Those women in the magazines did a job on my head — after all, I was one of them — The media has changed its tune. First they told me I had to be beautiful and fit. Now they tell me I need to build my self-confidence, regain my self-esteem, and separate my self-image from how my body looks. They insist I need to put aside my own self-loathing not…

Are there any real benefits to cold-weather exercise? — It’s winter, and nobody — NOBODY — does cocooning like me. The cold, the damp, the late sunrise and early darkness…why, it’s enough to keep me inside until May, wrapped in a blanket, wearing a sweater and leg warmers over my knees, with a hot cup of tea on my…

Harness the brilliance of permission-based marketing to sell more of your books — How do you sell something that nobody knows about? You can’t. Luckily, that’s not your problem. Let’s say you’ve written a novel, and have had it professionally edited and proofread. Your words are brilliant, your cover design is just perfect. Your marketing is practically done; after all, you’ve built up…

A cheeky take on why changing it up is good for you — You love to run. So you run. You run faster, farther, more frequently. You love to cycle/swim/lift/dance. So you do what you love. You do it often, consistently, and you do it well. You progress. You get faster, fitter, better, doing what you like to do. So, why cross train…

Treat your rejection letters as the validation they are — The first time I received a rejection letter, I was elated. It meant that I had tried. It was proof that I had actually completed a project, reworked it to the point that I thought it was ready to share with the world, and sent it out to a major…

Not least, I’m mourning my second office — Between pandemic fears and homeschooling horrors, only a very few things have remained constant. While I’m fine — we’re all fine — there is so much that I miss, little things that I didn’t know meant so much to me in the before. People. And solitude. I had to give up planned visits…

You can still get a great workout without dumbbells — Maybe you’re traveling. Maybe you want to work out at home. Maybe you don’t want to work out at home, but you can’t get to your gym because it’s 2020 and nothing is fair. Also, because it’s 2020, dumbbells are sold out everywhere. The first wave of lockdowns caused a…

How to perform the full-body biceps curl for maximum effect — The full-body biceps curl is a powerhouse of a move. When done properly, it’s the only exercise you need at the gym. It works every muscle in your body.* First, choose your weights. No, not those little ones that anyone can lift. Move down the rack to the Serious Weights…

The world’s gone mad, but at least there’s tea — Green tea is for the morning. As the kids make their beds and brush their teeth, I boil the kettle. I start with a cup of flavoured green tea from my growing stash of tins and teas. Dragon Fruit, Berry Blend, Sencha Rose, Mint. Years ago, way back when I…