relationships

Latest posts from Shannon's blog

Social (Media) Distancing and Good (News) Hygiene: Five Ways to Stop “Stress Contagion”

March 26, 2020

I’d like to do an experiment. I’m about to write a couple of sentences and I want you to read them. But after you’ve read them, I don’t want you to think about what I’ve written. Ready? The pink elephant is coming, but don’t worry. Actually, there are a lot of pink elephants coming and … Read full article »

COVID-19, emotion contagion, emotion regulation, emotions, relationships, social media, stress, stress contagion

I Had Major Health Setback, Here Is How I Coped

June 14, 2017

As a health journalist who shares my story of recovery from a chronic disease in hope of encouraging others, it can be tempting to only share the highlights of my whole-health life, and to engage in the hashtag-driven, insta-world where wellness icons and lifestyle gurus post moment-by-moment mythology about their unblemished lives. And although I’d … Read full article »

Gratitude, habits, Lasting Change, mindfulness, recovery, relationships, Resilience, Ritual, Setbacks

The Story That Reminds Me About The Power Of Love

April 12, 2017

I’ve spent the last 15 minutes trying to find the right word to describe a feeling that came over me this morning. It happened when I was cuddling my eight-month-old son. He nestled his head into my neck, snuggled his arms into my chest, and let out a soft, contented sigh. What happened next was … Read full article »

love, relationships, Romanian Orphans, support

Can You Change The Unwilling? Motivating the Unmotivated

April 7, 2017

There is something monumentally heartbreaking about having to sit by and watch someone you love suffer with health problems that they can do nothing about. It’s a palpable kind of helpless hurt that squeezes your heart when you watch them in pain, or when medicine has no solution, or when the pronouncement is that “it’s … Read full article »

Healthy Change, Lasting Change, Motivation, relationships, Unmotivated

How To Be Healthy When Everyone Around You Is Not

March 23, 2017

I recently read a piece on the Guardian website by journalist Decca Aitkenhead who wrote about her endeavours to eat a plant-based diet. She wrote that her problem with being a vegan wasn’t the diet. It was the identity. “I worry about becoming that person who thinks what they put in their mouth is important … Read full article »

James Fowler, Lasting Change, Nicholas Christakis, relationships, Resisting Temptation, social contagion

Why Having A Supportive Partner Matters

February 8, 2017

This is the story of well-intentioned wife who set out to make her husband a birthday cake. This wife realised the importance of celebrating birthdays and having rituals to mark special occasions. But in recent years she had become increasingly aware of the need to eat food that doesn’t have hidden nasties. So rather than … Read full article »

community support, diet, relationships, support

Loving Kindness Meditation

November 21, 2016

Loving Kindness Meditation, or LKM, is used to increase feelings of warmth and caring for yourself and others. Like mindfulness, this practice is derived from Buddhist principles, but rather than passively observing thoughts, you concentrate on actively directing a feeling of compassion towards yourself and then extend your focus to an ever-widening circle of others, … Read full article »

Chapter 09 - Relationships, Loving Kindness Meditation, relationships

Reading List – Chapter 9: Relationships

November 15, 2016

Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study, by George Vaillant At a time when people are living into their tenth decade, the longest longitudinal study of human development ever undertaken offers welcome news for old age: our lives evolve in our later years and often become more fulfilling. Among the surprising findings: … Read full article »

Barbara Fredrickson, Chapter 09 - Relationships, David Spiegel, Dean Ornish, George Vaillant, James Fowler, John Bruhn, Nicholas Christakis, relationships, Roseto, Stewart Wolf

Viral Friendships: How Your Friends Affect Your Health

October 20, 2016

One afternoon recently I was feeling a little droopy and rundown when I bumped into a friend at our local shops. This particular friend radiates positivity and enthusiasm for life. As we hadn’t seen each other for a few weeks, we promised to schedule time to catch up properly soon, but as we parted ways … Read full article »

family, friends, News, relationships, social contagion, social support

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My Year Of Living Mindfully – Book

SHIPS IN AUSTRALIA IN 1-2 DAYS. SHIPS INTERNATIONALLY IN 5-7 DAYS. From the director of the internationally acclaimed documentary of the same name, MY YEAR OF LIVING MINDFULLY is a book filled with compelling stories, groundbreaking science, and unexpected insights that go to the heart of what it me Read full article »

The Connection (DOWNLOAD-TO-OWN)

Download 'The Connection' to keep forever. WHAT YOU GET DRM free MP4 download of ‘The Connection’ (73 Mins) Free access to stream of 'The Connection' for 14 days via your downloads page. Please use this option for watching the film on any iOS devices. Subtitles: French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Read full article »

My Year of Living Mindfully (DOWNLOAD-TO-OWN)

Download My Year of Living Mindfully to keep forever. WHAT YOU GET: • A DRM free MP4 download of My Year of Living Mindfully (98 Mins). • Free access to stream My Year of Living Mindfully for 14 days via your downloads page. Please use this option for watching the film on any iOS devices • Subtitles Read full article »

My Year Of Living Mindfully (RENT STREAM)

Get a 14 day pass to stream My Year of Living Mindfully to your computer or smart device. Available in HD. WHAT YOU GET A 14 day pass to stream My Year of Living Mindfully (98 Mins) English Closed Captions are available with streaming Subtitles available in Italian / Portuguese / Spanish / Malay / H Read full article »