Breathe

Emotions on display

In the late 1990s, the writer Sophie Dahl was a model celebrated for being plus-sized in an era when being skinny was the fashion industry’s norm. But it was her origin story that often hit the headlines: she’d had an argument with her mother, so the story goes, and was crying in the street outside …

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Pull up a chair?

As more people lead increasingly sedentary lifestyles, researchers have found that spending long periods of the day inactive can have wide-ranging effects on health. Some use the metaphor that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ to highlight the dangers of spending many hours a day sat at desks, in classrooms or in meetings, commuting on public …

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The last minute

Deadline = a narrow field of time by which an objective must be accomplished. Deadlines. The very definition of the word is enough to bring you out in a sweat, with its ‘musts’ and ‘objectives’ and stifling constrictions. Yet the modern world is rife with them. At work and at home, the pressure is on …

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Rooted in remembrance

Rooted in remembrance

As sunshine warms her cheeks, Kirsty listens to the hum of bees pollinating the nearby lavender plants. Her little garden, once unkempt, is now full of flowers, an abundance of roses in soft pinks and vibrant apricots. But the garden isn’t just for show: it’s planted in memory of her grandmother, who passed away a …

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A cosy night in

Tired but happy from a day spent working in the fields, you sit on the warm porch of your dream farmhouse, listening to the gentle rumble of cicadas in the trees, and watch as the golden sun slips below the horizon. This blissful scene might sound a world away from your living room sofa, especially …

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Are you oversharing?

In the print edition of Breathe special issue The Power of Less, one feature was published in an incomplete form. We regret this error and apologise for any inconvenience caused. To ensure readers can access the full content as intended, we have made the corrected and complete version of the article available as a PDF. …

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Lift smart

Lift smart, stay strong

Love, laugh… and lift safely is (or should be) the mantra for a healthy life. There are many things they might teach at school – personal finance, changing a tyre, negotiation skills – but something that arguably would be more useful than doing cross-country on a rainy day is learning the proper way to lift. …

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Wellbeing - Into the dark-square

Into the dark

Have you ever been for a walk on a dark night or pitch-black morning and been struck by the beauty and depth of a winter sky? Or been wrapped up under the duvet after a tough day to be embraced by the quiet stillness? Perhaps you’ve meditated by candlelight and found a new level of …

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Well intentioned

Well intentioned

Some say that wellness is a journey, not a destination – an ongoing process where personal health is incorporated into every aspect of your life. And few would disagree that looking after and maintaining personal wellbeing is a positive aim. Occasionally, however, it can go awry, particularly if the pursuit of optimum health involves following …

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Myth of the finishing line

Myth of the finishing line

Can you remember what happened the last time you managed to get to ‘inbox zero’, reached the bottom of the washing basket or ticked off every task on your daily to-do list? How did it feel? And how long did that sense of accomplishment last? Chances are, you soon noticed the emails arriving again, the …

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