your spine and the core and mobility work we do are insane. You just move better. Posture, flexibility and mobility is improved, but it also gives something else - a little spring in your step and you want to dance and you will dance a lot better, believe me. Dancing and music keep me from feeling old for sure!.

MINDFULLY
Despite the power of the movement, the class is also deeply meditative as it focuses on such small parts of you in isolation, so you will find that you don’t think of anything else during the hour. You will connect to your body in quite profound ways and I have noticed my neural pathways have strengthened and I find it easier to learn new things.

ENERGETICALLY & EROTICALLY
This element is what I get really excited about and what I want clients to really tune into. There is a spark that is ignited with regular practice which I liken to a kundalini awakening. Life force, sex energy, serpent energy, whatever you want to call it or believe, it is generated by a lot of the movements. A lot of the work is done in a pelvic tilt - either moving in and out of it or staying constantly in it on the ground and this definitely brings the blood to your genitals. Yes, it makes you horny! And because of this and a particular exercise I do in the inner spirit section, orgasms are definitely stronger.

Both classes inspire empowerment and sensuality and will help you gain a deeper understanding of how you take up space in your environment and feel VISIBLE, which is the ultimate sign of confidence.

OTHER THINGS THAT KEEP ME SANE AND HAPPY

• Journalling/morning pages. I really notice the difference in my week when I brain dump daily.
• CBD oil products from cearmed.com. I used to only have about 5 hours sleep a night and now it's 7.5 thanks to these guys. They have a new range of skin care which is giving me a real glow too, plus their muscle and joint rub is a literal miracle. I also get full dream recall when using them and I like to keep a dream diary, which is a great way to learn about your inner world. They currently have 20% off site wide.
• Virtual crate digging. I love having a night to myself to discover new music to play in class.
• Taking myself off to see some live dance or music or an inspiring film. Anything that will encourage my creative juices to flow. I particularly love a good music documentary or anything about anyone who was top of their game in any field.
• A music festival or great night out to dance and connect with my tribe of music lovers. I will never grow out of this.
• Walking in my local park with my dog, Flea. There may be tree hugging. I LOVE TREES.
• London. This crazy metropolis inspires me every day.

MOVE WITH ME!
I have an On Demand platform which is £22.22 a month
https://www.discobarre.com/on-demand

I am also running an intro offer at the studio of £60 for 14 days of unlimited classes https://www.discobarre.com/pricing

Did you know there is an International Dark-Sky Association? Well there is! And it’s a global organisation that stretches from North America to New Zealand. The IDA states the sky is, “one half of the entire planet’s natural environment.”
 
Their award-winning International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) Program was founded in 2001 to encourage communities, parks and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education. This program offers five types of designation:

1. International Dark Sky Communities
   Communities are legally organised cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertake efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies.
2. International Dark Sky Parks
   Parks are publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors.
3. International Dark Sky Reserves
   Reserves consist of a dark “core” zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core.
4. International Dark Sky Sanctuaries
   Sanctuaries are the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile.
5. Urban Night Sky Places
   UNSPs are sites near or surrounded by large urban environs whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of significant artificial light at night, and that otherwise do not qualify for designation within any other International Dark Sky Places category.

There are currently 195 certified IDSPs in the world, which you can see on the interactive map here: interactive map.
 
For millennia, the night sky has been a source of wonder, mystery and guidance.
 
Ada Blair is a psychotherapist, student of ecopsychology. (Ecopsychology is distinguished from conventional psychology as it focuses on studying the emotional bond between humans and the Earth.) Ada is also a regular visitor of the Isle of Sark, which is the smallest of the four main Channel Islands. Sark is a designated Dark Sky Community, where cars and street lights are banned, helping to make the perfect environment for viewing the night sky.
 
The fields of ecopsychology and environmental psychology look at how encounters with nature may be beneficial and transformative and Ada was interested to understand more about how the inhabitants of Sark felt about and responded to their incredible night sky. What she discovered through her quantitative research was:

1. Residents placed a high level of value and enjoyment on observing the night sky and feel that this strengthened family/community connection. “last summer we were lying on the field outside the Island Hall with everybody looking up during the meteor shower … people had sleeping bags, thermoses and hot chocolate. … It was brilliant … everybody was getting so much enjoyment out of it.” “Did you see the Milky Way above the Seignurie last night, wasn’t it amazing?”
2. They believed that observing the night sky resulted in positive feelings, “‘This huge mass of stars in the sky, it makes you feel a lot better … you look up and you look out … it just draws you out, you concentrate on something else.
3. None of the participants expressed being afraid of the dark “My kids, they’ve been brought up here … They’ll go on their bikes ahead of me in pitch darkness”. “When I moved here I had to train myself not to be scared … now I feel 100 percent safe.”
4. Residents see the night sky as part of nature: “The dark sky is integral. It’s what Sark is. It’s part of nature here.”

You can read all about Ada’s research in her book ‘Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark’ available on Amazon here.
 
But what is it about star gazing and the moon that captivates us so? The BBC’s Linda Geddes, delves into the lunar cycle to see what’s behind the mystery of the moon that’s fascinated us for millennia in her 2019 article ‘The Mood-Altering Power of the Moon’.
 
​​For centuries, people have believed that the Moon affects human behaviour. The word lunacy derives from the Latin lunaticus, meaning “moonstruck”. The Moon affects Earth in a couple of ways:

1. The provision of moonlight
   1. A full Moon arrives around every 29.5 days, and a new Moon follows 14.8 days after that.
2. The Moon’s gravitational pull
   1. Creates the ocean tides that rise and fall every 12.4 hours. The height of those tides also follows roughly two-week cycles
      1. 14.8 day “spring-neap cycle”, which is driven by the combined pull of the Moon and Sun
      2. 13.7-day “declination cycle”, which is driven by the Moon’s position relative to Earth’s equator.

Both the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder believed that madness and epilepsy were caused by the Moon. But scientific evidence to suggest the lunar cycle affects human behaviour was inconsistent.
 
However, in 2017, Thomas Wehr, an emeritus professor of psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda,  published a paper describing 17 patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder, who showed an uncanny regularity in their episodes of illness.
“The thing that struck me about these cycles was that they seemed uncannily precise in a way that one would not necessarily expect of a biological process… It led me to wonder if there was some kind of external influence that was operating on these cycles.”
 
Wehr was thorough in his study of his bipolar patients, in some cases tracking the dates of their mood episodes over the course of years. He discovered that his patients' mood fluctuations appeared to synchronise with the moons' (roughly) two-week cycles. It was noted that rhythms were  interrupted by ‘supermoons’ when the orbit brings the moon particularly close to the Earth.
 
Another possibility is that patients are responding to the Moon’s gravitational pull in the same way the oceans do: through tidal forces. “Humans are made out of water, but the pull is so weak that it would be difficult to see how that would work from a physical point of view,” says Bambos Kyriacou, a behavioural geneticist at the University of Leicester, UK. “These are incredibly small changes, which can only be detected with extremely sensitive devices, but now there are over 200 publications to support this,” says Joachim Fisahn, a biophysicist at the Max Planck Institute of Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany. 

So the debate continues! To read Linda’s article in full, click here.
 
I for one love star gazing and the wonders of the moon. Absorbing the summer evenings as the sun sets and the fragrance of jasmine and honeysuckle drift on the breeze is heaven. As the skies darken and a tapestry of stars light the sky I feel the enormity of the universe and how we are part of it.
 
And don’t forget this year’s Perseid meteor shower which is active between 17 July and 24 August. This year the peak falls on the night of the 12th and before dawn on 13 August. Make sure to head out at dusk, allow 15 mins for your eyes to adjust, get comfy and enjoy the show.
 
Wishing you a lovely August.
Lots of love, Zoë xx
 
Source: darksky.org | bbc.com | Photo Credit: Greg Rakozy @unsplash

It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut. Repeating the same patterns day after day, year after year. Joe Dispenza talks about how we are so used to living in the past. Our expectations of outcome are based on past experience. How we  prepare ourselves for a predetermined outcome before an event has even taken place. And when we do this, we limit the infinite, wondrous possible alternative outcomes!
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“When you think from your past memories, you can only create past experiences. As all of the “knowns” in your life cause your brain to think and feel in familiar ways, thus creating knowable outcomes, you continually reaffirm your life as you know it. And since your brain is equal to your environment, then each morning, your senses plug you into the same reality and initiate the same stream of consciousness” - Dr. Joe Dispenza

Imagine if you could start each day with an open mind and heart. What could this day bring? What if you began your day with anticipation for what MIGHT happen as opposed to what you think will happen? 

I always love seeing someone dressed in bright colours, dressed in a way that’s joyful, kooky and creative, not self-conscious, not worried about what someone else might think. And I bet you see people that make you smile, whether it’s through their clothes, their adventurous nature or their attitude to life. And what thoughts run through your head when you see this exciting person?

‘Oh! I could never do...’, or ‘Oh! I could never wear…’,  or ‘I could never go to…’ to which I shout, “WHY NOT?!” And don’t get me started on the ‘I’m not… clever enough, talented enough, tall enough, short enough, rich enough! 

It is so easy to pigeonhole ourselves with our own limiting beliefs. When we repeat the same narrative over and over again we come to believe it as true. Now, these beliefs may have developed through personal experience (it’s happened once before therefore it must be true). Maybe we have come to adopt beliefs passed down through the generations , ‘Well, Bob has always been shy’, ‘No, we don’t like...’. Or maybe we have changed our beliefs to fit into a social circle. There are many ways in which we come to hold an opinion/view of ourselves, but I would hasten to bet, many if not most of your beliefs are not necessarily a reflection of your true self. 

Remember, WE ARE ALL ENOUGH! We have within us a universe of potential, we just need to believe it. We just need to not overthink it. We just need to jump into it! We just need to DO IT. Let’s challenge these limiting beliefs. Let’s move out of our comfort zone and try something new! Let’s dare to be different!  

Here are some easy exercises to help overcome your limiting beliefs:

1. Identify what’s holding you back - what limiting belief is hindering your happiness?
   1. Write each one down (you may have more than one!) 
2. Understand that it is just a belief and you can change the way you see yourself.
3. Challenge the belief - question it. 
   1. Where did it come from? Are there any facts/evidence to support it? • Did I always think that way? If not, what has changed? How would I think about this belief if I were someone else (Eg. An entrepreneur, a doctor etc.)?
4. What are the consequences of holding on to this limiting belief? 
   1. Is it stopping you living your fullest life? Experiencing all the things you’d like to do?
5. Decide to adopt a new belief
   1. This may sound simplistic, but like cognitive behavioural therapy, it’s based on rewiring our conditioned thought patterns. Yes, it’s hard to do, but with time, patience and consistency it is doable.
6. ​Practice, Practice, Practice
   1. Repeat your new, positive belief, and put it into practice. Make changes to support your new, positive belief. For example, if your limiting belief told you that you were "too old to start exercising", instead start to adopt an "It is never too late to start" belief and then, today, go for a 15-minute walk to start exercising and create a habit from there.

When you wake up tomorrow, wake with the knowledge that anything is possible. Wake with the knowledge that you are in control of your thoughts. Wake with the knowledge that you can be whoever you want to be (not who you think you are) Wake with the knowledge that you are enough.

And I would love to hear how you get on! Have a great July.
Lots of love, Zoë xx