HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
TThe 2020 coronavirus pandemic turned the world, and our dating lives, upside down. If you’re single or struggling to build relationships in lockdown, our article has some tips and advice on virtual dating. Back in 2019, your favorite go-to date night idea might have been cocktails in a hot new club or a trip to an art gallery or museum. Cue 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic and everything has changed.
As Summer ends, viewers are usually treated to an avalanche of new shows known in the US as the “Fall/Winter premieres”.
Many of your favourite series will also come back between September and October, to end in late May; or return in January to run until late July.
TOP QUOTES
“To me, art is an expression of your innermost feelings; the putting together of random thoughts that create a meaningful picture".
Kristina Cassar Dowling, Expression Meets Relaxation
"In a world that makes it so hard to stop and appreciate the present, most people are finding it hard to switch off for a while and enjoy some well-deserved peace".
Daniela Pisciottano, Diary of A Sleep Deprived Londoner
"The thing about living a healthy lifestyle is that it will not only prevent illnesses and maybe even cure some; it will also make you feel a thousand times better in your day to day life".
Ella Glover, Steps To a Healthier Lifestyle
As we sit and watch the world grapple with the climate crisis, social justice issues and presidential campaigns, we may notice that one industry is only continuing to thrive: technology. The tech industry is constantly evolving and growing to keep up with life’s increasing demands, and to offer something new into our lives that we didn’t even know we needed.
EDITOR'S PICKS
LATEST ARTICLES
Why I’m Putting Up My Tree Extra Early
This is not what our parents and grandparents had in mind when they thought about the distant 2020s. This is the stuff of nightmares and movies (looking at you Contagion) and we’re still not exactly sure how we got here in the first place. I mean, the scientists know, and they’ve been warning us about upcoming pandemics for years, but no one listens to them apparently, so there.
Attitude Gratitude: 7 Awesome Tips To Find Your Inner Zen
In a world that is often shadowed by the downs in life, finding ways to keep positive, look on the ‘bright side’ and crack a smile every now and then is far from an easy task in the day’s routine.
Our mental health is one of the most valuable contributors to a healthy and happy life; whether you believe it’s all about mindset or not, finding ways to make the day a little bit lighter will probably do the lot of us some ounce of good.
Meet Your New Skin Problem: Maskne
While our own government wavered a bit regarding masks (should we wear them, should we not, do they help, do they not), the general consensus (based on advice by the WHO) is that nowadays, you probably SHOULD wear a face-covering of any kind, especially when you are in enclosed spaces such as public transport, shops, restaurants or offices.
LGBTQIA+ Pop Culture Guide for Pride 2020
We may not have been able to celebrate Pride month this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t educate yourself about the LGBTQIA+ community from home.
There’s now more content than ever available to you, and not all of it is dry essays or super intensive 10-part documentaries.
Wanderlust: Your Best European Mini Trips for Weekends and Bank Holidays (Soon)
Remember those days when we could just catch a £15 EasyJet flight to Italy on a Friday night? Yeah, I struggle too. But they existed (I have the photo and magnet evidence) and they’ll be back soon enough. Remember to take a free walking tour whenever possible (there’s loads of companies around Europe offering them) to maximise what you see and learn.
The Realisation That We Under-Appreciate Everything
This is probably the strangest upheaval of society that we have ever experienced, collectively and perhaps individually too. We’re either not going to work, or are risking our lives working, and there is a weird disparity between these two realities people are experiencing.
Waiting Under the Same Sky: A Brief Reflection on Lockdown Life
This is probably the strangest upheaval of society that we have ever experienced, collectively and perhaps individually too. We’re either not going to work, or are risking our lives working, and there is a weird disparity between these two realities people are experiencing.
Right now, the majority of the planet has ground to an undeniable halt in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Like millions of others, I’ve been locked away in my home for what feels like a lifetime on top of an eternity. Still, I count myself very lucky as - for the most part - the virus has disrupted my daily routine and little else.
Is It Uncool To Like Pop Music?
Taste in art is an incredibly subjective thing. As we fly through the 21st century, our access to music in particular is increasing at an exponential rate, and this means there is an incredible number of artists constantly emerging. One music genre continually evolving is pop.
DIY Spa Day: Do Something Creative and Caring For Yourself At Home
It’s a weird time for us all right now, and we’re trying to figure out what to do with ourselves during this unpredictable isolation period. Everyone has different coping mechanisms, and all of them are acceptable.
3 Top Tips to Prance Into Spring With Eco Swords A-blazin’!
Skipping into spring with a gleam of happiness on your face is the general approach most of us adopt once the rain clouds begin to disappear. Spring brightens the mood - and it also lightens the mood; ridding our psyche’s from the foul winter blues that we can never seem to shake off.
It's All In The Hips. How to Show Your Dominance in Every Pose
We’ve all been there, the dreaded Monday meeting where all the lads in the office dominate the space and make most women in the room feel inferior. It’s a fact that women feel a lot less confident in the workplace due to (possibly unintentional) machoness.
Social Distancing Done Right: A Guide to Following The Rules Whilst Keeping Your Sanity
Unless you’re Jared Leto and have just returned from some retreat to find the world in total disarray, you are fully aware that a new pandemic, Covid-19 (a form of Coronavirus), has been spreading globally since at least last November. The virus originated in the Wuhan region of China and has spread to almost every country in the world in the last few months.
Healthy Snacks Straight to Your Door: The (r)Evolution of Food Deliveries
When I was younger, food delivery meant a pizza, or some other form of take-out. The bigger the city you lived in, the more you could get. But no-one ever thought about delivering you raw ingredients and a recipe, urging you to do it yourself. Yet here we are, in 2020, and I, like many others, wait around for a box of food to be delivered to my house.
Travel Essentials For a Stress-Free Getaway
When you travel, there’s enough to worry about with flight delays, potential hotel disasters and travel bugs. Regular travellers are efficient, and always breeze through security without being stopped. You’ve all heard about rolling your clothes and packing the heavy things at the bottom of the suitcase. But what are the things that make travelling a great experience, rather than a hassle?
The Effects Social Media Can Have On Our Eating Habits: Two Sides of The Same Coin
It is no secret that social media can affect our prospective of reality and, in some instances, the way we behave – from the clothes we buy to the food we eat.
When it comes to the latter, in particular, the situation splits in half, with people on both sides advocating pro and against the representation of food online.
Moving? Here is What You'll Need to Make Your New Place Feel Like Home
Whether you have just bought a house or you’re planning to rent a little flat for a couple of years, moving into a new place can be stressful.
If you’re lucky, you’ll just have to choose some furniture and start moving in all your bits and bobs.
If on the other hand, your new place needs decorating, it will feel like a never-ending job.
But don’t worry, you’ll get there eventually!
Can Being Active Improve The Overall Quality of Your Sleep?
Exercise and a healthy lifestyle seems to be the winning combo to solve many health problems. Many skin conditions benefit from a balanced diet, cardiovascular problems can be improved with regular exercise; but what about your sleep quality?
Hey Vegans, Veggies and Pescis… Your Lunch Options Have Just Landed
Lunch is probably the most important part of the day, think about it.
Breakfast is always rushed and dinner, although absolutely deserved is pretty much a zombie-attempt at feeding your tired soul and reviving that drained mind (while venting on how your day at the office was).
A Tidy Home for A Relaxed Mind: The Effects Cleaning Can Have On Your Brain
Have you ever come home from a stressful day at work and sat on your bed in frustration? There is nothing worse than feeling stressed and helpless but there is always a solution.
A study by psychologist Michael Tompkins has found that conducting “Mastery activities” can have positive effects on our brain, therefore relieving us from some of the stress accumulated during the day.
Big Box Laundry Powder Is so Last Season – Check Out The Hottest Laundry Showstopper: the Ecoegg
If you have to list the awful errands of the day or week, I’m sure laundry is right up there, just after ‘change the cat litter’ and ‘clean the gutters’.
Doing laundry sucks, it’s never exciting – unless the classic red sock slips into the white load – it doesn’t smell that great at the start and the end result is just … meh.
Why You Should Go to The Museum Alone: How To Beat Social Anxiety and Become Your Own Person
For some weird reason, solo-activities have become stigmatised by society to the point that no one would even think about going to the museum on their own. But what happens if we break that habit?
Small – But Essential – Steps to Living A Healthier Lifestyle
The thing about living a healthy lifestyle is that it will not only prevent illnesses and maybe even cure some; it will also make you feel a thousand times better in your day to day life.
The most common reasons that people don’t live a healthy lifestyle is that it is seen as expensive, difficult and inconvenient.
The Lessons We Can Learn From Sweden's 6-Hour Workday Experiment
With employees working shorter hours for the same rate of pay, was it possible for workers to achieve a healthy work-life balance and did companies suffer as a result?
A growing number of studies show the effects of what working longer hours does to the human body.
One Notebook For The Rest of Your Life – Shock, Horror – Wait, Seriously?
If you’re into creative writing but have not heard of NaNoWriMo - then by golly, you’re missing out! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and has been held every year in November since 1999. The challenge is simple; write a novel in the 30 days of November. Heh, erm, yeah, sure… that sounds easy enough.
5 Ways to Show Your Lover You Care With Zero Carbon Footprint This Valentine’s Day
With every Hallmark holiday comes a longing to please your loved ones, show them that you care and that you, in no way, forgot about them when it matters.
Valentine’s Day is one of those days where a teeny bit of affection needs to be shown, no matter how little you believe in the ‘holiday’, a small gesture goes a long way and deep down inside, it’s always appreciated.
When November Strikes You Know You’ll Be Typing With NaNoWriMo, The Biggest Writing Challenge
If you’re into creative writing but have not heard of NaNoWriMo - then by golly, you’re missing out! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and has been held every year in November since 1999. The challenge is simple; write a novel in the 30 days of November. Heh, erm, yeah, sure… that sounds easy enough.
NAR: Sustainable Candles to Spark Some Luxury Into Your Life
Winter is getting closer and closer… and that can only mean one thing! It’s candle lighting time! Well, not that we didn’t light up a few candles to ward away the mosquitos throughout the summer, but winter and candles are a match made in wax heaven, and we’re ready to light them up!
Dealing With Anxiety: Could Art Therapy Be The Solution?
There are only a few things that can make you feel better when you’re feeling anxious but art seems to be one of them. In particular, “art therapy” is proven to be significantly helpful for people struggling with anxiety.
The Importance of Having a Strong Self Esteem and How To Improve It
Sometimes, when we think of “self-esteem”, most of us think that self-esteem is linked or related to some sort or relationship, but that’s not the case. While we spend more time categorising self-esteem, we forget the biggest part of the word that really matters and that’s the self of self-esteem.
Dating Advice: Is It a Good Idea to Visit a Museum on A First Date?
What if the awkward silence on a first date turned into a moment of contemplation of an art piece? How much better would that date be if there was actually a reason to keep quiet other than the lack of topics of conversation?
Diary of A Sleep Deprived Londoner: How CBD Oil Can Be The Solution To Many Problems
Being the editor of a small publication doesn’t sound too hard. Add to that a day job, a dog to walk, a home to look after and a partner to save some attentions for and you will soon realise that the life of an editor is not so glamorous after all!
Save The Planet And Go All Out For The Holidays - The Secrets For a Sustainable Christmas
’Tis the season to head to the shops and blow your last two paychecks on absolutely useless stuff that so random and obscure; your anxiety meds won’t be able to keep up.
But there you are, rummaging around Paperchase and WHS to get the perfect wrapping paper for Nana’s Christmas present (shh, it’s a hot water bottle) or the most absolutely stunning Christmas crackers to set on the perfectly laid table.
Oh the magic, oh the festive feeling is pumpin’ now.