On a chilly May weekend in Melbourne, I hung out with over 500 big-hearted, creative people at Clare Bowditch’s love child BHB2014. Here’s just on3 of the many stories that were shared, over those two packed days.

Behind the lectern delivering the keynote address, Missy Higgins appeared diminutive and shy. She told of how she landed a record deal as a teenager and filled in the gaps between early stardom and her post-hiatus return to making music on her own terms.

I leant in when she started talking about her “aha moment” that lead her to choosing wellness in the midst of a punishing tour. Finding herself in yet another American emergency room in the early hours of the morning, waiting for a penicillin shot to supress another bout of tonsillitis to keep her on the road, it was a case of either getting her tonsils out or changing her life.

She chose to change her life, yet still managed to sell millions of albums to be loved by people around the world.

Five wellness rules from a rock star

1. Tune into your body
2. Rest
3. Sleep more
4. Exercise
5. Less booze

For those of us with less glamorous lives, we mightn’t need to say “no” to an early morning radio interview or forgo some of the copious amounts of free alcohol. But we all have the ability to make small changes. Take a moment to not only listen to what your body is saying but to actually give it what it asks for. Is it crying out for an early night and to skip the gym in the morning for a sleep in? Or does it beg you to lock your phone in a drawer for a day, disconnect from the Internet and go hiking instead?

If a rock star can find the time to follow these five simple rules to feel well, why can’t you?

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