COVER Help with stress and anxiety
If stress and anxiety are getting you down, or your mood is a little low, help is at hand
QWe always have big family gettogethers at Christmas which I find overwhelming – is there anything I can do to help me cope? A We’re led to believe this festive time should be filled only with joy and celebration but the fact is that being surrounded by loved ones can leave us feeling drained and exhausted. To help, try a soothing hand stretchmassage. Find a quiet place, put your palms together in front of your chest as if you’re praying, then lower them towards your lap to stretch. Hold this pose for a count of five, then release before repeating the stretch for a count of 10. Next, move your right arm away from you as if you were telling someone to stop, and use the left hand to stretch your fingers back. Hold for a count of 10; repeat with the opposite side. Lift your arms in front of you and make fists, move the fists in circles towards each other, then in opposite directions. Finally, with your arms at your sides shake out your hands and wrists. Q Every year I find the winter gets me down more and more – what can I do to lift my mood? A Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is also known as ‘winter depression’ because this type of low mood begins when the days start to get shorter. SAD is usually at its worst from December to February because the lack of daylight affects the production of serotonin in our brains. To combat SAD, get as much natural light as possible by walking daily and using a natural lightbox. Supplements such as 5-HTP which contain the building blocks for the moodboosting hormone serotonin may also help to tackle low mood in the winter. try healthspan’s 5-htp 100mg supplement, £15.95/60 tablets. Buy at www.healthspan.co.uk
Q I’m constantly anxious and I don’t know how to stop this feeling. What can I do? A People who experience anxiety generally worry about the same things as everyone else such as money, relationships and work. But these worries become problematic when they are constantly tied to ‘what ifs’. This way of thinking has its uses when it prompts us to take action, but often the thoughts cascade into fearful anticipation. One way to break this circle of worry is via distraction. Many people use adult colouring books, but any absorbing activity can help such as origami, cooking, writing or even playing with children’s games such as Lego.