And now for a little me time
THE POWER OF ... SERIES
The power of the shows WORTH BINGING
SOURCE : Google . com
Got some time this winter for some binge worthy shows ? Not all current series but certainly worth sinking your teeth into ! everyday habit
by Lorna Gordon
There is an old saying that what you do everyday is what will make a difference in your life . When you think about this simple statement you realise how powerful it is . So , let ’ s talk about those small habits you can put into place that can make your life change for the better .
Habit trackers can help you monitor your progress . ( Prophsee Journals on unsplash )
We all know we should move more , so how about fitting a 30 minute walk into your day ? Walking has been proven to help improve your health as much as a more vigorous exercise and it ’ s something everyone can do . A stroll at lunch time , walking to the bus or train , getting a walk in before or after work are all ways to fit it into your daily routine , and you could do two 15 minute walks if that makes it easier .
Drink more water , I ’ m sure we all feel like we could do this , but is it as easy as saying that we will ? Logically yes , it is , but what can you do to prompt yourself to drink water ? Starting the day with a glass of water helps you to set yourself up for the day then having a water bottle on your desk or workstation reminds you to have a drink as you are going about your day . You could try
PODCASTS
The Happy Habit
by Lorna Gordon
Habits can make our lives easier ; they build structure into our lives without us having to think too much about it . We often think about ‘ bad ’ habits , but you can have good habits too . If you want to build good habits into your life this podcast can help you to do that . Mathieu Norry is the host of the podcast and has a soothing Irish accent which is lovely to listen to . In his podcast he interviews people and also discusses topics on his own .
He looks into topics like how to develop a daily routine in The Miracle Morning , how to read 52 books in one year , how to get out of your own way , how to build your self-belief and how to stay
having a glass of water with each meal as a way to remind yourself to drink it .
Keep your home looking good with a 10 minute tidy or reset every day after dinner . You can put on some upbeat music and get the family involved in this to get it done quicker , then you can all relax for the rest of the day .
Writing in a journal for gratitude or to get your thoughts out is also a good way to help your mental health . It doesn ’ t have to be a page long report , there are line a day journals that you can use or write what you are grateful for in a nice journal to lift your mood .
Meditation is another thing to try for your mental health , there are lots of aps or YouTube videos that can guide you through a short meditation to let your brain switch off for a short time and reboot . If meditation isn ’ t your thing , a ten minute nap where you relax and close your eyes for a short time is just as good !
Other things you can make a habit are putting on your sunscreen each day , watching your posture , reading for 20 minutes , sitting in the sunshine or add veggies to each meal . Will you try to add a new habit to your day ? We ’ d love to know !
motivated . From the episodes I listened to I found them entertaining and as most of them are fairly short , you can enjoy them on your daily commute , a quick walk or on your lunch break . I really enjoyed the how to get out of your own way episode , which encourages you to be self-aware and see where your own behaviours stop you from progressing .
The episode about positive affirmations encourages you to have a better outlook on life each day by using positive words when talking to ourselves . The podcast is available on most streaming aps like Spotify and Apple podcasts and it ’ s also available on YouTube if you want to watch and listen .
GAME OF THRONES
George R . R . Martin ’ s best-selling book series “ A Song of Ice and Fire ” is brought to the screen as HBO sinks its considerable storytelling teeth into the medieval fantasy epic . It ’ s the depiction of two powerful families -- kings and queens , knights and renegades , liars and honest men -- playing a deadly game for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros , and to sit atop the Iron Throne . Martin is credited as a co-executive producer and one of the writers for the series , whose shooting locations include Northern Ireland , Malta , Croatia and Spain . BREAKING BAD
Mild-mannered high school chemistry teacher Walter White thinks his life can ’ t get much worse . His salary barely makes ends meet , a situation not likely to improve once his pregnant wife gives birth , and their teenage son is battling cerebral palsy . But Walter is dumbstruck when he learns he has terminal cancer . Realizing that his illness probably will ruin his family financially , Walter makes a desperate bid to earn as much money as he can in the time he has left by turning an old RV into a meth lab on wheels . BETTER CALL SAUL
He wasn ’ t always Saul Goodman , ace attorney for chemist-turned-meth dealer Walter White . Six years before he begins to represent Albuquerque ’ s most notorious criminal , Goodman is Jimmy McGill , a small-time attorney hustling to make a name for himself . He ’ s a forceful champion for his lowincome clients , an underdog whose morals and ambitions often clash . Jimmy works with private eye Mike Ehrmantraut , a former Philadelphia cop and recent transplant to the Southwest . Mike has a specialized skill set -- he ’ s a “ fixer ” of sticky situations -- that Jimmy soon learns to appreciate . THE SOPRANOS
Tony Soprano juggles the problems of his fractious family with those of a “ Family ” of a different sort - the mob . He sees a therapist to deal with his professional and personal problems , which bring on panic attacks . He deals with personal and professional power struggles , affairs , violence , the threat of exposure and betrayal , and a whole bunch of people being whacked .
THE WIRE
This series looks at the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users . Other facets of the city that are explored in the series are
Credit : COURTESY OF NETFLIX
the government and bureaucracy , schools and the news media . The show was created by former police reporter David Simon , who also wrote many of the episodes . SUCCESSION
Although he has no plans to step aside as the head of Waystar Royco , the international media conglomerate controlled by his family , aging patriarch Logan Roy is contemplating what the future holds . He has lingered in the limelight longer than even he thought he would , and now family members want to run the company as they see fit . Despite a best-laid succession plan , tempers flare over Logan ’ s intentions . Kendall Roy , Logan ’ s eldest son from his second marriage and a division president at the firm , is the heir apparent . As Kendall attempts to solidify his eventual takeover , he and the three other Roy children face a difficult choice as company control and family loyalties collide . SIX FEET UNDER
Laced with irony and dark situational humor , the show approaches the subject of death through the eyes of the Fisher family , who owns and operates a funeral home in Los Angeles . Peter Krause stars as Nate , who reluctantly becomes a partner in the funeral home after his father ’ s death . PEAKY BLINDERS
Britain is a mixture of despair and hedonism in 1919 in the aftermath of the Great War . Returning soldiers , newly minted revolutions and criminal gangs are fighting for survival in a nation rocked by economic upheaval . One of the most powerful gangs of the time is the Peaky Blinders , run by returning war hero Thomas Shelby and his family . But Thomas has bigger ambitions than just running the streets . When a crate of guns goes missing , he recognizes an opportunity to advance in the world because crime may pay but legitimate business pays better . Trying to rid Britain of its crime is Inspector Chester Campbell , who arrives from Belfast to try to achieve that goal .
12 ISSUE 96 // JUNE 2023 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT