Stress

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

The Mindful Myth: It’s Not Actually About Relaxation

October 23, 2019

As a health journalist who writes about the science of the mind-body-health connection and who’s interviewed countless scientists on the subject, you would have thought that when I started making my new documentary about mindfulness, I would have known a thing or two. But just a few weeks into the endeavour I came across a … Read full article »

Herbert Benson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, meditation, mindfulness, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), relaxation, relaxation response, Sara Lazar

The Truth About My “Whole-Food” Life: Time pressure, tradeoffs, and the burden of pleasing others

August 28, 2019

The blurb on the recipe book promised it all; “In the follow-up to her amazing chart-topper… Ella makes it easy to prepare delicious food for you, your friends and family, whatever the occasion.” The occasion was my son’s third birthday and with 30 guests due to arrive on my doorstep to help us celebrate, Deliciously … Read full article »

How To Clear You Mind In A World Of Too Much

February 28, 2019

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 … Read full article »

information overload, meditation, mindfulness, stress, techno-stress, technology

3 Ways To Manage Your Wellbeing In the Silly Season

December 13, 2018

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 … Read full article »

diet, materialism, Moderation, Ritual, sleep, stress

My name is Shannon and I’m addicted to my phone… again.

November 16, 2018

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 … Read full article »

smartphone addiction, stress, technology

Can You Be Ambitious At Work And Still Look After Your Health?

November 2, 2018

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 … Read full article »

ambition, stress, work-life balance

Rethinking Stress: How Changing Your Thinking Could Change Your Health

July 13, 2018

In late 2009 I came across a web link that changed my life. On about page 20 of a Google search I stumbled upon an academic paper written by an Australian MD and university professor named Craig Hassed which highlighted the emergence of evidence-based mind-body medicine. At the time I was very sick. I’d been … Read full article »

Does Stress Make You Sick? The Stress-Health Connection

May 25, 2018

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 … Read full article »

chronic illness, stress

What’s So Great the Most Popular Meditation Course on The Planet?

April 20, 2018

On a stinking hot summer Sydney afternoon I lay in a room with 15 other people, eyes closed, attempting to focus on the present by paying attention to my sensations, thoughts, emotions, and breath. The person next to me was snoring peacefully but I was far from feeling blissed out and “one with the moment.” … Read full article »

chronic pain, chronic stress, meditation, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), stress

What’s Wrong With Being Busy?

April 6, 2018

It is the birthright of every Australian child to join a sport team as soon as they can pay attention long enough to kick or throw a ball into an opposing team’s goal. So when it became apparent that my four-year-old son had absorbed his father’s love for soccer, it was clear that I had … Read full article »

busy, stress, work-life balance

How I Learned About Stress Contagion From A New York Cab Driver

November 23, 2017

I was in a yellow taxi in the heart of Manhattan, stuck in a clogged artery on my way to a major interview for my new film. As we inched forward and squeezed ever tighter into the one-way street, my driver had the steering wheel in a death grip. A cacophony of horn blasts soon … Read full article »

Latest posts from Shannon's blog

The Mindful Myth: It’s Not Actually About Relaxation

The Truth About My “Whole-Food” Life: Time pressure, tradeoffs, and the burden of pleasing others

How To Clear You Mind In A World Of Too Much

3 Ways To Manage Your Wellbeing In the Silly Season

My name is Shannon and I’m addicted to my phone… again.

Can You Be Ambitious At Work And Still Look After Your Health?

Rethinking Stress: How Changing Your Thinking Could Change Your Health

Does Stress Make You Sick? The Stress-Health Connection

What’s So Great the Most Popular Meditation Course on The Planet?

What’s Wrong With Being Busy?

How I Learned About Stress Contagion From A New York Cab Driver

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