I’ve been writing about happiness recently. This is the third (and final) installment in a series of pieces on this subject. The first installment can be found here and second one, here. While prepping myself to write this, I began to think of analogies. Can happiness be cultivated in the same way a farmer prepares for a good … More Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
I hate saying it. It sounds terrible. And yet… … More I Was Happy During Covid?
Our well-being should be our priority. But nowadays we are so busy that we tend to prioritize in a reverse order. By doing so we can seriously compromise our quality of life and our physical, mental and emotional health. According to the international classification of diseases, burn-out is considered to be a work-related phenomenon but this is not the … More Why You Should Set Your Well-Being As Your First Priority
World Laughter Day is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of May, with the aim of promoting the value of laughing and the benefits it brings to people’s physical and mental health. The World Laughter Day was established in 1998 by the Indian doctor Madan Kataria, founder of the Laughter Yoga movement, which aims … More May 7 – World Laughter Day – Why We Should Celebrate It
A few days ago, I had a Zoom meeting with Omar, my nephew by marriage. It’s been a while since I last mentioned that I married an Egyptian woman—a truly beautiful person named Azza—a little more than twelve years ago, back when I was living in Cairo, Egypt, and teaching at the American University in … More I Wish You Well, Omar
To better manage stress, the regular practice of mindfulness, sophrology or self-hypnosis can be of great help. These disciplines can also be useful in addition to medical follow-up in case of burn-out or depression. Mindfulness – focusing on the present moment Mindfulness can be defined as the gym of the mind that consists of intentionally … More Three Ways to Better Manage Stress Daily – Mindfulness, Sophrology, Self-hypnosis
Dear, Readers, I’m speaking for all Wise & Shine writers when I say that we so appreciate your continued support of this blog. To show how thankful we are, we want to ask you to share a link to your blog or site in the “thoughts” or comments section at the bottom of this page. … More Sharing is Caring
So my kids have started doing this thing. Every evening before bath time – after we take their clothes off before they get into the tub – they run around the apartment like crazed feral wild cats. Screaming and laughing. Pure unadulterated joy. It got me thinking about the clothes we wear, metaphorically speaking. A … More The Joy of Running Around Naked
I was recently reminded of the time I did a long-distance bike trip on a bike with mountain biking tires. Here’s how that colossal misjudgment came to happen. The first time I did a really intense workout to prepare for an upcoming mountain climb, my legs were shaking, I thought I’d pass out or throw … More Endurance versus Enjoyment
Have you ever been tempted to have a duvet day? Find out when I snuggled down with my duvet for a break … More Is the duvet day something we should all benefit from?
Procrastination means postponing, setting aside what we should do today to a hypothetical tomorrow. Who hasn’t done that at least once in their life? Studies revealed that procrastination affects one in five people. It could concern only some areas (for example study or work) or all the actions of one person. What is procrastination? Steel’s … More Why Procrastination Is One of Our Internal Enemies, and How We Can Fight It
Most of us are familiar with the old saying, “When it rains, it pours.” I’ve been thinking a lot about that adage recently because there’s been quite a lot of pouring rain in my life over the past few months. A few weeks ago, I wrote about needing to take a leave of absence from … More It’s Been Pouring
Hiking means enjoying a revitalizing moment. People increasingly appreciate the benefits of slowness and simplicity. Walking is a wonderful way to discover the natural environment too. Here are 5 reasons why you should start hiking: 1. It is an extremely healthy activity. Hiking can improve your general physical health and under many aspects is comparable … More 5 Reasons Why Hiking Is Good for the Body, Soul and Spirit
A couple of years ago, there was a spectacular sunrise worth noticing. Anyone who has seen my Instagram feed knows that sunrise posts are one of my staples. But this particular sunrise is memorable because I scooped up my kids who were aged 5 and 1 at the time and took them to the deck … More The Power of Awe
One of the things I love most about this website, apart from the short commute, is that it is brimming with people looking for a more nourishing and kinder life for themselves and others. I applaud that. I’ve drawn inspiration from it. And I hope we all continue to. Only problem is that sometimes people, … More There’s Nothing Wrong with Everything Being Wrong
Hi, all. Wise & Shine is looking for a few new writers. If you’d like to apply to join the team, send samples of your writing via our “Contact” form. Please familiarize yourself with the sort of things our blog publishes before contacting us. We’ll send a set of writing guidelines to those who send … More Want to Write for Wise & Shine?
Constantly running from task to task takes away our attention. We make to-do lists in the shower, look at our phone regularly if not all the time, and post photos of our dishes while we have dinner. Learning to take control of your attention through simple daily practical exercises by involving all your senses will … More Mastering the Art of Attention in a World of Distractions
Yep- I smashed it. But don’t look at me like that! C’mon, don’t tell me you’ve never thought about doing it. … More I Smashed My Computer And I’m Glad About It
From a specialist point of view, emotions can be defined as a response that originates following the activation of specific brain circuits and manifests at the organic, behavioral, and cognitive levels. They play a crucial role in regulating mood, motivation, and behavior. Emotions are often linked to body reactions. I am sure you have heard … More Why Learning to Recognize and Understand Your Emotions is Important for Your Wellbeing
Hello! Let’s order some self care practices in order of importance. The order will be based on what I currently think is the case (at least for me!). Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments. 1- Food we eat I have recently come to realize what a big difference our diet makes in … More Self Care Practices in Order of Importance