Mark Van Dijk News Today

In just under four minutes, Roger Bannister proved on the running track that almost anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

Five great ways to look after yourself during Level 4 By Mark van Dijk The Covid-19 pandemic has brought so much change and upheaval in a short space of time. While healthcare professionals work tirelessly to combat the coronavirus, researchers have been gathering data to discover the best mechanisms to help us cope with it all. Consider these as you hunker down for the next round of lockdown. 1. Take Good Care of Yourself Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Take care of yourself. Research from Penn ...

The one big secret to doing more than you think you can By Mark van Dijk Picture it: Oxford University, May 6, 1954. The Iffley Road running track. Roger Bannister has just become the first person in the world to run a mile (1.6km) in less than four minutes. Before this achievement, the four-minute mile was thought to be impossible. You’d have to run at 15 miles (24km) per hour, they said. It couldn’t be done, they said. Obviously, they were wrong. What happened next was even more interesti...

Why your body needs more sleep By Opinion By Mark van Dijk A good night’s sleep can reduce your stress levels, improve your health and change your life. So how can you get more shut-eye? You’ve done it. We’ve all done it. Whether it’s pulling an all-nighter to meet an impossible deadline, staying up late to watch a midweek movie or taking the night shift to earn some extra cash, we’ve all deprived ourselves of a good night’s sleep. It may not seem like a big deal (especially not af...

How to make 2021 the year you find your best reasons to thrive By Mark van Dijk There you were in January 2020, ready to face the new decade, armed with hope, optimism and a list of new year resolutions. By March that list was long forgotten, as the pandemic wiped out all those well-laid plans. After the upheavals of 2020, is there any point to setting resolutions for 2021? Well, yes. People who set goals tend to be more comfortable with risk and more energised by change, explains Bryan Tracy i...