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 they might be harmful!Whatever you do, don’t think about and don’t panic about the deadly pink elephants which are coming RIGHT NOW (and hoarding all the toilet paper!!!) Isn’t it interesting that once I’ve planted thoughts in your head, you can’t actually un-plant them? How thoughts... Read full article »

It was 5pm and I’d gotten nowhere. I felt as if all the information that had been uploaded into my brain over the last few days had fragmented across my mind and my brain’s neural pathways were jammed. I had writers block; the mental equivalent of the SWOD (Spinning Wheel of Death) that accompanies a computer operating system in need of an upgrade. I was hurtling towards a grant deadline and every word I’d composed felt trite, vacuous and a long way off encapsulating the depth of the film that I was hoping the grant would allow me to release.... Read full article »

This blog is inspired by the culmination of almost every conversation I’ve had in the last seven days that I strongly suspect many of my readers will relate to. It goes like this –Me: “Hi, how are you?”Friend: “I’m sooooo [insert word associated with being crazy-busy-stressed-hectic-overloaded etc]”It’s hard to escape that we’re in the thick of that time of year. The time when everything we’ve been working on for the last 11 months is due, when we "must" catch up with everyone (even those we don’t like), and when presents expressing the depth of our love for those we do... Read full article »

My name is Shannon and I’m addicted to my phone… again.A few months ago I woke up to my smartphone enslavement. After a deep dive into the scientific research and with the help of experts, I began honestly and painfully admitting that although I thought the device was a hallmark of the modern age and designed solely in the interest of progress, efficiency, connectivity and productivity, the cunning contraption was actually preventing me from savoring the very essence of what makes life good. After one especially regretful incident where my phone took precedent over a rare morning cuddle with my... Read full article »

I sat across from my tanned, lean, sparkly-eyed friend and thought, whatever she’s on, I want some.This friend leads hundreds of people in the highly competitive, always-on, ever-innovating travel industry and in the last few years we’ve bonded over our shared struggles in dancing the work-life two-step. But when we caught up for breakfast this week, our conversation wasn’t about how to cook healthy family meals in a hurry, or swapping time-management book recommendations. None of that was relevant to my relaxed, smiling, untroubled friend as she sat eating her organic muesli without a care in the world. So what... Read full article »

I was surprised this week to come across a paper in a medical journal which investigated the possibility that stress causes autoimmune disease. As regular readers and viewers of my film will know, I’ve been banging on about this for years.Thirteen years ago I was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that means my immune system attacks my own body. In recent years my doctor has changed the diagnosis to Sjogren’s disease, but whatever you call it, there’s no doubt that when I’m going through periods of unmanaged high-stress, I experience crippling fatigue and agonising arthritic pain throughout my body.... Read full article »