Nicholas Bate

How To Be Even Happier By This Time Next Week 7

1. Reduce interactions with technology dramatically;
2. increase people, nature, art, music and books.
3. Increase gaps between 'tasks' be they shopping, gym or cooking;
4. and allow yourself to 'be in the moment'.
5. Notice what's working;
6. and less of what isn't.
7. Decide to be even happier.

Water 7

1. Zero calories.
2. No caffeine.
3. Additive free.
4. Hot + mint leaves = calming.
5. Hot + grated ginger = stimulating.
6. Perfectly calibrated:
7. for perfect effectiveness.

How To Get Fitter, Quicker 7

1. Measure and record everything you do and notice incremental improvement. 1.5 extra press-ups. 1 kg extra chest press.
2. Work on quality of execution e.g. bicep curl down as well as up.
3. Tired/stressed/hungry will turn in a poor performance.
4. Train regularly and consistently
5. Accept plateaus where there appears to be no improvement; don't change programmes too frequently.
6. Buy 1h of advice from a real specialist in the field you wish to develop e.g marathon running.
7. Invest in the best equipment e.g. running shoes to avoid injury.

9 Ways to Have More Energy-rather than less-At The End Of The Week

1. Take breaks. Every 60 minutes, take 5. Stretch, sip water, walk. Every 3h, take 45. Eat properly and get outside, whatever the weather.
2. Sip plain old water during the day, whatever your intake of other fluids.
3. Don't let anyone spoil your day. Criticism is simply another view; you can handle it. Poor behaviour just reveals what a jerk they are; you can handle that, too.
4. Eat breakfast, however little. it's when you need the fuel.
5. Read fiction to escape.
6. Take exercise, but not to pain level, just to good steady breathing level.
7. Listen to music to put things in proportion.
8. Notice what's working. Plenty isn't: that's too easy.
9. Get home and ditch the technology you have spent the day with. Have normal, one to one conversations and more.

14 Reasons For Walking More

1. It's easy exercise.
2. Your appetite will improve.
3. Your heart will become stronger.
4. The rhythm helps you think and boosts creativity.
5. You'll feel better.
6. It's often quicker.
7. You'll be closer to the elements.
8. Your head will become clearer.
9. It's got to be better for the planet.
10. Your spine will lengthen.
11. Money will be saved.
12. Your dog will be delighted. 
13. When with someone it makes for a fuller conversation.
14. Whatever the weather, it's easy to do. 

12 Ways To Improve Work-life Balance, Starting Today

1. Insist meetings are 45 minutes not units of 1h. That allows some processing time.
2. Define work-life balance for you; really clearly. It's difficult to access if it stays general.
3. Get a stress management strategy beyond alcohol and coffee.
4. Zone work so that it doesn't 'leak' into 'you' time, children time, meal time....
5. When you add an activity, drop something. You can do anything, but you can't do everything.
6. Write stuff down so your brain can work at solving challenges rather than remembering trivia.
7. Go on an assertiveness course.
8. Introduce systems for typical hassles such as no food, no clean shirts, forgetting to pay a bill. The web has 100s of ideas to help: search super specifically for what you want.
9. Get a bigger picture: what are you doing all this for? 'The kids' is not enough. 
10. Decide to get more healthy over the next decade, whatever your age. Not the reverse. 
11. Spend more time with people and less time with machines.  
12. Do one thing today. 

More Brain Power 12

1. Get more oxygen to your brain. Stretch and move often.
2. Wear a hat in the sun to avoid over-heating and feeling non effective.
3. Get the sleep your brain needs.
4. Sip water to stay brain hydrated.
5. Allow the brain fresh ideas, environments and stimuli.
6. Allow the brain 'down' and reflection time.
7. Enliven new parts of your brain with new skill learning. 
8. Nurture your brain with a head massage.
9. Wear a hat in the winter to avoid it shutting down.
10. Stretch your brain by encouraging it to understand the point of view of others. 
11. Surprise your brain with delving into a whole new area. Opera? What? 
12. Love your brain for phenomenal results. 

Work-Life Balance via Video Game Design

with philosopher David Seah

If You Are Feeling Low ... 12

1. Go on a long, slow walk.
2. Spend time with someone who neither judges nor tries to 'fix' you, but listens.
3. Make home-made custard. Oh and eat it simply, on its own.
4. Read or watch anything inspiring or funny.
5. Take a nap.
6. Go for a swim.
7. Write chapter 1 of a novel where you are the hero.
8. Design a postcard for your home town. 
9. Re-organise your books or music or clothes... 
10. Write to him. 
11. Remember great times of which there are many.  
12. Put on a great piece of music: Stones or Sinatra or even Status Quo. And dance. 

On Being The Best Version of You

There is a version of you which is particularly creative, focused, energised, light-hearted and resourceful. It's worth customising the following parameters to access that version more often, more easily. Consider:

1. Sleep: how much? And what routine for quality and depth?
2. Food: which energise, calm? Which seem to leave you tired?
3. Thinking: where and when do you do your best?
4. Exercise: how can you build it in so that you love it rather than loathe it?
5. Drink: more coffee? Less coffee? Orange juice: yes or no. What works for you?
6. Environment:  are you a city kind of person? Out-back? What stimulates?
7. Life: what's the Life you were destined to live to be the best version of you?