I used to think Mindfulness Retreats were for people with too much money and time on their hands. Therefore: definitely not for me. But this month, I ended up at one. I don’t want to risk sounding like ‘that person’ who went on a retreat that changed their life (I’ve always screwed my nose up...
It’s heartening to know that no matter what you’re experiencing, countless others across time and geography have felt similarly. In my struggle to find an internal well of self-worth and divest myself from definitions of success that facilitate burnout, I’ve found others whose struggles reflect mine. We all worry that we don’t matter, and in...
I have long since considered myself an outdoorsman. From hiking to hunting, I have at different times engaged in all of that. But living in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, I often have to be contented with short hikes up surrounding hills and the occasional visits to the streams or fountains in the suburbs. At the end...
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Authors: Rachel Cohen, Clinical Psychologist and PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney; Amy Slater, Associate Professor, University of the West of England, and Jasmine Fardouly, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Macquarie University. Social media use is often described as being problematic for mental health and body image....
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Authors:Joshua Krook, University of Adelaide The story of Yumiko Kadota, whose gruelling schedule as a Sydney hospital registrar included clocking up more than 100 hours of overtime in her first month, has highlighted the punishing work schedules required in the medical profession. Research indicates working...
As I have gotten more and more conscious of my health and what I eat, one of my biggest challenges has been how best to deal with my sugar intake. I like to taste sweet stuff (and no, I refuse to be called sweet-toothed). However, with the ever-increasing rates of diabetes and other sugar-related ailments,...
When I was growing up, I distinctly remember my mum religiously watching the Oprah Winfrey Show, even writing things down in a notebook to remember for later. I always thought idolising strangers was odd, but now I completely understand the purpose of having strong role models, even if they are strangers. “I am an example of...
It was after I noticed that my skin looked its best that I realized that maybe doing the most with my skincare isn’t always necessary. I have sensitive, very fair skin, and had remarkably bad acne from a young age. Bad enough that doctors put me on Accutane, a “nuclear option” drug that dried out...
Whilst volunteering I met some amazing young people, just like me, from all around the world. Volunteering abroad often means you’re living and working in a group 24/7 together. Getting to know everyone, I was surprised how many had struggled with panic attacks, social anxiety, OCD and depression back home. It wasn’t something that came up straight away, but a few...
My eyes often glaze over when I read press releases from natural beauty companies. They’re often filled with words such as ‘revolutionary’ and ‘innovative’ when in reality, they’re nothing more than home-based businesses creating eco beauty products from their kitchen, using proven natural beauty methodologies like throwing in a few certified organic ingredients and using...
In a society that seems to promote and reward external beauty, physical attractiveness and heterosexuality above all else, it’s inevitable that some people, and particularly young people, will feel the pressure to keep up with or maintain appearances and some will suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and body confidence issues. So we’ve curated this...
Mental health is a serious global health issue, with one in four people affected by conditions such as depression, anxiety or addiction and ‘one of the main causes of the overall disease burden worldwide‘. I am one of these people *raises hand* and if you’re reading this article, you may be too, and that’s nothing to be ashamed...