It’s a thing we’re all pursuing, but are we looking in the right places? One WH staffer heads back to class to find out...
Between, ‘Did I actually shut the front door?’ and, ‘These tights are too see-through,’ a slightly more profound concern sometimes hits me: ‘I don’t always appreciate life as much as I should.’ Maybe it’s the over-thinking Gemini in me, but I do worry my 90-year-old self might shake her fist back at this 31-year old for being glued to her phone when there’s a view to enjoy, or half listening during chats with her mum.
Turns out there’s a class for this kind of musing – which is where I wind up one Thursday evening at the Sydney branch of The School of Life, a global body dedicated to boosting emotional intelligence. Leading the workshop, called ‘How to enjoy life’, is anthropologist Dr Monty Badami, whose life credentials include moonlighting as a celebrant, school educator and trainee army officer.
Over the three hours, Badami takes our assorted crew of 12 strangers (from the twenty something French yogi to the entrepreneur dad) through topics that I expect (gratitude, value, living in the present) and ones I don’t (death, art, advertising). Initial hesitancy aside, trading our stories and ideas becomes connecting, humbling and, at times, a bit emotional. I leave feeling drained, but uplifted. Is that what Badami wants?
“The challenge is to get you folks acknowledging the value of experiencing and just sitting with the whole range of human emotions. So, the fact that you were uplifted and drained I think is really important to recognise,” he tells me. “We all have different experiences, reactions, feelings, and that’s cool because we have so many different ways to navigate the complexity of life.”
Esta historia es de la edición January 2019 de Women's Health Australia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 2019 de Women's Health Australia.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Clean Up Your Digital Act
The realistic way to make over your relationship with tech
9 Biggest Lies In Wellness
Whether activating your glutes or your almonds, the struggle to decipher #fitspo fact from fiction is real. Between social media influencers, Reddit zealots and that pushy guy at the supplement store, some seriously ridiculous – and potentially dangerous – ideas have moved from fringe theory to health gospel. It doesn’t help that the booming wellness industry, worth an estimated $4.5 trillion, is difficult to regulate. So to help you navigate these heavily filtered waters, here are the new health virtues that shouldn’t be – and a few simple tactics you can use to actually improve your life.
Kate The Fighter
Actress Kate Beckinsale is stronger than ever thanks to a no B.S diet, near-daily workouts and a refreshingly optimistic outlook. (oh, and she’ll date whoever she wants, thank you very much)
Welcome to the land of Oat Milk & Manuka Honey
Nestled in the rural outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, lies the town of Serenbe: a revolutionary wellness utopia designed to keep its residents fit, thriving and happy – for life. Could it hold the cure for the maladies of urban living? Or should its promises be taken with a healthy pinch of Himalayan salt? Before the world went into lockdown, one zen-seeking writer made the journey to find out
Ride Big
Laura Enever walked away from her pro surfing career to conquer the big waves as a freesurfer. Here, she reveals why she followed her heart
OUR KINDA GIRL... Elle Ferguson
Take a scroll through Elle Ferguson’s Instagram and you’d be forgiven for thinking the mogul had it easy: an impressive following, a successful tanning product range, and better locks than a haircare commercial. What you won’t find on there are the sleepless nights, countless rejections and the time she spent relabelling bottles on her living room floor. Here, the 32-year-old talks backing yourself and the secret behind her beauty brand, Elle Effect.
If it's not a Hell Yeah, it's a NO!
Sure thing! No probs! Of course! Happy to help! The word ‘yes’ easily rolls off the tongue in a million agreeable ways. But what if we told you that, contrary to everything the world has taught you so far, saying yes isn’t actually the key to winning at life? In fact, it might just be holding you back.
How to Live to...120
Jennifer Aniston, J.Lo and Jane Fonda have nailed the art of defying time, but us mere mortals don’t have their kind of dough (or specialists). Instead, take a lesson in longevity from the “blue zones”, hot spots that are home to the planet’s longest-living populations.
The AI Revolution Is Coming: Here's How To Future -Proof Your Career
Robots are coming for your job. Not only yours, but another 20 million jobs around the world over the next 10 years. That’s how media outlets reported on the results of a 2019 paper released by global forecaster Oxford Economics. If you think that sounds rather dystopian, wait until your anxiety-fuelled googling brings up news headlines claiming it’s actually 800 million jobs – not a meagre 20 mill – that will be eliminated by robots by the time 2030 hits.
Where Have All The Drinkers Gone?
Teetotalism has become a badge of honour, the alcohol-free market is booming and mindfulness has ousted getting messy. But while millennials are showing up for sober club nights, the next generation has opted out of drinking culture entirely. WH finds out why...
