Project Happiness Articles

Recently, a study was published to answer the simple question "If I eat better, will I feel better?" It was aptly called the 'Smiles' study and it turned out, that for over 30% of people who were suffering from depression who took part in the study, the answer was yes it does! Diet is one aspect that gets very little attention when it comes to mental health and well being – or indeed the concept of happiness.

You may be thinking, "I love the Race For Wellness so far, but I'd really like some instructions on how to log my workouts!" Well.....we're here to help! Here is a detailed blog with everything you need to know.

Wellness has become a bit of a buzzword these days, but what does it really mean? Clearly, it has to do with being well, but in order to achieve true wellness, we have to dig a little deeper. Wellness is a state of being healthy in the mind, body, and soul. You can work intensely on your physical fitness, but if you ignore your mental health, your body still will not be well.

Like the Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage for any Christian, Mecca a pilgrimage for any Muslim, Burning Man a pilgrimage for any festival goer, a marathon is a pilgrimage for any runner. In the words of Nike, you’ve gotta just do it!

Let’s start by addressing the question that comes up most when I share about the Africa Yoga Project: “Is Yoga really what Africa needs?” Although this question was once a source of frustration, I now see it as a great way to open up the conversation of what yoga is truly about and how our understanding has become limited in modern times.

The biggest challenge I have found since becoming a health coach has been getting people to take a step back. Mental, physical, and emotional change come only after we learn to take care of ourselves. Learning to take care of ourselves comes only after we can break down our everyday lives and how actions we take without even thinking about them shape how happy we are.

In lieu of the two very tragic deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain this year, I want to remind all of you to be extra kind to one another for this is a perfect example of, “you have no idea what others are going through”. You may not feel that the subject of mental illness pertains to you, but it should, as more than likely someone in your life is going through something that you know nothing about.

Anxiety – what is it? There are so many different levels of Anxiety and some can be so severe that could lead to a panic attack (which if you haven’t experienced - can be so overwhelming it almost feels like a heart attack! ).

When you’re feeling down and out, or generally just low, do you ever feel pressured to pull yourself out of it as soon as possible? To constantly appear happy? But what if we accept that not being okay, is very much part of being okay; how might this impact our personal journey?

What if, regardless what we're going through, we choose to see our minds as a tool, a friend, a co-creator in our path towards freedom and wellness? What if we see the issue, label or whatever we're annoyed at our minds for, as a separate entity i.e. not part of the mind itself, but a passing albeit unwanted visitor?