If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together… and if that community has real purpose, it can be the most fulfilling thing that you will ever do with your life.

But it is also true that focussing on ONE agenda is less effective than thinking holistically - caring about yourself, your relationships and the planet are NOT mutually exclusive.

Nature is incredibly clever and the positive changes that we can make to our lives will invariably impact all three.

So what started as a message for climate has become a message for a community.

And we are building a community because doing things together is not only better for you, it builds the impact of change exponentially.

People LOVE the t-Shirts; made in Africa by women working on a Wildlife Works Project regenerating agriculture and landscapes.

They represent a powerful message that I hope will become as resonant as the ‘Choose Life’ T -shirts from the 1980s that were the source of inspiration.

And wearing the T Shirt does more than just sharing a message.

It tells the world that you belong.

It has been a life affirming experience that I want to share with the ¼ million + people who follow me across my social channels.

I genuinely believe that everyone can make small changes which have a material impact on the future life prospects without having to go ‘extreme’.

We are not taking blood samples or sleeping in oxygen chambers - just a daily suggestion to nudge your mental health and physical wellbeing onto a new trajectory.

As with most things in life, we can achieve more when we do things together so I am asking everyone of my subscribers to share / stack my posts so that we can bring more people into our community .. and to reach out to friends and family to invite them to join you (and us) on our journey. Because some days you will want to give up. Some days you will lose motivation. And friends can help us all to keep going when those inevitable lulls strike

and don’t forget… my paid subscribers get access to the future stream of live vlogs and in person chats so that you can really feel you are part of something special.

have a great day!

In human behaviour, this characteristic is often praised - focus and energy on a single task.

But if a human only focuses their time and energy exclusively on one challenge, they are setting themselves up for failure on the biggest challenge of all

The game of life

If work is the repository of your energy, you have nothing left to give to you. Or your family

And whilst work may bring in money, at the end of the day your family want your presence not your presents.

THIS is the essence of the Rebalance Diary.

But we cannot do it alone.. so that’s why I am asking everyone to start talking about this with friends and family and work colleagues.

Let’s build a community of people who want to enjoy life to the full. Balancing the demands of modern life and the needs of our ‘self’.

I love writing and posting videos with insights and inspiration derived from my own journey but I enjoy chatting to everyone who wants to discus their challenges or personal issues; whether privately or in an open Q&A

So to mark the anniversary of my own Rebalance Diary journey, I am going to do some live chats and Q&As with my paid subscriber Club. And if anyone wants a one on one chat .. I will do my best to accommodate you!

I’m looking forward to seeing you there!!

If the journey looks too complicated or too daunting, the journey never begins

We are frozen by the fear of what lies ahead

We are paralyzsed by the prospect of change

We are too busy to find the time to change our behaviours

BUT

We notice the weight creeping on

We feel the stiffness in our joints

We sense that our body doesn’t feel as ‘connected’ as it used to ..bits move independently of other bits

We get out of breath more easily

Our leg muscles have lost their power

These are the soft signs of ageing

The hard sign is a heart attack

I wonder why we wait for a catastrophic event before we do anything to change direction?

Perhaps this is the greatest challenge that we face as we try to build momentum around the Rebalance Diary:

How do we get people started?

I think it is not a stretch to suggest that nearly everyone knows WHY they should take care of themselves

And although the details of WHAT to change (why and how) may be complex, there is a very simple message that we can share as the core mission:

EAT, SLEEP, WALK repeat

So this shouldn’t be daunting

My sense is that the biggest impact we can have to get everyone going is to create community hubs for Rebalance Diary gatherings.

Because being invited to be a part of something is a huge incentive to take those first steps..and we need that to happen.

So whats the call to action?

It’s all set out here: www.rebalance-diary.com

We need people to start a Rebalance Diary in their community

No leadership skills required. Just someone who is happy to co-ordinate the first meeting or meetings.

It doesn’t matter whether it is a few friends to start with… or an open invite publicised through social media or existing community groups

A gathering to discuss rebalancing life.

And perhaps taking those first steps together

Will you join us?

Stephenfern.com

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One life

One planet

We need to learn how to live them all!

The T-shirts are made in a village co-operative as part of a forest protection programme in Africa. Each is printed with the story of how they are made and the benefit that they generate for the community

Whether in response to a stressful situation or spiralling thoughts when trying to relax or sleep, the answer lies in a physiological reset.

Ie it’s not YOU telling yourself to calm down. (that rarely works)

It’s your body’s action telling yourself “It’s OK - You’re Safe”

and here’s the technique:

Take a long deep inhale though the nose (6 seconds).

At the peak don’t hold.

But Sniff in another short in breath

THEN exhale slowly and fully over 6 seconds

Repeat this three times and you are done!

UPGRADE to receive daily inspiration and actionable tips to help Rebalance YOUR life

We have a choice of White/Black in various sizes - details will be sent to all new subscribers so that you can select one for you

This is a strictly limited first edition T Shirt which would retail at circa $50+

Subscribe now to secure yours!

The result of your sit–stand test is not a fixed fate; it is a baseline for intervention. The following exercises are "the fix" for those looking to reclaim their mobility:

1. The 90-90 Stretch: This is the gold standard for hip rotation. Sit on the floor with your legs in a "pinwheel"—one leg bent at 90 degrees in fr…

Read more

For most adults, the phrase "physical fitness test" triggers a sensory memory of echoing gymnasiums, the acrid smell of floor wax, and the public humiliation of the timed mile. While those school-age benchmarks felt like the ultimate standard of health, a far more significant measure of adult systemic vitality requires no equipment and takes only seconds: the ability to sit on the floor and stand back up.

Known clinically as the Sitting-Rising Test (SRT), this movement was developed by Brazilian researchers in the 1990s as a sophisticated snapshot of biological—rather than chronological—age. While it appears deceptively simple, the SRT is actually a high-fidelity predictor of mortality risk, offering a window into the "physical function construct" that traditional biomarkers like blood pressure or BMI often miss.

The 21% Rule: Why Every Point Matters

The SRT is graded on a scale of 0 to 10, beginning with a perfect 10—five points for sitting and five for rising. As a clinical assessment, it is ruthlessly specific. According to the protocol published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, you start with a full score and apply the following deductions for each instance of support:

• -1 Point: Use of a hand, forearm, knee, or the side of the leg for support.

• -1 Point: Bracing a hand against your own knee or thigh for leverage.

• -0.5 Points: Any perceived instability or partial loss of balance during the movement.

The implications of this score are profound. In a landmark 2012 study of over 6,141 adults aged 51 to 80, researchers found that the SRT was a staggering predictor of all-cause mortality. Specifically, each point gained on the test correlated to a 21% decrease in mortality risk over a six-year follow-up period. The stakes are particularly high at the bottom of the scale: those scoring in the 0–3 range were five to six times more likely to die within that window than those scoring in the 8–10 range. For the aging adult, maintaining a score of eight or higher is more than a fitness goal; it is a clinical insurance policy.

The "Physical Function Construct"

The SRT is a potent health marker because it demands the integration of several physiological systems. It is what movement scientists call a "physical function construct." As Eric L'Italien, a physical therapist at the Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, notes, the test serves to "highlight areas of your physical health you should address" before they become critical.

The test simultaneously evaluates four essential musculoskeletal attributes:

• Flexibility: The joint mobility required to fold the body into a seated "crisscross" position.

• Balance: The neurological stability needed to lower and raise the body's center of gravity without swaying.

• Motor Coordination: The "biological symphony" required to transition through complex movement planes smoothly.

• Muscle Power: The concentric strength—specifically in the legs and core—required to drive the body back to a standing position.

While sitting requires controlled eccentric strength (muscle lengthening under tension), rising demands concentric muscle power. Rob Glick, Life Time’s senior director of group fitness, emphasizes that full-body strength and mobility are the fundamental pillars of physical function. By identifying "weak spots" in this transition, the SRT reveals the early degradation of these systems before they manifest as chronic frailty.

The Grip Strength Proxy: A Window Into Brain Health

The SRT does not exist in a vacuum; it is part of a broader battery of indicators that point toward "systemic vitality." Chief among these is Grip Strength, often considered the indispensable biomarker for aging. While it measures hand strength, researchers use it as a common proxy for overall muscular integrity.

Lower grip strength is not merely a sign of weak hands; it is cross-sectionally linked to significant non-physical risks, including cognitive impairment, clinical depression, and sleep dysfunction. Interestingly, the research links lower grip strength to both poor sleep quality and longer sleep duration—the latter often serving as a marker for systemic inflammation or underlying poor health.

The mortality link is equally sharp: a 2018 study determined that an 11-pound decrease in grip strength is associated with a 16% increase in all-cause mortality for men and a 20% increase for women.

The Firefighter Standard: Pushups and the Heart

While the SRT and grip strength measure longevity and systemic function, upper-body endurance offers a surprisingly accurate look at cardiovascular health.

Subscribe to learn what you can do to improve your score … and your life!

There are NO QUICK FIXES

But the challenges do not have to be overwhelming

Every day provides an opportunity to change a habit

But we dont have to be perfect every day

The beauty of building long term habits is that they ‘forgive’ short term indiscretions

You wont reverse the benefit of improving your diet if you enjoy a big bag of kettle chips one Friday night with a few glasses of wine

You wont reverse the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day if you take a week off

You wont reverse the benefits of an established sleep regime if you stay up one night to binge watch a new series on Netflix.

The beauty of building long term habits, and not short term quick fixes, is that the TRAJECTORY of your journey remains on track even if there is the occasional mis step.

Forgiving yourself the occasional blip is part of that habit building.

It’s not the END of your journey

It’s just another day on your travels which will lead you to a better life

*Join my paid subscriber programme for daily inspiration to set you up for your own journey

I may not be able to control the onset of disease or catastrophic accidents but there so so many aspects of health and wellbeing that I can control, simply by making small incremental changes to my life over the period of a 12 month programme.

Every aspect of my journey has been developed on the foundations of extensive research and conversations with leading scientists. But the whole point of the programme has been to develop achievable ‘marginal gains’ in behaviours that will last a lifetime rather than a crash course of actions which come and go within weeks.

I will continue to write about geopolitics and current affairs here on my free channel but for those of you who would like to join me on my journey, I will be sharing notes from my Rebalance Diary on my subscription channel.

I want to open up my personal journey to my 350,000 followers across social media and you don’t have to be over 60 to start.

To paraphrase an old quote:

The best time to start looking after yourself was 20 years ago.

The next best time to start is now

Why don’t you join me?

(or Why Zebras don’t get ulcers)

It is two-thirty in the morning. You are lying in bed, wide awake, obsessing over a critical meeting or a high-stakes presentation scheduled for the next day. As the minutes tick by, your anxiety shifts from professional failure to a sudden, terrifying inventory of every nonspecific ache in your body. In the quiet of the night, you convince yourself that a slight headache is, with absolute certainty, a fatal brain tumor.

This is a uniquely modern misery. Our ancestors were plagued by acute, physical crises: leprosy, malaria, cholera, and the very real threat of being eaten. Today, thanks to the revolutions in public health and medicine, we are rarely kept awake by the fear of parasites. Instead, we live well enough and long enough to "slowly fall apart." We suffer from diseases of slow accumulation—heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disorders. We are the victims of a physiological revolution where our own minds trigger the same massive stress-responses designed for physical emergencies to handle purely psychological ones.

The Human Invention of Chronic Worry

For a zebra, stress is an acute physical crisis. It is the moment a lion leaps from the grass, demanding an immediate, anaerobic sprint for survival. For the lion, it is the metabolic demand of the hunt to avoid starvation. In the animal kingdom, the stress-response is a brilliant short-term adaptation. Once the chase is over, the physiological uproar ceases.

Humans, however, have the cognitive capacity to generate stressful events purely in our heads. We worry about mortgages, social security, and first dates—concepts that make no sense to a zebra or a hippo. This mental activity is not "light" work for the body. Consider chess grandmasters: during tournaments, they can place metabolic demands on their bodies that approach those of athletes in peak competition, purely through the intensity of their mental effort. Viewed through the lens of evolution, sustained psychological stress is a recent, and often disastrous, invention.

As Sapolsky observes regarding the critical point of this dilemma:

"A large body of evidence suggests that stress-related disease emerges, predominantly, out of the fact that we so often activate a physiological system that has evolved for responding to acute physical emergencies, but we turn it on for months on end, worrying about mortgages, relationships, and promotions."

From Homeostasis to Allostasis: Modernizing Balance

To understand how this mental activity translates into physical decay, we must move beyond the "ninth-grade biology" concept of Homeostasis. Homeostasis suggests the body has a single, static set point for every measure—a specific blood pressure or temperature reached through local tinkering.

Modern neurobiology points instead to Allostasis, or "constancy through change." Allostasis recognizes that the "ideal" level for any system depends on the context. Your ideal blood pressure while sleeping is not your ideal blood pressure while ski jumping. In an allostatic model, the brain acts as the central coordinator, adjusting set points across the entire body in anticipation of what is coming next.

Consider the difference through the lens of a water shortage. A homeostatic solution is local and reactive: the kidneys detect a shortage and produce less urine. An allostatic solution is brain-coordinated and proactive: the brain directs the kidneys to conserve water, triggers thirst to drive behavior, and withdraws water from the skin to prevent evaporation. While homeostasis is about a single valve, allostasis is about the brain coordinating a systemic, multi-front defense before the disaster strikes.

The "Two Elephants on a Seesaw" Model

If the stress-response is so adaptive, why does it kill us? Think of the body’s balance as a seesaw. Under normal conditions, two small children (low levels of stress hormones) can balance it easily. During stress, the body attempts to maintain that balance by putting two massive elephants on the seesaw. While the elephants can achieve balance, their presence creates three subtle, destructive problems:

1. Diverted Resources: The enormous potential energy of the elephants is consumed just to stay balanced. This energy is stolen from long-term "building projects"—like tissue repair ("mowing the lawn"), growth, or reproduction ("paying the bills").

2. Collateral Damage: Elephants are lumbering and unsubtle. They "squash the flowers" and wear out the equipment. This represents the allostatic load—the "slow accumulation of damage" mentioned earlier—caused by massive levels of hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline) and glucocorticoids (stress hormones like cortisol, which, it must be noted, Sapolsky is quite "in love with").

3. The "Exit" Problem: It is difficult for two elephants to hop off a seesaw simultaneously. If one gets off too early, the other crashes to the ground. This reflects how disease arises when we turn the stress-response off too slowly or unevenly.

This model corrects a historical error by Hans Selye, the father of stress physiology. Selye believed we got sick because we "ran out" of stress hormones (exhaustion). We now know that the body does not run out of "bullets." Instead, the "defense budget" itself becomes the problem; we spend so much on the immediate response that we neglect the infrastructure required for long-term health.

"Tend and Befriend": The Gendered Stress Response

For decades, stress research suffered from a "speciocentric" bias, focusing on a narrow range of behaviors in limited species, which reinforced Walter Cannon's "Fight-or-Flight" model. However, Shelley Taylor’s research suggests this model primarily describes the male experience. Because females in many species have dependent young that preclude flight, they often utilize a "Tend and Befriend" strategy.

This response is characterized by the secretion of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes social affiliation and maternal behavior. Recognizing these differences is vital; it shows that the pull toward sociality and protective behavior is as much a biological imperative during stress as the urge to run or fight.

The View from the Bottom: Social Rank and Arteries

The physiological cost of stress is often a reflection of one’s place in the world. Jay Kaplan’s research on monkeys demonstrates that social hierarchy and "unstable dominance" are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease. Monkeys precariously holding onto the top of a shifting hierarchy show significantly higher rates of atherosclerosis (plaque formation in the arteries).

When these animals are fed a high-fat diet, the social stress synergizes with the food to make plaque formation skyrocket. However, Kaplan found a "smoking gun" for the mind-body connection: when he gave the stressed monkeys beta-blockers to inhibit the sympathetic nervous system, the plaque formation stopped, even in the midst of social turmoil.

As a neurobiologist, I find the "stress signatures" of these psychological states particularly telling. Different axes of the brain-body connection are activated depending on the flavor of the distress:

• Anxiety and Vigilance are marked by sympathetic nervous system arousal (the SAM axis), flooding the body with epinephrine and norepinephrine.

• Depression is marked by heavy, sustained glucocorticoid (cortisol) secretion via the HPA axis.

This data underscores the crushing reality of social determinants of health. As the punch line of Sapolsky’s research on the "view from the bottom" suggests: one of the most effective ways to avoid stress-related disease is simply to avoid being born poor.

Conclusion: Reinvigorating the Mystery

The news regarding stress-related disease is undeniably grim. By constantly activating a system meant for short-term survival, we increase our risk of hypertension, ulcers, and memory loss. However, this scientific understanding also reveals our enormous potential to protect ourselves. Most of us are not incapacitated by these pressures; we cope, often with spectacular success.

Science is not meant to strip the world of its wonder. As Sapolsky observes, science is not meant to cure us of mystery, but to reinvent and reinvigorate it. It provides the puzzles that allow us to understand the elegant, complex intertwining of our biology and our emotions.

If we are the only species smart enough to worry ourselves sick over imaginary futures, are we also the only ones smart enough to imagine our way back to balance?

Stephen Fern

www.Stephen fern.com

If you were the devil, how would you destroy the next generation?

This is what it had to say:

If the devil were to aim to destroy the next generation he would use digital devices; he'd likely employ a multi-pronged strategy.

First, he'd promote endless scrolling and instant gratification, eroding attention spans and critical thinking skills.

He'd use algorithms to feed them curated content, creating echo chambers that amplify divisions and hatred.

Next, he'd exploit their desire for validation, using likes and followers to fuel narcissism and self-doubt.

He'd spread misinformation and propaganda, manipulating their worldview and sowing discord.

He'd also use digital isolation to disconnect them from reality and genuine human connections.

To seal their fate, he'd encourage them to sacrifice their privacy, using data collection to profile and control them.

By the time they realize what's happening, it'd be too late. The devil would have successfully crafted a generation of distracted, divided, and manipulated individuals, ripe for exploitation.

The only question I didn’t ask is:

Who really is the Devil?

In the short term the impact on the world will be a hard pill to swallow. The cost of living will explode worldwide. Businesses will fail. Unemployment will rise.

But if you take a look at the companies who have been hit the hardest and it is plain to see that they are mostly businesses that make excessive profits through the exploitation of cheap labour markets in Asia.

In years to come, these economies will catch up and the margin to exploit will disappear.

Employment will return to the domestic markets and the world can operate on a level playing field

And the winners will be those that deliver innovation and quality.

Unfortunately for Trump, that is likely to be China.

Solitary confinement is a punishment for a reason. It is inhumane. It is unnatural. It is damaging to your physical and mental wellbeing.

And yet entire generations are now living alone. Rarely by choice.

The elderly living isolated lives with little contact from family and friends long gone

The young getting home from work with little to look forward to; a TV dinner and an evening of doomscrolling on TikTok. Alone.

Most just want company.

Someone to talk to

To go for a walk with

To watch a movie together

To cook together and enjoy a meal sharing stories, laughter and tears.

An emotional connection.

A piglet to their Pooh

At the heart of the problem lies the loss of community.

Families living in different parts of the country. The younger generation heading off to find their fortune in the city.

But for most, Dick Whittington is a lie. Fortune awaits the few. For everyone else, cities are lonely places.

And the people left behind in rural communities are bereft.

Where are the young families? The children in the park? The chattering and clattering of the local school? A sign that life continues?

Outside of work, where are the points of contact?

Scrolling through the dating apps with a hyper focus on ‘finding the one’. The pressure to meet and date and force a connection with a stranger.

A digital shortcut to emotional pain.

What we need is to reset the concept of community

We can’t go up to strangers and ask ‘do you have a light?’ …no one smokes any more

And trying to start up a random conversation with a stranger will likely trigger discomfort for both parties.

But the reality is that the vast majority of the population are nice people. People with stories to tell. People who want the warmth of human connection. Its aim is not romantic. Although that may develop. Organically. The way it’s meant to be. All that we need is an excuse. A reason to be somewhere that is not focussed on finding a partner. A reason to strike up a conversation that you know will be well received. Appreciated. Enjoyed.

People come together for many reasons. It may be sport. Walking. Dining. And of course there are many opportunities to join clubs.

But a community is broader than that. It is a coming together for many reasons which form a complex web of social interaction. Dialogue is not forced. It is a natural consequence of sharing a collective purpose. And the community provides strength. The network of connections are the safety net for the lonely, the vulnerable and the elderly, they are the support network for parents, young families and teenagers who need to build a sense of belonging living away from their extended family and they provide the framework for interaction between every member of the community which builds strength and resilience into the relationships which are formed as the community builds.

The Global Village is a project which has created a roadmap for every community in the world to come together with a common purpose. To take the actions that the world needs to build a happier and more sustainable future for our planet, and everyone who is lucky enough to call it our home.

Over the coming days, weeks and months, I will be sharing more about how you can get involved with the Global Village programme. And if that helps to end the blight of loneliness on our world, that in itself will be worthwhile.