Category: Life Hacks

Living more sustainably in 5 small steps

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True story: I joined Greenpeace when I was 8. I still have an envelope full of literature and stickers about the Ozone layer, Save the Whale and the dangers of pollution. Let’s just say I was a precocious, super sensitive little Sally Draper who was very obsessed with saving the planet. Plus, I’d read The Baby-sitters Club ‘Dawn Saves the Planet’ that summer and well, just about everything in my life can be traced back to The Baby-sitters Club books.

At the weekend I listened to Ali Cutler talk about her love of nature, Gaia theory and how to live sustainably on Atlanta de Cadenet Taylor’s podcast, I’m Over It, and then I read Al Gore’s comments on the current heatwave and I felt inspired to share a few easy things we can do everyday to live more sustainably. At the risk of sounding completely preachy, we only have one planet and time is running out for us to stop a complete catastrophe. Small actions make a huge difference. Continue reading “Living more sustainably in 5 small steps” →

How to deal with negative thoughts

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This week I wanted to don my Oprah hat and write about something I think we all experience: negative thoughts and self-doubt. I’m told that self-doubt is as much a part of a writer’s DNA as coffee dependency, narcissism and nosiness. To be honest, that doesn’t really give me much comfort when I’m hunched over my laptop, paralysed with fear and self-loathing, as though the assignment I’m working on is the first thing I’ve ever written and wondering why the editor gave it to me of all people. So how do you stop that niggling negativity from completely taking over? Continue reading “How to deal with negative thoughts” →

Money saving tips for vegetarians & vegans

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One of the most common gripes I hear is that healthy eating is expensive. If I received a bean for every time someone suggested to me that you need a steady supply of cash to be vegetarian or vegan, well, I could make a very nice dip with it.

The truth is, convenience foods ARE less expensive than healthy items but there’s plenty of ways you can adopt a plant-based diet without needing to take out a bank loan. Being smarter about key ingredients, prepping your meals in advance and getting creative in the kitchen are just a few ways you can eat healthily on a budget. Continue reading “Money saving tips for vegetarians & vegans” →

How to quit caffeine and not lose your mind

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For the fourth time in my life, I’m trying to cut out caffeine and all I can say is hold me. Somebody. Anybody. The headaches, the tiredness, feeling so irritable you are this close to giving Michael Douglas in Falling Down a run for his money. The joys of caffeine withdrawal.

So, why am I doing this to myself? As well as being a sucker for self-punishment, it’s that time of year when we are all vowing to be a bit healthier, to drink more water and turn ourselves into Gisele, all within the space of January, and I’m as guilty of this as the next person. Also, as you may recall from my golden milk recipe post, coffee has been exacerbating my anxiety in the last year or so. Even though I used to drink up to 6 cups a day – insert beating heart emoji – these days all it takes is that second cup and my heart is aflutter…and not in a good way.

Continue reading “How to quit caffeine and not lose your mind” →

Wellness hacks for the January blues

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January always feels to me like cracking open a new notebook and feeling the nervous possibilities of that crisp blank page. Whether you’ve got your whole year planned out ahead of you or you’re gonna fly by the seat of your pants, for many of us, January’s newness can be a blessing and a curse, with the unknown creating a palpable sense of panic. This makes January the perfect time to look after yourself, experiment with wellness and make self-care a real priority. Continue reading “Wellness hacks for the January blues” →