Top Health Apps and Trackers

“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” – Herman Hesse

March In Review video

Apps:

C25K

Runkeeper

Strava

Sworkit

Breathing Zone (on iTunes) 

Breathing Zone (on Android)

Headspace

Period Tracker (on Android)

Period Tracker (on iTunes)

Lifesum

Other useful wellbeing videos from Life In Recovery:

Nutrition

Sleep

Getting active after being bedbound

Gym workouts


Do you use health trackers or apps? Technophobe or tech-lover? What are some of your favourites?


How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life

Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/

Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Answering your questions - Walking

A video answering a viewer's questions about walking.

Lao Tzu - "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

More information from Life In Recovery on walking:

Article on the benefits of walking

Video on walking for your health

Video on getting active after being bedbound

Video on basic gym workouts and exercise

Video on progressing gym workouts (including step-by-step routine)

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

UK Blog Awards 2016 - #UKBA16

Sooooo...it's that time of year again when the amazing UK Blog Awards open up and this year Life In Recovery has been entered into two of the categories; ODEON Cinema Headline Award: Best Storyteller and Health & Social Care!

I'm incredibly excited and pleased that the blog is taking part again this year. Last year was a great experience; connecting with lots of fabulous bloggers/vloggers/creatives who fill the internet with some incredible, powerful and inspiring content.

Voting won't open until January 4th 2016 and I'll be sure to keep you all informed - so stay tuned! You can follow all the chat and discover other blogs entered into the UK Blog Awards 2016 by checking out the #UKBA16 feed on Twitter.

As ever, I massively appreciate all of you reading, watching and reacting to the (far too infrequent) bits and bobs I create on this blog.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Work: How to apply for a job if you've been chronically ill

If you've got to the stage where your health permits you to seek out work, then this video contains some helpful guidance on how to frame your ill-health.

Useful Links:

http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/disclosing-illness-to-employer

http://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/blog/2013/march/how-to-explain-a-gap-in-your-cv

http://www.irishjobs.ie/careeradvice/writing-a-cv-if-you-have-been-long-term-unemployed-or-on-long-term-sick-leave/

http://www.michaelpage.co.uk/career-centre/cover-letter-and-cv-advice/how-to-explain-gaps-in-employment-on-your-cv

I really hope you enjoy watching the videos and that they can help you or someone you know. I would love to hear from you if you have anything you would like to say, so please do leave a comment below.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Education: How to apply to University with Extenuating Circumstances

This video contains some guidance about how to let universities know about extenuating circumstances and the steps you can take to make things easier.

UCAS website - www.ucas.com

The Student Room threads on extenuating circumstances - www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1402531
www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1614940

Common problems (including extenuating circumstances) - www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/university-personal-statement-issues.html

I really hope you enjoy watching the videos and that they can help you or someone you know. I would love to hear from you if you have anything you would like to say - please do comment below!

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Why voting matters and how to have a voice

A video about the importance of voting in the United Kingdom's General Election 2015.

“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers.” Louis L'Amour.

Useful links for making your mind up:

http://election2015.votematch.org/
http://www.whoshouldyouvotefor.com/
https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/
https://uk.isidewith.com/political-quiz

Useful links for registering to vote:

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote?gclid=CMzctJTI7sQCFWOr2wodC5EAFA
https://www.gov.uk/yourvotematters

I really hope you enjoy watching the videos and that they can help you or someone you know. I would love to hear from you if you have anything you would like to say.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

My contribution to the Self-Love Series

A little while ago, I wrote a quick blog post signposting you all to the simply splendid Suzy's website so that you could read the wonderful series she is curating on self love. If you didn't read the post I wrote explaining all about the series and why it's inspiring and positive then now is your chance! (http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/useful-siteslinks-self-love-series.html)

I mentioned that I was also contributing a piece to the series and I'm pleased to say that it's now 'live' on her website here. I'd love for you all to hop on over there to read it.

Please do take a look at the series' archives here. There are some wonderful articles: all about finding health and happiness. There'll also be more self-love posts popping up like little rays of sunshine this winter on Suzy's blog so make sure you check them out!

How to get in touch:


YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_LifeBlog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Drugs and Medication: It's re-think time!

I got an email from a lovely lady called Judy from The American Recall Center asking if I would like to contribute a blog post to help raise awareness about the importance of drug safety. The reason they wanted a post is because this week (January 26th - 31st) is National Drug Facts Week. 
As I believe strongly in being as informed as possible about medications and drug therapies I thought it seemed like a great opportunity to join the conversation and write a piece for National Drug Facts Week. Thank you to Judy for bringing this to my attention (and thinking of my blog!) and also for providing the informative pictures included below.

This is going to sound like a silly statement to make but I'm going to make it anyway...It's really important to understand what the medication you're taking is, why exactly you're on it and what it aims to do for you.

So many of us are now on some kind of prescriptive medication or taking over-the-counter drugs.

In western society we 'pop' pills like they're Tic Tacs, often with no thought to what the medications are really for, what prolonged use of them can mean or whether they're actually solving the problem.

I'm not trying to scare-monger, nor am I advocating ditching medications. Far from it. Many conditions require the use of drugs to control or lessen symptoms. There's no disputing that. I myself have, over the years, needed a cocktail of drugs to manage symptoms and try to 'cure' my ill health.

However, there's also no disputing the fact that a lot of the time we may not fully grasp the impact that taking prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications has on our psyches and our bodies.

All I'm aiming to do with this short post is to highlight the need for us all to be a little more selective and careful when adopting new drugs or medication regimes. 

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if there is anything you can do that will compliment or support your health, without the sole help of medication or even before you try taking medication.

Would a more holistic approach to well-being not reduce the amount of unnecessary antibiotics, antidepressants, sleeping pills etc. that are prescribed?

An holistic approach could involve looking at the underlying cause for repeated infections, insomnia, low mood etc. I believe that the stresses and strains of modern life can make us more susceptible to becoming run-down. 

Some doctors fail to grasp the need to ask questions of their patients, to be more sensitive to their needs and to have empathy with their ills and ailments. Those few extra minutes of concern and care may alleviate the patient's worries and address their concerns. This could help set about a positive chain of results, rather than ending up with the patient clutching a sheaf of prescriptions for unnecessary drugs, which may end up masking the main problem.

It's not necessarily a simple solution as it would involve a rather radical re-think in mainstream medicine. However, I believe it's an achievable and important solution to an endemic problem.

Let's start seeing, hearing and treating people as a whole.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life