When energy reserves are running low, try this yoga flow to restore and replenish

Exercise might not be the first thing you think of when you’re overtired and looking for ways to boost your energy levels – but perhaps it should be.

The science behind this works in a few different ways. Firstly, when you exercise, cellular changes take place inside your body, with the exertion prompting you to produce more mitochondria – often described as the ‘powerhouse of the cell’ – which creates fuel from the food you eat and the air you breathe. This, in turn, increases your energy supply, giving you a boost to keep on going. Beyond that, exercise also increases the oxygen circulation inside your body, plus it triggers the release of endorphins, feel-good chemicals that’ll give you that up-and-at-’em attitude. Of course, finding the motivation to actually move can still be a challenge. But here’s where yoga comes in…

“Being overtired is a sure sign that the body needs rest, so I would always recommend keeping movement gentle and almost always floor-based,” says yoga teacher Iain Ross. “Often when tiredness or fatigue sets in, forcing yourself into a dynamic physical practice can be counter-productive. At best, you’ll feel totally unmotivated, at worst it can lead to injuries. Listen to your body and respond as necessary.”

Iain’s golden rule is: always let your practice meet you where you are – a sentiment that stresses the importance of listening to your body, and moving in ways that make you feel good. He recommends focusing less on what you think your practice should look like, and more on what you need from it. “Sometimes that may simply be 10 minutes in a meditation and that’s enough, others it may be some gentle strengthening or perhaps a longer Yin or restorative practice,” he explains. “Let your body guide you into what’s needed, rather than sticking with anything too rigid.”

With all that in mind, if you find yourself low on energy, give this sequence a try. Take it at your own pace, let your intuition guide you, and open your heart to the energising and empowering effects of yoga.

Over to you

Try this yoga sequence, created for you by Iain Ross.

Seated twists

Sit up tall on the sit bones and let the spine be long as you inhale. As you exhale, place the left hand to the outer right thigh and the right hand behind you as an anchor point. Inhale here, and as you exhale allow your body to move deeper into the twist. Repeat on the second side, and then flow between the two shapes, using the inhale to bring you through the centre and then exhale to twist.

Seated side bends

Place the right hand beside you and reach your left hand upwards, as you inhale to create length in the side body. On the exhale, bend the right arm to a side bend towards the right. Repeat on the second side, and then flow between these two shapes using the breath. Inhale to come through the centre and exhale to bend.

Seated heart openers

Inhale to bring your hands into prayer position at the heart centre. Exhale as you interlace the fingers and push your palms forward. Inhale and raise your hands above your head, keeping the interlace of the fingers if it

Keeping your spending in check over the holidays can be challenging. Even when we know we can’t afford to overspend, the thought of letting friends, family and loved ones down can urge us to go beyond our means. We share 25 ways you can manage your finances in the run-up to the holidays and avoid a Christmas debt hangover

The holidays should feel magical, shouldn’t they? Spending time with loved ones, watching nostalgic films, playing board games, giving meaningful gifts, and sharing comforting foods. Yet, in the UK, over a quarter of us feel stressed about the festive season. As the holidays draw nearer, nearly half (46%) find even thinking about what Christmas presents to buy is stressful, 45% find the costs to be worrying, and 42% find the general financial impact of Christmas to be stressful.

Around three in 10 of us will overspend during the Christmas period. While that’s down from previous years when up to 43% would spend beyond their means, we still spend around 29% more each December than we do any other month.

It’s estimated that a third of us will borrow money to pay for Christmas. That’s 16.9 million people, feeling the pressure to put gifts, food, and even increased bills around heating, holiday lights, and travel to see family on credit cards, using our overdrafts, or taking out a loan.

But why do so many of us feel the pressure to spend, spend, spend during the run-up to the holidays? And for those already struggling, how do we avoid going into further debt during the most expensive months of the year?

Why do we overspend at Christmas/during the holidays?

Many of us have fond childhood memories of past holidays spent with family, friends and loved ones. Whether that’s remembering picking out the perfect tree together, eating your favourite home-cooked meal with extended family, or that feeling of surprise and gratitude at being given that one special gift you didn’t even know you wanted.

As Counselling Directory member and counsellor Dahlian Kirby explains, our underlying idea that Christmas should be a special time we spend together with our families could be getting overshadowed by our own high expectations.

“The main problem for many people around Christmas is unrealistic expectations. The expectations create pressure to be what you think you should be. This can cause tension and frustration in itself. There is also the possibility that we see Christmas as the time that will rescue us from the boring, the familiar, and even from depression.

“It can lift our mood, as can tasty food and baubles and visits from people we love. However, Christmas won’t cure any issues or problems.”

Our anxiety around being ‘good enough’ and creating the ‘perfect’ celebration can also lead to overspending, Read more

With so many different experts out there, how do you know which is the right one for you? We explain more about how health coaches, counsellors, and nutritionists can help you

Who doesn’t want to be healthier? An England-wide survey of over 5,000 adults found that nearly 80% of over 18s wanted to make healthier lifestyle changes. For many, that means eating more healthily (40%), losing weight (39%), and exercising more (41%).

Being healthier can mean a lot of different things, for different people. For some, it’s making the switch from junk food and ready meals to learning how to cook a more nutritious meal (without spending too much time or money). It may mean losing or gaining weight, incorporating regular exercise into your daily or weekly routine. Or it could mean finding healthier balances between work and life, decreasing overall stress levels, and putting your wellbeing first.

With so many differing goals to become ‘healthier’, how do we know the right kind of experts to reach out to? We explain more about the different kinds of help and support out there, what they can help with, and how you can figure out which pathway is right for you.

What is health coaching and how can a health coach help me?

We all know that making healthier choices isn’t as easy as just deciding to change. If it was, we’d all be able to make big, sustainable changes without needing help and support.

Health coaching is about gaining support in making nutrition, fitness, and/or lifestyle changes. This could be to help with a specific, diagnosed health issue or with your general health and wellbeing. A health coach can act as a mentor, helping you to figure out what changes you want to make, set realistic milestones and goals, as well as learning new skills and techniques to put your physical health and mental wellbeing first.

Different health coaches may offer different specialisms. Generally speaking, health coaches can help you with a broad range of issues that could be holding you back from living a healthier life. This could include weight management, career development, learning how to manage stress or relationship issues, creating a better work/life balance, and more.

Wellness coaches may offer overlapping help. If you’re primarily looking to improve your sense of mental wellbeing, working with a wellness coach could be the answer.

It’s important to remember that while health coaches can help with a broad variety of issues and goals, they hold distinctly different qualifications to counsellors, nutritionists, medical experts, and personal trainers (unless otherwise stated by

A chance to slow down, be creative and connect with nature’s beauty, mindful drawing is our new favourite activity. Here we talk to artist and author Amy Maricle to learn more

I started drawing back in 2020, during the first lockdown. I was taking a break from my side-hustle after experiencing burnout and needed something to keep my creative mind busy that was not related to work, and drawing fit that bill perfectly.

Following online classes and doodling flowers became a habit and it helped me tap into a whole different side of creativity. I found the whole process really calming and became interested in how drawing and mindfulness can come together. So, when I was offered the chance to speak with Amy Maricle, artist, former art therapist and author of Draw Yourself Calm, I jumped at the chance.

“I use a lot of the mindfulness skills that I learned in my work to help people,” Amy tells me.

“It's really about slowing down and approaching art in a very process-oriented way so that it's inviting and grounding. I find it really helps me and my students to open up to their imagination because things move more slowly, it's less judgemental and it's just way more fun.”

Before speaking I had started working my way through the book, learning more about what mindful or ‘slow’ drawing is all about and having a go at some of the exercises. A key part of the process is tuning in to how you’re feeling, connecting with the breath and taking notice of what you’re doing. Amy explains that noticing the way the pen feels in your hand, the bumps in your paper, the sound of the lines as you draw them, can all help you sink into a calmer, more meditative state.

And this is what mindfulness is about, at its core. Paying attention to the present moment and allowing yourself to get absorbed by it. When we do this, ruminations about the past and worries about the future can fade into the background. As someone who struggles from anxiety from time to time, cultivating moments like this is paramount.

Inspired by nature

As I was working my way through the book, I noticed the patterns were largely inspired by nature. From the soft and wispy milkweed pattern to the intricate cobble design, many of the exercises imitate nature’s own stunning patterns.

Discussing this influence, Amy explains that she’s always been inspired by nature and felt lucky to live close to a nature reserve during lockdown in 2020.

“I live in an area with access to a small nature preserve. It is right on the side of the highway, so it's not so quiet, but it's very close to my house. I know I am extremely fortunate, and I go to that nature preserve often. During the pandemic, it was my medicine, along with my art.”

Amy wondered how she could support others during the pandemic and realised, mindful drawing could be it. She started holding live mindful drawing sessions on Facebook for people to join and it was really well received, and in time she was approached abo

Can coaching really help with creative ideas, careers and businesses? We explain more about creativity coaching and how it could benefit you

Around half of us think we’re creative, yet 75% of us believe we aren’t living up to our full creative potential. Whether you’re an artist, writer, musician, crafter, performer, run a creative business or side hustle, or are some other kind of creative, chances are, you’ve experienced a creative block.

Creative block (where you feel like you are lacking inspiration, are stuck, or other barriers are stopping you from being creative) can last anywhere from days to years. Many different things can cause a creative block, from fear of failure to perfectionism or even stress.

Feeling blocked isn’t the only thing that can hold creatives back. Perhaps you feel like you’re stagnating, or you aren’t sure how to take your craft to the next level. Or maybe you feel like you’ve got the creative side down, but don’t know how to turn your passion into something you can share with others.

Could working with a professional creativity coach be the answer?

What is creativity coaching?

A creative coach helps you to work through barriers that may be holding you back, as well as to develop your creative skills. If you’re struggling with self-doubt, low self-confidence, or even imposter syndrome, a creative coach can help offer support and guidance, introducing you to new tools, techniques, and coping mechanisms to help you build your confidence, challenge self-doubting thoughts, and feel more comfortable sharing your creativity with others.

Creativity coaches can help you to gain clarity and momentum with your ideas. Providing a space to explore your creative ideas without fear of judgement, a coach can offer support, guidance and accountability. Through working with someone who can help you set goals, identify milestones, and plan how you want to grow, you can create a sense of accountability and a more firm timeline, which can often be beneficial for creatives who struggle to complete projects.

Some creative coaches may specialise in a particular area of creative work, while others may work more generally within the creative industry. Creative coaches often share their specific areas of experience and expertise on their profiles, or many are happy to have a quick introductory call to see if what you’re looking for help with is an area where they can offer support.

How do I know if creativity coaching is right for me?

Coaching in general can have a significant impact on your self-confidence and self-belief. Many find that it can help increase their performance in certain areas, help them learn new methods of organisation, planning, and even help them improve certain skills.

Creativity coaching isn’t just about helping overcome creative blocks. If your job has a creative element, you are looking to launch a creative business or to turn a hobby into a business, creative coaching could be right for you. A coach may also be able to help offer tips and guidance around marketing and self-branding for creative-led businesses, helping you to