10 KINDERGARTEN LESSONS THAT APPLY TO A PANDEMIC

The little life lessons we learned as children take on a whole new meaning when applied to a crisis. #covid-19 #pandemic #lifelessons

KINDERGARTEN LESSONS

I don't know if anyone else remembers the book by Robert Fulghum called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. It had a list of very simple and yet profound lessons that are taught to small children that also apply to adulthood, and being a compassionate and caring human being. I was thinking about the concept and how it relates to the recommendations we've been receiving for dealing with the Coronavirus and thought I'd share my 10 lessons from Kindergarten that have turned out to be incredibly useful in this time of global pandemic.

WHAT DOES YOUR SECOND ACT LOOK LIKE?

Retirement  is about pressing the refresh button and allowing oneself a bit of reinvention. It’s about trying new things while spending more time on things that you enjoy and wish to continue. #retirement

INTRO

Today I have the next guest in my MIDLIFE SYMPHONY series where I've asked other others to share what they're doing to make the second half of life the best half of life. I have the lovely Donna (from Retirement Reflections) sharing her thoughts on life after 50 and how she adjusted to early retirement.

LOSING THE LITTLE LAYERS TO REGAIN YOUR CALM

Do you ever get weighed down by all the little layers of stress? Do you find things build up and the little annoyances seem to become bigger than they should be? #midlife #stress

THOSE PESKY LITTLE LAYERS OF STRESS

Have you noticed that stress builds up slowly? Over the last year or so I've made a conscious effort to live more slowly, to steer clear of conflict, and to rebuild my resilience. Then BAM! life decides to throw a whole lot of little stressors on me - things that normally would barely cause more than a blip on my radar, but added together they brought me to a point where I could feel my coping ability taking a hit. I realized that it's not a problem when there's a little bit of stress here and there, but when you layer them on top of each other, they start to have a bigger impact than you'd expect.

3 WAYS TO CREATE MENTAL WELLNESS THROUGH SLOW LIVING

Feeling mentally healthy and happy is worth the effort it takes to be more conscious of your routines and habits, stop running on autopilot, and start making meaningful memories. #slowliving #unbusy

SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE

Time flies when you're having fun, but some would argue that time just flies, period. And it can feel like the older you get the faster time passes. This is an experience that people all over the world can identify with, and it’s in response to it that the ‘slow movement’ has arisen. From slow and mindful eating, to minimalist living spaces and the Becoming UnBusy™ Movement, there are plenty of ways to help slow down your experience of time and, in so doing, improve your mental wellbeing.

Feeling mentally healthy and happy is worth the effort it takes to be more conscious of your routines and habits, stop running on autopilot, and start making meaningful memories. In collaboration with Retirement Now, here are three practical ways to do that:

RESIGNATION, RE-INVENTION AND A REVELATION

How life looks after an unexpected resignation leads to an early retirement and a re-invented lifestyle. #earlyretirement

RESIGNATION

My husband and I always joked about how flattering it would be to have someone phone and offer you a job based on all the good things they’d heard about you. In 2015 that exact scenario happened to me when I received an out of the blue call from the wife (and Practice Manager) of a surgeon who had rooms in the same hospital as the Specialist I was working for.

She offered me the “Perfect Job” – great hours, amazing pay rate, lovely small team to work with etc etc. I was understandably excited and jumped at the opportunity. The first few months on the new job were pretty good, but then the wheels started falling off left, right and centre. It turned out I was working for a self-confessed narcissist who had enormous emotional issues that overflowed all over me every.single.working.day. and it literally did my head in. So, three years after I started in the “dream job” I admitted to myself that I’d reached breaking point, handed in my resignation and left while I still had a shred of sanity remaining.

INSPIRATION NOT IMITATION IN MIDLIFE

Are you caught up in the imitation cycle or are you forging your own path? Have you reached the point where you’re confident enough to stand apart from the crowd and to own who you are flaws and all? #midlife #confidence

COPY CATS

I don't know why anyone would want to be a pale imitation of someone else. It appears social media would disagree with that sentiment though, because it seems to want us all to look like each other. Judging from all the “full lipped”, smooth faced, breast enhanced, hair straightened, eyebrow chiselled beauties out there, it seems that Instagram has succeeded in its goal of making every 20 something look the same as her fellow IG devotees. I think it’s kind of sad. Turn on any reality TV show and every young woman seeking her 15 minutes of fame has the same look – some do it better than others, but it’s all a carbon copy of what the internet tells us is beautiful. Where have the individuals gone?

SLIDING SLOWLY INTO SIMPLICITY

Life is a joy without the encumbrance of too many things. Sometimes, we get caught up in the chaos of life and don’t realise what we are capable of, and how little we need to be happy. It's time to simplify. #simpleliving

INTRO

Today I have the next guest in my MIDLIFE SYMPHONY series where I've asked others to share what they're doing to make the second half of life the best half of life. Jennifer (from Next Phase Fitness) has had some very interesting life changes over the last decade that have set in motion a lifestyle that is working well for her in the second half of life. Simplicity, de-cluttering, and down-sizing have all been gradual steps along the way in her Midlife pilgrimage.

WHY I STARTED BLOGGING AND WHY I CONTINUE

Do you ever wonder why people start a blog and what keeps them writing posts week after week? The reasons might surprise you. #blogging

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BLOG?

I shared a lovely guest post from Erica (from Behind the Scenery) in February and she mentioned that a trip to Iceland was the trigger point for her to begin writing, and then to launch into blogging. In the comments section several people said it was an interesting reason to start blogging; and it made me wonder what motivated others to begin their blogging journey - especially if they started in their 50's or later. 

Then I also wondered if the intitial reason to "push the publish button" was what kept them blogging week after week, year after year.... or whether things gradually changed and their motivation for writing became driven by something else.

5 HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS MIDLIFE TRAVELLERS WILL LOVE

Midlifers enjoy good company but dread noise and crowds. We love to travel and explore, but we're more selective in our destination. Here's 5 alternatives to the tourist hotspots. #midlife #travel

INTRO

One of the joys of the second half of life is travel. I think every Midlife Symphony has an element of travelling in it - locally, nationally, or internationally. Today I thought I'd share a post on some really interesting travel destinations that are a little off the beaten track. I'm finding that now days when I holiday I'm wanting to get away from the noise and crowds more and I enjoy discovering new places where I can kick back and relax in the peace and quiet.

If you're like me and you like hearing about places that are a little off the tourist track, here's 5 destinations that you might want to follow up.

Disclosure: This was a collaborative post that I feel is of interest to Midlife women.

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

Because I always enjoy a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news. There's nothing like a virtual cuppa and a chat, and I have lots to share from the last few weeks. #ifwewerehavingcoffee

IF WE WERE HAVING COFFEE

If we were having coffee these are a few things I'd be sharing from February. Summer is finally waning and Autumn is about to begin - I certainly won't miss the heat and the horrible bushfires that ravaged Australia over the last few months. I always enjoy a good 'Taking Stock' blog post, so I hope you'll humour me and sit a while as I share my news. There's nothing like a virtual cuppa and a chat, and I have lots to share from the last few weeks.