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Black Friday Blues?

What did you do yesterday?black-friday-2901754_1920

Now known internationally as ‘Black Friday’.

Were you out at the shops searching for bargains?

Surfing the web?

Suck(er)ed into buying something you didn’t want or need by a carefully-targeted and tempting enticement from a previously-visited or a favourite website?

Are you experiencing ‘buyer’s remorse’ about any of your purchases?

Whilst the timing of this message is targeted towards those of us who celebrate, mark or ‘suffer’ Christmas as we know it today, it is part of the much wider movement that asks us to each reflect on our consumerism overall and its effect on not only the environment, but also on our own personal finances and happiness – and how what we do affects other people, too.

Whatever you did or didn’t do yesterday, we all have the choice today to do something different(ly) in the run up to Christmas this year, and from hereon in… Continue reading “Black Friday Blues?” →

Laughter – the best medicine?

I’m interested to see in last week’s news that, based upon findings they published last year: “being in a positive mood on the day of your flu jab can increase its protective effect”, Nottingham University are continuing with another piece of research into whether they can harness this to improve the effectiveness of flu vaccinations for older people, who are particularly vulnerable to this virus.

Later this year a group of patients aged 65-85 will have their mood measured, watch 15 minutes of Michael McIntyre (one of my favourite comedians, too BTW) and then have their mood retested. Blood tests will be taken before the jab and four weeks later to see if they have higher antibody responses.

laugh

 

So, could a good laugh help ward off the flu?

 

Continue reading “Laughter – the best medicine?” →

How Ikigai Can Help Us

 

ikigai‘Ikigai’ is a Japanese word for describing the pleasures and meanings of life – from ‘iki’ (to live) and ‘gai’ (reason) – sometimes described as ‘the reason we get up in the morning’.

It has five pillars:

  1. Starting small
  2. Releasing yourself
  3. Harmony and sustainability
  4. The joy of small things
  5. Being in the here and now

This is a lovely combination of several concepts which I find particularly useful. Continue reading “How Ikigai Can Help Us” →

Why I Like Watching Christmas Movies

christmas films.png

If you’ve read any of my previous blogs relating to Christmas (such as ‘Christmas Presents an Issue’ or ‘Something they want … or an IOU?’) you might be somewhat surprised at the title here.

I do struggle with the commercialisation, the social/emotional pressure to be with people with whom we might not choose to spend our time, to do things (in a way) that might not sit comfortably, for everything to be ‘perfect’, the false ‘bonhomie’, and so on….

So why do I enjoy watching Christmas films?

I think I’ve finally peeled away the layers and figured it out – and what I enjoy about them actually has little to do with Christmas as such… Continue reading “Why I Like Watching Christmas Movies” →

CLANGERS for all…!!!

CLANGERS

I saw Dr Phil Hammond (doctor and comedian) on TV recently. I love this concept of his – simple and memorable.

As he says:

“The daily habits of healthy, happy people are easy to say but harder to do. Try to do your daily CLANGERS, and help others to do theirs. Changes in lifestyle are far more powerful than any drug we have to offer.” Continue reading “CLANGERS for all…!!!” →

“Get off the gift-giving treadmill…”

So says Martin Lewis in his latest post on the subject of unnecessary Christmas presents (it’s only 3 minutes and worth a view):

“Zero sum giving”, “tit-for-tat giving” where, as he says, we end up with less money or in debt – and with ‘tat’ we don’t want or need….

This is just the right time to start having those conversations, before you go off to the shops or online to buy them.

If you need any more convincing, see also my previous blogs such as:

Christmas Presents an Issue?

Something they want … or an IOU?

‘To Wrap, or Not to Wrap?’ – that is the question...

“I need to fall in love with the world again…”

This is the first line in Hussain Manawer’s poem ‘Playground’ – for me it’s a ‘pick-me-up’.

I hope you like it, too, it’s just 3½ minutes:

Waste Not, Want Not, Tie The Knot!

I just want to share another great example of frugality and recycling that I read about in the Express recently – and all done without losing any of the joy and celebration in life:

wedding-rings-150300_1280.pngA couple, Cherie Harris and James Mainwaring, approached their wedding arrangements in a rather different and heartening way.

Instead of paying the usual cost of a wedding breakfast for their 140 guests, they spent a mere £6 a head by sourcing a delicious meal from food that would otherwise have gone to landfill via The Real Junk Food Project.

Other eco-friendly touches included home-made invitations and decorations, a wedding dress lined with bamboo pulp and gifts of seeds as wedding favours which their guests could then plant afterwards…

Doesn’t this just show what can be achieved with a touch of imagination, ingenuity and co-operation. winking-face_1f609

‘Life Stripped Bare’ – another chance to see it

movers-24403_640I wrote about this UK Channel 4 Series back in 2016 in my blog How Much ‘Stuff’ is Enough? The Naked Truth!.

If you missed it and you’d like to see it, it’s being repeated – starting tomorrow, Monday 28th May, at 11pm.

Enjoy!

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