Margaret Shenken

19/05/2023

Details of the Facebook Group coming soon…

17/05/2023

15/05/2023

Are you needing help to get fitter for summer?

21/11/2022

“We’ve got so much to get done this weekend”
“We need to get through this list”
“We don’t have time to go together”.

This used to be my weekend.
I wasn’t refilling my cup.
I wasn’t making time to just be.

This weekend I went for 3 beautiful long walks.
I spent time laughing and attempting the tik tok running man dance with my sister and children.
I had a gym and spa Saturday date night with my husband (yes, we call that a date 🤣).

There’s a lot we can’t control in life.
But there’s also a lot we can.
Control the controllables.

18/11/2022

🤗 I have a trick to instantly FEEL GOOD🤗

Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. (It’s a survival thing) 🧠
So we need to put in a little effort to focus on the positive. ➕
Here’s one of my favourite methods:-
Think about your week like you’re watching a reel of it. 🎥
Then pause and expand the moments of joy, happiness or success - Like you are shining a spotlight on them, or maximising a window on your laptop. 💡
Mine for this week are - cuddling with my wee boy, crying tears of laughter with my husband, and booking in 3 new corporate well-being training sessions.
Try it before you go to sleep or as soon as you wake up.

07/11/2022

The best tool to combat stress is surprising.

Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty about not working when you’re at home, and then guilty about not being with family when you’re at work? And then questioning everything when you’re on holiday.

Meditation is the obvious solution to this. But there’s something that unexpectedly moved the needle for me - Getting crystal clear on my values. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t fast, but it changed everything.

After that, the decisions about where to spend my time, how much time, and in what order, became easy. The internal battle stopped, the overwhelm fell away, and I became present.

Stop being a passenger in your own life. Get in the driving seat.

31/10/2022

Did you know we can use dress up to perform better, feel better and hit our goals?
Ok maybe not the full Jack Sparrow to work!

I saw Todd Herman talk in London a few years ago about his book - the alter ego effect.
We can use props - think Superman’s glasses - to step into the best version of ourselves. And it actually works. We feel more clever when we put glasses on.

“Black Mamba” was more than a nickname for Kobe Bryant, it was an alter ego. He said when he stepped onto the court he wasn’t Kobe anymore. It separated his personal life from his performance as an athlete.

What if you have perfect eyesight? - go and get some fake glasses.

Happy Halloween! 🎃

27/10/2022

How to practice Hygge and combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) at your desk:-

1 Get a portable sunlight lamp;

2 Put water and essential oil into a diffuser, (eucalyptus is good if you get sinusitis);

3 Drink herbal tea in between your caffeine hits, to reduce anxiety but keep warm and hydrated;

4 The winter 2022 essential - the hot water bottle. Is there anyone in the UK not using these?! 🤷🏽‍♀️

26/10/2022

I adore this campaign by Asics for mental health.
“Not all exercise transformations are visible”.

The critics have been out saying -
“this isn’t a healthy body” and
“why are we celebrating mediocrity?”.

These people are missing the whole point. Losing weight and getting toned abs are not the only reasons to exercise. And in fact, they are often poor motivators. As results are slow.

For brain health on the other hand -
Exercise is a magic pill. And it’s a quick fix, as benefits can be felt instantly.

It’s well nigh impossible to show a mental health transformation. But this advert comes pretty close. Well done ASICS Corporation Mind Charity and Dr Alex George👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

24/10/2022

Stop writing off Mondays.🛑
The mood you wake up in does not have to dictate your whole day.
Train your brain to have a positivity bias.🧠
How?
By noticing the small moments of joy.
A great cup of coffee, a laugh with a colleague, or your dog letting you treat them like a baby. 🤣🐶