If you are new to Conscious Me or you have stumbled upon this site, there are a few things that have changed. I’ve revamped the site and moved it to a new location, you can now find me here at Being KT where I’ll have the same great content, more freebies and now that I’m a fully certified health coach I’ll be running workshops, courses and some one-on-one coaching. I’ll see you there x
IT’S THE MINI MELTDOWN BEFORE THE GREAT BIG MELTDOWN! So, you know there is a problem but you can’t quite put your finger on it. You know that you are not ‘burnt-out’. That is pretty bad and usually fairly spectacular. You come to work, you do pretty good too – but not great. You generally feel tired and lethargic. Overwhelmingly, you feel unhappy… Does this sound familiar? You are not alone in this. In fact, this reaction to work has started to become so common that it has been given a name – BROWNOUT. Brownout, is a term which is used to describe part of the life stage of an electrical power outage and is the stage before a black out. Put into simple terms, if you consider burnout like the flu, then brownout is like the common cold – they both have similar symptoms but brownout is the less vicious. You still go to work, but your heart just isn’t in it. You still talk to friends and family but you start to retreat …
Stress is an unpleasant reality for most of us. Whenever things start to feel out of control the stress will dial up. The more that you try to ignore it the worse it gets. So, my first tip – don’t stick your head in the sand because it will not go away. Learning ways to cope with your stress and how to get yourself together to lower your stress levels is one of the most valuable things that you can do in life. For me, over commitment and finances were two of my major stress buttons. Yep, agreeing to things I either didn’t want to do or knew I couldn’t but didn’t want to disappoint would lead to many sleepless nights. Then there were those, it-was-in-sale-I-had-to-have-it (and I basically saved money it was so discounted!) moments when I KNEW I couldn’t really afford my purchase. The problem was I really deserved it. Plus, because it was on sale it would go soon. Then I would have non-purchase regret. Can you see the problem? Anyway, regardless …
We have all experienced stress. It is one of the most common afflictions in our very fast and very modern world. This topic is especially top of mind for me, as I am doing my best to stay grounded with a swirl of projects, changes, holidays and nearing the end of year – these things are all tugging me in a million different ways. It doesn’t take long before my body starts to feel the effects of the crazier, faster pace of life and the energy swirling through. I don’t feel overtly stressed, as thankfully long walks with the pug and mindful eating along with cutting out unhealthy choices are helping me manage it all as well as some very determined conscious thinking with gratitude! It doesn’t always go so well though. Often we try to tell ourselves that we are not stressed out (after all, other people have it so much worse. I should just be grateful!) and so therefore don’t recognise the early stages and how we could manage it to ward off the …
When you think about the basics of wellness, sleep is always one of the top on the list. Getting enough sleep can stop you from making poor choices, keep your energy levels up and your general happiness levels where they should be. Seems simple right? Not at all. Sleep is absolutely essential but also one of the most easily disrupted. I used to be one of those that was absolutely convinced that I needed very little sleep. Ah, one of the lucky few that could operate on a few hours, function and function pretty well! Just as well really. I was also one of the many that had mild insomnia! How. Wrong. I. Was. The problem that I had was I couldn’t remember how I felt on a full tank of sleep. How much easier I coped with general every day problems and how much quicker my problem solving skills were. I hadn’t realised that my moods fluctuated and my levels of optimism had dramatically dropped. Oh, then there was that energy thing! It really …
So, if you are in the Southern hemisphere, you may have noticed that summer is starting to move on in! This means many things (ahem, bikini season, rose, sun, sea – oh the list goes on!) it also means we risk constantly forgetting lip balm whilst simultaneously realising just how dry and chapped your lips are getting! I am a massive fan of doing it yourself – beauty saviours can be found in the most surprising places, the fridge, pantry and fruit bowl are often the most perfect of hiding places. This means do-it-yourself concoctions that you can make at home that are free of nasty chemicals and things that you really shouldn’t be using on your skin. Here is a super hydrating mask for your lips that is quick and easy to make – you may have the ingredients already! Ingredients: 1 Tsp of coconut oil – to restore the lipid layer to the skin and is also anti-inflammatory 1 Tbsp of honey (I use Manuka) – moisturising and antibacterial Directions: Mix both the …
Sat in bold black writing on my goal list is to learn how to meditate. It’s always sounded like something I should do, but I don’t know how to. Those that meditate seem to belong to a very select and zen group that are absolutely in the “know”. It is always in the health mag’s and in my favourite blogs that proclaim (and rather loudly!) that it’s really freakin’ brilliant. They say you can’t know the peace/awareness/contentment until you do it. My brain drives me mental. I have a very busy mind and one that is quite happy to have races with itself, just around 3am! “We are what we think, having become what we thought,” – Dhammapada, ancient Buddhist text State of mind. Pretty big subject that. Especially considering that the mind is both the problem and the solution (love that saying). It is not fixed, it is fluid. The idea that we can change how and what we think is something that fascinates me but then the thought of setting by myself with the silence …
There are very few things that are more luxurious in life than a spa. Whenever you walk into your favourite spa, your senses are engaged immediately. Your mood changes. You shoulders start to drop. Your eye lids start to lower and your breathing gets slower as you inhale the incredible scents around you. The air is perfumed, soft music quietly plays, the lights are low and there is very little clutter. Candles are lit and all the furnishings are warm, soft and luxurious. You ignore your technology and you don’t miss at all the flickering screens or beeps. You get handed tantalising infused water or warm herbal tea. Already you feel yourself start to relax. The stresses that worried you as you walked through the door. Almost gone. Well, why not try to recreate this at home? If you are anything like me you will have a rather healthy (or not, totally depends on how you look at it!) obsession with candles and fragrance. Creating your own can be far less expensive, easier to …
One thing (ahem, of many) that I struggle with on a regular basis is lack of sleep. Like seriously sleep deprived. If it wasn’t bouts of insomnia then it was extremely light sleep patterns. Then, add to this one pug puppy and boom. I. Am. Knackered. Exhausted. Worn out. Zombie! A study by Jawbone, the makers of the digital activity-monitor wristband UP, Tokyo is the world’s most sleep-deprived city, with residents averaging five hours and 44 minutes per night. Melbourne was the most well-rested with six hours and 58 minutes – still an hour short of the ideal eight – and probably closer to what the majority of us are getting, if we are lucky! A lack of sleep is also the absolute worst thing that we can do for our beauty regime. Think dry, dull skin. Tired eyes with dark bags. Dare I say it, wrinkles… “I call deep sleep a free form of cosmetic medicine,” says leading US dermatologist Dr Rachael Eckel. “Repair mechanisms within our cells respond to the body’s natural 24-hour clock, …
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