Health & Wellbeing – Page 2

15th October 2016 — No Comments

Happiness in Dorset

Travel is essential for the well being of your mind and body but don’t go packing that suitcase just yet. Often a simple change of scenery is the only thing that's required so instead of looking for cheap flights abroad, research and see hidden treasures around you. Since I moved to London 2 years ago it's been difficult to actually get out of the city. There's so much to see and do that putting things off becomes an unwritten pasttime. Holidays abroad became easier than local adventures so to put a stop to this a few of us grabbed our cameras and drove down to Dorset to see what Mother Nature had in store for us.

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Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset

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The first stop on our adventure was Kimmeridge Bay which filled the nostrils with a fresh sea breeze and set the mood for the rest of the trip. In the distance you can see Clavell Tower, also known as Clavell Folly or the Kimmeridge Tower. The tower is a Grade II listed building which was built on the top of Hen Cliff back in 1830. The receding tide also exposed the geology of the world renowned Jurassic Coast. The rocky shale and comentstone reefs make the area a key habitat for marine animals while historic fossils and dinosaur bones have also been discovered here.

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Get The Look

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Finding Happiness

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Maybe it was the fresh air or simply a change of scenery but for the first time in months I felt truly happy. No worries about girls, work, rent or what my next article is going to be about. Just a simple day of walks, laughs and photographs. This got me thinking about happiness and how people view it as a commodity or thing we're all entitled to but for me it's more of a feeling or a state one finds themselves in. The world renowned illusionist and personal hero of mine Derren Brown recently gave an interview on Radio 2 about this very topic. He talked about how the question of happiness isn't thought about as much as it used to be. People think they know what they need to be happy but unfortunately chasing the path of fame and fortune isn't likely to be fortuitous. Fame and fortune should be by-products of your life, not the sole purpose of it as success isn't something that arrives suddenly.

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Maybe the word 'happy' is part of the problem as we use the term loosely everyday. You team won a football game? You say you're happy. Enjoyed a nice meal at your favourite restaurant? Same answer. Using one word to describe different emotions is limiting and diminishes its value. Perhaps what we're feeling is pleasure and sometimes its hard to distinguish between the two. More and more self help books are published everyday with a simple message that anyone can “magically get what they want”. This is a damaging precedent as it's a promise that will always disappoint.

Ancient Greek philosophers such as Epicurus and Pyrrho also talked about Atoraxia, a lucid state of robust tranquillity, characterised by ongoing freedom from distress and worry. The teachings of Buddhism follow along the same lines by telling you that attachment to things you cannot control will only lead to pain so treading the fine line between productivity and tranquility is the way to go.

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I feel that happiness is whats left when you remove anxiety and disturbances from everyday life or as the 18th century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau put it:

"Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook, and a good digestion"

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Durdle Door, Dorset

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lulworth cove stair hole

Travel in and of itself will not make you happy but it does pull you out of your comfort zone. To grow and develop (whether personally or creatively) you have to take risks and continuously try new things. Over the next couple of days I will be using my travel journals to delve deeper into our fragile psyche and explore topics such as stress, decisions and what makes a good life. But for now here are a few more snaps from the truly gorgeous Durdle Door.

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lulworth cove stair hole

Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is privately owned by the Welds, a family who owns 12,000 acres in Dorset in the name of the Lulworth Estate. Big thanks to the crew for dragging me out of my slumber and helping me discover this unique piece of British coastline. A few of the pictures weren't taken by me so if you like what you see make sure to check out their accounts using the links below:

Ed Robertson // Jess Hope // Zsuzsa Zichó // Jonathon Cartwright // Amber Hoa

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STYLEGRAM

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dorset-durdle-door-britain-uk-nature Thanks for checking out my latest post. If you enjoyed what you read you can share it using the links below or just follow me on your favourite social channels. Remember, no one is going to tell you what happiness is as it’s different from person to person. Don't believe that if you wish for it the universe will provide, go out there an do it! Until next time 🙂

As always stay classy and if you wish to be featured in one of our roundups please contact editorial@thestyledivision.com or tag your social posts with #styledivision

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Published by antondee in Creative Blog, DVSN Updates, Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

14th October 2016 — No Comments

Midnight in Paris // Journal 72

When I travel I try to stray off the beaten path. You still get to experience the touristy side of the city but also find the little intricacies that only the locals really know about. During my time in Paris I of course visited the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe but the walks to those landmarks were much more interesting than the landmarks themselves. I met two French girls who told me about their lives in Paris, a group of tourists who planned their days around sunsets (see below) and some older gentlemen by the Seine who treated me to some wine and stories of their youth. You cannot really put a price on those experiences and you also won't find them in any holiday brochure and yet this is what stuck with me. The landmarks are just the backdrop, the story you have to make for yourself.

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Midnight In Paris

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At the end of the 18th century, the technical advances of the Industrial Revolution facilitated the use of metal, which was used to reinforce stone in buildings as well as in civil engineering structures and frameworks. In the first half of the 19th century, metal was also used in the construction of specific buildings, glasshouses in particular, but the combination of stone and metal always seemed more appropriate for ensuring the monumentality of a building.

In the middle of the century, the success of the Crystal Palace in London (1851), and then of the Central Market Hall (Les Halles) in Paris (1854), both with a design based mainly on metal structures, revealed the aesthetic qualities of this material. From then on, the increasingly widespread use of cast iron and iron became a symbol of French industrial and technical success, as demonstrated at the Universal Exhibition of 1889, by the Gallery of Machines and above all the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower would achieve iconic status, a symbol of the capital but also a symbol of the aspirations of a society making great technological advances.

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Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower Materials

Industrial Revolution

History of the Eiffel Tower

History of Construction

Gustave Eiffel

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I'm a big fan of Woody Allen and on first viewing 'Midnight in Paris' left me a little bit confused. It strayed from his classic 'guy meets girl in New York' formula and yet I find myself returning to it more often than 'Annie Hall' or 'Manhattan'. As classic as those movies are 'Midnight in Paris' touches on a fundamental aspect of nostalgia. In Greek, ‘nostalgia’ literally means ‘the pain from an old wound.’ It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. (SOURCE) This is why I believe it's important not to forget your past but to learn from it. Past experiences allow you to grow as a person but they do not define you. We also tend to view the past with rose tinted glasses, whether it's partners or experiences, the ones in the past sometimes feel 'better' than what we have now. Ironically that's just a story that we tell ourselves because we have the power of time and context to analyse the situation in full. I bet whatever hardships you're going through at the moment will seem less significant if you look back on them in a years time.

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The characters in 'Midnight in Paris' long for the past because they cannot accept the present and that's a very dangerous mindset because you have no idea what the future may bring. If you knew what the future held in store for you then this game of life would be anything but interesting. Get Levitra free trial on http://www.trendingdownward.com/generic-levitra-cheap/ and try for ED or pulmonary hypertension treatment. Chess players abandon a game when it's obvious who's going to win even if there are plenty of pieces left on the board because it's no longer interesting to continue playing. In life it's exactly the same, you want to know about the future but you also wish to be surprised.

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Get The Look

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seine river at night

“Nostalgia is denial. Denial of the painful present. The name for this denial is Golden Age thinking - the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one ones living in - its a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.”

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STYLEGRAM

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Thanks for reading my latest article. If you enjoyed it why not give it a share using the links below? For more check out our latest lookbook with Bench, street style from London Collections or our trip to Rome.

As always stay classy and if you wish to be featured in one of our roundups please contact editorial@thestyledivision.com or tag your social posts with #styledivision

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Published by antondee in DVSN Updates, Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Travel

9th August 2016 — No Comments

Saint Pablo // Journal 51

Hey guys, just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time out of their undoubtedly busy schedule to check out my blog. It honestly means a lot 🙂 I was actually thinking about the concept of time quite a lot recently and I came to the conclusion that it's the only commodity we all share in common. Whether you're rich or poor or live on the other side of the world - an hour is still an hour, the only difference is how you choose to spend it. Time is valuable although many of us don't seem to realise that.

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I get a lot of emails and messages that ask me how I manage to stay on top of things and constantly produce great content. The bad news is that there is no right answer, you have to find a system that works for you. The good news is that everyone can do this. When you're first starting out in the world of blogging or writing you have absolutely no idea what you're doing, there's a feeling that you'll be 'found out' soon and all your hard work and accomplishments would have been for nothing. I'm here to dispel that myth and act as proof that hard work does pay off.

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London Photography Journal 21

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After a while you'll learn more about yourself, you'll learn what you enjoy doing and writing about as again you only have a limited amount of time and cannot write about absolutely everything (even though your itchy fingers want to). Think of each piece of content you produce as a message in a bottle you throw into the ocean. After a while some will start coming back and you will have to choose and begin saying 'NO' to people. For me that was the hardest lesson to learn but it wouldn't be a a great lesson if we found it easy.

the shard art of visuals reflections

Procrastination is a killer in all walks of life. When you're at work or university you might get given deadlines by your superiors or teachers or clients. This ensures that as the deadline draws nearer you step it up a gear and get everything done on time and (hopefully) under budget. But in life there is no deadline, there is no time limit for going to the gym or writing that blog post. That's why it's important to treat the brain as a muscle, you have to give it constant exercise otherwise it'll become dormant.

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DIVISION MAGAZINE EUROPE

Many of you have been here since the beginning (send me an email if you remember my Tumblr blog and I'll make sure to send you a little special. No joke.). For those of you just joining welcome to the next chapter. Style Division has allowed me to create a truly unique platform, a space that helped me find my voice and then share it. The next stage is all about giving back. I wish to use DIVISION as a platform to showcase some new faces, exciting creatives and future thinking visionaries. If you think that might be you please get in touch using the email at the bottom of this article.

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Kurt Geiger - Murray

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It wouldn't be a Style Division post without a hint of fashion so check out my trusty Murray sneakers from KG Kurt Geiger. I picked these up for LCM back in January but it feels like they've been in my wardrobe a lot longer. The classic rubber toecap and sole keeps the shoes relatively light and most important of all - comfortable. I've been wearing them with some ankle socks this summer and the look still works so if you're looking for versatility I would definitely recommend you grab yourself a pair.

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STYLEGRAM

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If you enjoyed this post make sure to share it with your friends using the links below and check out my latest lookbook that I did for Topman or another photography journal if you're in the mood for some visual inspiration.

As always stay classy and if you wish to be featured in one of our roundups please contact editorial@thestyledivision.com or tag your social posts with #styledivision

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Published by antondee in Creative Blog, Creative Showcase, DVSN Updates, Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle, Photography

8th August 2016 — No Comments

The Art of Solitude // Journal 62

Famous Manchester born philosopher Karl Pilkington once said "a problem solved is a problem caused". This is further backed up by French scientist Blaise Pascal who in 1654 wrote “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” I kid of course about Karl but sometimes he does come out with some profound quotes. If you think about it your life is a constant paradox. Life continually gets out of hand and becomes more unpredictable while we try our hardest to make it look like we have our shit together.

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View From The Shard

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There is an importance to solitude. Dedicating time to yourself and becoming at ease with ones own thoughts is an important part of personal development and understanding. Solitude improves your focus and appreciation for the smaller things in life. Things like yoga and meditation are becoming ever popular as they allow you to collect your own thoughts and see things that may have otherwise been overlooked.

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Photography Journal

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Its easy to categorise things as black and white. Whether it's an argument or a simple difference of opinion I don't think one side is ever 100% correct. At best there are several shades of grey that you have to get through to get some small glimmer of understanding. For me it's fascinating watching debates as you can see the passion someone exudes when they're fighting for something they believe in. For them it's not just a matter of a black and white but about getting a full spectrum of understanding about the issue at hand. There's something very commendable about that.

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The Lookbook

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It wouldn't be a Style Division post without a sprinkle of fashion thrown in so for my latest outing i grabbed some brogues, tartan trousers from Topman and a navy coat from Zara. A plain white oxford shirt and jumper is a classic combination so throw those in the mix and you're done. 10 minutes tops and you're on your way 🙂

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Thanks for reading our latest article. If you enjoyed what you read why not give it a share using the links below? For more fashion posts check out our latest lookbook with Bench, street style from London Collections or our trip to Rome.

As always stay classy and if you wish to be featured in one of our roundups please contact editorial@thestyledivision.com or tag your social posts with #styledivision

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

Published by antondee in Creative Blog, Creative Showcase, DVSN Updates, Health & Wellbeing, Photography

30th March 2016 — No Comments

Fitness Wearables Comparison & Review

Wearable technology or wearables as they're commonly known are wearable fashion devices that have grown in prominence recently thanks to products such as the Apple iWatch as well as our own insatiable appetite for personal data. Wearable devices often incorporate practical functions and can connect to the Internet of Things which further extends their use in our everyday lives.

Over the last few weeks I've been testing out the Jawbone UP24 and Withings Activite fitness trackers as well as the LG Android Wear watch to see what they're like to live with every day.

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the hardware

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LG Android Wear

Although it's not technically a fitness tracker the LG G Watch works perfectly with the Google Fit app and uses sensors to detect activities such as walking, running or cycling. You can set simple daily goals and get an alert when you've reached them.

From a fitness perspective the watch is a little underwhelming although it can serve as a hub for all your Android notifications and sync with your Google account so you'll never miss an email or a calendar event again.

GET ONE

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Jawbone UP24

I've had my Jawbone around 11 months now and I feel the signs of wear and tear are really starting to show. The end cap has broken on me several times and the vibrate alert function is unresponsive even after several resets.

It's design is very minimal and doesn't feel noticeable on your wrist which made it a must have for a few of my early lookbook shoots. The battery also lasts around 10-14 days before a short 30 minute recharge is needed.

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Withings Activité

The Withings Activite watch is the latest addition to the Style Division family and it's elegant design won me over from day 1. Bluetooth setup took around 5 minutes and as long as the watch is near your phone it will update your sleep and fitness data in the background.

A 6 months battery life is a bonus although you cannot replace it yourself which is a bit of a pain. The watch also comes in a wide variety of colours and interchangeable straps so you'll never be short of options.

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the software

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Jawbone UP

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The UP24 app is relatively easy to setup and it will be counting steps within minutes of you opening the box. The app allows you to set meal / sleep reminders which vibrate the tracker and jolt you into action. If your friends or family also have a Jawbone you can challenge them to duels as well as see historic data to see if you're getting better over time. Hours slept has to be added manually every morning which is my only complaint.

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Android Wear

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Android Wear uses Google's material design principles which separates important bits of information into 'cards' for you to read and dismiss at your own convenience.

The different swipes may take some getting used to but after the homepage is setup to your liking it's much more convenient than taking a mobile out of your pocket.

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Withings Activité

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Withings Health Mate is an app that links all your Withings products together and I've found it a joy to use. The user experience is seamless and the app updates itself in the background while you work. The addition of achievements gamifies the fitness experience and subtly encourages you to beat your best 'score'. You can also find additional information by logging into your profile online and playing around with all your data.

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The Verdict

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Overall I feel that the Withings Activite Steel is the best of the three as it ticks all the right boxes in terms of design, functionality and price. An important aspect for me was the ability to swim with my fitness tracker which the other two do not provide although wearing the same watch day in, day out can get monotonous. The Jawbone UP24 is a great alternative although it does seem to be poorly made so you may see yourself replacing it every year. The LG Android Wear smartwatch has the best functionality although it needs to be charged nearly every night and looks very chunky on your wrist so for the best of both worlds I recommend the Withings Activite Steel.

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If you enjoyed this post make sure to share it with your friends using the links above to check out some other amazing fitness trackers. As always stay classy and if you wish to be featured in one of my next roundups please contact anton@thestyledivision.com or tag your post with #styledivision

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Published by antondee in DVSN Updates, Fashtech, Future & Tech Blog, Health & Wellbeing, Tech Products

28th March 2016 — No Comments

Royal Observatory, Greenwich // A Fresh Start // Photography Journal 41

There's something I've been meaning to talk about for a while and to put it bluntly it's the very serious issue of mental health. I know many of you read my blog just to see nice pictures or maybe find some new songs to add to your playlist but how many of you actually know the boy behind the blog? There have been points over the last year that I never wish to experience again and now with the power of context I can look back and analyse the situation.

When our expectations and reality collide it can really get to us. That's not just a theory, but an observable fact. Because we're constantly comparing our lives to others whether it's your close friends or people you see on Instagram, our brain becomes our own worst enemy. Although it's easier said than done you should look for inspiration in someone's social highlight reels rather than assume this is how they live their lives. This blog has been a great source of memories and looking back through the posts I made last year it shows that whatever pain you're in, channel that into making art. Good art, bad art, it doesn't matter as at the end of the day the only person who can judge it without prejudice is yourself 🙂

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Style Division Explores: Tower Hill

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So for any of you out there quietly suffering from anxiety or depression make sure you know that you're not alone, all is not as hopeless as your brain has tricked you into believing and as cliche as it sounds, things do get better. Things do get better but with a caveat and that caveat is you. You have to make the first step yourself, accept this parasite that's living inside you and outline all the variables that YOU can change in YOUR life.

A hero is not someone who gets the girl and lives happily ever after, a hero is someone who succeeds despite the overwhelming odds against them and that's exactly the mentality you need to adopt. If you find yourself falling back into your old ways or the negative thoughts creep back in then distract yourself. Read a book, go for a run, www.namikeystonepa.org/valium-diazepam/ meet with a close friend or as I said above - MAKE GOOD ART

Don't think for a second that you're the only one going through this (although it may seem like it). Jon Hamm from Mad Men, Owen Wilson and even Winston Churchill all battled anxiety and depression throughout their lives. Winston Churchill famously called it his 'black dog' and the lesson he taught us about his condition was learning to live with it because it never completely goes away.

Churchill was actually so paralysed by despair that he spent time in bed, had little energy, few interests, lost his appetite, couldn’t concentrate. He was minimally functional – and this didn’t just happen once or twice in the 1930s, but also in the 1920s and 1910s and earlier. If this man can mastermind a war plan during WW2 then I'm sure taking that small risk won't be the worst thing you'll ever do 🙂

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train windows reflections

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Greenwich park observatory

The journey of my personal black dog ends at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. As the clocks went back on the 25th of October I decided to visit the Observatory and catch a glimpse of London through newly opened eyes. I first came here as a child with my dad although a decade later it's safe to say my experience this time was a little more profound.

As the crowds gathered to see the blistering red sunset over London it was difficult not to feel connected with everyone around. The simple act of living and being able to appreciate beauty is enough to make it worthwhile so open your eyes, do something everyday that scares you and you'll be surprised by the results.

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STYLEGRAM

If you enjoyed this post make sure to share it with your friends using the links below and check out my latest photography post where I explore the iconic Canary Wharf. As always stay classy and if you wish to tell me your story or just share something you can leave a comment below or just email me on anton@thestyledivision.com

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