Category: A Place to Reflect

A Place to Reflect

Something Positive for Mental Health Awareness Week

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This week, 10th-16th May 2021 is Mental Health Awareness week. But, to be honest, our mental health is something that we should all be looking after all year long. The theme chosen for this week is Nature because connecting with nature is so good for our mental health and there are lots of ways we can do this.

Going for a Walk

As someone who doesn’t get out a lot, I’ve noticed that when I do I take much more notice of the things around me. I used to rush to the shops, get what I needed and rush back, but even on those trips there is something that can make you stop and enjoy. Once, I saw a little robin in a bush and I just felt compelled to stop and look, he was so cute, for a moment I felt my spirit lifted. I connected with nature.

Of course a walk in a place full of nature is much more rewarding than a trip to the shops, and even in my wheelchair there have been places I could visit and just enjoy the scenery. From when I was very young, I’ve always enjoyed the bluebell woods.

For more than five years I’ve been stuck at home for most of the time, but there is nothing I like more than listening to the bird song at my back door when I get up in the morning. Or even just looking at the trees and wondering about the life they contain. I’m not very green fingered, but this year I am actually managing to keep some plants alive. I’m hoping for a garden in bloom for summer.

Mindfulness

One of my main tools for keeping my mental health in check is Mindfulness. I try to spend a little time each day just focusing on nothing in particular. I can be meditating or listening to Schumann Resonance just to ground myself.

But if keeping your mind really blank is a problem their are many other mindful activities. Colouring, breathing techniques, yoga, visualisation or even crafts.

I use my LSW Mind Cards to help me. They now have a New Mums edition as well as a Kids Edition. Their journals and notebooks are also lovely. I am an affiliate for Mind Cards so I may earn a little money if you click through and purchase something, even though it won’t cost you any extra, so thank you.

I’ve had my Mind Cards for over a year now and still use them every day.

Positive Mind Training

I recently tried a Positive Mind Training Course which I found really useful. It helped me to choose how I react to things differently and more positively. I even found some of the things I learned where helpful to my daughter who is currently doing her GCSEs. It’s a really good tool for mental health awareness.

The first part of the course is free, but still worth listening to. The Positive Mind Training course is Part of a bigger initiative called Change a Billion Minds a ‘not for profit’ company that has a big aim of improving the lives of many people and help change the world for the better.

positive mind training for mental health week

Learn Something New

Learning new things can be great for our mental health and I have recently completed a course at The Centre of Excellence. Again, I am an affiliate so if you click through and purchase a course then I may earn some money at no extra cost to you.

The Centre of Excellence offers so many different courses from Child Education, to Beauty Therapy, Life Coaching to Writing Courses, History to Business Marketing. You can even learn how to set up your own online course.

If you need a little extra help with your mental health you could always choose a course on Mindfulness or Reiki.

Some of the courses are expensive, but sign up for the newsletter and you will get some fabulous bargains. I got my course for just £29, and there are free courses on offer too.

What do you do to improve your mental health? If you ever need to talk you can always find me on Twitter or Facebook and message me for a chat.

Take care and stay happy and healthy x

A Place to Reflect

Earth Day Event Invitation from The Green Grocer

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On 22nd April to co-inside with Earth Day, Bookshop.org will be hosting a special event with The Green Grocer Author and Iceland MD Richard Walker. This will take place as an online debate with Chris Packham ( naturalist, television presenter, writer, photographer, conservationist, campaigner and filmmaker.)

The Green Grocer Event

To get your invitation to this special event all you have to do is buy a copy of The Green Grocer (affiliate link) and then you will be e-mailed an invitation to the event. Remember to save the date and time, April 22nd 6.30pm.

The Green Grocer

Learn how to green your business with the help of one of the UK’s leading corporate activists.

Running a sustainable business doesn’t mean that you can’t make a profit. In this inspiring book, readers that own businesses of all sizes will learn the value of pursuing ethical policies through the journey of the author’s quest to “do it right”.

Inside the pages of this sustainable business book, you’ll find:

– Expert advice on practical ways that businesses can help reverse climate change and promote social justice while generating a profit
– Chapters addressing plastics, responsible supply chains, the impact of COVID-19, and building a legacy that inspires the next generation
– Real-life examples from Iceland’s ongoing quest to be sustainable give insights into leadership and sustainable business


In the face of global warming, companies are moving towards more eco-friendly business practices and embracing their corporate social responsibility. The Green Grocer explores how one business owner did just that.

Richard Walker, who owns a GBP3bn supermarket chain, Iceland, is disrupting this critical sector with his own brand of corporate activism. From restricting single-use plastic to eradicating palm oil from products in his supermarkets, he explains how you too can make genuine progress on sustainable initiatives while being realistic about profit margins, and obligations to customers and employees.

This intimate, challenging, and encouraging book, offers clear-sighted experience and inspiration for any business, whether a large corporation, a start-up, a kitchen-table entrepreneur, or a sole trader, to make a difference.

Product Details

Earth Day

Earth Day is an annual event, currently in it’s 51st year. It includes a wide range of events globally in more than 193 Countries.

The theme this year is Restore Our Earth and features five primary programs: The Canopy Project, Food and Environment, Climate Literacy, the Global Earth Challenge, and The Great Global CleanUp.

Earth Day is the opportunity to educate and inform others about environmental issues and includes discussions on how we can prevent the potential disasters from climate change.

To join in your activities can be large or small. Here are a few ideas;

  • Take a Walk and note down animals, insects, birds and plants.
  • create a scavenger hunt
  • Discuss food chains
  • Discuss biodiversity
  • Clean up litter in your local area
  • Try a Meat Free Day
  • Create a garden patch or window box
  • Focus on saving energy and water

Earth Day Org has a complete Education Resource library where you can find out so much more about Environmental issues and Earth Day.

Earth Day 2021
A Place to Reflect, health, Motivation

Ten Steps to Combat Stress in April

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April is Stress awareness month and with dealing with the pandemic and now the aftermath and trying to get back to normal, stress is very real for so many at the moment. I hope I can give you some pointers to combat stress today.

I recently did a stress test on Stress.org and it came back that I have high stress in my life. It didn’t really come as a surprise. As a disabled mum of five, three of them have disabilities too, it can be extremely stressful for me.

Combat Stress

There are some simple things you can do to combat stress. I don’t have all the answers, but here are few ideas that may help. Remember, if things do get real bad for you, there is always help available

Ten Stress busting Steps

  1. Try to be more positive
  2. Eat healthier
  3. Get a good nights sleep
  4. Exercise More
  5. Use your technology items less
  6. Get to grips with time management
  7. Drink More
  8. Say No
  9. Practice Deep Breathing
  10. Prioritise your health

I’m not saying it’s easy. Even looking at that list causes me stress. I hate shopping and trying to eat healthy, but I do feel so much better after a healthy meal. It’s hard for me to exercise being disabled, but it’s not so hard to look after myself a little better.

Did you know that if you feel thirsty then you are already dehydrated. Hydration makes your body work so much better. Because of the treatment I have I need to drink a lot of water every day or I end up with terrible headaches. You can always ‘spruce’ up your water by drinking squash or cold tea, a favourite of mine.

Sleep is a problem for a lot of people, but if you try some of the other stress busting ideas, like an improved diet and less tech. Then sleep problems can improve.

The list is not extensive but a lot of the ideas work together, master one or two and the others can be easier. Even exercise, being disabled I find it really difficult, but I do try to move regularly. I definitely feel worse if I stay put for too long. It doesn’t matter how much you do, you just need to do what you can.

Mindfulness

I’m a big believer in mindfulness and wrote a post about it. To practice mindfulness you just need to be in the here and now and stop focusing on the past or the future. Over on the LSW Mind Card Site, you can find lots of things that can help with your quest to become more mindful. By joining the mailing list you can receive some amazing offers and this month, every Monday they are sending out really useful stress busting tips. I am an affiliate for LSW Mind Cards so if you click through any of my links I may earn a commission. It won’t cost you any extra though and I would only endorse the products if I really liked them. I use my Mind Cards daily. Today I picked:

Reflection: Take 10 undistracted minutes to reflect on the following quote and how it applies to your life in this moment…

Our Greatest Glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall

Confucius

Sometimes I spend the 10 minutes writing my thoughts in my journal.

combat stress with mind notes

Over on my Facebook page for this blog I’m going to attempt to share some stress busting tips on a regular basis throughout the month. I do hope you will join me.

I’ll also be asking for your stress busting tips.

health

How to Manage Seasonal Allergies

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Spring and summer are the highlights of many people’s year. Feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin and seeing the vibrant colours of newly blossoming flowers is guaranteed to lighten your mood and make you feel better. As well as being a favourite time of year for many people, the warmer seasons can have a downside, which is allergies. Seasonal allergies affect many people every year and can disrupt their enjoyment of spring and summer. 

tree trunk with flowers and sun in the background. The time that seasonal allergies begin.

Image Pixabay CC0 License

Allergic rhinitis, aka hay fever, is a seasonal allergy that is especially common in the UK. Research suggests that between 10% and 30% of adults suffer from hay fever, and the condition affects up to 40% of children. Many people rely on antihistamines to relieve their allergy symptoms, but there are some other ways that you can help to reduce the chances of hay fever ruining your spring and summer. Here we will look at some practical ways to reduce the severity of this often frustrating condition.

Create a Barrier

Unfortunately, pollen and other allergens are everywhere. It is not possible to avoid contact with all allergens completely, so the next best solution is to minimise your contact with them. There are a few ways that you can help reduce the likelihood of allergens causing you issues. Firstly, you can create a barrier by wearing sunglasses when you are outside, as this will prevent your eyes from being exposed to allergens. Some people find it helpful to dab some petroleum jelly or buy a specific hay fever pollen balm that helps to trap pollen before it is inhaled through your nostrils.

As well as protecting your eyes and nose from pollen, you may also want to try and prevent pollen from entering your home. Even gentle summer breezes can send pollen into your home through open windows and doors. Keeping your windows closed where possible should help to reduce the amount of pollen that enters your home.

Take Care of Your Skin

People that suffer from hay fever often experience other allergy-related conditions, such as eczema. If this is the case for you, you may find that your skin flares up during the summer due to the combination of pollen and heat aggravating it and causing irritation. It is vital to take care of your skin to prevent eczema from worsening and becoming more uncomfortable. Trying to avoid scratching at the skin is the first step, but you may also want to take extra care when choosing skincare products. Organic Body Washes for Sensitive Skin can provide the perfect solution to soothing your skin and preventing further irritation from occurring. Looking at the ingredients contained in your products before you buy them will ensure that you avoid any hidden nasties that could upset your skin. 

Finding the best ways to manage your seasonal allergies can help you get far more enjoyment from the warmer months. However, you may find that it takes a combination of the above methods to keep allergies under control.

Do you have allergies? How do you manage them?

*This is a collaborative post

health

6 Ways Your Oral Health Impacts Your Entire Body

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In the West, we tend to compartmentalise our oral health, segmenting it from the rest of the body. But that approach is almost entirely artificial. There’s no real reason for doing it. Any child can tell you that the mouth is a part of the body.

a woman with a big smile, showing the beauty of oral health

Pexels – CC0 License

What’s interesting, though, is how what happens in your mouth affects the rest of your health. A toothache isn’t just something that affects your teeth and gums, but also your organs, mind and even heart. 

In this post, we explore some of the specific ways your oral health impacts your entire body. Check them out below. 

Diabetic Complications

You wouldn’t think that oral health would have an effect on diabetes, right? Well, it turns out that it does. Oral inflammation causes body-wide inflammation which, in turn, makes it more difficult to shuttle sugar into cells. And that can lead to a drop in insulin sensitivity that pushes you into the diabetic range. 

Respiratory Infections

Oral health issues can also cause respiratory infections. Bacteria from the teeth and gums can lead to infections in the lungs, including pneumonia. These conditions are not so serious when you are young. But if they strike when you’re older, they can create all kinds of havoc on your health. 

Heart Disease

It’s hard to believe that poor oral health could lead to heart disease, but it does. It turns out that bacteria from your mouth travel around the rest of your body. Eventually, they enter the blood vessels surrounding the heart and start to do damage. When they get here, they restrict blood flow, encourage the formation of plaques, and can even generate embolisms that cause strokes and heart attacks. 

Dementia

Dentists such as Bowral Street Dental Practice focus intently on issues such as gingivitis – or gum disease. The reason for this is simple: there is evidence that certain bacterial overgrowths can lead to cognitive decline in older age. Oral bacteria might have something to do with the development of Alzheimer’s disease since the risk is higher for people with periodontal disease. 

Arthritis

Pexels – CC0 License

There are two types of arthritis: rheumatoid and osteopathic. The rheumatoid version occurs when the body’s immune system begins mistakenly attacking tissues in the joints, causing them to decay. 

Under normal conditions, the immune system is relaxed and doesn’t attack the body’s own tissue. However, if you have chronic inflammation in your mouth, the risks of rheumatoid arthritis begin to rise. That’s because bacteria are constantly signalling to the immune system that it needs to be on alert. 

You can actually improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by improving your oral health. Simple changes to your diet, lifestyle and brushing technique can eliminate bacteria from your mouth and set you on the path to health. 

Depression

Pexels – CC0 License

Lastly, poor oral health can lead to depression. For instance, oral health issues can make some people feel awkward in social situations and, therefore, unwilling to leave the house. Other times, inflammatory compounds can actually get into the brain, causing the person to feel anxious or tired. 

This is a collaborative Post.

A Place to Reflect, health

Self-Care is So Important During the Pandemic

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You have to make sure you take steps to help you look after yourself during this global pandemic. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and you have got to make sure you focus on doing your best to take things to the next level. There are so many options and tips you can use when it comes to improving self-care and looking after your health and well-being. 

The more you can do to take care of yourself, the better lockdown will be for you, and the healthier and happier you’ll feel. There are so many ideas you should be looking to make the most of right now when it comes to looking after yourself and trying to find ways of being healthier and more prioritizing self-care during this pandemic.

self care

Pixabay.com

Take Some Time for Yourself

One of the most important things that you need to make the most of when looking after your health and well-being. There are so many things that play a role in helping you improve your physical and mental health, and taking some time for yourself is one of the best ways of achieving this. You have to make time for yourself so you can unwind, relax, and do things that will help you to feel happier and healthier.  

Get Plenty of Rest

Getting plenty of rest is something that you need to get right if you are serious about improving health and wellness. Rest and sleeping is something you are going to need to try to improve upon and this is important for helping you to improve body and mind. You’re going to need to get as much rest as you possibly can in order to keep your metal health and well-being strong.

Use Supplements

Making use of supplements when it comes to helping you improve your fitness and self-care, and this is one of the key things that you are going to have to consider. Supplements are a key part of helping you improve self-care and health, and that’s why you should consider things like vitamins, supplements, and Bloom Farm Wellness tincture and CBD products. Try to make the right decisions that are going to help you improve this, and there are many apps out there that can help you make the most of this to help improve your self-care and wellness. 

Socialize

There are a lot of health projects to indulge in during this pandemic, and socializing is one of the key aspects of this. You need to have human contact and interaction, and this is particularly important during lockdown. Of course, social distancing makes it difficult to be able to meet in person with friends and family, but apps like Zoom and HouseParty allow for virtual socializing, and this is really important to get right. 

There are so many things that play a massive part in the process of self-care and being able to look after yourself. You need to focus on health and well-being, as well as coming up with ways of being able to improve the way you live. Make sure you do as much as possible to look after yourself when it comes to health and wellness. 

This is a collaborative post.

A Place to Reflect

Random Acts of Kindness Challenge and Special Offer

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I’m a big fan of LSW Mind Cards and we use ours all the time. Today is Random Acts of Kindness day and LSW Mind Cards are presenting some lovely, simple ways you can take part. And for Today Only you can get 20% off all products on the LSW site with the code: KINDNESS

Random acts of kindness

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day so we are celebrating all things kind today and we have a challenge for you.

We’ve compiled a short list of random acts of kindness for you to look through and see if there is one you might be able to implement today. Give one a go and see what chain of kindness you can begin…

☆ Say hello when you pass strangers on your walk today

☆ Support a local independent business by writing a nice review online

☆ Hide a friendly note in a public place

☆ Compliment a colleague on their hard work

☆ Send a friend you haven’t seen recently a nice message to let them know you’re thinking of them

☆ Make a donation to a charity

☆ Offer to cook your partner or housemate dinner tonight

☆ Call an elderly relative to catch up


Have a go and see how it makes you feel. For our Random Act of Kindness we’re offering you 20% off all of our products today. Simply use the code ‘Kindness’ at checkout.

See you on Friday when we’ll be giving you a free guided meditation written and recorded by me, Lili, which I’ve written to help you experience and participate in more kindness moving forward.

Stay safe and have a lovely day!

Lili and the team x

So, what do you think? Can you share a little kindness today…or any day?

I am an affiliate for LSW Mind Cards so if you click through to the site and purchase anything, I may earn a little commission at no extra cost to you.

LSW Mind Cards review

health

3 Brilliant Ways to Sustain a Healthy Lifestyle

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Everyone wants to live and eat healthily, but no one wants to put in the necessary effort. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle can be a daunting task. It is challenging to stick to a healthy lifestyle when faced with several temptations every day.

Woman in Blue Tank Top and Black Leggings

Image Credit 

When following a healthy lifestyle, people fall into two categories. Some overdo the whole routine, while others only dream of living healthily. Those who desire a healthy lifestyle never get anything done; they are always postponing healthy activities such as eating healthy food or exercising.

If you can relate to this, it would be best to find healthy living that works to ensure you stick to a routine. A healthy lifestyle is as easy as ABC, and you shouldn’t sweat it while doing so. Fortunately, there are various ways to sustain a healthy lifestyle and deal with inevitable setbacks that prove counterproductive. Here are a few.

  1. Use Health and Fitness Apps

If you struggle to remember certain things, then a health or fitness app is just the ticket. They can help remind you when to drink water, exercise,   and sleep. Often, people tend to forget such things when they have a lot on the table, and using the apps is an excellent way of living healthily.

A health app can also remind you of your appointment with Wahroonga Dental as dental care is vital to your health. Again, it can remind you of other health checks for your heart, eyes, bones, and STI screening, which are essential to detect chronic illnesses.

Health and fitness apps are free to download from the internet, and you can buy the advanced ones. To top it all, you can customize them to suit your needs and specific schedule.

  1. Have a Goal

If you are exercising and eating healthy food to achieve a perfect summer body, this is a goal. Having objectives can motivate you to continue sticking to healthy habits, resulting in sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

Besides having a goal, it is also good to have a plan to direct you. A strategy ensures you do what is right and for you to achieve your overall goal. It can also help you prioritize specific tasks to stick to a healthy lifestyle.

It would be best to break down the goal into short and realistic goals. This simplification makes it easy to sustain a healthy lifestyle. For instance, if you plan on running for ten hours within a week, you can break it down and run for one hour every day until you achieve the overall ten-hour goal.

  1. Reward Yourself

Nothing can motivate you better to stick to a healthy lifestyle than rewarding yourself. The moment you reward yourself for completing an exercise routine or eating healthy food for a whole week, it motivates you to continue doing so.

When you do this continuously, it becomes a habit. In the end, you will sustain a healthy lifestyle, and your body will thank you for it.

These are but a few useful and practical ways to sustain a healthy life. By using health and fitness apps, having a goal to motivate you, and rewarding yourself, you will be a step closer to achieving excellent health.

*this is a collaborative post

health

Three Health Projects To Indulge In During The Pandemic

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Nobody is getting out much these days. But that’s okay. Spring is coming, both literally and metaphorically. And that means that it will soon be time for us to all crawl out of our burrows and enjoy the world once more. 

But when we do, we want it to be an enjoyable experience. We don’t want to feel like we’re emerging from a coma. We want it to be more like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. 

That’s why now is the time to engage in a health project. It’s time to invest in yourself, turn your body around, and get ready for the world once it finally reopens. 

Sort Out Your Stiff Muscles

photograph of lady on a yoga mat

Unsplash – CC0 License

We’ve all been spending a lot of time indoors. And it’s had a considerable impact on our muscles. They feel tighter than usual. And many of us are having to put up with chronic pain and uncomfortable sensations every day. 

The good news, though, is that a lot of these issues are reversible with consistent, mindful effort. 


What do we mean by this? 

Well, it’s actually quite simple really. It means dedicating your body to stretching and movement a couple of times a day, five days a week. 

Over time, your muscles will lengthen, you’ll become more flexible. And you’ll be able to move in ways you never thought possible before. 

Try going on an online Pilates course or do callisthenics in your living room. You should notice changes within just a couple of weeks. 

Solve Your Teeth

Now you’re not going out as much, it’s the perfect time to solve your teeth. And we’re not just talking about getting fillings. No – we’re talking about building a whole new smile.

Today, orthodontists have a massive range of tools that they can use to resolve crooked teeth and give you the smile you want. Plus, it actually improves your long-term oral health. If you have crooked teeth, it creates spaces into which bacteria can crawl and thrive. Over time, cavities develop and you wind up with tooth problems. Sorting it out while you’re young, therefore, can save you a lot of trouble in the future. 

Correct Your Diet for health

health food in a bowl

Unsplash – CC0 License

Now that you’re spending more time at home, you have more space to really think about the quality of the food you’re eating. 

Greek medic Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food.”

It turns out that he was really onto something. What we eat really does massively affect how healthy we ultimately become. 

But as we all know, changing what we eat isn’t easy. It actually takes a lot of mental effort. We have to adopt new shopping habits and learn new recipes. Serious work goes into it. 

For that reason, now is the perfect time to make a change to what you eat. We’re not talking about going on a diet. That’s a short-term measure that never works. 

What we’re talking about is putting in place the groundwork that lets you make a long-term change. We all know what a healthy diet looks like. It’s just a matter of adopting strategies to make it happen. 

*this is a collaborative post

A Place to Reflect, health

Self-Care During a Pandemic

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The importance of Self-care during a pandemic.

You know when you’re on a plane and the flight attendant is going through the safety video with you? There is always mention of fixing your own mask, before helping others. This is important in a stressful situation or extreme turbulence on a plane, as well as in other areas of our life when we hit different kinds of turbulence. We need to look after ourselves first.

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have all hit a different kind of turbulence. As a result, we need to make sure that we are all taking care of ourselves first, making sure that our minds and bodies are healthy and happy. No matter what your current situation is, whether you’re a healthcare worker on the front like, an essential worker, working from home, or homeschooling children, it is all such a stressful time that none of us are used to. It can feel like too much to cope with sometimes. 

So to avoid slipping into bad habits and relying on unhealthy things to help us cope, we need to focus on the positive and healthy changes that we can make. Instead of looking for substance abuse rehabilitation when all of this is over, wouldn’t you rather come out of it smiling and happy? Here are some of the things that you can do to look after yourself and out yourself first in a pandemic.

photo of pretty flowers, on a white table

image

Food is fuel

We all like to have treats, but they should be just that, only used occasionally as a treat. Constantly having junk food will not be good for our bodies and can make you feel low, sluggish, unwell, and lacking in energy. During a pandemic, especially if you’re at home all of the time, you need to think of choosing foods that will fuel your body and mind. Look for unprocessed foods, foods that are low in sugar, and foods that will help to give you a good balance of energy.

Sleep is a priority for Self-Care

This can be one of the most stressful times that you have ever dealt with. You might have lost a job and have money worries. You might have concerns about the health of your children and worrying about their gaps in education. You might be a frontline worker who just feels stressed with all that you have to do. So whatever you are feeling, you will need to get the rest that you need. Make sure that you create a comfortable sleep environment for yourself and prioritise sleep as much as you can.

Find ways to ease stress

If you can find some ways to ease stress that work for you, then it will really help you through this time. It might be meeting a friend for a socially-distanced walk. You might talk on the phone or FaceTime. You might find exercise helps you the best or cooking yourself a new recipe. Reading a book, taking a bath, or listening to a podcast are all ideas that could help. Find something that works for you and then do it as often as you can.

*This is a collaborative post