Working from home benefits – are you making the most of them?

While it may have seemed a year ago that everyone was working from home, that wasn’t the case.¹ Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with its required social distancing and stay-at-home mandates, remote working was increasing in popularity but it certainly wasn’t the ‘new normal’ it is accepted to be now. Certain job sectors, such as start-ups and technology firms, allowed working from home and listed it as a perk. Some companies have entirely remote teams, with work-from-home intentionally built into their culture.

Change is often challenging to begin with. If working from home is new for you, you may find it challenging but quite rewarding. It’s important to emphasise that whether you live alone or suddenly have your children home from school, there will be an adjustment period as you transition to working efficiently from home.

Working from home and productivity

It’s important to separate your work life from your home life, as working from home and productivity do not easily go hand-in-hand if you are not set up for it. Create specific zones or spaces for work. If you do not have to worry about childcare or if your children are more independent, find a spot in your home that is separate from your living or sleeping space.

If you do have to participate in childcare (or do it all alone!), try to set up a workspace slightly removed from play or relaxation areas, such as a small desk in a corner of the dining room, rather than the living room.

Have specific working hours and turn off notifications for work-related communication after those hours. During your work hours, work efficiently and intensely (no lurking on social media or news pages!), and respect your time off. Talk with your team about how you will prioritise work, but not overwork.

Struggling? Try to focus on the working from home benefits

Working from home is not for everyone but as we’ve seen in recent times, we may not necessarily have the choice. Without a commute, you are going to have a lot more time with your spouse, children or roommate (or yourself, if you live alone).

Embrace this time — it is a treasure and there really are a number of working from home benefits! Without a commute in the morning, you can linger longer over breakfast, or perhaps take time out to meditate or read a chapter of a book before you start your day.

Hopefully you’ll be able to use your lunch break to also detach from work and spend time with your loved ones. And not having a commute home in the afternoon means you can spend that time having dinner with your family and going on an evening walk. Take time for special things you wouldn’t normally do, like eating lunch outside with your family.

Get dressed, brush your teeth, make your bed. The point is, get up and get ready in the morning to start your day. This helps you transition into a work mindset. It prepares your mind for a workday. It also helps you respect your non-working time.

The importance of breaks

A study found that working from home can make it difficult to relax outside of working hours if you don’t allow yourself adequate personal time and space.² Take hourly breaks. Just like you should be doing at the office, stand up from your desk, walk around, stretch and disconnect from work for just a few moments. This provides a short mental break but also gets your blood flowing and your body better oxygenated.

If you have children you have to take care of while working at home, experiment with a schedule that coincides with their learning or play time.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to really encourage independent play in younger children.

If more intensive childcare is necessary, talk with your work team about flexible hours. Build a quiet time or nap into your children’s days and really focus on work then. Perhaps a few hours before your children are awake in the morning could be a time to do work that takes your full attention.

It’s ok to ask for help

We never know what life is going to throw at us so it’s important to be kind to ourselves and get support if we need it. Challenging times can cause extra stress. Although you may be physically apart from people, just remember, you’re not alone and technology has made it even easier to stay connected – whether it’s for work or social purposes!

1. https://iaap-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apps.12290 [↩]
2. http://www.nomads.usp.br/documentos/textos/modos_vida/02_bladerunner_working_from_home.pdf [↩]

If all you need really is love, then oxytocin may be where it’s at.

This neurotransmitter is categorized as one of the four “happiness chemicals” (in addition to dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins) and is known for its link to feelings of love and connection.

Oxytocin is created in the hypothalamus gland and released by the pituitary gland. It’s a chemical messenger, relaying information throughout the body, particularly when it comes to reproduction, bonding, and even giving.

Known as the love hormone, oxytocin is released during events such as:

• birthing (sending signals for the body to start contractions)
• infant/mother bonding (a feeling of attachment through breastfeeding, cuddling, and caretaking)
• romantic relationships
• sex
• hugging
• connecting with others
• giving to others/showing compassion

When thoughts and actions of love are present, this neurotransmitter is released and can result in higher levels of happiness.

To increase oxytocin in your body, try:

• holding hands with your children or spouse
• hugging
• having sex
• cuddling with a pet
• helping someone
• offering kind words of encouragement and/or compliment to someone
• giving to others
• being in the moment and playing with your kids, talking with your spouse, or
• enjoying a meal together without interruption
• ensuring your body is digesting nutrients properly, specifically amino acids as they are the building blocks to oxytocin
• oxytocin nasal spray

Small acts can make a big impact on feelings of love. Take, for instance, the story of 33-year-old Cami Walker and her prescription of 29 gifts.

Cami was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dealt with debilitating symptoms and negative thinking after this discovery.

During this time, she was given a unique “prescription” from friend and African medicine woman, Mbali Creazzo. Creazzo suggested that Cami give any type of gift to others over 29 days with sincerity and appreciation in order to boost her connection with others, sense of love, and overall state of happiness.

Cami’s experience was wondrous and yours could be, too. Try giving something of yourself over the next month and take note of how you feel, what you experience, and how it changes you.

Is it time to bond with your kids more? Spend quality time with your spouse? Help out a neighbor? Compliment your coworker?

Think about how you can weave these loving behaviors into your daily life and reap the reward of more happiness.

REFERENCES:

http://www.29gifts.org
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21250892/

Gratitude is one of the most soul-nourishing acts you can do; it can heal your heart, lift your spirit, and raise your joy and well-being levels. While showing appreciation for someone or something else can become a wonderful part of your daily practice of meditation, kindness and connection.

Everyone loves hearing these magic words, ‘Thank you or ‘I really appreciate it’. We all recognise that warm glow of having someone express their thanks to us – whether it’s a loved one, a friend, a colleague or even just a random stranger we’ve held a door open for.

Gratitude, the dictionary tells us, is the quality of being thankful and the action or feeling of showing appreciation for kindness. But why does it matter so much, and what are the best ways to express it?

Research has shown that experiencing gratitude has physical, psychological and social benefits, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences reported in Forbes.¹

When we receive thanks, it sparks the production of dopamine and serotonin in our brain. This enhances our mood, helps us manage stress, and alleviates anxiety and negative emotions. The more these positive pathways in our brain are reinforced, the faster our mindset shifts to a happy and optimistic perspective.²³

But gratitude doesn’t just affect the receiver – it also has a beneficial impact on the wellbeing of the person doing the thanking. We have a human need to give help as well as accept it, and when we do, we’re viewed as more likeable and more empathetic. This promotes better communication and cooperation – in short, it helps us develop social connections and integrate within a group. These constructive feelings generate enthusiasm and resilience within ourselves that can boost everyone around us. As a result, gratitude has the incredible impact of helping us sustain good relationships, build better communities and make our lives better. 

And the best part? We all have daily opportunities to show gratitude in the workplace, at home, at school and within our community. Whether a family member or just a fellow shopper in the supermarket, affirming and celebrating others creates waves of positive energy. 

We all have different ways of expressing ourselves, so let’s look at 5 ways to show gratitude.

1. Powerful words: there are so many different ways to say “thank you” that can really help get the message across and brighten someone’s day: “I can’t thank you enough”, “I’ll never forget what you did for me”, “you’re a star”. You can do this in person, via a phone call, an email or a handwritten card, or even just with a note stuck on a co-worker’s desk. People love to hear or read that their help mattered, so personalise your message by explaining why it meant so much to you. 

2. With a hug: whether it’s a full-on bear hug or just a light touch on the arm, never underestimate the importance of physical contact. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system to flood you with feel-good endorphins, helps you get a good night’s sleep, and stimulates your immune system. You can also use body language like eye contact, smiling, and laughter, which helps people feel more connected to each other.⁴

The pandemic has prevented much of the human contact and connections that we so desperately need as humans, so as we emerge, this is a great time to really connect with people you haven’t seen such as relatives and friends and give them a hug or a warm embrace. Express how grateful and thankful you are for having them in your life, and they will sense your deep feelings of gratitude through both words and touch.

In psychology today, they suggest that up to 90% of our communication is non-verbal; our body language, eye contact, and touch are really doing the talking. Therefore we must show others how we care, connect and appreciate them through touch as well as words.⁵

3. Give a thoughtful gift: something that tells the other person you’ve really recognised what they did for you, and that you’re still thinking of them even after the favour. You don’t have to spend a lot of money; it could be something as simple as a bar of chocolate, a packet of sunflower seeds, bake a cake or flowers from your garden. 

In fact home-made gifts are often more thoughtful because you have taken the time and effort to really think about what the person would really like and you’ve put your love into making it. Cakes are great but also think about a homemade card or crafted items.

4. Give your time: Sometimes, your time is the most precious gift you can give. Be present and listen to understand, not just respond. Putting away your phone and patiently opening your ears and heart to someone can be one of the most moving ways of showing gratitude and kindness.

When we make a safe, welcoming space with quality time for someone who has supported us, we show that we value their friendship in giving as well as taking.

The great thing is that gratitude spreads as a result of having a strong network of people around you but also when you create one for someone else. Having a solid support system around us can help us increase our sense of wellbeing and overcome challenges and obstacles in everyday life. It’s also been reported that human connection reduces illness, loneliness, and isolation and can improve our life expectancy.⁶

5. Acknowledge in public what someone has done for you. Praise can often feel more meaningful when we “overhear” it. You could do this for a friend or local business by using social media to write a gratitude post; a colleague could send an email to their boss or team highlighting their contribution to your project or problem. Businesses really appreciate a testimonial or a review; think about this in terms of friendships too.

How can we show gratitude to ourselves?

Gratitude is not just about what we express to others; it’s also incredibly important to express it privately to ourselves because people who feel grateful are happier and significantly improve wellbeing. A regular gratitude practice can also be easier to navigate through challenging experiences. So, our final suggestion is all about manifesting gratitude as a spiritual practice to guide you through difficult times. 

Practice self-gratitude by making a conscious effort to look for positives every day. You could try writing in a gratitude journal, speaking aloud to yourself in the bathroom mirror before bed, or teaming up with a ‘gratitude buddy’ to share three things every evening that made you feel lucky.

Take a moment to notice the sunshine, hearing your favourite song on the radio, or the good luck of finding a car parking space right where you needed it, and you’ll create a positive feedback loop that helps you appreciate the small joys of life.

How do I start a gratitude journal?

There’s no right or wrong way to start your own journal; it’s really about what works for you. The important thing is that you do it.

• Find a notebook or journal that you like. It doesn’t have to be fancy but something that you can carry with you if necessary.
• No-one but you need to see your journal, so neatness, spelling and grammar don’t matter.
• If you prefer to doodle, draw, or stick things in, go for it! A visual representation of what you’re thankful for often can evoke more emotions and memories than a few words.
• Try and create a daily practice of writing in your journal every evening or morning – whatever is best for you. Some people find that noting down their thanks at the end of the day helps them offload the business and noise so they sleep better. While others like to wake and give thanks for the day ahead. Remember, whatever works for you.
• You don’t need to write an essay every day. Three simple words will do it: For example, you could write – family, health, roof. It’s as simple as that but make it meaningful and honest to you.
• Alternatively, you can make this more of a meditation practice, writing and reflecting on your thoughts. Jot down something that happened that you are thankful for, for example: ‘today I am thankful for my colleague helping me to finish a task at work.’

Then just sit quietly and consider how it made you feel, how much you appreciate their time and consideration, how thankful you are for kindness, compassion and friendship. Just let your mind rest on gratitude for a few moments.

Making your gratitude practice a daily habit will not only improve your own health and wellbeing, but you will naturally be mindful of showing others your gratitude every day. Even the little things count!⁷

The Dalai Lama said that “the roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness”, and it’s true that consciously practising gratitude can actually change your perception and experience of life. Gratitude is a two-way gift for both parties, encouraging a healthy mindset and boosting our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

1. 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round [↩]
2. How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain [↩]
3. Giving thanks can make you happier [↩]
4. Understanding your parasympathetic nervous system for great sleep and less stress [↩]
5. Is Nonverbal Communication a Numbers Game? [↩]
6. You know you need human connection. Here’s how to achieve it [↩]
7. Gratitude Journal [↩]

This is how laughter affects our body

“A day without laughter is a day wasted,” Charlie Chaplin once said. And he isn’t the only one to think this. Dr Lee S. Berk of the Loma Linda University School of Allied Health Professions, and one of the pioneers of laughter research, also encourages people to laugh every day. Why does a researcher agree with a comedian? Because laughter is healthy.¹ If you want to know how laughter can contribute to a healthy lifestyle, check out our article.

Gelotology — the study of humor or laughter

We have all heard the phase “laughter is the best medicine,” but what many people don’t know is there actually is science behind it. “Gelotology” (from gélos, meaning laughter) is the study of laughter or humor. Although researchers like William F. Fry and Lee S. Berk were initially ridiculed for their extraordinary field of interest, it has since become established as a recognized discipline.

Stanford professor William F. Fry was one of the first people to look at the psychological and physiological effects of laughter in the 1960s. Today his studies are regarded as the foundation of gelotology as Fry found that laughter increases the activity of certain cells in the immune system responsible for killing infectious pathogens.²

Is laughter really healthy?

When we laugh, happiness hormones (endorphins) are released.³ But laughing isn’t just about being happy — it is also healthy. Laughter researchers attribute several positive effects on our bodies to laughter. For instance, laughter can have a positive impact on the immune system.⁴ Experts also found that the stress hormone cortisol can be lowered by laughing. (https://news.llu.edu/research/laughter-fool-proof-prescription)) Have you ever tried to use laughter to combat stress? Laughter therapies have not only been found to help reduce stress but also to reduce pain.⁵ Humor research is giving the phrase “laughter is the best medicine” a whole new meaning.

Laughter can support the cardiovascular system

Michael Miller, from the Department of Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, together with William F. Fry, who is carrying out research at the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University’s Medical School in Palo Alto, found that “mirthful laughter” can keep the blood vessels healthy.³ Their results are based on a study in which randomly selected subjects were first shown a comedy, or humorous TV program, followed by a film that would trigger mental stress. The subjects’ blood pressure was measured during the experiment.

The study showed that blood pressure measurements, taken after watching a film that causes stress, differ from those taken after watching a comedy that stimulates laughter.³ The results can be explained by the fact that we take in more oxygen than usual when we laugh, due to increased breathing. As a result, our pulse increases and blood pressure rises. After laughing the blood pressure drops again. As we are exposed to mild stress when watching serious, non-humorous films and series, this has the opposite effect on blood pressure.³

Whether it’s the latest comedy that’s showing in the cinema or a funny situation in our everyday lives, laughter can stimulate blood circulation and support the entire cardiovascular system.

Laughter can have a positive effect on the immune system

Negative thoughts can trigger chemical reactions and therefore induce stress – which in turn can weaken our immunity. Positive thoughts and genuine laughter, by contrast, can help to reduce stress, strengthen the immune system and protect the body from disease.⁴ Happiness helps our mental wellness. Lee S. Berk is convinced that happiness can also be an effective immune response.⁶

In a study with other laughter researchers, Berk wanted to find out whether humor therapy and the mirthful laughter it brings can actually serve a preventive function and have a positive effect on our immune system.⁷ For this purpose, 52 healthy male volunteers were shown a humorous video and had their blood taken before, during and after. The laughter researchers concluded that laughter associated with humor can have a positive effect on our immune system.⁷

Laughter against pain — the most natural pain reliever

We all know that laughter makes us happy. But have you ever considered endorphins as our body’s natural pain relievers? Laughter is not just able to support your immune system – it can also be used as a therapy.

British researchers found that laughter is associated with an increased pain threshold.⁵ Similarly, to their colleagues in the field of laughter research, they initially played funny comedies and sober documentaries to the subjects taking part in their study. They then expanded their investigations to test the effects of laughter on the pain threshold, even under natural conditions, during a humorous theatre performance. Before and after viewing the video clips, or the play, the test subjects underwent a pain threshold test.

In both cases the results of the British research group confirmed that our pain threshold is significantly increased when we laugh.⁵ If we are serious, or do not laugh genuinely, the pain threshold remains unchanged – or may even drop. According to the laughter researchers, the best explanation for the results is the effect that happiness hormones released by laughter have on pain.

Laughter to combat stress — a simple form of relaxation

When we laugh, we get a boost of energy and the opportunity to switch off properly. Therefore, laughter can be a great form of stress reduction.⁴ In his numerous gelotology studies, Lee S. Berk found that laughter can cause positive stress (eustress) and therefore reduce negative stress (distress).⁶ This kind of stress reduction brought about by laughter is due to the fact that laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol in our body.

A study at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Nursing Center also found that laughter can reduce stress.⁸ The research group investigated the reaction of 33 healthy female subjects to humorous videos and tourism videos. While the group watching comedy videos that made them laugh saw a drop in stress markers the stress levels of the subjects in the other group remained the same.

The physical symptoms of stress can also be reduced by laughter as laughter can stimulate blood circulation and lead to muscle relaxation — both reactions of our body that can help reduce stress.⁴

Laughing as a workout? 

Do you ever wake up with sore muscles even though you didn’t exercise the day before? If so, you must have had a good laugh. When we laugh up to 300 muscles contract, mainly in the face, chest and stomach.⁹ As well as our muscles, our respiratory system is involved when we have a good laugh.³ Our lungs expand, and our abdominal muscles and chest stretch, working out almost our entire body.

When we exercise our body is very active for a short time. The heart pumps oxygen-rich blood through the body and the metabolism is stimulated. When we have a good laugh, the body reacts in a similar way.⁹

However even people who laugh a lot should still stay active and ensure healthy nutrition.

Have you ever heard of laughter yoga? No joke, this type of yoga really exists. Laughter yoga is based on the idea that you can make yourself laugh and benefit from this.¹⁰ Laughter yoga is now widespread and you can be sure to find a laughter yoga group near you. Try it out and keep yourself healthy with laughter. 

Strengthen relationships with humor

Laughter not only affects our health but also our relationships. As Victor Borge put so well, laughter is the shortest distance between two people. Laughing together can strengthen our interpersonal relationships and understanding of each other.¹¹ Besides, it’s a great feeling to infect other people with your laughter, don’t you agree?

Whether in private or at work, laughter contributes to good will and harmony. Sharing a laugh can therefore also facilitate communication and collaboration.¹¹ In situations of stress or conflict, laughter can defuse the situation and promote teamwork.

Take life with a pinch of humor. Doing so can help you support your health and your social environment.

1. https://news.llu.edu/research/laughter-fool-proof-prescription [↩]
2. “Live Better: A Healthy Laugh” in SA Mind 16, 3, 90–91 (October 2005) doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind1005-90 [↩]
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2814549/ [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
4. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456 [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
5. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2011.1373 [↩] [↩] [↩]
6. https://news.llu.edu/research/laughter-fool-proof-prescription [↩] [↩]
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11253418/ [↩] [↩]
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12652882/ [↩]
9. https://www.planet-wissen.de/gesellschaft/psychologie/lachen/pwieistlachenwirklichgesund100.html [↩] [↩]
10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262535370_The_impact_of_laughter_yoga_on_subjective_well-being_A_pilot_study [↩]
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2814549/ [↩] [↩]

Sometimes it’s worth stating the obvious: our world would be a better place if we were all a bit kinder towards each other.  So how can we make that happen?

I read somewhere that today, generosity is almost as endangered as rainforests – as we all strive to pursue our own happiness. But don’t we all remember a time when we helped someone in need – and by supporting the other person, we ourselves experienced a happiness that came with the realization that we’ve just made the life of another person a bit easier.

That memory can be a great motivation to continue being generous: with our time, knowledge, friendship – and yes, if necessary, also with our money. To be generous means overlooking minor mistakes. It means not always having it our way. It means sometimes taking a step back on the pavement when someone else is clearly in a hurry. Generosity is probably one of the most understated, yet necessary qualities in our lives today.

It’s easy to spread generosity…

In a 2012 study from Cornell University, the authors describe a phenomenon known as “paying it forward”: Imagine yourself standing in a queue to get coffee and, as an act of generosity, the person behind you picks up your bill, and the person behind him his, and so on. That’s exactly what happened in a fast-food drive-through in the USA in 2012:  226 customers picked up the bill of the person ahead of them in line – without having to do so. An amazing, and quite obviously contagious gesture. ((https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/the-science-of-paying-it-forward.html))

Social contagion is an interesting idea as it offers us a new perspective on the concept of reciprocity, which is often associated with generosity. Reciprocity describes the feeling of having to return a favor or expecting something in return for our generosity. Reciprocity is a direct relationship between the giver and the recipient of a generous action, rather than the contagiousness of generosity. How is that?

On the one hand reciprocity means that you may have been helped in a difficult situation and you feel you’d like to give something back – that’s a wonderful motivation to donate time or money to charity. Yet if giving feels like an obligation or driven by an agenda (if I do this, that person will owe me) – this may be a good point to take a step back and consider why we’re giving something. Did you ever find yourself shopping for a gift for someone merely because that someone had given you a gift? And how much of your gift was then actually motivated by the feeling of having to return a favor, rather than your joy of finding the perfect gift for this special person?

On the other hand – if you spontaneously decide to be generous towards someone and someone else, who witnesses your good action, takes this inspiration forward – this is a wonderful, indirect and contagious way of being generous.

Because true happiness comes from giving generously without expecting anything in return. ((https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/sci-tech/warm-fuzzy-feeling_being-generous-makes-you-feel-happier-a-study-reveals/43325688))

There are so many ways we can be generous. We can offer advice – if someone asks for it. Or how about volunteering with a charity: reading to children or giving time to older people who are otherwise lonely. We can write a restaurant review online, create free open-source software, we can leave honest product ratings online or stop to help someone to change a tire on the side of the road. Or simply make some time to sit quietly, and listen to someone in need, giving them the space and time to articulate what’s been troubling them – and thereby find a bit more peace of mind.

If we can walk away, being happy about having just listened, without expecting a favor in return, then we’ve been truly generous. And we’ll feel a deep happiness that comes from this wonderful gift we’ve given to someone else.

Inspiring others to be generous is something we can easily do: by being generous ourselves. We think this is a great way to spread some good in our world!

The term ‘toxic emotions’ is regularly used, but what are they exactly?

They are feelings of anger, guilt, shame, anxiety, fear, self-loathing, regret, bitterness, and resentment – feelings that bring no positive benefit to our lives or our mental wellbeing. These are all toxic emotions that are harmful not just to us but to everyone around us, at home and at work. Toxic emotions, when left unchecked, can impact our mental and physical health. Fortunately there are many ways you can learn to deal with toxic emotions and align your thoughts with positive patterns.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones from the consequences of too much negativity starts with an understanding of how your emotions influence the world and how the world influences your emotions. It’s a two-way path—or better yet, a web of connections. No wonder it has been said that it’s easier to catch an emotion than it is to catch a cold.

Why is it so easy to find yourself feeling toxic emotions?

Research on a range of habits and feelings, both good and bad, reveals that they can be contagious. For example, a study of interpersonal chemistry through negativity found that sharing negative ideas about a third party is particularly effective in promoting closeness between people. In other words it’s bonding over a mutual dislike of someone else.¹ While this may create an initial bond, it is hardly a healthy basis for a friendship. This is likely a holdover from primitive times when there was survival benefit in small groups of humans bonding together and seeing other groups as “the enemy.”

Today such bonding patterns have become dysfunctional and may have an “anti-survival” effect. In other words, what used to help us survive is now a force that attracts negative people and bad influences into our lives. This is compounded by unrelated findings that show your chances of being unhappy are doubled after you come into contact with just one negative experience.²

How to deal with toxic emotions?

Luckily happiness and acts of kindness are contagious too. Just like learning how to deal with toxic emotions, you can also learn how to feel more positive ones. The effects of performing one good deed can spread outward through complex social connections affecting people you may never meet.³ Perhaps better still, for every “happy” friend you have, your chances of being happy yourself increases by almost 10 percent.⁴ We tend to attract into our lives the thoughts and emotions we focus on. On top of that, a primitive instinct to mimic our companions’ expressions, body language and speech makes us even more susceptible to “catching” emotions from the people we interact with the most.⁵

It’s clear that our emotions affect the people around us and that the people around us affect our emotions.⁶ Naturally, it follows that if you surround yourself with people who dwell on negative experiences and toxic emotions, you will begin to align yourself with the same thoughts and experiences.

Conversely if you spend your time with people who focus on joy, gratitude, happiness and other positive emotions, you will find your own thoughts and emotions to be aligned with positive things, people, experiences, ideas and concepts.

This is easiest to do at home, where we have the most control over our lives. You choose who to let walk in your door, what music is played on the stereo and what channel the television is on. It might seem trivial at first but these environmental factors can have a major impact on your emotional state.

After a stressful day, coming home to your personal sanctuary and spending time with positive-minded friends, listening to uplifting music, watching a light-hearted show, reading a motivational book or doing any other activity that helps you feel less stress will help you realign your thoughts with positive frequencies and will reduce the risk of toxic emotions taking hold.

How to deal with toxic emotions at work

At work it can take a little more practice to avoid catching toxic emotions. This is because often we can’t choose the people we have to spend time with. Whether it’s a boss who shouts at subordinates or a co-worker who gossips about people in the office, sometimes there is no avoiding negativity in the workplace.

When toxic emotions abound, the best way to avoid becoming infected is to bolster your positive thoughts by seeking out other people in the office who want to keep a positive outlook and find joy at the office. When you invest time and energy in these relationships, your own good deeds and positivity will ripple through the office and counteract negativity. The effect can snowball as more and more co-workers feel the difference made by not dwelling on toxic feelings which can lead to not just less stress and better feelings but also improved cooperation, decreased conflict and increased work performance.⁷

Whether you’re at work, at home, out with friends or meeting new people at a dinner party, always remember that you don’t need to react to every negative influence you come across.

Negatively focused people often seek out others to join them. When you consider what toxic emotions are, you will most likely be able to recall a conversation in which someone tried to get you to complain about another person or situation. The next time this happens to you, remember that you don’t have to react. You don’t have to agree and let negative emotions take hold. You also don’t have to confront the person which can spark an argument.

What if you can’t avoid a toxic person or environment?

If you have no choice but to be around people displaying toxic emotions, your most viable option is to simply not let the negative comments influence you. Take a moment to examine your own inner thoughts and make sure that you are staying true to your desire to focus on positive thoughts and experiences.

When possible, remove yourself from the situation quickly but politely. At work, this can be as easy as saying you have a deadline to meet. At a dinner party, you can excuse yourself to refresh a drink.

Much like germs, emotions are contagious. And if we don’t take some precautions, we can catch toxic emotions without realising it. The absolute best way to bolster your immunity to toxic emotions is to surround yourself with other people who intentionally align their thoughts with positive frequencies.

1. Bosson, Jennifer K., Amber B. Johnson, Kate Niederhoffer, and William B. Swann. “Interpersonal Chemistry through Negativity: Bonding by Sharing Negative Attitudes about Others.” Personal Relationships 13, no. 2 (2006): 135–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00109.x [↩]
2. Hill, Alison L. et al. “Emotions as Infectious Diseases in a Large Social Network: The SISa Model.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277.1701 (2010): 3827–3835. PMC. Web. 3 May 2017 [↩]
3. James H. Fowler and Nicholas A. Christakis. “Cooperative behavior cascades in human social networks.” PNAS 2010 107 (12) 5334-5338; published ahead of print March 8, 2010, doi:10.1073/pnas.0913149107 [↩]
4. Christakis, Nicholas A, and James Fowler. “SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS.” SOCIAL NETWORKS AND HAPPINESS | Edge.org, n.d. https://www.edge.org/conversation/social-networks-and-happiness [↩]
5.  Colino, Stacey. “Are You Catching Other People’s Emotions?” U.S. News & World Report, n.d. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2016-01-20/are-you-catching-other-peoples-emotions [↩]
6. Larson, Reed W., and David M. Almeida. “Emotional Transmission in the Daily Lives of Families: A New Paradigm for Studying Family Process.” Journal of Marriage and the Family 61, no. 1 (1999): 5. https://doi.org/10.2307/353879 [↩]
7. Barsade, Sigal G. “The Ripple Effect: Emotional Contagion and Its Influence on Group Behavior.” Administrative Science Quarterly 47, no. 4 (2002): 644. https://doi.org/10.2307/3094912 [↩]

How can developing mindfulness support positive mental health?

Positive mental health is determined by a variety of factors and while it’s impossible to control everything that happens around us, developing mindfulness can be a strong step in the right direction when it comes to experiencing greater happiness and a positive state of mind. 

Why should you eat healthy, high-frequency energy foods?

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” – Nikola Tesla

We’re not just a physical body – scientifically speaking, we’re a source of energy that is bound together by an energy field. Everything with energy vibrates, and the higher the energy, the higher the frequency of this vibration.¹ High-frequency foods help us to increase our natural energy vibration and in doing so, we’re better-able to connect with ourselves and rid our minds of unhealthy thoughts.  Foods with a high vibrational energy include organic fruits, herbs, vegetables and nuts.² By contrast, low -frequency foods, such as meat, poultry and sugar, as well as foods that are highly processed, chemically or genetically altered or contain chemical additives, can result in ill health when eaten in high amounts.

Why is it important to keep hydrated?

Dehydration makes you feel physically unwell and can also affect your mental health.³ The human brain is composed of around 75% water and as soon as this level starts to drop, circulation slows and blood and oxygen move around the body more slowly.⁴ Even mild dehydration affects how you think and feel. If you can’t think clearly, it’s difficult to be fully mindful and to experience happiness.

Why is movement vital for mental health?

Evidence suggests that physical activity and exercise probably alleviate some of the symptoms associated with a negative state of mind. In addition, scientific studies have concluded that exercise might help with improving self-image, social skills and cognitive functioning, as well as reducing the symptoms of anxiety.⁴ Try taking a stroll in the fresh air or going for a gentle swim. You’ll soon see that it’s difficult not to feel in a more positive state of mind after this.

Why is sleep so important?

Anyone who has ever suffered a bad night’s sleep will tell you that their brain probably wasn’t firing on all cylinders the following day. Lack of sleep can leave you feeling mentally exhausted, emotional and unsettled in your surroundings. Try to get eight hours of quality sleep each night.⁵ Set a routine and go to bed at the same time each evening.

Try to wake up at the same time each morning (even on weekends!) and don’t stare at your phone or other electronic devices before you sleep as they can keep your brain alert and prevent you from relaxing fully.

Why is elevating your thoughts the key?

The law of attraction states that what we put out into the universe; we will receive.⁶ If you want to attract joy and happiness, you need to make an active effort to put those messages out there. Don’t focus on what you don’t want from life but concentrate on what you do want. Set meaningful goals and strive to make the very most of every single day.

Why is altruism beneficial to mental health?

Doing something kind for someone else doesn’t just benefit them – it can benefit you too. Connecting with people, and taking time to help them, can create positive vibes and help enhance your sense of purpose and wellbeing. Helping others has been scientifically shown to reduce stress and improve both your physical and mental health, leading to a sense of calm and ease and enabling you to increase your confidence, happiness and optimism.⁷ Ultimately, by helping others, you too could lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

Your state of mind isn’t something you can focus on in isolation. Different aspects of our lifestyle, including your physical health, can all contribute to achieving a positive state of mind.

1. Full on happiness: Vibrational Frequency 101 + Foods to increase it [↩]
2. Mindbodygreen: How to make sure you’re eating high-vibrational food [↩]
3. https://psychcentral.com/news/2012/02/20/dehydration-influences-mood-cognition/35037.html [↩]
4. AIFC: How important is water and hydration to mental health? [↩] [↩]
5. NCBI: The relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health [↩]
6. The Law of Attraction: What is the law of attraction? Open your eyes to a world of endless possibilities. [↩]
7. Mental Health Foundation: Doing good does you good [↩]

Exercise. Whether the word brings a rush of excitement or sparks a fear in you, there’s no denying the fundamental truth that it’s good for us.¹ Taking part in regular exercise not only makes you feel better about yourself; it has a couple of pretty impressive shorter-term effects too.

Exercise helps us sleep better, reduces stress and flushes out toxins to help leave us with fresher skin and a healthier glow. There is a misconception though that exercise has to be hard work. This is not the case! Exercise can be fun and, what’s more, if you exercise as a family you will be able to share these fun experiences together.

Wondering what activities you can do as a family? Here are a couple of great ideas to get you started:

Walking²

It’s free, it’s simple and virtually anyone can do it. We should all be aiming for around 10,000 steps a day but the vast majority of us are doing way less than that. Think walking sounds boring? Think again! Try a new route, drive to the coast, explore your nearest woods or follow a public footpath that you have never ventured along before. With so much to see you will barely know you’re exercising. Have a pet dog? Even better! Follow their nose and see where you end up. You can take things even further by wearing a smart tracker and challenge your family members to see who can complete the most steps!

Swimming³

Most towns have a local swimming pool and they are generally a fairly inexpensive way to keep fit. Swimming is a great family-friendly activity where all can be included. If you have young children that can’t swim there are armbands and floats to help them and if you have family members who are elderly or who suffer with mobility issues, the water will provide extra buoyancy and protection so that they can still get a workout with a lower risk of injury.

Watching television…

If you can’t tear your family away from the television, then why fight it? Perhaps it’s time to take an “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach? We don’t mean sitting on the sofa of course, but how about investing in a games console that subtly forces everyone to remain active? Many of the leading brands now come with motion detection technology that means you can simulate playing sports, running, dancing and much more. Essentially, you can get a fun workout as a family without ever leaving your living room!

1. https://greatist.com/fitness/13-awesome-mental-health-benefits-exercise#1 [↩]
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking [↩]
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321496 [↩]

What is the link between friendships and mental health?

Nurturing friendships is important throughout the life cycle. When we place value in our friendships, this positively affects our wellbeing – friendships and mental health are intrinsically linked.

The evidence has shown us time and time again that we are influenced by our social groups and our subcultures, but this may be particularly true for older adults. Our friends have immense impacts on our lifestyles and our health decisions.

Bringing meaning to life

When we hold on to friendships that have been deepened and strengthened over the years, we feel more meaning. Friends are the witnesses to our lives. They have seen us at our best and supported us during our worst.

Deep friendships hold us accountable to our values. True friendships are uplifting and supportive but they also challenge us to be better people. And it’s not just in terms of having an exercise partner or a person to help hold us accountable to our wellness goals—just the basic act of maintaining a friendship keeps us functioning at a higher level.

Friends may be more beneficial for our mental health than family

The old saying claims that “blood runs thicker than water,” implying that family always comes before friends. We love our family. We “come from” them and we create them. But for our health, friendships may be even more essential for positive outcomes.

The researcher working on a particular large-scale study looked at the influence of family versus friends on the reported health outcomes of older adults.¹ This study suggests that as we get older we shed the less meaningful relationships and focus on the deeper ones. This isn’t as easily accomplished with family members. If we have a family member who we don’t have a lot of meaningful interactions with, we cannot simply abandon them. The idea is that friendships are a more dynamic and evolving relationship. Family cannot be changed or replaced. And however callous this may sound, friends can be.

It is particularly true with friendships that are deeper and less superficial. As we get older, we tend to become more reflective about our life’s path.

Therefore older adults with stronger friendships tend to also not be as static, per se. Whereas helping someone in your family may mean taking on the role of a caretaker, friendships are supportive by choice rather than out of obligation.

Friendships have a cognitive effect on our brains

Older adults who remain socially active also see statistically significant differences in their cognitive decline rates. In fact, one study saw the rate of cognitive decline reduced by 70% in older adults who remained engaged in friendship activities on a frequent basis.²

But if you’re not still in touch with your friends from primary school, have no fear. Get involved and active now! If you’re involved in your church, for example, join one of its groups—or form one. Check out what your town has to offer for older adults. Many communities have walking groups, reading clubs and other activities to suit varied interests.  

Age is just a number! Remember that your friendships don’t have to be within your age group. You could see whether there is a mentoring program with teenagers or young adults you can participate in or simply strike up conversations with those in a different age group. Check out your local library or schools to see whether there is a tutoring program or homework help you can assist with. These are places where others are also looking for connections with people and will be receptive to forming deeper relationships. Finally, if you have valued friendships already then treasure them, knowing that they don’t just bring you joy, but they are benefitting you for a mental health perspective too.

1. Chopik, William J. “Associations among Relational Values, Support, Health, and Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan.” The Health and Retirement Study—The National Institute on Aging,vol. 24, no. 2, Apr. 2017, pp. 408–422, doi:10.1111/pere.12187 [↩]
2. James, Bryan D., et al. “Late-Life Social Activity and Cognitive Decline in Old Age.” Journal of the InternationalNeuropsychological Society, vol. 17, no. 6, Nov. 2011, pp. 998–1005, doi:10.1017/s1355617711000531 [↩]

Helping others and the link between altruism and happiness

Have you ever wondered what altruism means? Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the happiness of other human beings or other animals, resulting in a quality of life, both material and spiritual. Essentially by caring for others, it benefits your own wellbeing.

There is a Chinese saying that states: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” This explains what altruism means perfectly—happiness is found in helping others.

The scientific link between altruism and happiness

Science has validated the concept that altruism and happiness are directly related. The embodiment of altruism, compassion, empathy, helpfulness and a desire to take care of others is associated with greater wellbeing, health and longer lives. When we embody compassion, both emotionally and behaviorally, we are also acting for our own good, as long as we are not overwhelmed with the helping tasks.¹

Researchers assessed a group of people who had experienced stressful events during a period of one year and determined whether or not they had also provided tangible assistance to friends or family members. They concluded that the people who had given their time and talents to help others were significantly less likely to die during the course of the study.²

What is it about living an altruistic life that creates these benefits?

Several factors may be responsible. To start with, the positive feeling one often receives after helping someone in need is caused by endorphins, and possibly endocannabinoids as well. These are the same feel-good chemicals released during exercise that the body rewards us with when we are taking care of ourselves (or in this case, taking care of others).

Helping others often reminds us to be grateful for what we have. In a time when so many of us are constantly striving to acquire more possessions and comparing what we have to what others have, cultivating gratitude can be extremely rewarding. It helps us let go of desires and more freely live in the moment with what we have—and be happy with that!

Helping others distracts from our own problems

Focusing on doing good for someone else can break negative thought cycles and preoccupations with our own worries. Studies have shown that people with medical conditions reduce their own distress and disability when they counsel others about the same conditions.³

The happiness derived from compassionate living and helping others is a very specific kind of happiness. Revolutionary research from UCLA and the University of North Carolina demonstrates this. Scientists looked at the link between happiness and inflammation which is suspected to be at the root of cancer and other chronic non- infectious diseases. Inflammation is often higher in people who live with high levels of stress. Because stress and inflammation are connected, you might expect those who report they live a “happy” life would experience less inflammation. Not true!

Amazingly, the researchers found that if a person’s happiness was derived from a life of pleasure (also known as “hedonic happiness”), that person still had high inflammation. However, when a person’s happiness stemmed from an altruistic life of purpose (also known as “eudemonic happiness”), low levels of inflammation were recorded.⁴

Altruism without the guilt factor

We sometimes need to be reminded that it is okay to feel good about helping others, rather than believe we are only doing it for selfish reasons. You are making a difference in somebody’s life. That is wonderful and you should allow yourself to embrace that feeling without guilt.

The benefits of altruism and happiness go hand in hand. Both will help you fill your life with more wonderful, positive experiences and feelings.

Research suggests that we are born with an innate desire to help others. Embrace it! Scientists at the University of British Columbia found that children as young as two years old benefit from altruism. When tasked with giving treats to other toddlers, those who gave the treats experienced a greater level of happiness than those who received the treats.⁵

This is proof that we are hardwired to be helpful, and there is nothing wrong with taking pleasure from that. Know that you are a good person and you are not helping others for selfish reasons. Feeling good about the action is just a perk.

1. Post SG. Altruism, happiness, and health: it’s good to be good. Int J Behav Med. 2005;12(2):66-77. [↩]
2. Poulin, Michael J. et al. Giving to Others and the Association Between Stress and Mortality. American Journal of Public Health 103.9 (2013): 1649–1655. [↩]
3. Carter, Sherrie Bourg. Helper’s High: The Benefits (and Risks) of Altruism. Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 July 2017. [↩]
4. Fredrickson, Barbara L. et al. A Functional Genomic Perspective on Human Well-Being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110.33 (2013): 13684–13689. PMC. Web. 13 Aug. 2017. [↩]
5. Aknin LB, Hamlin JK, Dunn EW. Giving Leads to Happiness in Young Children. PLOS ONE 7(6): e39211. [↩]

There are so many ways food can contribute to improved mood, which is one of the reasons why our relationship with food is a complicated one.

We do not eat simply to fuel our bodies. We break bread with friends and families, passing on family recipes with fondness. We share meals to grow deeper in relationships, spending hours around a table. Sometimes we reach for sweets or salty snacks during moments of stress, mindlessly eating to calm our nerves. We raise our glasses in celebration to honor and commemorate.

The truth is we are strongly, emotionally connected to food. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Comfort food helps us recall warm memories of childhood. Food is cultural and therefore helps us connect to our larger society. Many of us recall that amazing meal we had on a holiday.

What are mood-boosting foods?

Caffeine and sugar will give an immediate boost but they are not the healthy options as later in the metabolic process they will cause quite a slump. Instead, it’s better to stick to mood-boosting foods that are more sustainable for the body.

That said, dark chocolate—rich in antioxidants and flavanols—has been shown in many studies to improve mood and elevate emotions. Part of that also has to do with the caffeine in it, which makes the case for coffee as a mood booster. But beyond the caffeine, coffee seems to hold some emotional improvement capabilities since one study noted that even when drinking decaffeinated coffee, participants felt improved mood and cognition.¹

The link between food and mental health

When considering food and mental health, pumpkin seeds may not get all the limelight that chia or hemp seeds are getting these days, but these magnesium-packed seeds are a great option for a mood pick-me-up. Magnesium is essential for brain function (as well as a myriad of other body functions, like sleep and bowel elimination).² Unfortunately, many of us have a magnesium deficiency, largely due to the depletion of the mineral in farm soil.

Other nuts and seeds also help with mood because of an amino acid many contain called tryptophan. Tryptophan helps produce serotonin in our bodies. Brazil nuts are high in selenium which is important for brain health. Flax, hemp and chia seeds are all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are well known for mood improvement effects.

Ward off depression with Omega-3

If you are looking to boost your mood with food, there is no better source of omega-3 fatty acids than fatty, oily fish. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, arctic char, anchovies and Atlantic mackerel are good sustainable fish options that are high in omega-3s. The Mediterranean diet is an eating lifestyle that emphasizes the consumption of vegetables, fish, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds and olive oil. In a long-term study of over 15,000 people, those who adhered largely to a Mediterranean diet showed lower rates of depression.³

Mood-boosting herbs and spices

Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb from the Ayurvedic tradition that is considered an adaptogen.

Adaptogens are believed to work with the body’s endocrine system (the hormonal system, essentially) to optimize function, reduce stress and improve mood. Participants in studies reported lower levels of anxiety when taking this herb.⁴ Research suggests ashwagandha reduces cortisol, which becomes elevated with chronic stress.⁵

Eating plays such a strong role in our lives, both socially and for our physical and mental wellbeing. Being creative and eating a varied diet gives us the opportunity to experiment with flavor and benefit from a wide range of nutrients. It’s so important to enjoy what you eat, particularly as you can boost mood with food and benefit your mental health at the same time.

1. Haskell-Ramsay, Crystal, et al. “The Acute Effects of Caffeinated Black Coffee on Cognition and Mood in Healthy Young and Older Adults.” Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 10, Sept. 2018, p. 1386., doi:10.3390/nu10101386 [↩]
2. Inna Slutsky, Nashat Abumaria, Long-Jun Wu, Chao Huang, Ling Zhang, Bo Li, Xiang Zhao, Arvind Govindarajan, Ming-Gao Zhao, Min Zhuo, Susumu Tonegawa and Guosong Liu. “Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium.” Neuron, Jan. 28, 2010 [↩]
3. Fresán, Ujué, et al. “Does the MIND Diet Decrease Depression Risk? A Comparison with Mediterranean Diet in the SUN Cohort.” European Journal of Nutrition, vol. 58, no. 3, Apr. 2018, pp. 1271–1282, doi:10.1007/s00394-018-1653-x [↩]
4. Andrade, C, et al. “A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of the Anxiolytic Efficacy of an Ethanolic Extract of Withania somnifera.” Indian Journal of Psychiatry, Medknow Publications, July 2000, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21407960 [↩]
5. Chandrasekhar, K, et al. “A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Safety and Efficacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults.” Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, vol. 34, no. 3, July 2012, p. 255., doi:10.4103/0253-7176.106022 [↩]

Maintaining positive mental wellbeing during a pandemic. After reviewing the Lifeplus “Attitudes to mental wellbeing – phase 2 report” conducted by Cambridge Market Research, Dr Elizabeth Robinson RMN BSc (Hons) PhD ENB 985 DipMan IPT comments on the impact and context of Covid-19 and makes suggestions to help maintain positive mental health.

Mental health in the context of Covid-19

Life at times can be stressful and challenging, the Covid-19 pandemic has added to this pressure and turned many lives upside down, significantly changing what we do at home, work, with our friends, families, and how we use our social supports. Furthermore, there are the potential extra worries including finances, the uncertainty of changing restrictions and lockdown, the stress of having to multitask to a completely different level to deal with homeworking and home-schooling, the ongoing threat of dealing with the virus, and potential illness. Sadly, there have been many who suffered significant illness or indeed lost their loved ones to Covid-19; where restrictions have prevented their ability to give support to their loved ones, or indeed receive the usual level of support having experienced their loss. The context of the current pandemic substantially increases the importance of working to optimise our mental wellbeing to prevent an exacerbation of current mental health problems or the development of new ones.

More tips to optimise mental health and wellbeing

Despite the pandemic, there are many positive approaches we can adopt that can effectively optimise a positive mental wellbeing. I offered some tips after reviewing phase one of the study and have added to them below. 

People

We are social creatures, positive contact and connections with others is helpful to maintain optimum mental health. Since the pandemic there have been significant changes in our ability to connect with our social network which can increase our vulnerability to mental health problems. We obtain social benefits from others in many ways, it is helpful to think about the children’s song “head, shoulders, knees and toes” to remind ourselves how to use this support and ensure we appreciate the range of social support and consider where we may need to optimise this.

The “head” represents who in our lives we can get our “heads together” with, have a good catch up or engross ourselves in those stimulating discussions. The “shoulder” relates to the person who will provide the shoulder to cry on during the tough or challenging times. It is completely natural to feel bad when bad things happen so expressing this and sharing your feelings with someone who shows understanding is healthy and minimises exacerbating mental health problems.  The “knees” refers to those we can have a “knees up” with, for a giggle, have fun, or light relief; this helps recharge our batteries and potentially build resilience to deal with stressful events or challenges. Finally, we occasionally need people in our lives to give us a shake, to get started with things we may be avoiding, or else something more definite such as using the “toes” to give us the kick of motivation we need!

Relationships, social contact and connections do not always happen by chance, we need to make plans to sustain these activities and contacts to maintain a positive mental wellbeing. Contact can be in person (rules permitting) or by remote means, Covid-19 requires us to use more creative or imaginative ways to do this.

Activity – physical and fun

There is evidence that physical exercise, pursuing hobbies and leisure interests contribute to positive mental health and can ease symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. Try to think how you can structure regular activity into your daily or weekly routine – consider what is realistic, achievable and fun. If you are spending long periods of time at your desk, set the phone alarm at intervals to ensure you stand, stretch or take a break. Think about various ways you can remain active and involve others for support (these may be online or in person), including video calls/quizzes, walking, running, cycling. And be social – say hello to others while outside or to a neighbour over a fence. Be active in the home, consider playing music whilst washing up or doing housework, you can sing or dance and be active as you work.

Try to plan “me time” for rest and relaxation. Plan specific time for this activity and try to enjoy the anticipation of the event as much as the event itself. During lockdown you may need to be creative about what this activity should be, it should be something that works for you. This could be anything from planning to watch a film or a TV programme (with someone in the household, or a different household who watches it at the same time), making a video call, planning a long soak in a bubble bath with a good book, or planning a special meal for a “date night”.

Plan regular exercise. See if you can involve others – you may still do it separately but you can set goals and talk about your progress together. When walking outside, take some time to pause or slow things down and use mindfulness techniques to notice your environment, using all your senses: pay attention to what you see, hear, feel, and smell. Be curious about plants as they grow, new leaves coming on trees, bulbs coming through, the colours, the shapes, look at the skyscapes around you, movement, light, textures, the noises around you, the birds, the wind, people, water sounds, etc. The feeling and the smell of the air on your body. Look out for your favourite experience and tune into this, just for the pleasure of it.

Work/home balance

Home and work are equally important. It is not unusual for people to struggle with achieving and maintaining the right balance between the two. Furthermore, Covid-19 has added an additional complication for so many of us, facilities, boundaries, technical issues, home-schooling to name a few.

Try to establish and maintain definitive boundaries that separate work from home. If working from home, identify a specific area to work, if possible try to separate this from your relaxation space, ideally in a separate room, however more commonly it may involve part of your home such as a dining room table converted to a workstation. Plan to work to explicit start and end times to your working day and clear away the area to reclaim it for home use. Whilst it takes time and is a nuisance setting up the workspace at the start of the day, clearing it at the end of the day, it is more than likely quicker than your typical commute to work. Make sure you take regular breaks where you move away from this workspace, if sitting at a desk, ensure you stand, stretch and walk around sufficiently. Keep hydrated and plan regular mealtimes with healthy nutritious food, avoid spending lengthy times in front of a computer desk, followed by an immediate urge to stock up on unhealthy snacks.

Be clear and explicit about expectations of yourself when working in the current conditions, with the resources and technical support available to you at the time, these expectations can be internally driven, causally linking to what you think you should be doing or may be the expectations of work colleagues/bosses. In either situation, ask yourself – do they expect enough, the right amount or too much?

We can often be our own worst enemy and reflect on things we have not done; try to stand back and look at what you have achieved, rather than what has not been done. Try to cut yourself some slack when planning your work, avoid overestimating what can be done in a specified timescale and remain realistic about what is achievable. Remember, you are one individual, consider who else could be called upon for help or should take some responsibility.

– Dr. Elizabeth Robinson, Psychotherapist RMN BSc (Hons) PhD ENB 985 DipMan IPT

Respect yourself

Frequently we can get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life – juggling work, kids, home, and other aspects of life. Try to pause and take a moment to reflect on your achievements, try not to overcomplicate this or make it a bigger deal than it is, stand back and notice the full range of your achievements. This may include what you bring to your friendships or give to your kids, your ability to laugh at yourself or have fun, your cheeky sense of humour, how you have helped a neighbour, learned to cook, garden, sew, or even learn new IT skills for example. How many times do we reflect on these achievements, furthermore, how often do we give ourselves a pat on the back for these achievements?

Be honest and try to reflect on the areas you could target to improve. For me, I often smile to myself and imagine this as a school report, where a teacher may write “could do better” in some areas which may include:, making time for yourself, setting realistic expectations of what can be done at work and/or home thus avoiding setting yourself up for a fall.

Goals/targets

Part of the survey results demonstrated that younger people were more likely to set goals or targets to work towards, I believe this is useful technique to use to optimise our mental health and potentially improve our quality of life. Considering all the areas outlined above including how to make the best of our social contacts, obtaining the correct work/home balance, remaining active and respecting ourselves, I have often found it useful to set goals. It is important to ensure these are realistic and achievable, and may be short, medium, or long-term targets. I often suggest to people they could set goals and rate out of 10 (10 equals achieving the goal) how much they currently feel they are achieving the goal. Try to consider what can be done that will raise the score from its current position, i.e., if a person has set a goal to run 5K with a friend and rates the goal as 1/10, I would ask them to consider what they can start to do that would increase their current rating of “1”. I think it is helpful to share your goals with relevant significant others and talk with them about a plan to achieve the goals.

Context of Covid-19

Despite the tremendous challenges of Covid-19, I have been overwhelmed and proud to have seen the best in people, and see people adapt despite such difficulties. I notice the support from friends and neighbours offering practical help, or a listening ear, or even organising a street exercise class! Many of us know so much more about our neighbours, there has been an increase in community support and spirit. Furthermore, I have seen my 80-year-old mother master digital technology and I have been surprised to have had more contact with friends and colleagues nationally and internationally than ever.

I have found it helpful to look at others and notice how they are making the best of this hugely challenging situation. Personally, I aim not to simply get through this but to look back and reflect on what steps I took that got me through one of the greatest challenges we have faced, and who helped me on this journey.

Support for mental health

In addition to suggestions that I have outlined above, I would recommend looking on the NHS website which provides a list of organisations, charities or support groups which offer expert help and support to deal with a comprehensive range of mental health problems including; anxiety, depression, men’s health, suicide prevention, or OCD, sexual abuse, alcohol/drug misuse, Alzheimer’s society, and bereavement. Please note this is not comprehensive list. The website also includes information on mental health and wellbeing (for adults and children) to help a person deal with a range of challenges including reducing stress, loneliness, grief, anger, etc.

There are tips and techniques including breathing exercises, time management tips, coping with money worries, mindfulness and five steps towards improving mental health and wellbeing.

Mental health support – NHS list of charities/organisations/support groups

There is helpful information, including video and audio sessions. Additionally, there is a full range of psychological therapies including interpersonal psychotherapy, counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, guided self-help, mindfulness based cognitive therapy to name a few. You could also explore a range of stress busting apps.

Finally, Lifeplus has created a simple “Mental Health 5-a-day” approach to support mental health and help you incorporate small daily changes into your routine to improve mental wellbeing.

5-a-day for improved mental wellbeing

About Dr. Elizabeth Robinson

Dr Elizabeth Robinson (RMN BSc (Hons) PhD ENB 985 DipMan IPT) is a psychotherapist and has worked in the field of mental health for over 35 years. Her initial professional training was as a psychiatric nurse, she then studied Health Sciences (BSc.Hons) followed by a PhD at the University of Durham. Her research examined functional brain imaging in depression with interpersonal psychotherapy.

She has worked with acute mental health problems, forensic psychiatry and as a senior researcher in mental health research. Her initial training in interpersonal psychotherapy was in Geneva in 1997 after which she completed her supervised cases and research training in 1998 from expert interpersonal psychotherapists from New York. Whilst working as a researcher she was the lead interpersonal psychotherapist for a number of clinical trials.

She currently provides training in interpersonal psychotherapy, has organised numerous courses nationally, and provides ongoing supervision to therapists such as psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and occupational therapists. Within research, she was involved in the assessment, psychiatric ratings and treatment for randomised clinical trials in schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, social functioning, suicide, sexual dysfunction, interpersonal psychotherapy and brain imaging. Although her special interest is in depression, trauma and sexual and relationship difficulties she has considerable experience working with anxiety and phobias and uses a number of psychological treatment models including interpersonal psychotherapy, psychosexual counselling, eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, anxiety management and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Taking care of your mind and body during any time of the year is important.

And during the holidays, it’s essential. The hustle and bustle of this time of year is often filled with scrumptious goodies and late-night parties – not to mention self-induced stress. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Make this year one in which you are present, healthy, and joyous with these 10 self-care tips for a successful holiday season.

1. Set realistic expectations.

Whether it’s for yourself or others, understand that the holidays probably won’t be perfect and that there is beauty in this realization. 

2. Get proper sleep.

Crucial for immunity, good sleep should be high on your priority list. Practice healthy sleep habits and make sure to stick to your routine whenever possible.

3. Ask for help.

Preparing a big family meal or decorating the house doesn’t have to happen alone. Reach out to others for help – many people enjoy lending a helping hand.

4. Be mindful of eating habits.

Despite common belief, holiday eating isn’t an all or nothing affair. Make conscious choices about what you consume and allow for flexibility when you want to indulge.

5. Breathe.

Breathing techniques such as counting inhales and exhales to four, belly breathing, and pranayama breathing are all valuable tools when it comes to slowing down and managing stress. Practice them when sitting in traffic, after dropping the kids off at school, or even during a frantic holiday shopping spree.

6. Make taking supportive nutrients easy.

Remember to continue taking medications and supplements even when things get busy. Place supplements on your nightstand, next to your bathroom sink, and even at your work desk (as an extra supply) so you don’t forget.

7. Look for ways to be active with loved ones.

Instead of sitting all day, enjoy a walk after dinner, play active games as a family, go ice skating one afternoon, or try an online tai-chi class together. Make sure to balance food and sitting with movement.

8. Drink tea.

A glass of warm tea can be comforting and calming. Try for a daily cup (ones with adaptogen herbs such as holy basil and rhodiola give extra stress support).

9. Don’t forget to laugh.

It’s important to find humor in ourselves and in situations, particularly during the holidays. A good laugh is even supportive to the immune system. So, the next time the pumpkin pie crust gets burned and the filling is soupy, just have a good laugh about it and let it go.

10. Find time for yourself.

Make sure to allot time and space to rest and regroup. It’s okay to say no to some things and yes to reading, napping, exercising, talking on the phone, cooking, taking a bath, and just enjoying some peace and quiet.

The holidays are an exciting time, but without proper self-care, you can find yourself overwhelmed and exhausted. Take care of your health – mentally and physically – by prioritizing what’s important to you.

REFERENCES:

https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/managing-expectations
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/holiday-season

Whatever they may be, big or small, goals can be stepping stones to a happier life and the journey we take to reaching them can make all the difference.

Working towards something we want (a goal) is an important part of being human. It may not always go smoothly, and the route may not always be easy, but having goals is part of what makes life good. It gives us a sense of meaning and purpose by pointing us in the direction we want to go and gets us interested – all of which are good for our overall happiness.

We’ve recently sat down with Olympic triple jumper, Christian Taylor, who shares his approach and experiences with goal setting as he takes us on his journey to Paris Olympics 2024.

When you recovered from your injury, what plan did you set out for your journey to Paris 2024?

The Achilles tendon is so important for running, but even more so for jumping, so initially it was the uncertainty of knowing if I was even going to be able to come back. It’s one of the most important tendons needed to absorb and release energy for jumping – so that was the initial worry. I was then very upfront with the surgeons and my therapist that my ultimate goal was to be back for Paris Olympics 2024. Once they understood I wasn’t looking for any shortcuts and I’d recognized that it would be a long game, they were on board and excited for me. From there, it was about building a step-by-step detailed rehabilitation programme.

It’s all about doing everything properly. I have to think how much I want to risk getting a re-injury, which would ultimately take me out of the sport. It’s like the saying that if you do it right the first time, you don’t have to go back and do it again. This is the mind-set we went with for the whole rehabilitation programme.

Have you been able to stick to the original plan or have you adapted it since?

Although we’ve purposely made the plan flexible, there are definitely still markers that we’ve been trying to hit, for example:

               3 months: Walk without crutches

               6 months: Walk with greater speed

Fluidity and flexibility are so important when goal setting because life can be filled with so much uncertainty. You may have a plan, but life can throw you a curve ball and then it’s about how well you adapt. I found the more flexible I was with my plan, the more positive I could stay. Because if I didn’t hit my markers on schedule, I still thought that at least I’m on the right track. It helps keep me in a more positive mind-set, rather than feeling defeated.

How has this year gone for you so far?  How are you feeling at the moment?

It’s been incredible. But there were absolutely moments where I was unsure and felt I was plateauing and that I had maybe hit the threshold where this was all my body was going to allow me to do. I have a counsellor who I speak to every week, and it has helped me recognize that I needed to let go of the former Christian and accept that the makeup is now different following my injury. I don’t always have to compare but I spent too much energy looking in the rear-view mirror of what I was once able to do, and she encouraged me to look forward – accept what I am, what I can do at the moment and what I believe is possible. It was only when I actually accepted this, I started to move forward again.

Do you create more than one plan when setting a goal?

My goal of winning Paris 2024 is fixed but my markers aren’t. It’s the process of getting there for me that is a bit more flexible. When I miss a mark, the advantage that I believe I have over most of my competitors is my mind-set. It’s not my actual physical ability but how I view competition, my motivations and how I deal with setbacks. So, this is my competitive edge.

I’m human and I still have moments of defeat and disappointment – but I don’t let it linger. I compare it to golf. When I hit the ball, most of the time it goes in the woods, and I’m upset because I could see it being the perfect shot. But before I reach the next shot, I have to let it go. And this is the same mind-set when going through life. Go through the emotions but at some point you must let them go and move forward.

Where do you get your mind-set from? Have you had to learn it?

I actually believe my dad was the one that instilled it in me. He would constantly tell me to let things go. At the time, I was younger, and I found it frustrating as this is my world and felt he didn’t understand. But he reassured me that I will fail, I will have disappointments – more so than successes. But if you carry those disappointments through, it will hold you back from the next achievement. He made this very clear to me and I didn’t appreciate it until later on. So now, I’m like a water repellent. It hits me, I feel it and then I just let it go.

How involved are your family, friends, and other support groups in your journey?

My support network is extremely strong. They’re the strings that keep me grounded and humble when things go really well and if I’m low, they’re the ones picking me up and remind me of my highs. So, for me, they are fundamental. When it comes to goal setting, as I’ve gotten older, I have the freedom to explore and do my own thing. But from very early on, my parents were the ones that instilled it in me to always strive to be the best.

With whatever I’ve done in life, they’ve always encouraged me to do my research to make sure I know what I’m doing so I can execute it with excellence. They planted these seeds from a young age, and it was only after that I realized that my work ethic and my mentality was different to my competitors because of these values. I’m extremely grateful for my parents. They are the ones that have held me in times of highs and lows and pushed me when I need to be pushed.

Has your mind-set changed over the years?

Yes. I started counselling right before the pandemic so that was a maturity step in itself – understanding the importance of mental health and looking after myself. When you’re younger, you almost feel invincible. As you mature, you recognize the importance of self-care and when it comes to sport, the increase in time it takes for recovery and the consequences. And this goes far beyond myself, now I think about my wife and family when making decisions. My mind-set is something that continues to develop.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

The kids I work with. I’ve been working with non-profit, Classroom Champions since 2014, which allows me to support children in lower economic and troubled areas. In the London 2012 games, I reached my lifetime goal and was so proud of the moment. But when I got up on the podium with the national anthem playing, it felt a bit lonely, and I knew I needed to find something more. My family were in the stands, so I felt that everyone I thought I was representing were still quite distant. I spoke to my manager, and we spoke about how I could chase the world record – but for me, that didn’t seem like enough.

I needed a feeling of connection which is when my manager suggested mentoring and working with kids. I thought it would be a challenge with me travelling so much but Classroom Champions is an online mentorship where you work with students and teachers across the US. I’ve had two classes from the beginning, and I fell in love with the impact I can make on someone’s life. I felt that my training had a purpose, and I could really make a difference through this path whilst working with many people. My career is no longer just about me, it’s about what I can give them and vice versa. I love the simplicity that the kids bring and when I’m struggling, they’re a constant reminder not to overthink things.

So, when I went on the podium in Rio, this time I was crying and full of emotion. It wasn’t for that specific achievement, but it was for the kids that had been watching me over the last four years and I had inspired.

What skills are key when aiming for a specific goal?

I would say perseverance and resilience. I always talk about being okay with failure and setbacks. It’s about looking at them as learning opportunities for next time. I’ve lost so many competitions, but nobody remembers them because when I needed to win, I was able to. It was the resilience I showed, and I never gave up. And having the right people around you is key to helping you achieve the dream.

Do you celebrate the small wins?

Absolutely. I’m grateful to wake up every single day and when it comes to athletics, as I get older, the things I would have taken for granted 10 years ago are things I celebrate now. Following the injury, every small marker I reached, it was so important to celebrate every milestone because there was also that chance that it would not have turned out that way.

Do you switch off from competing when it’s out of season?

I would say for probably about three weeks, it’s still very fresh. While I sleep at night, I’m still reflecting on what I could have done better. Could I have slept a bit more? Should I have done that extra stop in travel? What did I give my competitors freely? All these things that could have contributed. I always reference improving by 1% because ultimately that’s what we’re looking for. If we can improve by 1% then we can be proud.

But ultimately, it’s about being able to lay down at the end and reflect on giving it my all as we’re our own biggest judge. I take notes so then I can reflect on this next year and be mindful of these areas of improvement. A setback is a waste if you’re not learning from it. Once I’ve had this moment of reflection in the first three weeks then I switch off.

How much of your success would you say is down to your mind-set versus your natural talent?

I’ve always seen it as the successes have been because of my mind-set. If you put me in a room of athletes, I’d look to my left and right and it’s not that I’m more talented than any of them but it’s what motivates me. I always look in someone’s eyes to discover how much drive they have. If I find out their motivation, I can work out how much fight they have to give. It’s a psychological game so I would say my success is 100% down to my mind-set.

What are your words of wisdom for anyone working towards a goal at the moment?

I would say when setting a goal, be willing to be bold with your goals and dream big. It’s easy to play it safe. Whatever you’re working towards, that attitude of resilience, it’s all about finding a way to push through, find something that motivates you which is stronger than the adversity you may face. It changes with every goal and every season but find what it is. Place it at front of mind so it can be your focus.

Whether you’re striving to reach a goal in sports, in health, in your workplace, or simply finding a balance in life, the thinking behind goal setting is something that can be translated for all. Just like Christian said, it’s all about your mind-set. 

Stay up to date with Christian Taylor’s journey to the Paris Olympics 2024 by following our social media channels!

Our eyes provide us with the incomparable gift of sight, but they’re also excellent communicators.

That’s right – your eyes are critical in facilitating communication. What they convey can completely change the mood of a conversation.

From empathy to anger, our eyes are windows to what we’re feeling. Have you ever seen someone smile, but their eyes don’t match the spirit of the grin?

Why is eye contact important?

When you maintain eye contact with someone throughout a conversation, you’re showing them that you respect them and the words they have to say. If your eyes were to wander around, flitting across the scenery while the other person is speaking, they would likely think you’re not paying adequate attention.

That doesn’t mean you should stare – that would make the other person uncomfortable. But sustained, genuine eye contact goes a long way toward demonstrating that you’re truly listening to the conversation and are engaged.

What does eye contact convey?

Making eye contact during a conversation establishes trust. If someone chooses not to make eye contact with you, it could be a sign that they’re being dishonest with their words.

It’s also a great way to bond with the person you’re engaging with. Using our eyes, we can communicate empathy for what they’re feeling and going through. If their words and eyes indicate that they’re frustrated, your eyes can reflect that, too. If they’re ecstatic over good news they’ve just received, your eyes can show that same excitement.

Another feeling that eye contact can foster is confidence. When you sustain eye contact with someone, you’re showing that you’re confident in yourself. On the other hand, looking away and/or blinking frequently during a conversation can be a sign of submissiveness.

But how much eye contact is too much? As mentioned above, staring is inappropriate, but it can be difficult to figure out how and when to look away and when to look back at the person you’re talking to. The best rule to follow is the 50/70 rule, which states that you should hold eye contact for 50 percent of the time you’re speaking and 70 percent of the time when listening. Now, we’re not suggesting that you time your conversation to ensure you’re following the rule precisely. But it’s a good rule of thumb to bear in mind as you engage in your next watercooler chat.

When something is a habit you do it almost automatically and without thinking, but sometimes things we want to become a habit can seem a bit of a chore. Why is this? We all set ourselves goals and it’s great to do this, but with the best will in the world, much of the time we will fail to stick to our goals long enough to see them to completion. Don’t worry though, as our six top tips will help put you in a healthy mental state, boost your focus and motivation and will put you on the path to not only reach your goals, but turn them into easy-to-maintain habits.

1 – Start small

It can be very tempting when setting a new goal to focus on the end result and then try to get there as quickly as possible. This is completely normal – it’s human nature to want to succeed at what we put our minds to. By focusing on the large goal rather than breaking things down into smaller goals though, it’s less likely that we will succeed. A great example of this is if you decide to lose weight. With a focus on your end goal, you may find yourself going from zero to 100 by cutting out all ‘bad’ foods overnight and going from a place of no exercise to multiple gym sessions each week. The problem with this is that it requires a phenomenal amount of willpower and if you run out you could be more likely to quit altogether.

Instead start small, so that very little extra effort is required, and build from there. For example, instead of instantly changing your entire diet, try adding an extra piece of fruit each day. After a week try switching your lunch to a salad or healthy soup. The following week, commit to eating more vegetables with your dinner. By making these small changes, eventually the big changes you first envisaged will have been made and you will barely have noticed.

2- Take one thing at a time

Habits are hard to build, so don’t try to do more than one new thing at once. For example, if your end goal is to lose weight then try to focus only on one way of doing this in the early days. Rather than completely changing both your diet and your fitness regime, perhaps focus on your diet first. It will take enough willpower and effort to reduce your calorie intake without having to then find more willpower to motivate yourself to go to the gym too. After a few weeks when it has become more of a normal-feeling to be eating less, you might then bring in your new habit and try including some more exercise in your plans.

3 – Make sure you have clear intentions

This is not the time to be vague. If your goal is ‘to go to the gym more’ then decide when you are going to go and what you are going to do. If you know, for example, that on a Monday you are going to do a Pilates class at 9:00 AM, on a Wednesday you are going to jog on a treadmill for 20 minutes after work and on a Friday you are going to go for a 30 minute swim first thing in the morning, you will have a clear idea of when and what you need to do to meet your goal. If you just say you are going ‘to go to the gym more’ there is no real tangible commitment and it will be far easier to put things off, let the days roll into each other and not achieve your goal.

4 – Make yourself accountable

Research has shown that watching someone else’s behaviour and habits can have a big influence on your own.¹ For this reason it can be beneficial to find a partner to work on a positive habit alongside you. Not only will you have accountability for your actions, but you will have someone to look at to motivate you and encourage you to reach the same goal that you are seeing them achieve. This could be a friend, partner or even someone you know through a social media network.

5 – Reward your wins – even the small ones

Never underestimate the effort it will take to maintain a new habit. Even if the habit is something that seems relatively small in comparison to what others are doing, you are running your own race and you should always reward yourself for any progress, no matter how small. Rewarding yourself activates the reward circuitry in your brain that’s responsible for emotions such as achievement and pride, which empower you to take action to maintain your habit and create even bigger successes in the future.²

6 – Set your environment up for success

Do what you can to make your environment suit your desired goals. For example, if you are in the habit of checking your mobile phone before bed each night, don’t simply decide not to do it, but instead place your phone charger in a different room so that you can’t take your phone into the bedroom with you. If you use the alarm clock on your phone, buy yourself a traditional alarm clock instead. Likewise, if you want to get into the habit of reading more books, ensure that there are books waiting to be picked up at the places you would usually sit down to relax, whether this is on the sofa or in bed. This way you will be less likely to turn on the TV instead.

While these top tips do not guarantee that your goals will become a habit, they do put you in the best position for success. Maintaining motivation, keeping good self-control and adapting new behaviours into daily habits is always going to be difficult. By following these tips we believe you can do it.

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bdm.408 [↩]
2. https://academic.oup.com/cercor/article/18/4/898/282183?login=true [↩]

Sustainable living, at its core, involves considering how our actions affect the environment around us and doing what we can to reduce our impact on the planet.

While the environmental impact of sustainable living is clear though, what you might not have realized is that sustainable living can also help to improve our own mental and physiological health.

There are clear links between sustainable living and our health and wellness – here are some of the ways that our own wellbeing can be enhanced by living a more sustainable lifestyle:

Physical wellbeing

Sustainable practices can not only benefit the environment but also our own physical health. For example, if you choose to walk or cycle rather than travel by car, you will not only be reducing the amount of pollution that goes into the atmosphere around you, but you’ll be increasing your own fitness levels in the process – having a positive impact on your carbon footprint and improving your physical health go side-by-side.

Of course, not everyone is able to walk or cycle. You may be situated too far from your end destination or your health may not permit you to travel in this way. If this is the case there are still other ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint and increase your own physical wellbeing at the same time. One of these is to start looking at your eating habits in more depth. Plant-based foods have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-based foods, so by filling up on nutritious fruits and vegetables as part of a more vegetarian focused diet you’ll not only be supporting the environment but you’ll be consuming foods rich in the minerals, vitamins and proteins that your body needs.

Social wellbeing

Working towards a sustainable lifestyle requires effort on a large social scale. You may find yourself sharing information and ideas with friends and family, volunteering and building connections in your local community. As you meet like-minded people with similar goals and interests your social circle and support network will naturally increase.

Mental wellbeing

Most of us will feel or experience stress at some point and studies have shown that one of the best ways to deal with stress is to get in touch with nature.¹ By maintaining the quality of our surrounding environment through sustainable living we’re ensuring that this nature is there for us to enjoy. You might choose to go on a country bike ride or enjoy a walk through the woods. You could even just take a picnic to a field and sit in the warm summer breeze. Why not consider camping for your next holiday? This too is a great way to truly experience nature at its best, with no reliance on electric, hotels, televisions or cars.

Environmental wellbeing

Environmental wellbeing involves being mindful and focused on the space surrounding you. It could be your work, home, school, or on a wider scale, the planet. Consider how your environment has an impact on your physical and mental health. Is there clutter in your environment that is gathering dust and causing you anxiety? Research has shown that clutter can cause stress, anxiety and distress.² Tidying up can literally result in a healthier mental state. Many people who are trying to live a more sustainable life have also chosen to live a more minimalist lifestyle. By making choices to purchase only what you need you’ll be in a better position to enjoy a decluttered, stress-free environment.

Intellectual wellbeing

When it comes to sustainable living, ignorance is not bliss. By educating ourselves on the impact of our actions we’re able to more proactively lead a sustainable life. Putting in time and effort to read articles on sustainability will help promote your intellectual wellbeing. It will help you learn how to make informed decisions on a community and individual level and how to make changes that are positive for the environment around you. Some ways to make an impact through living more sustainably have been made easy for us, such as community recycling, and we just need to educate ourselves on using them.

Financial wellbeing

One of the most stressful things in life is worrying about money. Fortunately, many sustainable behaviors can help save you money. For example, making small changes in your home by fixing a leaky tap or placing draught excluders under the doors to reduce the need to have your heating on as much can save you money on your electric bills.

A huge part of sustainable living also involves not buying everything new. The obvious example would be clothes. Rather than going shopping every time you’d like a new outfit, you can see what is available in charity shops or could ask a friend to borrow some of their clothes. Another great way to have an impact is by reducing the amount of plastic you throw away. Before going out try to remember to fill a water bottle and take it with you so that you don’t have to buy a drink. This not only reduces the amount of plastic wastage, but also helps your pocket as you won’t need to spend as much on something basic like keeping hydrated.

Sustainable living can be applied to all of our lifestyle, as much or as little as we are comfortable with. While it might not feel like your individual actions will have much of an impact, if everyone makes even one small change, the wide-scale impact will be huge.

1. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-environ-012312-110838 [↩]
2. https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body [↩]

As Allen Klein once said, “There are no language barriers when you are smiling.” 

Although we may not all speak the same language, simply being human grants us a common bond in the ability to feel and share emotions, which allows us to communicate without the need for any words.¹

While languages might be different, emotions are universal and we can all feel, witness, and experience the same feelings regardless of our culture, background and spoken language. Feeling emotions and recognizing them in others is one of the most powerful things we can do as human beings. It enables us to keep safe, to understand the circumstances we are in, and to read and interpret the mindset and healthy mental state of other people. Emotions, at the heart of it all, drive everything we do.

So, what do we do when there is a language barrier and we want to convey our emotions?

There are 7,139 languages currently listed in the Ethnologue catalog of world languages,² and they all have their own ways to describe the emotions we all experience. What’s more, there are words used in some languages that are simply untranslatable to other languages, so while language is important, it’s also important not to rely on it exclusively. We need to find other ways of communicating.

The significance of body language

Body language can be just as powerful as verbal language. Much of this comes down to intuition, but there are certain visual clues we can look out for which will enable us to understand how other people are feeling. People from any culture will likely know, for example, that you’re happy if you are laughing or that you’re sad if you are crying.

In fact, it could be argued that almost all specific movements we make have a stand in for a particular word. For example, instead of saying ‘no’ you can shake your head to the side, instead of saying ‘good’ or ‘yes’ you can give a thumbs up and instead of saying the word ‘hello’ you can simply wave your hand. These emotional signals are universal regardless of the language you speak.

Beyond both verbal and physical language

There are different ways to express emotions beyond even the verbal and the physical. Spending quality time with someone, or the giving or receiving of gifts both show that you care for that person and desire to share a certain kind of bond with them. This is useful when you consider that how you express affection and how someone else expresses affection may be completely different. Words are great at conveying feelings, but only if you’re interpreting them in the same way as each other.  

Ultimately, language makes communication easier. There’s no denying that, but even if you don’t speak the same language or hold the same views as someone else, you’ll both understand the same feelings of happiness, sadness, pain, hope and love. It’s a part of being human, and it’s this ability to feel and express emotions that connects us all regardless of the languages we speak.

1. https://www.gapyearassociation.org/2017/03/30/making-meaningful-connections-language-barriers/ [↩]
2. https://www.ethnologue.com/ [↩]

Stress affects different people in different ways, and we all have a different ability to cope with it depending on our genetics, early life events, personality and social and economic circumstances.¹

According to the Mental Health Foundation, stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure.

What triggers stress?

No two people are the same and situations that one person might find stressful may not be particularly bothersome to someone else. There are a few situations that the vast majority of people would understandably feel stressed by though – a bereavement, illness personally or of a friend or family member, the loss of a job, moving to a new house and money problems are some of the more common ones.

How to recognize stress

While we might be able to recognize when we are feeling stressed, it’s not always that obvious. Signs to look for include negative feelings such as anxiety, fear, anger, depression, irritability or frustration. It can be easier to recognize these symptoms in others than it is in yourself, so rather than thinking of them as emotions, perhaps consider them as behaviors. Are you more tearful than usual? Do you find yourself snapping at others? Are you having difficulty getting to sleep, staying asleep or waking up? Stress can lead to physical symptoms too, such as headaches, nausea or indigestion, sweating, heart palpitations and general aches and pains.²

The effect of stress on your immune system

The immune system is important as it protects us from disease-causing microorganisms and other harmful materials. There have been studies on the effect of stress on our physiological health and the immune system for decades, with the general consensus based on multiple studies being that people under stress are more likely to have an impaired immune system and, as a result, suffer from more frequent illnesses.³ Further studies have shown that stress mediators can actually pass through the blood-brain barrier and exert their effects on the immune system which can present itself in a variety of ways, from catching colds more frequently, to headaches, decreased energy and digestive issues.⁴

What to do if you feel overwhelmed

The first step in dealing with stress is simply recognizing that stress is a problem for you and connecting the way you are feeling physically and mentally with the pressures you are faced with. Some of these pressures might be unavoidable, but if there is a way of removing or reducing them, you should try to do that. Practical solutions might include stepping away from screens an hour earlier to help you sleep better, for example.

Review your lifestyle. Are you taking on too much? You don’t have to agree to everything. While it’s important to try and recognize if you are becoming withdrawn, it’s also important for good stress management to know that you can say no to social events if you feel like you need some down time.

Build supportive relationships with people you can rely on. Friends and family are often the first step in offering support to help you deal with stress, but if you don’t have these nearby, it can be a good idea to join a social group to try to expand your network and meet new people. Perhaps there’s a walking group in the area, for example.

Finally, even if it doesn’t come naturally to you, try to talk through the stress you are feeling with someone. If you don’t have supportive relationships in your life, there’s no shame in seeking professional help. Even if you feel alone, and like you are the only person feeling this way, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England concluded that 1 in 6 adults will experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress at any one time.⁵ There is help out there for dealing with stress and it’s always better to seek it than to struggle alone.

1. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/s/stress [↩]
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0014299908000277 [↩]
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/ [↩]
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/016756999090069L [↩]
5. https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/research-and-evaluation/mental-health-statistics/ [↩]

Human beings are truly exceptional creatures. Think about those very first few days, weeks and months of a baby’s life, of your own life.

We are born into a world of extraordinary change from day one. All around us are brand-new sensations, sounds, smells, tastes, sights. Absolutely everything is unknown. The wonderful thing is that most of us just get on with all this great swathe of new experiences. We don’t make a big fuss about it. We learn to recognize things, to work out which ones we enjoy most, and to start making sense of what we are hearing and seeing. In the first year of being alive we are able to embrace change as a simple fact of life. We are all born learners.

But then, somewhere along the way, we begin to develop patterns of behavior that become the norm, the ‘way we always do things’, and which become predictable. Somehow that cute, curious, inquisitive child that we once were is in danger of getting stuck in a rut, resisting change, and even becoming afraid of change.

The truth is that enjoying change and trying out new activities and experiences continues to be beneficial to our wellbeing throughout the whole of our lives. In fact, maybe it becomes even more important as we get older.

There’s no need to wait for the New Year to turn over a new leaf. You can do it today.

A small amount of time spent doing something you have never done before can lead to even more opportunities and have a liberating, rejuvenating, uplifting effect.

It can be something really very simple¹. You don’t have to start bungee-jumping or skydiving… Take a different route into work in the morning. Jump off at a different bus or tube stop. As you walk down your local high street look up and see what is above you. Try something new on the menu rather than the dish you already know you like. Set aside an hour or two to go and see a new film, visit an exhibition, listen to some new music, whatever it is you enjoy.

Given that all our lives seem to be frantic, one great new experience is to give yourself fifteen minutes of ‘me time’², finding somewhere quiet to sit calmly, relax and reflect. For most of us that in itself is a new experience!

Meeting new people is also an excellent, positive element for a fresh state of mind. In the information age, a few mouse clicks will open up a wealth of options and information about local activities and groups – maybe there’s something you have always thought about doing but never got round to. This is the perfect chance to finally do it. You’ll learn new skills, make more friends, and have something to talk about, blog about and, who knows, even be able to boast about! And if you keep our current friends involved with what you’re doing, and introduce them to new friends, your whole social life will thrive.

The confidence of having tried, enjoyed and mastered something new is infectious. You may find that other people start noticing and commenting on your good mood, and that at work you can use that new-found confidence to good effect.

So, that’s enough advice. Don’t leave it a moment longer. Try something new – right now!

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20160420-how-nature-is-good-for-our-health-and-happiness [↩]
2. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20080/why-me-time-is-so-important-for-happiness-infographic.html [↩]

The simple act of recognizing success is incredibly powerful, but so often in life it seems that the natural thing to do is to be humble and shy in coming forward to celebrate our successes. We fear being recognized, but why is this? Some believe, it’s because at a deep internal level, we can all be a little scared of failure.¹

It’s important to remember though, that other people actually want you to succeed! Think about how you feel yourself when you see a Best Man nervously standing up to give a wedding speech or a child in a school play addressing an audience full of people. You’re not hoping they forget their words – in fact, you want just the opposite. It’s the same when others look at you. They don’t want you to fail and they’re not looking at every little thing in case you do. In fact, it’s more likely that they are so keen to see you succeed that, even if something doesn’t go according to plan, they won’t notice, or at least, they won’t care.

Recognizing and sharing success is fundamentally fun for both the person being recognized and those sharing in the celebrations. It’s an excuse to come together and acknowledge all that is good, to focus on the positive and to feel united in enjoying a common emotion.

If you don’t feel comfortable with the attention being on you, try to remember the reasons why that is. There is nothing bad in sharing your success and you may end up inspiring others to reach a goal or go for a dream – sometimes without even realizing it. Success stories can help others in challenging situations to look for the positives and to believe that everything is going to be ok, and they can demonstrate practical tips or actions to follow when they feel stuck.²

Most of all though, if you are the one who’s success is being celebrated, it’s a time to acknowledge yourself as a person who worked hard and achieved something great. It’s a time for yourself, as well as for others, to reinforce the meaning of your success and to allow yourself to feel fulfilment from it.

Read our inspirational Lifeplus stories and discover more ways to enjoy a fulfilling and successful lifestyle that’s worth celebrating. Be that positive difference and experience wonderful moments together.³

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201306/10-signs-you-might-have-fear-failure [↩]
2. https://harvardmagazine.com/2008/06/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination [↩]
3. https://ww1.lifeplus.com/web-page/lifeplus-stories [↩]