October is depression and mental health awareness month, so we've decided to do a series of posts with recommendations for improving your mental health and avoiding burnout.

The first post is all about the importance of sleep and ways to improve it.

It's common knowledge that sleep and mental wellbeing are closely connected. Sleep problems can affect mental health, but mental health conditions can also worsen issues with sleep.

National Sleep Foundation guidelines advise that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a third of adults in the U.S. state that they get less than the advised amount of sleep each night.

Harvard Medical School researchers found that people who slept less than five hours per night were twice as likely to develop dementia than those who slept six to eight hours per night. Nikola Tesla, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Churchill are examples of famous people with poor sleep routines who developed dementia/Alzheimer's later in life.

Sadly, entrepreneurial culture glorifies sleep deprivation overworking without considering the losses of efficiency, long-term productivity, and individual health.

Now, after all of these scary facts, let's see how we can improve sleep.

Achieving this is possible by following a good sleep routine.

Below are some recommendations on how you can improve your sleep hygiene:

• Follow the same sleep schedule every day, even on weekends.
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark during the night, and expose yourself to light first thing in the morning (sun or ring light will work). The balance between exposure to sunlight and dark is crucial for your sleep routine.
• Avoid using your phone or any other devices for 1 hour before bed or first thing in the morning. This advice works miracles. It might not be easy to pick up this habit, but it is worth it.
• Practice a relaxing pre-bed routine. You can meditate, do breathing exercises, end of the day journaling, light stretching, reading or whatever works best to calm you.
• Invest in a good bed, pillows and bedsheets which regulate your body temperature
• Carefully monitor your intake of caffeine and alcohol and avoid consuming them in the hours before bed.
• Consider supplements. This one is tricky, and we suggest before taking any supplements, to consult with your physician.
  

If you want to know more about sleep and ways to improve it, we recommend listening to Dr Walker's podcast themattwalkerpodcast.buzzsprout.com or Dr Huberman's Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake | Huberman Lab Podcast.

As much as I support the 14-day quarantine imposed by the government for travelers coming into Australia, the idea of spending two weeks without any fresh air, in a room with no open windows, scared the hell out of me.

You see, I’ve always been a very anxious person, and on top of that, about a year ago, I suffered from depression. It was a horrific experience that also left me with the understanding that it can happen again if I don’t be proactive about taking care of my mental health.

It's my 8th day in quarantine in full isolation, and I am doing okay. Waves of anxiety come and go, but I am managing well so far.

Here are some strategies that I use in isolation to keep me sane.

Routine is fun

From day one, I implemented my daily routine. Nothing too serious or too long. The key is to make it enjoyable and super easy to achieve. To give you an example, I am not a fan of making my bed in the morning, but I like to sing. So every morning when I am making my bed, I sing now.

I also have core elements of my day: make my bed, shower, yoga, meditate, write, read, and handstand practice. It's essential to be consistent with your routine. Practicing something just for a few minutes every day will prompt a massive change in the long run.

Set one new positive habit

Taking isolation as an opportunity for self-improvement can help to deal with stressful aspects of it in a better manner. For my two weeks in iso, I decided to focus on creating a new habit of practicing handstands. It's something I always wanted to learn how to do but never followed through. It's also challenging enough yet achievable.

Quarantine is a perfect environment for setting new learning, physical or professional habits. I've recently listened to the book by James Clear called Atomic Habits and found it very inspirational. He explains in an easy way how you can improve your life by creating good habits and eliminating bad ones.  

Exercise 15-20 min a day

It's a bit hard for me to keep focus for too long when I feel stressed and anxious. So I asked myself how I can workout while in isolation keeping this fact in mind. I decided to do short (15-20 min), yet regular (every single day) sets of exercises.

Additionally, I asked my friends to do it with me via video call. Each day one of us prepares a short work out for everyone else, and then we do it together. It has been such a positive experience for me, and I already see results in just one week of regular practice.

Practice Meditation

I don't know how you feel about meditation, but for me, it's somewhat challenging. My thoughts are often bubbling uncontrollably in my head when I attempt to focus on my breathing. But it's getting better with regular practice. I started with 5 minutes of meditation and am now practicing 20 min a day. It helps me a lot to keep my emotions and anxious mind in check.

Be kind to yourself and don't push too hard from the get-go. Realize that unwanted or unpleasant thoughts will appear, and that's okay. Acknowledge them and bring your attention back to the breath.

If you need help to start meditating, the Headspace, or Calm apps can help with getting you into a regular practice habit.

Eat Well

According to Harvard Medical School, our brain and gut are highly connected, and any irritation in the gastrointestinal system can cause mood changes such as anxiety and depression and vice versa. So in times of uncertainty, I look after my diet and fight my ice-cream and pizza cravings.

Meals in the hotel are lovely, but in addition to them, I got delivered a bunch of fresh fruit, and I remind myself to munch on them as my snack.

Reach out to your friends and family

Being in isolation can be lonely, so I feel it's vital to be proactive about reaching out to your loved ones.

I have a few messenger chats with friends and family, and from time to time, we arrange video calls with each other. You can exercise, meditate, or drink coffee/tea remotely together and trust me it works well and leaves you with the feeling of connectedness and warmth.

Help others

It's essential to take care of yourself, but it's as important to understand that we are all in this together.

I might not be able to fix the world, but I believe even small acts of kindness can make a difference. Especially in these challenging times.

Reach out to people around you and see if you can help, support in any way  or bring some comfort in their lives.

Stay safe, and well everyone.

P.S. A friend of mine sent me this beautiful workbook on how to cope with Covid-19 related changes. It's very useful and comprehensive.

Big thank you to Rashnith, Sam, and Sandra for help with this article.

While I am spending my quarantine in one of Brisbane's hotels, I decided to write a feedback about YOGO Foldable Yoga Mat for all the people out there looking for the perfect travel yoga mat. I do hope Covid-19 will be over at some point, so we all can enjoy traveling and just being outside again.

via GIPHY

My Yoga journey started more than ten years ago, and I moved around a lot since then. I've used all kinds of yoga mats, but for my trip to Nepal after reading multiple reviews and watching videos on YouTube, I decided to buy YOGO Foldable Yoga Mat.

I've been using it for about four months, so now I can see all the pros and cons of this mat.

Below are my thoughts on the YOGO mat features.

Weight

The mat weighs 2.1 lbs (0.95 kg), so it's very light.

Is it durable?

Yes, I've actively used it for at list four months on different surfaces. It went with me to the mountains, the beaches, the hotels, a few houses, and it's not damaged in any way so far.

Cushioning

As you can see from the picture below, the mat is super thin.

It's both it's power and weakness. When practicing on hard surfaces, some poses might not be as comfortable. I generally don't mind this and, for example, use an extra bit of clothing under my knee for a softer feel.

Grip and Stickiness

The YOGO mat has a stellar grip and sticks well on the variety of surfaces. I've tried it on stone, wood, linoleum, carpet, grass, and sand, and it was comfortable to practice.

I also have super sweaty palms and even feet sometimes and usually just struggling in a downward dog for a proper grip but I don't have this issue with YOGO. Notably, I haven't tried it for hot or Bikram yoga yet.

Is it easy to wash?

Yep, I've washed it several times in the washing machine. It looks like new after and dries pretty quickly.

How does it fold?

I think this is the most glorious thing about the YOGO mat. It folds in a small roll.

I can take it anywhere. It fits in my smallest day back and my everyday bag! This alone encouraged me to have so many spontaneous yoga sessions as I can carry it with me at all times.

Is it sustainable?

Yes, the mats are made with natural rubber tapped from a tree.

YOGO also plants a food-bearing tree for every mat they sell.

It's hard to imagine a trip to Nepal without doing trekking in the Himalayas. As February is still cold in the mountains, we decided to do most of the trekking later in March. However, it's hard to resist a temptation to get closer to the beautiful snowy peaks, so when our friends suggested doing short treck to Mardi Himal high camp, we said, "Hell Yeah!"

Previously, I've heard from many people that Mardi Himal Trek is a pristine trek that offers stunning close-up views of Himalayas and we were excited to get a taste of it. The whole treck usually takes 6 to 7 days, but our mini adventure took just two days.

We started our journey around 6 am from Pokhara. Our friends rented a jeep to the base of the trek in Siding Village from Karma Flights for Rs 8,000. Karma Flights is a Nepal-based not-for-profit organization which was founded by a group of adventure athletes and local school teacher to provide a safe, educational environment for kids. Since then, the organization has expanded its activities to disaster relief, waste management, solar and road infrastructure support, and many more.

It took us about two hours to get to the Siding Village (1,885 m). The road was super bumpy, but this was compensated by sunrise views of the valley and mountains. The jeep took us to the hotel at the base of the hike, where we had much-needed breakfast. The owners of the hotel are very friendly people. They also helped us to organize a ride back to Pokhara the next day.

The first bit of the trek to the Lower camp (3,210 m) is very steep and can take anywhere between 2 to 4 hours, depending on your hiking speed. I took my time and hiked very slow, taking one step at the time. The trail took us through the lush green forest filled with smells of blossoming spring flowers. We met a couple of porters, a group of the trekkers, and one irritated but beautiful yak on the way.

At the Lower camp, we took a break at one of the tea houses where we, of course, had a tea by a cozy wood burner. Notably, prices for food and drinks on the track are double or even triple comparing to Pokhara's, so take plenty of cash with you.

The next bit of the treck to the Middle Camp or Badal Danda (3,210 m) was, surprisingly, for us, covered in snow. We were a bit unprepared and didn't have hiking spikes for the shoes, which would've been very useful — saying that we still managed ok without them. The trail wasn't as steep as the previous bit, and it was lovely to hike thought fairytale-like snowy forest. It took us about one and a half hours to get to the Middle Camp. At the quick rest stop at the tea house, John even managed to squeeze in a little jam session with the locals, which included the flute, guitar, and drum.

The trail to the High Camp (3,580 m) was more relaxed than other parts of the route dominated by the alpine landscape and most stunning views on the Annapurna Mountain Range and Machapuchare. The trail had a lot of snow, similar to the previous bit from the Lower Camp to the Middle Camp, but it was not hard to walk. We reached the High Camp before sunset, and shortly after, we enjoyed ourselves watching the sun go down over the majestic moutan peaks.

We spent the night in the living room of one of the tea houses. As a general rule, you don't have to pay for the night as the primary income for the owners comes from food sales. This especially true during the off-peak season. The wood burner and blankets kept us warm during the night.

The next morning we woke up early to watch the sunrise. It was incredibly peaceful and truly mesmerizing.

After sunrise, we hiked down, and it didn't take us nearly as long as hiking up. Walk down was enjoyable. We spent about 3,5 hours to get to the Siding Village, which included one tea stop at the Lower Camp.

If you are looking for things to do in Pokhara, watching the sunrise over the Annapurna Mountain Range from  Sarangkot View Tower definitely should be on your travel to-do list.

There are several options for getting to the tower early in the morning. You can grab a taxi or hike up with your mates or via an an organized tour. My partner (John) and I decided that it will be more rewarding to witness the first sun’s rays after hiking up to the top.

Here I will share our experience and give some pointers if you want to take on this mini-adventure.

The actual hike takes anywhere between 2 - 2.5 hours, but this may vary depending on where you stay in Pokhara.

We started our journey around 4 am. It was a pretty surreal experience to walk on the empty Pokhara roads with only local dogs keeping us  company. We had our headlamps on, which was perfect as it was still very dark in the wee hours of the morning. It was also a bit cold in the morning, but once we began hiking, we warmed up quickly. So wearing layers might be a good idea. If you sweat a lot like me, maybe take an extra t-shirt to change. I wish I had one on me :)

According to the maps, there are several entries to the trail. We took the one close to the cable car station construction site.

From there, we just followed stone steps all the way to the top. It’s a bit challenging but gratifying hike. If you, for some reason, find yourself lost, keep in mind that the track closely follows the cable car towers, so they can be your points of reference.

On the way, we passed a lush forest, a lovely village, and a few exposed spots with amazing views on the Phewa lake and surroundings. In some places, the trail crosses over the road, but the only place you follow the main road for a while is after you finish stone steps. This area is not far from the paragliding launch, and you’ll be able to see the tower from there.

The sunrise started around 7 am, but the sky began to lighten up around 6.40 am. It’s hard to describe how beautiful and very special it was to watch the first sunbeams of the day touch the mighty Himalayan peaks. You have to witness this for yourself. A camera can’t capture the whole experience, but to give you a bit of taste of how it was, John and I recorded a short video.

After spending some time absorbing the experience, we decided to have breakfast in a local cafe just below the tower. It has beautiful panoramic views of the lake and paragliding launch.

Hot coffee and yummy breakfast was a lovely way to end our morning adventure.

Well, in all fairness, it wasn’t a complete end as I still had to hike down, and John, who carried his paraglider all the way up, had to catch some thermals and fly back to Pokhara.

P.S: Some practical notes for your information:

• Tower entrance fee is 60 Rs per person (tourist’s price). If you are on a budget, you can avoid paying fees and still enjoy The Annapurna Mountain Range view from the grassy area behind the tower.
• Taxi ride to the tower cost between 800 to 1200 Rs depending on your negotiating skills. You can also ask your driver to wait for you for an hour or so if you want to go back down soon after sunrise.
• There are many small hotels at the top. You can stay in one of them overnight and wake up to meet the sunrise instead of getting to Sarangkot in the morning.
• As the paragliding launch is just below the Sarangkot View Tower, you can arrange for a tandem flight after sunrise. Most of the tandems take off around 10 am. You can find more information about tandems here, but I also plan on writing a separate post about paragliding in Pokhara

The bus journey from Kathmandu to Pokhara takes around 7-8 hours.

The first hour or so was a bit hectic as the bus was making its way out of heavy Kathmandu traffic. It also stopped a lot to pick up people to fill the rest of the seats.

Once the bus was out of Kathmandu journey was more pleasant. I would recommend sitting on the right side of the bus as the views are a bit better.    

It is worth mentioning that even though all busses providers offer free wifi on board, it rarely works, so you might need to think of trip entertainment in advance. I spent most of the time staring at the window and enjoyed every bit of it.  

Somewhere between 9 -10 am bus stopped for a quick toilet/coffee break. We got nice tasting coffee for 145 Rs.

The next stop was at a lovely spot next to the river with few food places around offering buffet type Nepalese lunch. We were not very hungry at this point as we brought some water and snacks with us, but from memory, lunch cost around 400 Rs.  

After lunch, we enjoyed beautiful river views and got a chance to see a bit of day to day life in villages which we passed on the road.

The third stop was in a small quiet place where we got some food (see the picture). It was a buffet again, and the price varied between 300 Rs and 400 Rs.

On this bit of the trip, we finally saw some big mountains.

Similarly to the beginning of the trip, the last bit feels long because of traffic and multiple stops.

The final bus stop was at The Tourist Bus park in Pokhara. Once we left the bus, we got offered accommodation and taxi to the Lakeside by at least ten different people. We had accommodation booked at Pokhara paradise apartments, so we just took a taxi for 400 Rs.

Side note: Never feel uncomfortable to negotiate the price of a taxi or anything else in Nepal. Usually, I'm not particularly eager to bargain, but in Nepal it's a must.

After a week in Nepal, I realized that having some of the following things and arrangements in place beforehand can really make your traveling experience more enjoyable.

• Good travel insurance like World Nomads
• Vaccinations
• Few printed passport size photos
• Digital version of a passport photo (for visa)
• Completed online visa form
• Cash for visa payment at the airport (15 Days – 30 USD, 30 Days – 50 USD, 90 Days – 125 USD)
• Activated charcoal tablets and other first aid kit items
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Ability to bargain, you’ll need it everywhere 🙂
• Day Pack
• Water bottle
• Water purification tablets or straw
• Copies of passport and visa stamp (once you have it).
• Some warm and waterproof clothes and shoes
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Face mask for air pollution (mostly in Kathmandu)
• Power adapter

You can get from Kathmandu to Pokhara by bus or plane.

We decided to take a bus as according to some web resources planes can be delayed for a few days depending on the weather and busses are also cheaper. Plus, you get to enjoy beautiful views and get a bit of taste of day to day life in Nepal when passing little villages on the way.

Depending on your budget and needs there are several bus options available.

Tourist bus

We took a so-called “tourist bus” to get to Pokhara. Tickets cost between 600-800 Rs. We got the tickets from the hostel where we stayed, and this is a pretty common practice. Apparently, you won’t save much money even if you try to get it directly from the bus station.

Buses leave at 7 am from Sorakhutte (North/West of Thamel). It’s a good idea to be at the spot by 6.30 am. The journey takes about 7 hours, and I will write more about it in the next post.

Be aware of common scams with allocated seats. Bus conductors often put tourists at the back of the bus (despite seat allocation marked on the tickets) and locals in front of the bus. Don’t be afraid to speak up if it’s important for you to get specific seats as the road can be bumpy.

Local bus

If you’re on a budget or feel slightly more adventurers, you can take a local bus which leaves from Gongabu “New Bus Park”. It should cost around 500 Rs, and it stops a lot, so it might take up to 8-10 hours to get to Pokhara. Local buses also not as comfortable as tourist buses.

Deluxe bus

Companies like Jagadamba Travel, Greenline, or Travel Nepal Bus/Global Vacation Tour offer more comfortable air-conditioned busses with lunch and water usually included in the ticket. It cost around 2500 Rs.