Tag: stress relief

Personal Development Book Reviews – Fiction self-help

If you’re somebody who prefers fiction books with a good story to lose yourself in, there is no reason to miss out on the wisdom and magic of the personal development/self help genre. Many of us find ourselves to be much more engaged with stories and characters as opposed to facts and theories and so some of the books below may be more suitable than those in the previous blog to ease you into this genre. These books range from classics to more modern options, but the one thing they all have in common is potentially life changing lessons and perspective changes, all wrapped up in stories that will have you eagerly turning the pages until the very last one.

Seasonal Affective Disorder/ Winter Blues – Support for your mental and physical health over winter

Whilst Winter, like all seasons, brings plenty of things to look forward to, many of us find that some aspects of these months affect us negatively. Dark mornings and evenings, colder temperatures and cravings for comfort aren’t always conducive to optimal physical and mental health. Some people even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), sometimes referred to as winter depression. Other people may not suffer from the condition fully but may notice some of the symptoms discussed below having a negative effect on their everyday life. This blog highlights some of the ways this coming season can affect our health and wellbeing and discusses ways to help deal with these potential obstacles.

Social Media – For Better or Worse…?!

Whether you use social media for business use, your personal life or a mixture of the two, it’s something that’s becoming more and more a part of our everyday life for many of us. Social media has huge benefits including keeping us connected with people we may otherwise lose touch with, sharing our happy moments with others and being part of theirs and seeking advice/ support / education from a wide range of sources. However, like anything good, it can also have it’s downsides, especially if used to excess. Whilst we will all have different experiences of social media and vary in how it affects our wellbeing, this blog shares a few ideas and tips to make sure that social media is a positive for you.

Long Covid – Recovery Tips

This past 18 months have been, for many of us, a challenge like we’ve never experienced before. With health anxieties, changes to our working situation or status and periods of isolation to name just a few specific examples, it comes as a huge relief that lockdown is currently gradually easing and more people are being vaccinated daily in the fight against Coronavirus. Whilst this is certainly a light at the end of a sometimes seemingly endless tunnel, for those suffering the effects of ‘Long Covid’, the challenges may feel far from over. Whilst this is still such a new condition and research into it is constantly ongoing, there are now a few identified tips that are thought to help support recovery. This blog aims to outline some of these.

Take a deep breath – Breathing tips and techniques for exercise and anxiety/stress management

A whole blog on breathing?! Seems a bit excessive for something we do naturally all day, everyday, right?! Wrong! Breathing is the foundation of our very existence and is inextricably linked to both our physical and mental health. Physical activities such as walking, lifting and cleaning have a clear effect on our breathing as do psychological states such as stress and relaxation. By learning how to control our breath we can help to manage our physical and psychological states to best support us.

Your happiest, healthiest working day

What does your average working day look like? Whilst this will be different for each of us, chances are it’s changed in the last year and may soon be due to change again. Whether where you work has changed, how you do things at work or simply your routine before and after work, it’s thrown many of us from our usual habits and schedules which can feel like low level chaos at times! This is certainly something I’ve struggled with whilst working from home and this blog aims to highlight some things I’ve found useful or know that others have done to help make their working day as healthy as possible. This can also apply if you’re still going out to work or when you go back, although some are more socially acceptable to do in a work setting than others (dance party anyone? I reckon my colleagues would be up for it to be fair!) Taking regular breaks can help to keep our physical and mental energy topped up so that we’re more focused and productive. Below are some ideas for mini-breaks to slot into your days to support the happiest, healthiest you possible even when you’re working hard!