The Blog

​With so much change and uncertainty in the world at the moment, it is easy to fall into a pessimistic mindset, focussing on what we are missing and don’t have (like the ability to socalise with friends or play sport). Our brains are wired to look for the threats and dangers in any given situation, making it easy to catastrophise and imagine worst case scenarios. With being in isolation at the moment, we all have a lot more time to think, and this can exacerbate this phenomenon.
So something that can help to break the downward spiral of your thoughts is gratitude. Flipping the narrative and thinking about what you do have, what you are grateful for, and what opportunities you have been able to have, that you would not if the world had continued as ‘normal’.
Being grateful is something that is usually easier said than done. Our thoughts will naturally turn to the negative, so when you are starting out, it can be tricky to find what you are grateful for. Like anything, it takes practice, and no-one is a natural the first time around!
There are so many strategies that you can implement to help you show gratitude. Keep it simple and find what works for you. This may be a hard task, so if you are finding it difficult, start small and make it easier on yourself.

1. Write it out. Make a small list of 3-5 things you are grateful for each day. Pick a time that works for you, first thing in the morning or just before bed, and write down what you are thankful to have in your life. Try to change it up a bit though, writing the same things everyday doesn’t fire your brain in the same way as if you are always thinking of new things, or putting a different spin on what you are grateful for. You could also try writing letters to those who you are thankful for. It doesn’t matter if you don’t send them (although that could be a nice thing to do!), even just writing the letters can give your brain a positive boost.
2. Gifts. These don’t need to be large or extravagant, just a token of your appreciation of what others do for you. Gift giving is an extremely positive event in your brain, and it’s always nice to receive something unexpected too! And it doesn’t need to be a physical gift either. Giving your time to someone, whether it is to help them with a task, or just be with them and make a connection, can be a very powerful way to show how thankful you are to have them in your life.
3. Saying thank you! Actually sincerely saying thank you to those who help you. The trick here is to be genuine. It doesn’t need to be a big extravagant show, just a simple ‘Thanks for doing this, it really helps me’. This one has an added benefit for the person receiving the thankyou too. Workers who are regularly thanked for doing their jobs well are up to 50% more productive than those who are not.

 
Gratitude is more than just being optimistic or looking on the bright side. It is looking at what you have worked hard for, what you have achieved, how much you have in your life. Even if at first you think there is nothing, when you start to look a little deeper there is usually much more than you expect. It is easy to get caught up in the negatives, what you don’t have and what you can’t do, that it can be tricky to appreciate what you can do. Be thankful for what is in your life right now, even if it is a bit challenging, and look forward to everything coming your way in the future. Try it out, if nothing else your brain will thank you for it!

Have you ever been told you need to ‘manage your stress’? Had a health problem put down to ‘being stressed’? Or are you always tired, anxious and can’t sleep?

Stress is one of the most common human experiences. There is acute stress- think sweaty palms, adrenaline shakes and butterflies in your tummy just before public speaking. And then there is longer term, or chronic stress, more to do with tight shoulders (leading to poor posture and headaches), lack of sleep (your brain is on alert, it’s like trying to sleep on the edge of a cliff) and hormonal issues (because you body prioritises your stress hormones and leaves others lacking).
We have talked before about what long term stress can do to your body, but today is about how to identify and manage your stress.

To identify your stress, it can help to break it down to 3 life areas- Physical, Chemical and Emotional.
​Physical stress can include:

• Prolonged sitting
• A change in activity (more or less activity/exercise, new job, moving to a new house, etc)
• Poor workstation setup (especially home workstations, hello COVID-19)
• Basically, anything where you are in the same posture for a long time, or a sudden change that you have not had time to adapt to or train for.

Chemical stress can include:

• Foods (the most common sensitivities include gluten, wheat, dairy, soy and corn)
• Cleaning products
• Fragrances/perfumes
• Plastics
• Any foreign compound that can put strain on your body’s processes.

Emotional stress is a little more self-explanatory. Any emotions that we feel can add to the stress response of your body, especially fear, anger, worry, pressure, concern, any past events that still affect you. These can be from work, family, home, friends, any part of your life.

Managing your stress can be tricky, but well worth it in the long run. If you have ever been told to ‘reduce your stress’ and are looking for a little direction, read carefully below.

Naming and being aware of where your emotional stress is coming from can be a huge starting point. This can help you change your behaviours, e.g. who you spend time with, or help you identify a need for professional help to work through your emotions. Often, we can feel frustrated and irritable, but not be able to see why. Therefore, looking at your stressors can be so beneficial to your emotional wellbeing.

As well as seeing external stress, being able to calm your mind can help too. This can be done in many ways, and everyone will find something that works for them. Some ways to calm the busy brain are:

• Mindfulness (being present and enjoying what is currently happening, instead of worrying or planning for future or past events)
• Meditation (you can find lots of guided meditations online or simply sitting with your breathing)
• Journaling (write down your worries to get them out of your head)
• Worry time (schedule time to check social media or the news so you are not constantly exposing yourself, schedule time to think about certain topics or challenges)

Chemical stresses are a little more about trial and error. Some chemical stressors will give an obvious reaction- a rash, an upset tummy.  Other symptoms can come on later, like headaches, aches, mood/behaviour issues. When trying to reduce your chemical stressors, be kind to yourself, as these can often be quite big lifestyle changes. Changing your cleaning products not so much, but any changes to diet etc can be hard to get started and keep up in the longer term. So, the key word here is ‘reduce’ rather than ‘eliminate’- work to reduce your chemical stress to take the pressure off your body.

Physical stress only requires an awareness of our body to pick up. Notice when your shoulders are starting to feel tight, when your low back has started to stiffen from sitting too long, when your wrist is getting sore from holding your phone. Pain and discomfort are your body’s way of letting you know that something is going on and you need to alter your position or activity. Everyone’s limits for certain activities will be different, so it is about listening to the subtle cues your body is giving you before they become overwhelming.

By addressing the physical, chemical and emotional components to your stress, you can take a lot of built up pressure and tension off your body and its processes. When you are stressed, your body and mind will focus on these stressors to the exclusion of all else. This is often a slow, gradual process taking many years, so if you can reduce these stressors now your body will be thanking you in years to come.