I was surprised to read a news article a few weeks ago about supermodel Halima Aden quitting the fashion industry. She was acclaimed for challenging the industry’s norms and was British Vogue’s first hijab-wearing cover model. I was an admirer of Aden’s success and her determination to express herself in a way that she felt was truly herself.

Following on from another great Hearts+Minds overnight getaway, with a theme of ‘Mistakes: the portal for discovery,' we discussed so much - from creativity to adventure, to friendship and marriage, to acceptance and imperfection.

It’s a question we all face and to be honest, there never seems to be an easy answer. No matter if we work full time, part time or if our work is staying at home full time with children running the home, there is always difficulty in striking the balance between when we’re ‘on’ working and when we’re ‘off’ resting.

Whether we realise it or not, the various parts of our lives can either be helped or hindered by the thoughts we allow ourselves to have. Take a moment just to ‘think’ of all the thoughts you might have in a day and then ask yourself…are they always helpful or do they sometimes hold me back?

Here at Hearts+Minds, we’ve often spoken on the podcast and blog about the value of work and the importance of finding satisfaction in our job. Following on from a great Overnight Event this past weekend, we have put together a few ways we can become the best version of ourselves through our daily work.

What about our own ordinary situation of work, which may be far from the walls of creative and innovative businesses? Is there room for the creative impulse? And even more relevant - is there time in the day to develop and foster it? Or is it just a daydream?

Social media is a prominent feature of modern-day life. Wherever we go and whoever we speak with, some aspect always manages to weave itself into our daily routines and conversations. Whether we are posting or consuming content, it is a feature of life that plays a big role, and some might say the benefits are countless.

How many times do we tell ourselves stories that actually hold us back from achieving the things we want in a day? I’m not talking about huge tasks. Very often, these are simple, normal, everyday things. Perhaps wanting to read more, or wanting to exercise more.

We all have worries and fears and we often cope with these emotions by avoiding something that triggers them. But what if we faced up to something that really scares us? What might that feel like? Why should we bother? Are there even any benefits? Surely, it’s better to keep away from the things that frighten us?

Manners are an integral part of all cultures, and every culture has its set of codes of behaviours that they deem apposite or acceptable. Manners are proper to humans; animals don’t know too much about manners unless they have been trained by a human.

Perhaps some of us may have heard the quotation from publisher Emilie Buchwald that “children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Children practise what they see, so if they see us reaching for books - novels, stories, plays or poetry - then bit by bit it becomes an interest and enjoyment for them too.

I grew up looking after kids. In my extended family, there were always kids knocking about - there still is even to this day! With so many children about, it meant that once I reached 8 years old or so I was put in charge of entertaining the little ones, along with my older cousins.

This week marks 3 years of Hearts+Minds! What started as an idea over coffee between friends - to develop an online platform for women that goes beyond the superficial, and aims to uplift and inspire women wherever they are in their daily life - has now blossomed into a fortnightly podcast, weekly blog posts and countless events where women can find community and friendship.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how our memories are made? Life is so busy these days; we’re always rushing from one hasty activity to the next, only to fall into bed at the end of the day, tired and worn out.

About a month ago as I was making my way down to bed, I began tapping on my phone to set my alarm for the next morning. Suddenly the screen froze completely. Realising quickly that frantic continuation of the tapping wasn’t going to fix it anytime soon, I did what any good IT expert would do … turned it off and on again. Unfortunately, nothing.

We are a storytelling nation. Perhaps it comes from the bardic tradition when stories were passed down from generation to generation. Novels tell stories and we all love them, especially those ones that contain the insatiable capacity to remain lodged in our memories long after dry facts have passed over us. Stories impact us because they embody life and tell us truths in an entertaining and unforgettable way.

Decisions – the pain of making them … how well we know it We crave clarity. We know deep down that we do not have all the answers.

Maybe some of us are still waiting for summer to come, for those long days of endless sunshine and heat. Why wait? Let’s seize the moment and enjoy our summer right now. Especially as the longest day of the year has recently passed us by. How can we do this?

It’s that time of year again - long lazy days of sunshine, or days spent under a tree in the garden, or lying on a warm beach. And of course, we all want to escape and spend time in another world that is different from the one we inhabit.

There are many great podcasts out there … but sometimes it can be hard to find an episode that you know you’ll really enjoy and doesn’t have you scrolling for the next one. Here is a short list of 6 of them we know you’ll love.