Karen Gibb founded the award-winning business Mind Marvels to address the increasing emotional concerns among children by offering calming well-being sessions. Mind Marvels give children calming tools and practical strategies to understand their own emotions, to feel more confident, build resilience and learn skills for life.

As a former teacher and someone who has struggled with anxiety herself, Karen directly influences and positively impacts the emotional well-being of children through Mind Marvels sessions in schools and nurseries.

In this article, Karen shares some tips and advice to help us support our children’s emotional well-being.

Mind Marvels

I’ve worked with children for a number of years now, in a range of capacities. Firstly, as a youth worker, then as an early years practitioner, graduating as a teacher and now as Founder of Mind Marvels.

Throughout, it’s become increasingly clear that adults, children and young people were facing mental health crises even before Covid-19 emerged.

After a prolonged period away from education, school can feel daunting and overwhelming for some pupils after summer or other holidays.  Young people may be feeling anxious, stressed or unsure how school will be for them returning.

Younger children don’t say, “I’ve had a hard day, can we talk?” They say, “Will you come and play with me?” We can often forget that play is a vital component for children to talk about their day at school and their feelings.

For older children and teenagers, it can be a drive in the car or watching a TV show together that can spark deep conversation. Actively encouraging children to talk about things that upset them including any fears or worries can be therapeutic for the child. It won’t necessarily burden them further; they can feel relief instead! 

Supporting children’s emotional well-being

As parents, carers and educators, it’s ok to share some of your own childhood worries and fears. This will help children understand that feeling anxious and worried is normal and acceptable. We all feel this way sometimes – even as adults! We can model by talking about times when we felt certain ways, so children know that we have experienced similar feelings and that we are here for them.

Building a solid support system around our children is crucial for their development, especially right now. If children confide in other adults, that can also be positive. It shows they have built further secure attachments in their lives. 

We can help build children’s vocabulary by introducing different words for our feelings from an early age. For example, sadness could also be anxiety or scared. Children may notice how their body reacts when they experience different types of feelings, such as their tummy might be sore when they are feeling stressed.

We can sometimes mistake this for sickness, or children may think they are themselves ill. Take note of children’s physical complaints if they complain of a tummy ache/headache, etc, and gently explain that it might be their body’s way of telling them something.

We can have that open dialogue with our young people by letting them know we sometimes have that “knot in our tummy” too. 

Five tips to help children’s emotional well-being

School can be increasingly stressful for older pupils – the worry about exams and college/university entrance for some.

Sleep

The number one important tip is one most adults may not practise very well themselves…sleep! Young people ideally need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. We know we are not always getting enough sleep, particularly due to phones or gadgets being accessed until late into the night. For young people, especially, it can help to make an effort to go to bed earlier and keep phones away from the bed.

Exercise

Tip number two is exercise – even when young people feel they “don’t have time” or  are “too busy studying”. Exercise will release those endorphin hormones that give us the natural high, for increased energy and alertness for learning.

Healthy eating

Tip number three is healthy eating. Eating well can give that much-needed energy to clear minds and help with memory. Along with eating well, hydration is so important for our brains, so we should aim for 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Breathing

Tip number four to help with stress would be to concentrate on our breathing. We breathe all day, every day, but when we actually take the time to deep breathe, inhaling and exhaling, this makes a huge difference to our bodies. Controlled deep breathing allows minds to be clear and ready for life’s challenges.

Self-care

Finally, self-care is so vital. Take some time to enjoy life. Watch a movie, make a cup of hot chocolate, have a bath – inexpensive ideas but this will allow young people to destress and unwind. 

Looking after our mental health must be addressed first and foremost in order to feel ‘brain ready’ to learn. Most of all, in the ever-changing, chaotic world we live in, being present for our young people is key. 

Mind Marvels wellbeing sessions

Mind Marvels delivers wellbeing sessions to help children with their emotional wellness in primary schools and nurseries. We’ve franchised our business UK-wide and impact children from Glasgow to Wales! For further information, please visit our website or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

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This brilliant article has been written by Caren from Penarth Nutrition and provides advice to help us all eat healthy, nutritious foods that supports our body’s needs.

October is menopause awareness month and a great opportunity for me to shout about how the right balance of targeted nutrition can support us through this phase of our life.

In case we haven’t met – I’m Caren; a Registered Nutritionist with over 12 years’ experience helping people make positive changes to their diet so that they feel and look healthier.

I firmly believe that good nutrition isn’t about depriving yourself of foods you enjoy; it’s about making simple, practical adjustments that become a natural part of your daily routine, supplying your body with the essential nutrients it needs to flourish.

I have a special interest in women approaching or over 40 who are managing busy lives and are aiming for more energy, stable moods, weight loss and to manage their hormones – particularly during the menopause transition.

Understanding Menopause

Before we explore how nutrition can support your health, let’s quickly recap what menopause entails.

The transition can be divided into three stages:

Perimenopause

This is the phase that leads up to menopause and usually starts in our mid 40s, although in some cases as early as our mid 30s, and can last for over a decade. Early symptoms include irregular periods, mood changes, hot flushes and your body might feel ‘different’.

Menopause

The definition of menopause is when a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 months. So ‘menopause’ is actually just one day!

Post-Menopause

After 12 months without a period things might settle down but we are not out of the woods yet! Many women still experience ongoing symptoms for a number of years (sorry!).

During the menopause transition, our oestrogen and progesterone levels decrease but unfortunately not in a steady controlled manner. Oestrogen often fluctuates dramatically impacting our moods, weight, sleep and appetite levels.

The Diet-Menopause Connection

Just as the hormone changes in our teenage years and pregnancy demanded adjustments to our nutrition, the menopause transition needs a different dietary approach.

Research shows that women incorporating specific nutrients into their diets and adhering to certain eating patterns experience a smoother menopause with fewer symptoms.

It’s never too late, or too early, to make changes to the diet to start supporting your body.

Here are a few areas where nutrition is useful:

Weight Management

The decrease in oestrogen affects metabolism, making it easier to gain weight and harder to burn fat. The right balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats will help to manage weight and energy levels.

Hormonal Harmony

Certain foods like soy, flaxseeds and legumes contain compounds called phytoestrogens that mimic oestrogen and may alleviate symptoms such as hot flashes.

Combatting Fatigue

Feeling tired is common so we need to use food to keep our blood glucose balanced and eat meals that provide the vitamins and minerals for energy production.

Bone Health

The decline in oestrogen is a potential threat to your bone health. So, it is especially important to include sufficient protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and other bone-loving nutrients.

Emotions

Fluctuating hormones influence our mood. Balanced nutrition will support your body and brain – try including foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish, chia seeds and walnuts.

The Menopause – Diet connection

Eating our way through the menopause transition is a two-way street! The hormonal fluctuations mentioned earlier can interfere with our intentions to make healthy choices.

We may find ourselves in a vicious cycle where our fluctuating hormones tempt us to indulge in options such as sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and caffeine to resolve an unpleasant feeling. However, we’re aware that this kind of diet, in the long run, makes us feel worse.

Understanding the underlying reasons for these changes in appetite helps us to address the dietary challenges.

Oestrogen and Neurotransmitters

The hormone oestrogen affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine that influence mood and reward. Lower levels of oestrogen can disrupt the delicate balance of these neurotransmitters leading to cravings.

Oestrogen and Appetite

The hormone helps to regulate appetite and body weight and as oestrogen levels decline, alterations in neurochemicals can lead to increased appetite.

Oestrogen and Insulin

Oestrogen influences insulin function which impacts how the body processes glucose. A decrease in insulin sensitivity is likely to prompt a preference for sugary and carbohydrate-rich foods.

Stress and Emotional Eating

The menopausal transition often coincides with increased stress levels and a busy life load. Persistently high cortisol can lead to emotional eating, where we turn to comfort foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates to cope with stress-induced emotions.

Sleep Disturbances and Cravings

Menopausal women regularly experience sleep disruptions which impacts the regulation of hunger hormones such as ghrelin and leptin. Poor quality sleep alongside fatigue (another common symptom) prompts cravings for energy-dense, high-sugar foods.

Menopause triggers intricate changes in our hormonal balance that affect not only our bodies but also our thoughts and emotions, collectively influencing our dietary choices. Understanding why your body is demanding certain foods will help you develop strategies to minimise cravings and realise that, at this time of hormonal fluctuations, it’s often not a lack of willpower driving eating habits.

I hope that this have given you more of an insight in the connection between what we eat and how it can help support our body through menopause.

Managing menopause: Where To Start

If you’re considering dietary changes, here are five nutrition tips to get you started.

Protein

We need protein to produce hormones and maintain stable blood glucose levels, supporting consistent energy throughout the day.

Healthy Fats

Essential for stress and sex hormone production. Include sources like oily fish, nuts, seeds, and avocados in your diet.

Vegetables

Powerhouses of nutrients and phytonutrients. Aim for a minimum of 5 servings per day, striving for 10 servings, and pay particular attention to cruciferous vegetables.

Specific Nutrients

B vitamins are essential for energy / Vitamin C for skin, hair, bones and immunity / Vitamin D is essential for bone health / Magnesium is vital for energy, bones, stress, sleep, hormones.

Saboteurs

Be mindful of dietary saboteurs that disrupt your hormones, including caffeine, alcohol, toxins, and refined carbohydrates. Making informed choices in this regard is crucial for managing menopausal symptoms effectively.

Small changes in your diet and lifestyle can make a big difference to not only your overall health but also reduce the symptoms of menopause. Your menopausal journey is unique, and with informed choices, you’re setting yourself on a path to a healthier and happier future.

If you are ready to start making changes to your diet and have questions or would like to sign up to my nutrition programme, please get in touch.

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It makes perfect sense as we can’t try and save someone who’s drowning, if we don’t have a life jacket on. And it’s the same in parenting. How can we look after everyone else, if we aren’t looking after ourselves? But the reality is, we don’t look after ourselves first. And mums are particularly prone to putting ourselves at the very bottom of the list. Which often means we’re left with an empty tank and no energy to help anyone.

However you come to be a parent, it’s full of challenges. Being an adoptive parents brings with it a whole different level of challenge. Which makes it even more important for us to take some time to focus on us and our well-being.

Self-care takes a backseat

I’m very bad at doing this. I managed to ignore the fact that I was perimenopausal for probably three years until it had literally brought me to my knees. I burned out badly during the summer of 2020 trying to spin too many plates. They came crashing down around me and I promised myself then that I’d make time for myself.

But I haven’t kept it up. I’ve felt myself becoming overwhelmed again recently and have been looking for some other things to do as well as my go-to help which are a long walk (preferably on my own), a bath with no interruptions, listening to Anna Marthur’s podcast or my favourite playlist.

I was recently asked if I wanted to review a book from a list published by Summersdale Publishers. “Self-Care for Busy Mums” written by Zeena Moolla piqued my interest so I asked if I could review it.

Self-Care for Busy Mums

The book itself is hard-backed and fits into your hand. A great visual representation of its content as the book is full of small things mums can do that will make a big difference to their well-being. It’s split into five chapters. The first looks at prioritising yourself, then finding your balance, everyday self-care, investing in yourself and then sustaining healthy habits.

I read about half of the book in the bath and only stopped reading because the water had gone cold! It’s the first book I’ve read like this for a long time! Everything about it is bite-sized and easy to digest. Zeena’s writing style is brilliant. Her words are full of humour and relatability. A self-care book that preaches isn’t going to persuade anyone that they need to put themselves first.

This book definitely doesn’t preach. It feels like having a good natter with your friends, sharing tips that work for them. From the incredibly simple things like making your bed when you get to help to improve your frame of mind. To using mindfulness as a technique for managing guilt and cloud glazing.

There are some lovely quotes dotted around the book. My favourite is one from Lucille Ball “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”

So, if you’re a frazzled mum who needs some quick, easy, and effective tips to help you slot self-care into your day, this book is definitely for you. It’s available from a range of bookshops including Waterstones and WHSmith. Please note that the link to Waterstones is an affiliate one which means if you click on it and buy the book, I get paid a fee from them.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy me a coffee to show your support for the magazine? If you’d like to read more articles about adoption, health and well-being, and parenting, head over to the home page and have a look at what’s new.

Around 1 in 6 couples experience infertility. Statistics aren’t available about the number of single women who experience infertility. Despite the number of people who go through infertility, it’s still a subject that isn’t talked about openly (and sensitively) enough.

I hope reading about my experience helps anyone battling with the emotional rollercoaster of trying to get pregnant. It’s a brutal journey.

Learning to love my body again

Social media is awash at the minute with mothers celebrating their post birth body. They are embracing their lumps, bumps and imperfections because their bodies created amazing little people. They grew humans inside of them and then brought them into the world to breath new life.

It’s wonderful to see such an outpouring of love and pride for a realistic image of a woman’s body. It’s left me feeling a bit left out though.

You see, my body didn’t create my little human. Another woman did that. She grew and nurtured our daughter in her tummy. She felt her first kick and watched her bump grow as our daughter developed in her womb. I can’t begin to imagine how she must have felt when her waters broke.

She had already decided then she wasn’t going to be able to look after the baby she was about to bring into the world. She endured a no doubt excruciating labour knowing she wasn’t going to be taking home the little human she’d grown inside her for 9 months.

For a long time, I fell out of love with my body. Since time began, women have become pregnant and given birth. I felt such a failure that I didn’t and incredibly let down by my body.

It was the complete opposite to the way that the social media mums are loving their bodies because they created a life. I was loathing mine because it didn’t. Every month I’d get a punch in the face, as regular as clockwork, reminding me that my body COULD get pregnant, it just wasn’t.

Infertility rollercoaster

Infertility is one of those things that unless you’ve experienced it, you really can’t understand how someone who is going through it is feeling. Month after month, I’d be on a rollercoaster of hope at the start of my cycle, followed very quickly with crushing disappointment. Every twinge during the “2 week wait” would be analysed, googled, cherished and then quickly thrown away in despair.

Why couldn’t I get pregnant? Everyone else seemed to be. I was reasonably fit and healthy, as was my husband. He went along with the endless attempts at new positions / baggy underwear / bath ban / vitamin overkill I forced on him as I desperately clung on to the hope that it would happen.

During that time, my best friends had produced 10 kids between them and my sister had two. There had been crushing miscarriages too, but 12 babies gave me hope that it would happen for us.

But it didn’t. I felt completely inadequate. A failure as a woman. It wasn’t that I was getting pregnant and then my body rejected it. I just didn’t get pregnant. I have never experienced the thrill of a positive pregnancy test of my own. I’ve seen the line change for someone else which was a feeling I will never forget. It’s never happened to me though.

If I’m being completely honest with myself, I think I knew that it never would. That thought didn’t help with the hurt and the pain and the all consuming disappointment I felt for a long time.

Let down by my body

My body had let me down, big time. I felt like I wasn’t a real woman because I couldn’t grow a human inside me. My lumps and bumps weren’t badges of honour. They were stark reminders every single day that my body hadn’t done what it was meant to.

I was so desperate to be a mum. As the months went by I was terrified it was never going to happen. At times, I didn’t know if I could cope with that. I felt a physical ache as I contemplated a future not being a mum.

I’m a great believer that things happen for a reason. The reason may not always be as clear as it could be. But it’s there, somewhere. The reason I didn’t get pregnant is because I wasn’t meant to. I wasn’t meant to be a birth mummy. I was meant to grow my child in my heart. She grew there for a very long time, but once we met her, everything made sense.

Mother nature decided that my route to motherhood was via adoption. If I’d got pregnant and had a birth child, that would never have happened. The thought of our daughter not being part of our lives utterly terrifies me.

We waited such a long time to meet her. It feels now that I had to go through all of the pain, heartache and despair so that I could be her mum. And also so that I could appreciate how hard it must have been for her birth mum to walk away.

So my body didn’t let me down at all. It took me on a journey and kept me going until our daughter was ready for us. My jelly belly may not have been created by our daughter growing inside me. It was created while she grew in my heart.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy me a coffee to help keep the magazine free for everyone to read? If you’d like to read more articles about adoption, health and well-being, and parenting, head over to the home page and have a look at what’s new.

I can still remember the sheer panic I felt when the first lockdown was announced. I know a lot of people relished the idea of being at home. Many embarked on a huge clear-out of their homes. Some took up banana bread making. Others took to gardening. I took to panicking. It’s something I became an expert in very quickly.

In March 2020, I’d been back at work for just over five months after a year of adoption leave with our youngest daughter. I had just about got back on my feet at work when our lives were plunged into chaos when we were told we had to stay at home.

I worked as a legal adviser in Magistrates’ courts and at that time, all of my job was in a courtroom. The majority of hearing types were cancelled. But we still had to run courts for people who were being held in custody. That meant I still had to go in to work once a week.

I felt like I was part of the film “The Next 28 Days” every time I went in. I was terrified of touching anything. Or being near anyone. The wave of panic that engulfed me every time I went to work meant I felt like I had no idea how to do my job.

Write it down

Fast forward a few years and my mental health is definitely still affected by that time. I find it difficult to look at photos I took during the first few weeks of lockdown. They bring back a feeling of complete panic and helplessness.

Life for me is still very complicated and overwhelming. I knew I needed something to help me feel like I was in control again that didn’t take up much time. I love to write and definitely find writing how I feel helps to get my worries out of my head. When life feels challenging, it can be easy to get engulfed by all of the negatives and forget about the good things.

I was interested in finding out whether regularly writing down things like my feelings, goals, self-care, and things I’m grateful for would help lift my mood. So, I jumped at the chance to try out Happybyme‘s 12-week happiness planner to see if it would fit the bill for me.

The planner lifted my mood as soon as I opened the parcel as its cover is a beautiful bright yellow. It felt like a little ray of sunshine on a grey and rainy day. The planner is designed to help you focus on the things that make you happy by writing them down daily. It’s created by positive psychologists using research and science to help you improve your well-being in fun, easy ways.

How journalling can improve your mental health

The first few pages of the planner guide you through looking at what makes you happy and satisfied in your life. This involves completing a life wheel and looking at your core values which help you to identify what you’re working towards.

The rest of the planner is broken down into weeks. Each week starts with you identifying your values, what is most important that week, what is non-negotiable, and the things you want to do for yourself.

Taking a few minutes at the start of each week to do this really does help to identify what’s important to me. It’s very easy to start the week with the best of intentions, but then forget about things as life gets in the way. Writing them down is a great reminder of the little things I can do that makes me feel better. Like going for a walk, taking a bath, or just finding 10 minutes in my day to read a couple of pages of my book or magazine.

The end of each week has a page to reflect. Again, taking a few minutes to fill this in has helped me build on what’s gone well, and reflect on the little things that bring me joy. My daughter said to me over the weekend that hugging me always makes her feel better. Hugging her (and her sister) is one of my greatest joys in life. Even on the worst days, I will always be grateful for that. Recording how hugs make me feel and being able to read them when things feel tough, is a great mood booster.

I’ve been using the planner for a few weeks now, and I can feel the difference. Finding little pockets of time to do things on my own, or with my family, feels much more achievable. Having everything written down reminds me of what makes me feel good and why.

Happybyme

The ethos of Happybyme resonates with me a lot. This time last year I walked away from a successful 20+ year career and the financial security it brought because it wasn’t making me happy. Whilst Covid brought a lot of negative things into my life, it also gave me the gift of reflection.

I realised that continuing on my expected career path was never going to bring me joy and fulfilment. Walking away from my career is the scariest and most difficult thing I’ve ever done, not least because of the lack of financial stability. But it’s given me the chance to re-evaluate what happiness and success mean to me.

It’s the simple things like taking my kids to school and finding out about their day on the way home. Having the time to listen to them read. And spending time with my mum. Or taking her to medical appointments without having to ask someone if it’s ok for me to take leave. Those are the things that make me happy. Using the happiness planner has helped me realise that too.

To find out more Happybyme, head over to their website. I was kindly gifted a copy of the planner so I could try it out and write this review.

If you enjoyed reading this article, why not buy me a coffee to help keep the magazine free for everyone to read? If you’d like to read more articles about adoption, health and well-being, and parenting, head over to the home page and have a look at what’s new.

Are you looking for an exciting and eco-friendly way to explore new destinations? How about taking your ebike to your travel destination?

With their battery-powered assistance, these versatile bicycles make adventure travel accessible to riders of all experience levels. So helmet up and read further.

Ways to Use Ebikes While Traveling

You can use offroad ebikes for all sorts of vacations. Below are some ideas to get you started:

• Bikepacking: Bikepacking is a form of adventure travel that combines biking and camping. You can use your ebike to explore backcountry trails and get off the beaten path. Just be sure to pack light, as you’ll have to carry all your gear on your bike. Your bike should have a luggage rack that supports up to 50 pounds of weight.

• Bike touring: Touring is another great way to see the world by bike. With an ebike, you can cover more ground than you can on a traditional bicycle, making it easier to see more of your chosen destination. Whether you’re doing a self-supported tour or joining an organized group, ebike touring, especially offroad, is a great way to explore and see the great outdoors.

• Exploring bike trails and parks: If you’re looking for a way to add some adventure to traveling, consider exploring bike trails and parks on an electric bike. This is a great way to get some exercise while seeing some spectacular sights.

Tips for Going the Distance on an Ebike

Maybe you want to use your ebike on a longer trip. If so, below are some tips to get the most out of the experience.

1. Get comfortable with your ebike before heading out on a long ride or trip. If possible, take some shorter rides to get used to your ebike’s power and handling. This will help you feel more confident when riding for longer periods of time on unfamiliar terrain.

2. Make sure you have all the necessary gear for a comfortable ride. In addition to bringing along things like food, water, and a first-aid kit, add a GPS and phone. Some bikes are equipped with phone holders and chargers. If you take a trip in colder weather, dress in layers and make sure you carry a blanket and cold-weather-friendly sleeping bag.

Being heavy doesn’t have to mean discomfort at bedtime. The right mattress can provide support to avoid that sinking feeling while cushioning your body, helping relieve pressure whether you sleep on your back, front, or side.  

When choosing a mattress, you should focus on three elements:

• Firmness.
• Thickness.
• Composition (materials).

Firmness

A mattress’s firmness level determines how much weight it can take before it dips and buckles. Since heavier people put more pressure on a mattress, finding one that evenly distributes your weight is crucial.

A mattress that is too soft will let your body sink into the bed, causing pressure points that can lead to pain and make it challenging to move around.

Generally, the best mattress for a heavy person is a firm mattress because the support system will stay rigid under load. Firmness is relative, so while firm mattresses feel rock hard to light people, they are relatively soft for heavy people. 

Another option if you have a lighter partner, or want something squishier, is a medium-firm mattress. Medium-firm mattresses are ideal for heavier side sleepers because the medium comfort layer helps reduce pressure points.

Thickness

A mattress’s thickness indicates its overall quality, with a thicker mattress generally having a better support system to distribute your weight.

However, firm mattresses are typically thinner than soft and medium mattresses because less material is required to deliver support. This can lead you down a rabbit hole where you look for a super-thick firm mattress that doesn’t exist.

Look for firm mattresses at least 25cm thick – a 25cm mattress is more likely to offer advanced support than a 22cm or 24cm mattress.

Composition (materials)

The best mattress technology for a heavy person is pocket springs because these springs operate independently, providing enhanced motion isolation and zoned support versus the cheaper open coil technology.

A higher spring count is generally better, but 1,000 pocket springs are all that is needed for a firm, supportive sleep surface.

The comfort layers above the springs are also critical to comfort. Memory foam and memory gel are soft with low responsiveness, contouring your body, while fibre and rebound foams respond almost instantly.

For heavy people, we recommend memory gel or rebound/reflex foam. Memory gel performs similarly to memory foam with enhanced heat dissipation, while reflex and rebound foam bounce back, assisting mobility.

Natural fillings are another option with mattresses like the Silentnight Mirapocket 1,400 Puriel. Natural mattresses are chemical-free, and the natural fillings are breathable, making them a decent option for heavy people.

Mattress recommendations

Pictured: Sleepeezee Jessica Support 5FT Kingsize Mattress. Available from Bedstar.

Sleepeezee Jessica Support

Price: £659 (king).

Built specifically for support, the Sleepeezee Jessica Support combines 800 zoned pocket springs with platinum and white fibre comfort layers for firm, lofty support. It has excellent motion isolation and keeps you cool with breathable materials.

Sleepeezee Pocket Gel Balance Plus

Pictured: Sleepeezee Pocket Gel Balance Plus 5FT Kingsize Mattress. Available from Bedstar.

Price: £759 (king).

The Sleepeezee Pocket Gel Balance Plus is 26cm thick with advanced Staycool gel foam, Sensifil fibres for a lofty feel, and 1,200 SoftTech pocket springs. This is a firm mattress with outstanding edge support and motion isolation.

Giltedge Beds Tranquillity

Pictured: Giltedge Beds Tranquility 2000 5FT Kingsize Mattress. Available from Bedstar.

Price: £799 (king).

The Giltedge Beds Tranquillity boasts 2,000 pocket springs and reflex/rebound foam fillings for a responsive sleep experience. It responds instantly to your movements, making it easy to move around and get comfortable.

Silentnight Mirapocket 1,400 Puriel

Pictured: Silentnight Mirapocket 1400 Puriel 5FT Kingsize Mattress. Available from Bedstar.

Price: £799 (king).

The Silentnight Mirapocket 1,400 Puriel is 28cm thick with 1,400 pocket springs and a sumptuous comfort layer filled with wool. The lofty surface is backed by firm support, with the best motion isolation in the business.

Summing up

When shopping for the best mattress for a heavy person, focus on firmness, thickness, and composition.

A mattress that is too soft will cause pressure points and make it difficult to move around, so look for a firm mattress with responsive materials.

Pocket springs are the best technology for support and motion isolation, and comfort layers should be either memory gel, rebound foam, or fibre.

Yes, it’s that time of year again where we all have a go at giving up the booze. For some of us it’s easy, life changing in fact. For others we last about a week before that bottle of wine that’s been staring at us on the shelf gets cracked open.

Dry January can be an enlightening experience, not to mention being great for your health. It can be a good indicator of our relationships with alcohol and whether we need alcohol help or we can take it or leave it with no problem at all.

Many of us have tried and succeeded – here are some top tips to help you navigate dry January in the most effective way possible…

Get rid of alcohol at home

It may sound an obvious one, but actually few people rid the cupboards of alcohol when trying to do dry January, after all, it can be expensive.

However, having alcohol in the home is more likely to lead to temptation and finally caving in. So if you can, rid your home of it, or at least the drinks you are likely to consume more frequently. You might be fine leaving the expensive bottle of champagne you’re saving for a special occasion where it is.

Make alternative arrangements to the pub

While the pub or bars might be the regular hangout spot for you and your friends, make alternative arrangements in January that don’t involve alcohol. Firstly, it will help you to avoid drinking any, but secondly you’ll also have more fun.

There are so many great activities to enjoy that don’t involve alcohol. It could bring you closer together as a friendship group and help introduce you to a healthier hobby that you’ll enjoy way beyond the month of January.

Create a Dry January team

You’ll get much more gratification out of doing dry January if there’s a group of you doing it. You’ll feel like you are a part of a team, in it together and get encouragement and support to see it through to the end.

You can meet up regularly, form text groups and share your progress as you navigate the month, and come January you can also review how you feel from doing it, whether it’s something you are going to continue, or whether it’s time for a well deserved “cheers” with all your buddies that have been through it together.

Head over to the health and well-being section to read more about creating healthy habits.

Being able to fit in exercise is something I thought would be so much easier when I started working for myself. But so far, it hasn’t worked out like that. I’ve had to accept that at the moment, I can’t get up early enough to exercise before the school run. And now that the nights are longer and it gets dark earlier, exercising in an evening doesn’t work for me either.

That leaves during the day when the kids are at school. Despite my best intentions, it just isn’t happening for me. I’m still in the early days of my business and I feel like I need to be working on or in it, all of the time. And at the moment, I feel that I can’t justify spending time exercising during the day.

So, what’s the solution? I need to do something to keep my body and my mind healthy and the longer I leave doing anything, the harder it will be to get back into it. Here’s some options I’ve found for exercising at work.

Work out at your desk

This is an option I hadn’t thought of but on the face of it, it ticks all the boxes. Perhaps one of the benefits of lockdown and more people working from home, is that the fitness equipment industry has created products that we can use at our desks.

There’s a range of equipment you can buy that’s designed to be used at a desk. I like the idea of getting a cardio workout while I’m typing by using desk exercise equipment such as a stepper or minibike. The beauty of these machines is that they fit under your desk and can be used easily while you’re there. If I’m focused on work, I don’t want to have to get up to access a piece of equipment so these desk machines would be perfect.

A walking desk

Unfortunately, a walking desk doesn’t do the exercise for you, but lets you walk (or run) while you work at your computer. At first glance, this is an expensive option. But with many of us now being given the flexibility to work from home and an equipment allowance, this is a sound investment if you’re serious about improving your fitness while you work.

I would imagine it takes a bit of practice to be able to jog and type at the same time, but if you’re an experienced runner, this may be a great option. Running isn’t my thing, but I love to walk and like the sound of this. So, it’s on my wish-list.

A stand-up desk

Standing up while you work can help to improve your circulation and posture. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to go straight into a day of standing but building up gradually and even doing an hour a day will be of benefit. You’ll need a desk that’s adjustable so you can get it at the right level for you.

If you’re feeling in need of an added challenge, why not add a balancing board into the mix? They’re great to use with a standing desk and can help to improve your brain function, balance, and develop core muscles.

Desk exercises

If you don’t want to buy any equipment, there’s a lot of exercising you can do at your desk. You could try wall or desk push-ups; calf raises and knee squats; or triceps stretches and neck rolls. There are many blog posts and online desk workouts you can try that are free.

I’d love to know whether you exercise at your desk and if you do, what do you enjoy the most? It’s definitely something I need to start doing to help improve my health and well-being.