How do you start your day...do you literally jump out of bed and plunge into your daily activities, or do you take time to gradually wake up, stretch and ease the transition between sleep and wakefulness? 

You might feel victorious if you can jump straight into your daily routine, but did you know this can place a great deal of pressure on your body systems and create a strain on weak artery walls? For instance, strokes and heart attacks occur most commonly in the early morning, partly due to the sudden and dramatic changes in heart rate, blood pressure and temperature in this transition phase. 

Take some time to develop a gentle morning routine to start your day in a great way, incorporating stretches, self massage and soft music. You might like to try this gently stimulating morning ritual passed down by the ancient Chinese Taoists

Emotional regulation and emotional resilience are key concepts to develop awareness and skills around for children of all ages, starting from the very young. Good mental health is every person’s birthright, however unfortunately in Australia our children are facing something of a crisis. Beyond Blue reports that 1 in 7 school aged children were diagnosed with a mental health condition in 2015, and this doesn’t take into account that mental health conditions are notoriously under-reported and under-diagnosed due to a pervasive social stigma around these conditions.

It’s really important for parents, carers, teachers and anyone with young people in their lives to be proactive about encouraging the development of emotional intelligence, and raising awareness around good mental health practices.