Table of contents for Issue 21 in Planet Mindful

“Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.”OPRAH WINFREY The theme of this issue is very much about self development – growing and learning through difficulty and striving to create a future in which we can reach our full potential. Be that living with intention (p20), seeking out our true passion and purpose (p28), or working with our inner voices and addressing that often negative (and noisy!) inner chatter (p40). If you’re new to mindfulness, it doesn’t need to be something that you have to schedule in. Simply by changing our mindset, we can welcome a world of wellbeing into our lives whilst we go about our daily activities. Whether it’s stretching whilst the kettle boils or repeating…

1 Four-legged friends “Cuddling your pet works wonders. There is nothing I love more than snuggling up with my dog. It’s why pets are used in hospices to make people feel happy. Dogs are known as grief whisperers.“ Lisa Butcher, energy healer and therapist, lisabutcher.co.uk 2 Raise your heart rate “Endorphins are your body’s way of reacting to stress and pain. They’re also released during exercise – the best example of this would be the idea of a ‘runner’s high’. As a result, exercise has many far-reaching positive effects not solely associated with improvements in strength, posture and overall health and fitness. Reducing stress, improving self-esteem, boosting your mood and energy levels, and improving sleep are all added benefits of exercise and the endorphins it releases. Given the top priority for…

CULTIVATE AWARENESS The first stage is really about noticing and bringing awareness to areas of our life where perhaps we’re operating on ‘auto pilot’. Sometimes auto pilot can feel like a pleasant cruise if the habits or behaviours associated are beneficial. However, sometimes it can be turbulent if we fall into unhelpful patterns without realising it. Start by focusing on a few areas of your life to begin with and then expand out to others including: environmental footprint, purchasing decisions, food choices, the company you keep, your political views, your approach to wellbeing, the media you consume, home life, finances, your approach to inner growth and even your role in your household and wider family unit. Notice it all, and without judgment just be aware of how these choices feel…

Having a clear sense of purpose will transform your life. Studies have shown that people who know why they do what they do are healthier, live longer and sleep better at night. To live your happiest, most fulfilled life, you need to find your why. Think of your why as your life’s purpose. It’s not the things you want to do or achieve; it’s the reason why you want them in the first place. It’s not the goal you’re aiming for, but the reason you get out of bed in the morning. In other words, it’s the fuel in your engine. You might feel uneasy about finding your why because it feels self-indulgent to spend time contemplating what makes you, you. Isn’t it selfish to think about yourself so much?…

“Notice sounds and smells, such as the birdsong in the trees or smoke in the winter air.” The term mindfulness might suggest it’s solely about the mind, but mindfulness is also something physical. It’s about the benefits of moving more, preferably outside. In fact, I reckon mindfulness could be called ‘mind-and-bodyfulness’ (catchy, eh?), because one of the most important aspects of mindfulness is developing our ability to drop into our bodies, and our physical sensations. The connection between mental and physical health, and how we store trauma in our body, is now widely recognised. This mind-body connection idea might sound a little ‘woo’ to some, but it’s actually not that weird. We’re used to the idea that feeling embarrassed means we blush, or we get butterflies in our stomach when…

Our brain not only impacts how we feel every day, but how we sleep, work, move and thrive. It is important to care for it now, as the choices we make every day affect much more than we often realise and can be carried into our old age. Right now, terms like mental fitness, brain care and mental wellbeing are all becoming more commonplace, and there are brands emerging that embrace brain care as a category. As we discover and learn about this fundamental part of our health and life, it seems practical actions relating to this are still not widely understood. Feed your soul Nutrition is the single most important factor in our mental health. The reality is that most of us don’t get what we need from our…

CATHY FERGUSON A chartered psychologist with a true passion for helping people achieve their best, Cathy delves into the subject of inner voices this issue on p40. RUARI FAIRBAIRNS The founder of One Year No Beer explains how giving up alcohol, even just for 30 days, can benefit our health and wellbeing on p48. EMILIE WOODGER-SMITH When she’s not blogging at simplysustainableliving.co.uk, Emilie can be found writing our regular column. This month: how to declutter the eco way! Turn to p65 now. MELL OLIVER The Dorset-based illustrator shares her story on p34 – discover how she overcame chronic illness to set up her own business and begin to thrive again. LAUREN LOVATT The author of Mind Food shares her tips and recipes on p88 to help us nourish our bodies…

Have you ever had an item of clothing that you love, but which has faded or the colour just isn’t as flattering as you’d like? Natural materials like cotton can easily be dyed, but that doesn’t have to mean using chemicals. Natural colourings have been used for centuries and can be just as effective as shop-bought dyes – in fact, you can access many in your kitchen through ingredients or food waste. You will often just need a binding substance, known as a mordant, to ‘fix’ the dye to the fabric. You can also use plants found in your garden, neighbourhood, parks or surrounding countryside. When choosing where to start with natural dyes, you can begin by thinking about what colours appeal to you most and work backwards, or you…

“The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.”JOSHUA BECKER MAKE IT HAPPEN! If you feel stuck in a rut with work, relationships or even just your motivation levels, a vision board is a great way to kick-start new beginnings. Start with a large A3 piece of card or paper, and gather any photos, magazines or books you‘re happy to cut up. What does your ideal life look like? Start to piece it together – pictures of your dream home office, you when you’re most happy and confident, an advert for a job you'd love to do… anything that captures your imagination. Display it somewhere visible, or keep it next to your bed to look at regularly. As you visualise the life…

I remember sitting at my kitchen table in December 2020, just days before the new year. My daughter – then five years old – was looking at the calendar and said: “Mummy we have two days left of our lives, and then we start again.” I’ve always enjoyed that idea of starting a new version of life, and a second chance to live more intentionally. Of course, we don’t need the new year to make these changes but there does seem to be an energy of possibility at the beginning of the year, when those around us are in a similar frame of mind, too. One way to manifest our dream life is by adopting a mindset of intentionality. Intentional living is the art of understanding our own values and…

The start of a new year often pushes us to vow to ‘turn over a new leaf’ or strive to transform into an impossibly perfect version of ourselves. As we edge through the first months of 2022, sidestep this impulse and take a moment to consider some incremental changes that will allow you to live your life at a pace you control. Hold this thought close as you sit or lie down and shut your eyes. Concentrate on the simple yet essential act of breathing in, breathing out. Notice how your diaphragm contracts to expand your lungs with each inhalation, and then relaxes. Imagine replenishing oxygen entering your bloodstream and being carried to each of your vital organs. Find the courage to say no to an unnecessary request or invitation…

When I met my husband, one of the first things he told me about himself was that he was selfish. I laughed indulgently and married him anyway. He wasn’t kidding. Since then, I’ve wished many things for our two daughters – none being, ‘l hope they grow up to be selfish like their dad’. But now I’m not so sure. I notice that their father is never at the mercy of a self-sabotaging inner voice. By ‘selfish’ I don’t mean the narrow-minded, self-serving kind. I mean ‘smart selfish’ – making sure you’re well enough looked after. Rather than caring nothing for other people’s wellbeing, I mean keeping in mind that ‘if you can’t take of yourself then you can’t take care of anyone else.’ We’re constantly in conversation with ourselves…

Picture this. It’s a late Monday morning in spring and you’re sat, barefoot, in a wide-open field. With your hands placed to heart centre, you take a deep breath and close your eyes. A wave of contentment, warm as the sun, washes over you. The clouds are moving slowly, as you do too. Touching the dewy grass with your fingertips, you reach for your favourite reusable cup for a sip of hot coffee – the source that faithfully served and fuelled you during those frightfully early commutes to work. After a few months away from your nine to five, you’re relishing in the simple joy of your sabbatical. And this morning, as you sit in the quietness of the field, you’re drinking the same blend of coffee, from the very…

When the days get shorter and the nights draw in, I love spending more time at home. Rainy afternoons cosying up by the fire with a cup of tea, actually starting that book that’s been on my bedside table for at least a month and of course, lots of homemade Sunday dinners. I also like to spend this quieter time going through my wardrobes, cupboards, drawers and every other cubbyhole I’ve stashed things in and refine what I own. I’m a little bit of a hoarder when it comes to things I no longer need, want or use. It’s mostly because I refuse to just throw things ‘away’ (spoiler alert – there is no ‘away’!) into the non-recyclable bin. I believe that things should have another life and that someone…

What was it like growing up in Zimbabwe? It was wonderful as it taught me many lessons and helped me understand the beauty of community and historical cultural values. My childhood also taught me about resilience. Like many people, I faced my share of hardships, but it taught me how to be independent at a young age and I learned to lean on my own intuition and trust myself. It was a time full of family, playing outside in the sunshine and learning how to be strong. You were once told that ‘Oxford isn’t for people like us’. Did this make you even more determined to succeed? They say when you’re told you can’t do something, it can have two effects on you; either you believe it and shy away…