When my 4 year old son asked me about death, I decided to be honest with him. In this episode I break down how I responded and why.

The reality is that we will all pass. The fact that this all ends gives life meaning.

To combat lockdown fatigue and build mental toughness, I have started the 75HARD challenge. I also introduce KINK, Volume 1

I have taken to doing 3-minutes of slow calm breathing during transitions as a way to reduce resting anxiety.

In This episode I share how this simple intervention has had a profound impact on my mental state as well as my ability to fall asleep at night. Try it, take a just one slow calm breath and see how you feel!

I also introduce my kids meditation series 'Silent Superheroes'

I am not in the best way ATM, but unlike previous times I have felt this way I have made a different choice.

Rather than choosing to inebriate myself, I chose not to. I recognised how I would feel during and after the inebriation, and how I have previously felt and made a different choice.

So now I have been left to sit with the pain, but also to recognise that my pain won’t last (because it never lasts).

I can take good actions:
- I followed my crisis plan
- Undertook self-care
- I prioritised my mental health
- I focused on the good

Maria joins me to discuss the concept of reframing our prior conditioning to observe reality as it is, first using our recent birth experience, but then taking that concept into all areas of life.

It’s not ‘pain’ it is ‘tension’, this language change has profound impact on the outcome of birth.

We also discuss how meditation and breathing help to control the mind

We have a tendency to believe that happiness will come ‘when we make it’ or ‘when we accomplish the goal’. In this way we delay our happiness to some future state.

The problem is that we live the majority of life in the pursuit, and when we finally do arrive, our happiness is short lived.

Thus we risk living a life where we are delaying our happiness, and never actually enjoying it, or the present moment.

But the good news is that once we recognise this process, we can start mindfully appreciating the present moment and enjoying the journey as well as the destination.

There is nothing in life that doesn’t change.

Consider your body, your goals, your life. It is always changing and will always change.

In this talk, I break down how mindfulness helps us to accept change and embrace it by living in the moment.

By seeing reality as it is, for what it is, we can find peace.

Positive daily habits are the key to personal development and growth.

Start slow and let life open up to accommodate the new habit. One minute a day is infinitely better than none - and the change will not come as a shock.

Your mind, body, and life will accommodate to your new habit and it will stick.

Live morning mindfulness sessions, 6:40am AEST on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zacpphillips/

Program:
06:40 - Welcome + short talk
06:50 - 5 minutes of mindfulness meditation
06:55 - QnA + Closing gratitude

I would love to see you there!

Update and introduction to my new baby, new book and new webcomic!

Everyone assumes they are the exception to the rule; that one person who will never trigger me, and who won’t cause me social anxiety. Who I can feel ‘truly safe’ to be myself around…

Ever find yourself stuck in the middle of a conversation that you weren’t prepared for? One that is triggering, intense and wholly inappropriate for the situation?

I have.

In this episode I discuss how to manage these conversations, in a way that both protects your mental state as well as the relationship.

Introducing my latest book ‘Reflections of the Self; The Poetry, Insights and Wisdom of Silence’, out now as a paperback, eBook and on audio.This book is one part poetry, one part introspective spiritual discussion. In this episode I share the chapter ‘Finding Peace Through Perspective’, which begins with the poem ‘Two Leaves’.

Open and honest communication is essential to all relationships, yet the process of expressing ourselves in a way that can actually be understood is far more complex than it appears at first glance.

In this episode I muse on all that is necessary for your words to accurately portray the meaning you intend.

Introducing the Abundance Mentality Podcast - 20 minute snippets to improve your health, wealth, spirituality, and relationships!

Each episode, Maria and I break down the best books out there, and share how we are applying the lessons learnt in our lives.

There are five episodes already out, and more to come. Enjoy!

Clearly 2020 was unprecedented - Bushfires, Covid, Trump, BLM etc.

But looking back over it, what have we learnt, how have we grown, and where to from here?

Life with mental illness is full of ups and downs. The acceptance of this reality is vital for healing and growth. I am increasingly wary of self-help gurus and life coaches who only project positivity - this is not how reality works. And denying it (or not showing it) can ostracise people into the belief that they are alone in their suffering. This is simply not true.

Introducing my 10 meditation course on insight timer ‘Your Mindfulness Toolbox For Daily Living’.

In this course you will learn a collection of traditional and novel practices, techniques, concepts and strategies to attain mindfulness, and take the benefits of clarity, calm and control off the meditation mat and into every day life.

In order to stay functional, I find it necessary to observe the trends. Am I acting, feeling and performing as normal? If not, why not?

By monitoring my warning signs, I can best take preventative action to avoid a catastrophic downturn in my mental health.