Total Mind and Body Wellness

 THIS Friday 12th June 2026, I am celebrating 2,000 days without alcohol, and I'm feeling good! 'Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean. Sleep in peace when the day is done, that's what I mean. And this old world, is a new world and a bold world for me.' I love the song, 'Feeling good' from Nina Simone, and I have to say I really love Muse's version, because I love Muse. But whoever sings it, look at the words, they are amazing. Being out in the world, enjoying all the moments that come your way, all the experiences of life lived fully without the haze of drink getting in the way. Sleep improves, and you can sleep better without the nagging doubt of the damage that your drinking behaviour has caused. No shame, no worry and no ill-after effects or hangovers to keep you down. And I can tell you absolutely 100% that the world will be new for you, you will feel bold, you will be abl...

 I wasn't going to blog this week. YOU see, I couldn't be bothered, I wasn't inspired, because currently, my personal life is more than a bit trying lately. Combine that with menopause and it exacerbates it ten-fold. SO I thought, you know what, I have nothing to say, I feel sad, flat, anxious, despondent, lacking any kind of positivity myself, so how can I pass on anything good to readers? THEN I thought, maybe you need to know that? To know that even people who are meant to be inspiring others 24/7 can sometimes just not be arsed because their own life isn't quite tip top? Here it is, the blog that wasn't going to be the blog because I couldn't be arsed, and actually, just writing this, I still can't be arsed, and I am guessing that is also coming across to you, so I have to make it worthwhile for all of us. HERE'S the plan......... STRESS CONTAINER - I've blogged about this before. CAN I do anything about the thing that is stressing me? ANSWER - N...

  SUMMER is pretty much here eh? ISN'T the weather gorgeous? I went out foraging at the weekend and managed to get enough Elderflower to make a cordial, but not just any cordial, I made a sugar-free version using natural stevia and an orange. Recipe. 15 elderflower heads 1.5 tablespoons natural stevia liquid or 2 heaped teaspoons ground stevia 1 orange cut into 8  25g citric acid (you can get this from the chemist) Method. Wash and rinse the flower heads thoroughly, I soak mine for an hour in some water, shake off the insects and sieve. Put the flower heads, citric acid and stevia into a large saucepan and add 2 pints water. Squeeze the orange pieces into it and then add them to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 20-30 mins, then leave in the pan to cool. When cool, using a muslin, pour into a sterilised bottle, refrigerate and use as normal cordial. FOR years I have made this cordial, but this is the first time using stevia for a natural sugar-free alternative a...

 I was chatting to my husband last night about being alcohol-free and the wonders of it, I made a decision to never drink alcohol again, well over five years ago now, but my husband just sort of stopped over three and a half years ago, no plan to, no commitment to forever, just stopped. I asked him if there was an occasion when he would ever drink again, he thought about it, and said that maybe if something really awful happened, maybe that was a default thing in people, but he couldn't be sure. He said, knowingly to me that he knew that I would never drink again, no matter what the circumstances, and I of course agreed. My time with alcohol is done. THIS topic is something that I have thought of a lot over the years as a personal trainer, and hypnotherapist. Because a lot of people use times of trouble as an excuse to behave badly where health is concerned, but actually, times of trouble are when you need to be completely on your game.  GRIEF is not an excuse to hit the bottl...

 MY work consists of helping people, daily, with their mental health niggles. EVERY day brings it's troubles and stresses and how we deal with them makes all the difference to our physical health, alongside our mental health. WHAT I do see happening recently, a lot, is people going to the doctors and coming out with anti-depressants for things that shouldn't warrant it. They literally hand them out like sweets for the slightest change in mood.  Menopause - anti-depressants Grief - anti-depressants Moving house - anti-depressants Relationship breakup - anti-depressants Money issues - anti-depressants AND so many more daily stresses that can be sorted out with the support of friends and family. The things that can be talked out, sorted out and put into perspective, without the aid of prescription medication. I am by no means making light of any mental health issue, how we deal with any of the above issues and more is very personal, and a personal approach is needed. But that is ...

 WE are never too old to learn new things! Whether it's a new job, a new recipe, a new exercise or sport, we CAN keep learning if we have the will to do so. I LOVE learning! I am on a continuous development programme adding new wellness skills to my work all the time. When I finish one diploma, I start a new one. At school, I was okay in the subjects I enjoyed, like most of us I would say, and so music, PE, art and English I passed reasonably. But as you can see, there is a practical or creative element to all of those subjects, and that is what inspires me. LEARNING as an adult is great, because you get to choose what you learn! At school you have to do certain subjects, I remember choosing my 'options' but sadly the options were from an already chosen set of classes. But learning as an adult, you can learn what you want, when you want. Imagine that freedom eh? SO far since school, and this is not a comprehensive list, I am sure I have missed some things.... Hairdressing, ...