We all need a good vent now and then – but when complaining becomes a habit, it starts doing more harm than good.

Constant complaining doesn’t just affect your mood, it physically changes your brain and body. Repeated negativity releases stress hormones and even shrinks the part of your brain responsible for problem-solving. In other words, wellbeing and complaining simply can’t coexist.

Complaining about your partner, your boss, your finances, or your neighbours might feel like release, but it’s more like a loop you get stuck in. Just like a bad habit or addiction, it wires your brain to keep repeating it. 

Do you avoid making decisions, procrastinate or simply don’t like making them?

From the moment we wake up to a new day we’re faced with a stream of decisions until we go to bed again – apparently it’s in the thousands!

If you’re waking up feeling that anxious sensation in the pit of your stomach that you can’t put your finger on, it may be because you know how many decisions are ahead of you.

You’ll find bedtime stories for adults, nature sounds, deep energy music and classical tunes all designed to help you wind down at night and drift off for a restorative and refreshing night’s sleep.

Do you ever feel that you struggle with your self-esteem and that you take two steps forward and then three steps backward? You’re doing all the right things – reading self-development books, reading emails like this, watching videos, but you just don’t feel like you’re getting far enough ahead?

There is increasing evidence now that by simply learning to breathe better, conditions such as anxiety, digestive disruption, heart problems, and sleep problems will improve. This simplest of activities, an automatic function controlled by the respiratory centre of the brain, can make a significant difference to our health and wellbeing. Learning to breathe properly may even be the only change you need to make to feel less stressed, less anxious, and to sleep better.