Tennis golden girl Ash Barty might have suffered a shock recent Olympic loss, but the world No 1 continues to prove she’s all class after winning Wimbledon only two weeks ago.
To the surprise of many, Barty came crashing down in the first round of the Olympics singles on July 25, losing in straight sets to world number 48 Sara Sarribes Tormo.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the player, who only a couple of weeks ago was riding high after attaining tennis royalty status, becoming the first Australian woman to win Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong Cawley more than four decades prior.
When was the last time your heart rate accelerated, and your stomach fluttered in the knowledge you were stepping outside your comfort zone?
There’s no doubt, as we mature and routine takes priority, it can be harder to embrace a challenge.
But every time you challenge yourself to take on something new, you’re growing as a person, conquering fears and learning something different.
Which begs the question is it time for a challenge? Here are five ways you can challenge yourself and grow as a result.
Wow, sometimes being a kid can be tough and as a parent, it’s hard to stand on the sidelines when things just aren’t going right for your child.
But what happens when the tough time your child is experiencing comes down to dramas within their friendship group? Should you stand back or step in?
Hmm, well apparently it depends on their age and the circumstances involved.
Some people love the crackle of a crisp winter’s morning under foot. For others, the shortened days and cooler temperatures aren’t quite so welcome.
After all, it can be hard to muster the enthusiasm to spring out of bed when it’s dark and cold outside, and the warmth of bed feels just so welcoming.
If you find the latter description more aptly fits how you feel about the coming chill, here are five tips to lift your mood in winter.
We all know the importance of regular exercise and the role it plays in both our physical and mental health.
But for some of us, hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or pushing our limits in the pool quickly slips down the to-do list in the constant battle to get everything done.
That’s where incidental exercise comes into play (and yes, according to experts, it absolutely counts!)
There comes a point in life you realise that conflict is unavoidable. Whether it’s in the playground, the workforce or even within your personal relationships, it just isn’t feasible for humans to agree with each other 100 per cent of the time.
The art of conflict, however, is apparently how you manage it.
According to experts there are five strategies for handling conflict, and women often have a different approach to men.
So what are the five strategies for managing conflict, and how do women traditionally differ?
It’s natural to feel a little overwhelmed every now and then. After all, life’s busy and tends to be a juggle between competing tasks that demand your attention, often at exactly the same time.
But how can you combat that feeling of stress?
Well, when the heart starts pounding, your muscles tighten and it’s hard to know where to direct your attention next, these are the top tips for combatting stress.
A study by data company CoreLogic has found women are less likely to own a property than men, and ultimately it could impact our financial wellbeing and income well into retirement.
But what’s the reason that women might be less likely to have a home of their very own? Well turns out it’s a convoluted mix of some very familiar suspects.
If you’ve ever watched the film The Professor and The Madman, (and we strongly suggest you do) you would be well aware compiling the Oxford English Dictionary was no mean feat.
The principal dictionary of the English language took no fewer than 84 years to go from concept to complete first edition, and each year thousands of words are added, along with revisions to existing entries.
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, with the countdown now on until May 9.
Heaven knows mothering can occasionally be a thankless role, peppered with moments of real beauty.
Whether you’re looking to celebrate the day with your children, mark the occasion with your own mum or simply reflect on the beautiful women in our lives who take on a maternal role, here are some of the oh-so-true but quotes about raising children that might just bring a smile to your face this Mother’s Day.
When the Duke of Edinburgh passed away recently, it marked not just the end of a royal era but the final chapter of a royal marriage which had lasted more than seven decades.
Far surpassing the marriages of most, including three of the couple’s children, the Queen’s union with Prince Philip outlasted the leadership of more than 170 Prime Ministers across the Commonwealth, including 14 in the UK alone.
"He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” the Queen famously remarked during celebrations of the couple’s 50th anniversary.
So, what lessons can be learned from a marriage that not only stood the test of time, but became a source of strength and security under the most intrusive of spotlights?
The days are growing shorter, the weather just that little bit colder and chances are your skin is also showing the hints of the winter that’s yet to come.
But just as there are foods to improve your mood, up your energy, and increase your metabolism, there are also some that give your skin a welcome boost even though the weather is less than glowing.
If the past few weeks have highlighted anything, it’s that Australian society has reached a critical juncture.
The reams and reams of headlines relating to sexual assaults, harassment, and the issue of consent indicate the unspoken behaviour that many of us simply tolerated as par for the course is no longer acceptable.
But the question is, what exactly needs to change, and how is that change achieved?
The first job interview I did after having children was a train wreck. Racked with nerves and riddled with anxiety, I found the questions from the interviewer were drowned out by a damaging debate raging in my own head.
As tertiary students prepare to head off to uni for 2021, some are finding nifty ways to pay for their studies.
It’s a far cry from thankless hospitality jobs and the life of 2-minute noodles many of us may recall back in our uni days, but it begs the question, how would you react if this was your daughter or son?
As the lucky country, Australia has a pretty interesting history when it comes to women’s rights. In some instances we’ve led the way, pioneering improved gender equality and providing women a voice.
In other areas, we lag behind, and even as we speak, we are actually going backwards.
So how does Australia stack up when it come to women’s rights and where on that report card is there room for improvement?
Ahh 2020, we started it with such lofty ambitions as a year that had such a nice ring to it really. But then a pesky little pandemic hit, the world ground to a halt and every aspect of our lifestyle was impacted.
All right, roll on 2021 – a year which hopefully delivers a few less surprises than the one that came before it.
“Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world…
It was the pandemic that many feared would ruin Australia financially, but according to a recent survey two in three Australians have more money in their hip pocket at the end of 2020.
The US will soon make history, welcoming in its first female vice president, but the woman who will take up the second highest position of political office is more than familiar with shattering the glass ceiling.
I’m not quite sure when exactly the conversation with friends shifted from milestones and baby moments to ACAT assessments and the prospect of our parents moving in, but I do know the distance between the two major life moments was relatively short.
Sure, it’s been a busy year, but have you by chance checked your superannuation balance recently?
Right about now I’m about to channel my grandmother and possibly yours as well, but…“back in my day” October 31 was just another ordinary day on the calendar.
Rule one of general social etiquette: engage brain before mouth. Most of us can recall countless times we wish we’d heeded that tried and tested advice, but what about the times we should have spoken up but didn’t?
I am a mother of colour. Of Asian descent. I have a seven-year-old daughter. She is often a mermaid, sometimes a princess, and yet again, a mother to her teddy bear.
I love watching her grow up, it fills my heart with pride. I am no different than other mamas, watching her dress-up, run around like a whirlwind, read her favourite books and sometimes scream at the top of her lungs.
Yet, when she was little, just about to join her pre-school class, she came home one day in rather low spirits. Presumably, from a discussion with her friends at class, she acquired the impression that she was different from the others and that being brown is not beautiful. I was heartbroken.
You couldn’t have written a more dramatic plot twist really. Just 33 days before the US Presidential election the leader of the free world contracts the very virus he once predicted would simply disappear and described as no worse than the flu - a virus that has killed over 210,000 Americans.
Ready for time out from the news or seeking refuge from social distancing? Well now you’ve completed all those projects about the house and mastered that musical instrument courtesy of Covid-19, it might be time for a solid TV binge.
Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles… Anyhoo you get the point, courtesy of the Sound of Music it’s apparent we all have favourite things, but does that and should that extend to your children?
In late July, ABC journalist Leigh Sales highlighted an appalling habit in Australian culture. Taking to Twitter, she offered an insight into the abuse hurled at her after a recent interview with PM Scott Morrison, and it makes for some nasty reading.
I woke on the 18 August 2000, and like so many things, habit takes over. I am still that girl, yet work drinks are long gone and the daily routine of starting with a 10km run (no matter how cold) was the first item on the agenda for the day. I am a creature of habit and routine is paramount. It’s all so clear. It’s cold. I remember that. Should I go or shouldn’t I go for a run were the thoughts that went through my head as I dragged myself from under the sanctuary and warmth of my doona and looked out the window. That one decision….What if I hadn’t gone? I’ll never know. I went. That decision changed my life forever.
It’s fair to say 2020 has been a little stressful. Depressing headlines coupled with employment shifts, economic uncertainty and the addition of factors like home schooling has certainly upped the ante in terms of anxiety and workload expectation.
It’s a ‘pink’ recession – And women are wearing the fallout. ... studies have revealed women are more vulnerable to the negative financial and employment impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, courtesy of their increased likelihood of being in the casual or disposable workforces.
Amidst all the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, an anniversary quietly slipped past. This year perhaps it mattered more than ever. May 3 was World Press Freedom Day – an event designed to recognise the importance of the fourth estate and celebrate the role it plays in holding governments and organisations accountable.
In mid-March an interesting Google trend began to occur. As searches on Coronavirus, sanitiser and facemasks skyrocketed, the terms ‘meditation’ and ‘yoga’ also began to tick steadily upwards.
Women consuming almost as much alcohol as men.
Women appear to be attaining equality, but arguably it’s not in the area we’d like, with recent research from the University of NSW noting women now consume as much alcohol as men and in some cases at higher rates and in more harmful ways.
“I was sitting in a sky-rise office, doing legal work that wasn’t fulfilling to me, and I couldn’t help but ask — what’s it all for?…If there’s some part of you that’s questioning your career, it’s important to listen… Our hearts sometimes know ourselves better than our minds do.” Michelle Obama
How We Can Celebrate Mother Earth Day During a Pandemic
What is the Corona/ Covid-19 Virus Really Teaching us?
I’m a strong believer that there is a SPIRITUAL purpose behind everything that happens in this world whether that is what we perceive as being good or being bad.
