Month: January 2020

January is the month of good intentions. Many of us vow to make positive changes and or start new diets or exercise regimes. And that’s to be congratulated!

January sees a 42% increase in gym memberships and a boost in internet searches around the latest fad diets. Whether it’s keto, 5:2, weight watchers, slimming world, sugar-free or meat-free, everyone’s just trying to find a way that works for them to achieve a healthier body and mind.

You might be one of the lucky ones who doesn’t need to embark on a weight loss mission or make any drastic changes. Or maybe you don’t buy-in to any of it at all? But you will probably know someone who does. You know the formula: we take a shot of motivation in early January, we team up with gym buddies and mutually congratulate ourselves with “likes” when how many miles have been run that day is posted, or how many pounds have been lost.

And then the big cloud in the sky rolls in; the killer blow for many diets and resolutions. Tomorrow – it’s February!!!

At this point 95% of diets fail. The good intentions start to lose their mojo. It feels like we’re denying ourselves the food we love. Progress is not as good as hoped, and the Sunday morning runs now have to be undertaken alone. The inspiring words from bored loved ones also dries up – just at a time when they are most needed.

Don’t let motivational lethargy kick in. Make a special effort to keep spurring those in need on – you may just be instrumental to their success!

Continue to help motivate your friends and loved one(s) to accomplish their goals by sending them one of our inspiring moments.

31 January, 2020.

If you’ve not heard of Greta Thunberg or David Attenborough, that’s ok (not really), but maybe just take a minute to google and get up to speed.

In recent years, climate change has peaked in the headlines and for flaming good reasons! We – seemingly intelligent humans – are solely responsible for the demise, or saviour, of this planet; so it’s time to get serious. Whatever you think about its causes and roots.

As individuals, it’s easy to brush aside responsibility – we blame the big guns, the politicians, the corporates – but if all of us meagre little guys make small changes ourselves, we WILL make a difference. 

So how can you help? Well friends, if the rubbish bin is still filling quicker than the recycling one, we should hang our heads in shame – and get recycling! Or, even better… make smart and responsible conscious consumer choices – because let’s face it, we’ve all been wooed and led along by the devil that is disposable consumerism for far, far too long. 

Here are a few easy ways we can all make a difference:

• Make clothes last – do you really need fashion that will be deemed boring in a month? Stay classic, stay classy. And when you’ve had enough of them – donate them to a charity shop – or recycle the material.
• Choose food minus the packaging – does your broccoli really need a plastic mac? No. No it does not.
• Car-share – saves both planet and pennies! Better still… walk!
• Send love, not paper cards. There’s nothing lovelier than sending heartfelt words to someone who matters, knowing it’ll be received with the the same affection – but do those words have to be etched in paper and ink? With the world at our fingertips, you can find that greeting, in a Moment right there on your phone – all without the guilt of hurting trees, generating waste, or racking up transport miles to deliver it. Wahoo!

Yes, we all love sending paper cards but we need to love the planet too – so, maybe it’s time to make a stand and choose Be Momentful to deliver ALL our hugs, kisses, missives and greetings to our loved ones – wherever they are in the world – but in an ecological and sustainable way.

Love sending, love trees… end of.

27 January, 2020.

You may or may not be celebrating Chinese New Year tomorrow, but around a sixth of the world’s population will be.

It’s the Year of the Rat and that means those born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 and 2020 can look forward to boundless success, wealth and resourcefulness! Hurray!

2020 is a good year to put that rat-like stubbornness to good use; to squeak up for ourselves, and to also give a rat’s arse about the environment!

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快樂

24 January, 2020.

It’s Blue Monday today.

Blue Monday is supposedly the most depressing day of the year… It’s still dark and cold (possibly even darker and colder), we’re surviving on pennies whilst waiting for pay-day, we’ve already failed our new year’s resolutions, motivation is low, traffic is terrible and worst of all… it’s Monday. shudder

Well, that’s what the media would have us believe… when really, it’s not all so bad!

Monday is a day to feel chipper, following an exciting little two-day holiday known as a ‘weekend’ – and if you didn’t manage to do everything that you wanted to, you’ve got another one to look forward to next week – that’s only 5 sleeps away!

And whilst we’re focusing on the positives of today, how great is it that you were able to get up this morning?! To hop out of bed, to wash in some hot water, to perhaps drink some delicious coffee and maybe listen to some music. How invigorating!

Maybe you didn’t do any of those things – maybe you didn’t quite make it out of bed this morning… And that’s okay! You’re probably all snuggled up, toasty warm!

There are positives to be found in every day, even on Mondays, you just need to know how to look for them. Why not send someone a little positivity today and help to make this Monday a little less blue.

20 January, 2020.

Three fun facts about Christmas calories:

• Health nutritionists believe that many of us consume over 4,000 calories on Christmas Day alone…
• A single mince pie contains around 245 calories, which would take 40 minutes to walk off…
• To walk off the 105 calories in a glass of sparkling wine, yes, just a small one, you’d need to march for 17 minutes…

If you feel like you perhaps over-did it on the calories this Christmas, don’t fret, you are not alone.

So what’s the plan?

Firstly, don’t dwell on the calories, counting isn’t enough and stresses many of us out (argh, maths!). To truly be a healthy individual, exercise is essential. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford the extortionate gym membership, find easy (and free!) ways to get yourself moving:

• Waiting for the kettle to boil? Why not walk up and down the stairs 20 times?
• Need to buy milk or bread? Leave the car keys on the table and walk to the nearest shop.
• Rocking the baby back to sleep for the 37th time this evening? Do some gentle squats or lunges! (Gentle being the operative word here – DO NOT DROP THE BABY!)

Then when you feel like you might be ready to commit some more time…

• Go for a run. It’s free, it’s easy, and it only takes as long as you want it to, plus, you don’t really need to spend hundreds kitting yourself out in serious-looking lycra, wear what you have.
• Try some yoga – you don’t even have to go outside for this one, and you’ll feel wonderfully calm and composed afterwards – a great way to start the day!
• Have a go at one of the thousands of free workout sessions on Youtube – no-one’s watching!!

Whatever you do, make sure you have fun, don’t beat yourself up, and stay motivated. You’ve got this!

17 January, 2020.

We’re still under two weeks into welcoming a new decade and already a massive amount has happened.
Australia is on fire, World War III was narrowly avoided and a couple of members of the royal family have (perhaps understandably) called it quits from the spotlight.

What else might the new 20s have in store for us? Space tourism? Robot Olympics? Calorie-free cakes? Brexit?!

It’s hard to predict (especially that last one, eh?), particularly when we don’t have much influence on these things – unless you’re an Elon Musk or a Boris Johnson – or maybe even a Mary Berry. But what about the things we can influence? The things that could happen in the 2020s because we are able to make them happen…

We can reduce our carbon footprint and make efforts to look after the planet.
We can learn new life skills and motivate others to join us in our pursuits.
We can reconnect with the friends we thought we’d lost.

It matters not what we might choose to take action on – what does count is that we do something. Don’t be one of those who lets a whole decade pass them by – and then regrets it.

All it takes is a Moment.

Take your pick! And start today…

13 January, 2020.

Thinking of shedding a few pounds this new year?

How about a hundred or so?

To some, January is statistically known as “divorce month” – and yep, you guessed it – that’s because this month many individuals will choose to unload their excess baggage – aka their marriage.

At the start of a new year it’s not uncommon for us to find ourselves unpicking and re-evaluating our lives: identifying unfulfilled expectations and looking where we can chop off the dead wood and avoid further disillusionment in the coming year – because this one is going to be life-changing right? Right?!

For those contemplating a divorce, the promise of a huge weight being lifted from their shoulders might blinker them to the ups and downs of the journey they’re about to embark upon… so here’s a passenger safety announcement:

Divorce is a bit like white water rafting: it’s confusing, nauseating, utterly terrifying, and can make breathing difficult. You’re likely to find yourself in uncomfortably deep water, or turned upside down in the rapids (with or without a safety vest!) and you’ll most definitely come out the other side cold, shivering and in need of a warm blanket round your shoulders and a cuddle.

If you know someone gearing up for their own “rafting adventure”, get a towel ready. They’ll need you.

Here are some cuddles you can send in the form of Moments to show your love and support:

8 January, 2020.

As the festive fog of Christmas clears, reality starts to hit… well, hellllooo consequences!
As we waddle into the New Year, carrying the overindulgence of food and family attention, we are stopped briefly in our tracks to confront the recollections of our hazy festive misdemeanours and excesses…

So surely this now leads to the inevitable ‘new year, new me’ type guilt-trip? Or even: ‘new decade, new life’ scenario? Gulp…

Sure, January is a brilliant time to start afresh – whether it’s investing effort in a healthier body or a healthier heart and mind – but remember it’s also super easy to fall off the wagon. After all, it’s cold outside and summer seems a loooong time away. So why not just say yes to another mince pie? Why not keep the indulgences going?

Just say NO friends!

Good times are only good times because they do have to come to an end. Otherwise, there would be nothing to look forward to. This is where we must now suck it in, stick together and keep each other real.

Whether it’s a sharing a moment of encouragement, or issuing a firm ‘put the cake DOWN’, we must keep each other on track this new year – and we have a stack of Moments in the Be Momentful app for us to support each other along the way.

And remember, it may be a new year, but hey, any day is a good day to start anew. So why not today?

Happy New Year everyone!

1 January, 2019.