How to Set Goals
By Melissa Ingram on
Many of us set ourselves tasks and goals to achieve what we feel will make a difference to our lives. Sometimes we find it difficult to achieve these goals as the journey becomes too long, too hard or it simply gets overshadowed by other ‘higher priority’ tasks and therefore these goals are pushed to the side.
Start by asking yourself some simple questions that can help you take control of your life and achieve your goals:
- What are you trying to achieve?
- What are your habits and what do you want to change?
- What have you achieved in life?
- Do you live in the moment?
What are trying to achieve and what is your ultimate goal? Is it to live cleanly, train for a 10km fun run, sleep better, lose weight, drink more water, change careers, start a...
Australians are embracing ‘mindful drinking’ — and the alcohol industry is also getting sober curious
By Tamara Bucher and Melanie Pirinen on
In 2020, Australia’s first non-alcoholic bar opened in Brunswick. Sydney quickly followed suit. Major liquor retailers are dedicating more and more shelf space for the growing range of no-alcohol and low-alcohol drinks.
Alcohol-free wines, beers and spirits are increasingly sophisticated, driven by consumers taking more care in what they drink — and how they choose to drink.
Over the past 15 years, alcohol consumption has decreased in Australia, from 10.8 litres per capita per year down to 9.4 litres, the lowest seen in 50 years. Similar trends have been seen globally.
The reduction has been particularly stark for the younger age groups: the number of people in their 20s abstaining from alcohol increased from 8.9% in 2001 to 22% in 2019....
Health Check: how do I know if I drink too much?
By Bosco Rowland on
While alcohol is a legal and common way many societies stimulate social interaction, when consumed at high levels over long periods it can undermine physical health and cause cancers and other diseases. Most people know excessive drinking isn’t good for our health, but how do we know when we’re drinking too much?
Alcohol consumption is associated with long- and short-term consequences. Long-term health consequences include: alcohol-related diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver; stroke; high blood pressure; heart disease; and more than 60 cancers, including of the mouth, lips, throat, oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, bowel and breast.
Short-term health consequences include fatalities, physical injury or road accidents due to...
Ten reasons some of us should cut back on alcohol
By Steve Allsop on
Some of us seriously underestimate how much we drink, so perhaps the first step to deciding if we need to cut back is to consider how many standard drinks are in that glass of wine, beer or spirit. A miscalculation increases the risk of drinking outside the low risk guidelines. Pouring your own drinks, topping up a glass before it’s finished, or not paying attention to your consumption influences whether you drink more than intended.
Here are some reasons why you might think about cutting down on drinking.
Here are some reasons why you might think about cutting down on drinking.
1. Improving your health
Reducing alcohol means you might find it easier to manage your weight. Some drinks have as many calories as high fat foods.
In one large...
Want to exercise more? Try setting an open goal for your New Year’s resolution
By Christian Swann on
It’s that time of year when many of us are setting goals for the year ahead. The most common New Year’s resolution – set by 59% of us - is to exercise more.
But our research suggests the way we typically set goals in exercise often doesn’t work. So, what should we do instead?
Our research interviewing elite athletes suggests one possibility is to set open goals instead.
Specific goals can actually put us off
Generally we’re advised to set specific, or SMART, goals (where SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound). Aiming to walk 10,000 steps per day is a common example.
This advice is typically based on goal-setting theory from the 1990s. However, that theory has now evolved, with research now...
A brief history of alcohol consumption in Australia
By Rob Moodie on
Although most Australians would probably say we’ve always been a heavy-drinking nation, the consumption of alcohol has followed a roller coaster curve since European invasion. 
Alcohol consumption in Australia began at an annual high point of 13.6 litres of pure alcohol per head in the 1830s. It declined to 5.8 litres a year during the economic downturn in the 1890s, then to a nadir of 2.5 litres during the Great Depression.
After World War II, there was a long rise in per capita consumption to another high point of 13.1 litres in 1974-75. It then dropped again and rose slowly to the 2008-09 levels of ten litres.
There’s little doubt that alcohol is an important part of Australian culture. According to the author of The Rum State,...
Think before you drink: alcohol's calories end up on your waistline
By Veronique Chachay on
Alcoholic drinks should all carry calorie counts according to a leading UK public health doctor writing in the BMJ today, because of their contribution to obesity. Fiona Sim, Chair of the UK Royal Society for Public Health, writes that while adults who drink may be getting as much as 10% of their daily calories from alcohol, most people are unaware drinking contributes to their energy intake.
Although her data are from local surveys, Sims is absolutely right in highlighting the silent role of alcohol on weight gain. The lack of information about the energy content of alcoholic beverages is likely contributing to an underestimation of consumed energy.
Given the equilibrium between “energy in” and “energy out” is a constant balancing act...
Dry July: “Another glass of alcohol awareness please”
By Dallas Arrowsmith on
I challenged myself recently to take up the good cause of Dry July - a fundraising campaign to trade in your social drinking habits for a month, and to make some healthy lifestyle changes.
First and foremost, Dry July is a great cause. This program gave me the opportunity to support a community that needs it, and the funds go directly to benefit the lives of people affected by cancer. Cancer affects all people in some way at some point in our lives – face it, we all know someone who has been affected.
Secondly, there are personal benefits. Where do I begin - the feeling, the money, and the habit?
Let me start with the feeling, I feel great! I sleep better, I am finding it easier to wake each morning and weekends feel longer. The money...
Tips on cutting down after Dry July
By Dry July Foundation on
Carry on your good work from July through to August and beyond. Here are some practical tips if you want to try to cut down on the amount of alcohol you’re drinking:
- Before you start drinking, quench your thirst with a non-alcoholic drink
- Drink slowly – have a drink of water with your alcoholic drink
- Make every second drink non-alcoholic – this will help space out your drinks.
- Eat food when you’re drinking, but avoid salty foods – these make you thirstier.
- Try to dilute your alcoholic drinks – for example, a shandy (beer with lemonade) or a wine spritzer (wine with mineral water).
- Designate at least two alcohol-free days a week
- Know your standard drinks – buy an alcohol measure for at home
- One standard drink equals:
- 285 ml of beer (one...