Innholdsfortegnelse for New Year 2019 i In The Moment

Download your bonus papers New year is a time when I like to declutter. In my household this is met with mild enthusiasm on the part of my daughter, who likes a tidy room but isn’t always keen on the tidying part; mild resistance on the part of my son, who develops a deep and sentimental attachment to any object that finds its way into his possession; and strenuous resistance from my partner, who takes the view that all manner of ‘useful things’ should be stored for an indefinite period of time until the day that they are needed (which, to be fair, they sometimes are). In this context, I have always thought of myself as a bit of a champion declutterer, so reading our feature A Life Less Cluttered…

For photographer Tracy Calder, mindfulness is part of her craft. She is the co-founder of Close-up Photographer of the Year – a competition, blog and artistic community celebrating close-up, macro and micro photography. Its aim is to encourage us to slow down and enjoy the craft of photography. “Digital cameras and smartphones tend to make us all a bit snap happy,” suggests Tracy. “Sometimes taking a picture becomes more important than experiencing the event, or connecting with the subject, and that can leave us feeling deeply dissatisfied.” Tracy became interested in close-up photography 10 years ago. “I had a fast-paced job in the magazine industry, which could be quite stressful, so I started photographing the wildflowers close to my home in Sussex,” she explains. It proved to be balm for…

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken crockery with gold. Glittering lacquer is used to stick the pieces back together, rebuilding the pot or plate, so it is rejuvenated rather than repaired. It’s now considered even more beautiful because of its twinkling uniqueness. This ancient craft stems from wabi-sabi, the wider philosophy that celebrates imperfection as a natural part of living. In her book, Wabi-Sabi Wisdom, author, life coach and speaker Andrea Jacques (kyoseiconsulting.com) explains that its world view ‘places value on the imperfect nature of life’ and embraces qualities such as roughness, simplicity, modesty and age. Refreshingly, it celebrates what actually is. Not what might be, what could be, what we want it to be, but exactly how it is, with all of life’s rough edges – be…

We all have our own ways of tidying. For some, it’s a regular chore undertaken for a well turned out home or workspace. For others it’s something that is pushed aside until there’s no avoiding the task. Whatever your reason for clearing up, or how you do it, most of us have one thing in common: we have an awful lot of things. Piles of newspaper inserts and paperwork. Items of clothing that are never worn. Trinkets, boxes within boxes and of course plenty of ‘just in case’ items picked up for an ‘it would be rude not to’ price. And the tidal wave of gubbins extends to the digital world too, with a huge number of unread emails filling up our inboxes and a desktop that has taken on…

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When we pay attention to our experiences and the guidance they offer us, we come to recognise that life invites us to see what we couldn’t see before. We’re called upon, for example, to be more honest next time, to be discerning, tolerant, patient, bold or compassionate. Whatever it is, though, we’re being invited to let go. Relinquishing our grip on something that matters to us, whether literally or figuratively, is something that all humans find hard to do. We’re not just attached to possessions and relationships – we cling to habits, stories, beliefs, judgements and feeling a certain way, even though some of these might hinder or harm us. With possessions, we draw on sentimentality and a just-in-case attitude, making it tricky to part with things we don’t use,…

Health isn’t all about salads and treadmills – it’s about a bigger picture. It can be broken down into six major components – in no particular order: * Physical health* Mental health* Emotional health* Environmental health* Social health* Spiritual health In other words, it’s not just about what you’re putting into your body and how often you’re moving it – it’s also about how healthy your mind is and how positive or, by contrast, self-destructive your thoughts are. It’s about how you’re able to process and cope with the demands of daily life. It’s about how healthy your relationships are and how you conduct and express yourself in them. It’s about how you handle your feelings. It’s about the environment you live in, and how safe you feel living in…

Better every day The vibrant guided Dailygreatness Wellness journal has everything you need to have a healthier and brighter 2019, including wellness worksheets, a daily food and exercise journal, training tips and weekly shopping lists. It’s all about creating positive habits – and sticking to them. The weekly and quarterly check-ins will help you to stay focused on your health goals. £39.95 dailygreatness.co.uk Perfectly imperfect When we’re in pursuit of perfection, we can put ourselves under a lot of pressure, because life doesn’t always play ball. That’s the key message of The Imperfect Life Planner. It’s all about embracing your imperfections and accepting that mistakes are part of life. This journal is your roadmap to clarity in 2019, plus you’ll learn how to be kinder to yourself. £34.99 shop.theimperfectlife.co Take five If…

Setting out our aspirations at the beginning of a new year can give us fresh focus, helping us to pursue our goals as well as giving us the enthusiasm to try something new. How we do this is every bit as important as the goals we set ourselves. The first step is to let go of any goals you feel you should aim for, changes you feel you should make; instead, choose personal goals that will nourish you, fulfil you and enrich you. The second step is understanding how to move towards your goals, how to stay focused and move past any obstacles that might come between you and where you’d like to be. This is where your vision board comes in. A vision board is both a creative and…

DOWNSIZE YOUR CALENDAR You may have trouble embracing JOMO (the Joy Of Missing Out) if you feel as though you are exchanging doing something for doing nothing. Allocate time to yourself on a regular basis and block out time on your calendar as ‘me time’ – to just do the things that you enjoy, or to sit and think or meditate and appreciate your own company. Then you have a solid ‘date’ you can think of when saying no to an activity. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY Try doing less in terms of how much you commit to each week, such as clubs and engagements. Restrict your commitments to a handful of the ones that enrich your life, rather than ones that you feel burdened by. This will not only reduce your…

Think back to the last time you visited an art gallery or a museum. Did you leave feeling calm? Inspired? Enriched? When you consider all the positive benefits you experienced, you’re probably wondering why you don’t go more often. Maybe you’re too busy, or are reluctant to set time aside for yourself, but a new report by Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art, has found that just a few hours of quiet contemplation in a gallery every two or three months can be a great way to relieve everyday stress and anxiety. The charity’s ‘Calm and collected’ report found that many of us have visited a museum or gallery to de-stress, and that people who visit them more often generally feel happier with life. That said, only a…

“Good sleep begins from the moment you wake up. Food, yoga and daily routine are all key to creating peaceful nights,” explains Anandi, a renowned Ayurvedic sleep expert. Although I have never had insomnia, I chose to go on a sleep retreat to learn how better nights mean better days, and vice versa. “We all need our beauty sleep,” Anandi tells our all-women group at Villa Verde, Montegonzi, in Italy’s Tuscan hills. “With good rest, nourishment and a quiet mind we can not only feel better, but also work and look better too.” Britain is one of the most sleep-deprived nations in the world, with one in three of us not getting enough. All of us in the group have experienced difficulty sleeping at some time in our lives and…

Robust boots Yes, they’re expensive, and yes you need to order them from the US, but the iconic L.L. Bean Boots are so fantastic, we don’t care, as they’re worth the price and effort. These comfortable, sturdy leather-and-rubber beauties are the only rain boots you need for winter – they’re warm, waterproof and look amazing worn with jeans. We love. £135 www.llbean.com Cosy coat With its clever use of wearable tech, Blazewear’s down jacket is perfect if you really feel the cold in winter. Flick a switch and a battery gently heats up panels, warming you up fast. Even when turned off, the jacket’s synthetic insulation fill is deliciously warm. You won’t want to take this off until midsummer – it’s like wearing a portable electric blanket! £194.99 www.blazewear.com Snug snow jacket…

FLY * British Airways runs direct flights between London and Durban, the closest international airport to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi. Returns cost from £757. www.ba.com EXPERIENCE * TravelLocal connects travellers with local tour operators for more authentic experiences. They offer a 10-day trip to KwaZulu-Natal’s Elephant Coast from £1,705pp, including accommodation, car hire, some meals, all excursions and a Wilderness Trail. www.travellocal.com HIT THE TRAILS * If you want to find out more about the Imfolzi Wilderness Trails, there’s plenty of information on their website. www.ekznw.co.za/Trails.htm…

One winter’s night just over two years ago, I signed up for a marathon. I did it on a whim, following one of the most stressful periods of my life when my toddler was diagnosed with cancer. After months of being quarantined at home or sitting in hospital wards (during which I ate a lot of cake, drank a lot of tea and moved very little), I hoped it would get me in shape, clear my mind and force me into a healthier routine. This was a physical and mental challenge way beyond anything I’d ever attempted before. And for the following seven months, I was so daunted by the prospect of running 26.2 miles that I did nothing. Then one morning, with four and a half months to go,…

Photo comp winner! Our latest Instagram photography challenge theme was ‘morning’ and we loved this entry from Tammy (@tammymarshmallow_mylife) “One consistent factor of my mornings for many decades now (since reading an article in my mum’s magazine aged 14) has been to have a slice of lemon in hot water before anything else. If I’m away from home, the first thing into my bag is a lemon so I can start my day right. My family know that in the (extremely rare) event they decide to bring me breakfast/coffee in bed, I’ll still need my lemon tea first. So, no matter where I am in my life or where in the world, this picture pretty much starts my day.” Tammy wins this tea set by T2 worth £35 (t2tea.com).  See…

Make this your year to slow down – often easier said than done. Wellness authors Nadia Narain and Katia Narain Phillips suggest simple daily rituals can help to make this a priority and bring more “moments of stillness and harmony into our lives”. Find their New Year intention ritual on calmmoment.com and learn more in their book Rituals for Every Day (Hutchinson, £14.99). Find a pair of jeans that actually t! ZOZO is a new company that’s passionate about making clothes specifically for each person’s unique shape. Sign up and you’ll get a free ZOZO suit, which you use with the app to take all your measurements. Then, head online to shop their range of clothes and get them custom made for you. www.zozo.com Rethink your relationship with your phone…

Struggling by on too little sleep is a modern epidemic and it makes tackling Clutter Mountain so much more daunting. In fact, studies indicate that those with a high risk of hoarding show evidence of poor sleep. Don’t sabotage yourself by staying up until the small hours sorting out heaps of junk. It may, seemingly, make you feel triumphant, but the next day will be a struggle and you’re less likely to keep going. Late in the evening is not the time to embark on big decluttering tasks, but there are some things you can do the night before to make the morning easier. Personally, I hate that feeling of staying up too late to go to bed ‘properly’, waiting until I’m so tired I end up pottering about longer…

A new year can present exciting possibilities, but many of us find this time of year challenging too, with pressures to make resolutions, seasonal sadness and back to work blues. Then there’s the fact that not all of us find it easy to embrace change; after all, we are asking ourselves to leave our comfort zone. And if we get caught up in a list of changes we think we should make – to our career, our diet, our exercise routine, our lifestyle… it’s no surprise that the new year and its list of possibilities can quickly become overwhelming and stressful. These ‘shoulds’ are precisely why yoga teacher and author Suzan Colón doesn’t believe in making resolutions. “Most of them are punitive in nature,” she explains, “a too-drastic change from…

Colds and flu can strike at any time, but when the frost nips at your nose, the wind seems to blow right through you and the rain leaves you soaked to the skin, your immune system has a real battle on its hands. If it loses the fight and the sniffles set in, it’s time to snuggle up on the sofa with a hot drink that has the power to soothe and restore. A.Vogel’s Echinaforce® Hot Drink is just perfect to combat the symptoms of colds and flu. It combines the wonderful benefits of fresh extract of Echinacea purpurea, a plant that has been used medicinally for centuries, with a concentrated burst of elderberry juice, squeezed from beautiful purplish-black berries that have a distinctive, tart flavour. As soon as you…

BE SELF-AWARE Notice when something excites you. Notice when something agitates you. Notice what emotions you experience and when. And, if something does come up, be it a negative belief or habit, rather than judge it, ponder it with a curious, inquisitive approach. COMPARE YOURSELF WITH PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF YOU Comparison is a one-way ticket to a black hole of self-despair. Instead of comparing yourself to other women, allow them to inspire you to become the greatest version of yourself. Only compare with older versions of you, to see how far you’ve come. LOOK FOR THE LESSONS Within all of the failures, look for the lessons. Each perceived failure contains at least one hidden learning – this is the gem and it’s your job to find it and grow from…

It’s the end of the 800m race at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and Kelly Holmes stands with her hands in the air before the roaring crowd, looking unsure whether she’s actually crossed the finish line first. Then her face lights up as she realises that she’s won the gold medal, the first of two at that Olympic Games. Just one year earlier, she’d been struggling with injuries and her victory seemed unlikely: “The culmination of the injuries was one of the underlying factors of my really bad depression, or the first real signs of it. At an elite level, sport becomes your career and then one injury can wipe out everything you’ve done for years,” she says. By the time she reached the games though, she was mentally…

*Begin by listing your strengths to help you focus your vision. *Focus on how you want to feel in your everyday life – what are the activities, and who are the people, that make you feel like this? How can you bring more of this goodness into your day-to-day? *Be honest with yourself – consider carefully: are those your goals or those you feel are expected of you? Not everyone wants to ‘get to the top’, it’s just as ok to be happy where you are in life right now as it is to be driven to move up the ladder. *Look past material goals – understand what is driving your desires, is this the way to achieve them or could they be addressed another way? Will a new house/car/wardrobe…

“Fika is an opportunity to stop. To slow down. To take a real break and to reconnect” A hot drink and a slice of cake make me happy. All the more so when shared with friends. And, as it turns out, there’s more to taking a coffee break than simply giving ourselves an energy boost during a mid-morning or afternoon lull. When we allow ourselves this small treat, we are participating in one of Scandinavia’s longest standing rituals: fika. A practice which is not considered a luxury, but a necessity in many Nordic cultures. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of taking part in ‘real’ fika during a trip to Sweden, while visiting an old friend in the sleepy town of Västerås. Each Sunday, she and an ever-widening…

Lush is a much-loved presence on our high streets, as famous for its distinctive aroma as it is for its bath bombs – of which it produced more than 21 million during the last festive season. In a recent survey of 10,000 shoppers by Which? magazine, Lush topped the poll of most popular stores in the UK. Part of its appeal is the strong stand on ethical issues that the bath and beauty brand has taken since its inception. As product innovator and Lush co-founder Rowena Bird explains, these issues are “the heart of us… it’s never been a gimmick or something we do because it’s a sale point, it’s something we do because that’s how we are; we’re lucky enough to be able to build a business around our…

JULIA WILLS Julia is a freelance journalist and children’s author. She’s also a mindful gardener and loves reading, running and watching seagulls. She lives in Warwickshire with her partner and barmy Cockapoo. Find her at julia-wills.com. Be enlightened by Kintsugi – little fixes to enhance life in winter – on page 18 RAE RITCHIE Rae is a freelance writer specialising in mindful living, fashion and beauty, especially ethical and sustainability issues. She loves to try out the current eco trends – keep track of her latest finds on Instagram @rae_ritchie_. Discover the secrets of Lush HQ with Rae as she investigates ethical beauty, page 87 SARAH BAXTER Travel writer and author Sarah has painted elephants, learnt bushcraft and snorkelled with killer whales. She’s both a rambler and a runner and…

Lisa Orme, 30, is a climate change researcher. For the past two years she has been working at the Norwegian Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway and has recently moved to Dublin. I feel lucky. Researchers who are early in their careers are often in temporary contracts and without job security. I’ve just finished a two-year contract in Norway and will soon start a three-year position in Ireland. It can feel unsettling starting again somewhere completely new, but my work has given me amazing opportunities, like doing fieldwork in the Arctic. When I’m feeling unsure of what lies ahead, I remind myself of what I love about my job. It’s very levelling. I find true peace in nature. I relax by getting away from modern day life. I walk in the…

While we’re often reminded of the importance of self-care, many of us still feel a pressure to be in a constant state of busyness or productivity, which can make it difficult to allow ourselves to take time out. This year, Ricola wants to encourage you to make time to treat yourself. Wellbeing lies at the core of everything the Swiss brand does, from its sustainable ethos to the unique 13-herb blend it has been using for more than 80 years. Free from artificial flavours and colours, Ricola’s deliciously refreshing herbal sweets have been designed to make precious moments of calm, enjoyment and appreciation possible for everyone. On occasions when you’re unable to take much of a break, enjoying Ricola’s herbal sweets can help to remind you to pause and recentre,…

Benjamin Franklin was big on routine. Ever wondered who said, ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’? That was Benjamin Franklin. And, like him, I aspire to a basic routine because, as social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson says, “Routines remove the need to deliberate over what you should do… once you’ve established a routine you’ve already made those decisions.” Anything that removes the need for constant decision-making (and the accompanying rumination) is fine by me. However, a new year is a kind of new beginning. It may be that you’d like to be better organised, so establishing a routine for more basic chores can be effective. We tend to create our daily routines according to what we know we have to do, and these…

1 Get enough rest, eat well, stay hydrated. You don’t need to do this all at once. 2 Organise first, buy second. There’s no point splashing out on the perfect storage system if you haven’t got a clear patch of floor to put it on. 3 You don’t have to be good at this. You’ll get good at it. You can’t fail – whatever you do, right now, today, will be an improvement. 4 Don’t schedule too much for the time you have at your disposal. Set realistic organising goals, allowing leeway for tasks to take longer than you anticipated. 5 Complete things. Unfinished projects are draining. 6 Good enough is good enough. Banish the paralysing tyranny of perfectionism. Give yourself permission to do things imperfectly. Don’t set yourself up…

Look at your own strength, which you will find by recalling your weakest moments. Don’t be afraid to do this. You’re focusing on strength, and the exercise will be uplifting. Begin with your yoga breathing practice. After a few rounds of three-part breath (fill your lungs with air, breathing into your abdomen, diaphragm and chest, then exhale), allow your breathing to find its own natural rhythm. Rest your awareness on each inhalation and exhalation for a few moments. Gradually bring to mind a difficult time in your life. You may have lost someone or something important to you. You, or someone close, may have become ill or experienced a challenge. The goal in this practice is not to relive painful memories but to discover a vital part of that time…

“When we’re brave enough to begin to explore our relationships with food, we’re also forced to ask deeper, more meaningful questions about ourselves” Out of all the chemical messages sent by the body to the brain, hunger is one of the most powerful. It’s a physiological bodily response we all experience that clearly tells us when we need to eat. And yet, these days, so many of us have lost touch with our body’s hunger signals. If you have a history of dieting, you may no longer be aware of what your body’s natural rhythm for hunger even feels like. In our diet culture we’ve subtly been taught to ignore our appetites or to ‘fight’ our cravings, so we tend either to resent our hunger or suppress it, for fear…

Q Is it possible to have a busy life and still feel lonely? I am 38, married and have two kids. I work four days a week and enjoy my job, although it can be stressful. We have a very full social life and most weekends are taken up with kids’ activities or seeing friends and family. I’m the oldest of three and even though my brother and sister have their own families now, they expect me to organise any get-togethers and help them out whenever they need it. Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed by how much I’ve got going on, yet inside I feel alone and like no one understands me. The other night I was having dinner with my husband and children and I wanted to cry, even though the…

I’m a big advocate for the path of least resistance. Be it parenting, business, diet or productivity – the good stuff only sticks when it’s easy, enjoyable and sustainable. It’s an idea that flies in the face of the popular ‘hustle’ mentality, but one that research seems to support. The very existence of willpower, in fact, is tenuous. When put under MRI scanners and asked to make choices, respondents appeared to make their mind up long after their subconscious brain had made its selection. Yet this notion of ‘strength of will’, is a stick we love to beat ourselves with. When we don’t keep our New Year’s resolutions, when we give in and do what is easy and enjoyable – when our subconscious makes, what from its objective perspective, is…

New year, new style? It can be hard not to be enticed by the notion that January (and its ubiquitous sales) heralds the ideal time to have a bit of a style refresh. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you are thinking of having a wardrobe revamp, you might like to consider how you plan to shop, or whether you need to shop at all. Of course, one of the most ethical ways to update your wardrobe is to go retro and embrace a little charity-shop chic. Combining pre-loved clothes with your existing wardrobe is not only sustainable, it’s purse-friendly too. Then there’s ‘swishing’ – clothes-swap parties with your friends or acquaintances. Better still, if you have the skills, you could opt for a wartime ‘make do and…

No single brand is able to address every ethical issue, but a growing number are working to make significant improvements. How can you tell who these brands are? Look out for verification scheme logos on product packaging (as opposed to words such as ‘natural’, which can be meaningless marketing speak). Key logos are: LEAPING BUNNY: this international logo guarantees no new animal tests were conducted in the manufacturing process, from ingredients to finished product. THE SOIL ASSOCIATION ORGANIC SYMBOL: this symbol can only be used on products if the company has a valid certificate of registration from The Soil Association. CRUELTYFREE KITTY.COM This useful website has regularly updated lists of brands that are cruelty free and not, including details about parent company ownership.…

1 JELLYFISH BY JANICE GALLOWAY First published by a small press in 2015, this collection of short stories from one of Britain’s best writers gets a deserved major release from Granta this year. Her 1990 debut The Trick is to Keep Breathing was a kind of Fleabag-before-Phoebe-Waller-Bridge, in which a young woman’s alienation and alcoholism gradually unfold into an account of startling loss. With sharp observation and occasional shocking wit, Jellyfish’s 16 stories take on the most intimate stuff of life: sex, sexuality, parenthood, ambition and death. Galloway’s writing is always riveting, not least because it comes with the disconcerting sense that she sees right through her reader (Granta, £9.99). 2 THE BUILT MOMENT BY LAVINIA GREENLAW Nominated for the T. S. Eliot, Forward and Whitbread Poetry Prizes, Lavinia Greenlaw’s…

Once the excitement of Christmas has left the building, spring can seem very far off and winter can start to drag. But resist the urge to hibernate – one of the best ways to brighten up the dark days of January and February is to embrace the chill, pack your snow boots and head for the mountains on a winter trip. Snow holidays can often seem geared towards keen skiers and snowboarders, but there are plenty of other ways to get your snow fix if you don’t ski. A cold-climate adventure is a wonderful way to reset, recharge and fall back in love with winter, and swapping your rainy commute for a cosy chalet with snowflakes falling outside is guaranteed to put some colour back in your cheeks. My favourite…

While walking with big game sounds frightening, there are rarely problems – though there are often encounters. Guides are expert at managing situations. But if you ever find yourself stranded in the bush, here are some tips to help you stay safe: * Look around constantly and stop frequently. Learn to observe and assess your surroundings. * Be aware of the direction of the wind. Always pass down-wind of an animal so that they don't catch your scent. * Study other animals – if you hear bird warning calls and disturbed antelope, it may mean that there are bigger creatures somewhere nearby. * Avoid thick bush that you cannot see into. Walk down the middle of dry riverbeds, away from the banks. * Move slowly away from elephants, hide from…