To celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, I’m looking to develop new habits that will keep me healthy and strong in mind and body. That’s why I’ve quickly become addicted to Dr. Michael Mosley’s new podcast, Just One Thing.
The series, available on BBC Sounds and numerous other podcast platforms, provides exactly what I’m looking for – small changes I can make to my life that have scientifically proven benefits. Mosley’s delivery is delightfully eccentric – he even narrates while performing press-ups, with hilarious results.
Thanks to two of the earlier episodes, I’ve already incorporated two habits into my morning routine.
The first is to take a cold shower – it makes me shiver to even write this! According to Mosley and his panel of experts, it doesn’t have to be for long, just long enough so that I can get my breath under control. But even that is quite long enough.
The second new habit is to do press-ups and squats while I wait for my stovetop coffee maker to boil. I have done this in the past and lapsed – but now I know that these simple exercises can also protect the brain against stress, I’m back on it with a vengeance! I just hope that Mosley isn’t planning an episode on the benefits of giving up caffeine.
But my favourite episode is about Green Spaces. Did you know that connecting with nature can block stress, boost the immune system’s natural killer cells and improve concentration? Sounds like a fabulous reason for getting out and planting some trees!