As December draws to a close, and a whole new decade is on the horizon, many of us find ourselves in a more reflective mood than most months.  The closing of a year (or in this case a decade), naturally draws us to look back over the last 365 days, mentally reviewing the good, the so-so and the never-to-be-repeated moments of 2019.  Whilst gratefully there will be a whole host of happy memories in amongst the list, for most of us, our brains are hardwired to focus on the negatives or the “room for improvement”. With the start of the new year feeling like a symbolic clean slate, and the awareness of what we could do better fresh in our minds, thousands of us this week will decide on our resolutions for 2020.  

It all seems so logical, positive and even driven.  Proactively trying to make something bigger and better out of our next turn round the sun.  But if it's all so instinctive, why is it that only 1 in 10 of us will keep our promises to ourselves and 66% will give up before we’re even done with January? 

Whether you're a verified Santa's little helper,
or an out and out Grinch, we can all find the festive season overwhelming at times. 

Christmas is the "Most wonderful time of the year".  But it can also be the most busy, most expensive and have some of the highest expectations.  Ironically the pressure to "enjoy the day" can itself create a bulging to do list and you might find yourself feeling more overwhelmed than merry! 

Stress at any time of year can lead to chronic health complications so we have put together our top tips for keeping on top of the seasons stresses so you can get back to enjoying the fun stuff!
 

We all know that warm glowing feeling you get when someone does something that you are really, genuinely grateful for. Whether it’s a thoughtful gift, a thank you note or a random act of kindness, we tend to get a little buzz or sense of happiness when we are grateful. That buzz is no accident! Numerous studies have proven that when we feel gratitude, our brain releases more dopamine and serotonin - two of the key chemicals in making us feel good from the inside out!⁠

Even better than that, researchers are now discovering that our brains love this gratitude high so much that with regular practice our brains actually adapt to feel it more. Effectively lowering the threshold and making that gratitude buzz a more regular occurrence. ⁠⠀

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That’s right! Your brain ACTUALLY CHANGES to find more positives for you to feel grateful for!!!

So how does it work?

If you saw yesterdays announcement on the link between sleep positions and the risk of stillbirth, you may be wondering what it all means and what you can do to sleep safely? Read on for a summary of the new advice.