Assess your mindset

Being in control of your thoughts increases your ability to find solutions to challenging situations and to deal more effectively with stress. Master your mind and you will never wonder how to deal with stress again.

We have put together a helpful checklist for you to assess your mindset. Simply answer the questions below to get a picture of your wellbeing.

Assess your mindset

• Do you often find yourself worrying about all that could go wrong?
• Do you consider yourself a glass-half-empty kind of person?
• Do little things often cause exaggerated emotional reactions?
• When stressed do you feel confused?
• Do you find constant mind chatter distracts you?
• Have you ever become forgetful or suffered from a mental block when stressed?
• Do you control your mind or does it control you?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, you could do with some help resetting your mindset.

Using affirmations to change your mindset

Positive affirmations can be a powerful tool in transforming the negative power of the little voice in your head and turning it into a positive, motivational and affirming little voice. We wanted to give you a list of some affirmations that you can use, that are designed to reduce stress, increase feelings of personal power and help you fill your potential.

 Here are some affirmations you can use, or create some of your own:

• I am calm
• I am relaxed
• I am stress-free
• Challenges help me grow
• I am in charge
• I am in control
• I am at peace with myself
• I forgive others
• I like exercise
• I like to relax
• I remain calm
• I can handle whatever comes my way
• I am strong
• I can accomplish anything
• I make healthy choices
• I choose happiness

Simple ways to change your mind

Researchers in stress have discovered that by changing certain aspects of your body, your thoughts and your feelings can be changed too. Our state of mind can have a significant impact on our physical state. For example if you believe that things are overwhelming, and that you cannot cope with the stress, u will convince yourself of that viewpoint and make the situation much harder to handle.

Here are some simple ways that you can change your state of mind and shift your physiology.

 Eliminate stress with a smile

The power of a simple smile, means that if you choose to smile, you will automatically feel happier. Why not give it a go right now? As you do this notice the changes in how you feel. When you smile you immediately start to feel different. If you find yourself feeling sad or down, force yourself to smile, and you will notice  the change in your thought patterns and motions. The quickest way to change your psychology is to change your physiology and vice versa.

 Stand up straight

Bad posture can have a negative impact on your emotional state. By standing upright or sitting straight with your spine erect your body is communicating to your mind that it needs to align its state. This is the magic of ‘mind over matter’.

 Act as if….

When you experience a stressful event, the first thing to do is step back, take a deep breath and analyse the situation. Then you can try to forcibly change your thoughts using your physical state. Simply start by pretending that you would like to be. If you feel down and stressed, begin by acting like someone who is happy and relaxed. Think about how people you aspire to be would act and emulate them. This will start as the catalyst that changes your state of mind and your patterns and in turn will influence your physical state.

How to make the most of your weekend

After a hard week at work the last thing on most of our minds is being productive at the weekend; but maybe the problem is that we’re confusing being busy with being productive. Making the most of your time at the weekend doesn’t mean that you have to be constantly busy and partaking in activities. Sometimes it means breaking down your time and making sure you’ve done things that will improve the quality of the week to come. Our 6 tips will help you to make sure you’ve been productive as well as enjoying your hard-earned time off.

Get Adventurous – Why not plan something out of your norm? Doing something you haven’t done before, or maybe haven’t done in a long time, can be a great way to boost your mood as you’re anticipating something exciting happening – why not plan a hike in a new area? Or visit a nearby landmark or museum? Any new experience is a good one!

Make the most of your mornings – Weekend mornings are more often than not wasted by our obsession with having a lay in! Which is all well and good, but what if you got up semi early and maximised your time? Use the mornings as ‘me time’ before your weekend chores kick in by spending some time on personal pursuits – maybe read or go for a jog, start your day well!

Create traditions – Creating traditions with your family is very important and can be a great way to make your weekend more meaningful. Whether it is a pizza and movie night, or a Saturday morning walk the habits you create with your family not only boost happiness but can also bring the family together and make great memories you can share together.

Don’t get caught up with Sunday night blues – Everyone tends to get a little down on a Sunday evening at the prospect of going back to work, so why not plan something new and different for your Sunday evening to keep those Sunday night blues at bay – such as a nice meal with your extended family or booking a massage or evening gym class!

Use skills you don’t use during the week – It’s really important that your weekends feel different from your weekdays in order to boost morale and avoid falling into the rut of a repetitive life. So it’s important to do new things, use different parts of your body and mind to allow yourself to separate from the stresses of your typical week and enjoy new experiences at the weekend.

Catch up on sleep – Although it’s good to get up and get going at the weekend, if needed it’s important to catch up on sleep. Yes, sleep debt is a real thing! If you have missed sleep during the week there is nothing wrong with adding a few hours into your sleep schedule over the weekend – as a matter of fact it is actually good to; as sleep debt can raise risks such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity!

So this weekend why not try that new activity you’ve been putting off? Alternatively ring up the extended family and plan a meal to keep those Sunday evening blues away! Otherwise maybe you desperately need those extra hours in bed to catch up on some much needed sleep. Whichever way you choose, make sure you’re making the most and enjoying your well-deserved time off.

Last post of Stress Awareness Month

Well that was the last post of the Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire Stress Awareness Month Campaign – I am sure we will be back with other awareness raising campaigns throughout the year!

Please feel free to send me some feedback on your thoughts – what was the best bits / worse bits – what other campaign would you like us to do?

If you or anyone you know is being affected by stress or are struggling with your mental health – please do not hesitate to contact us on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk  and we will do our best to find you the help you need.

Please feel free to share this post or other information to someone who could do with some help.

Assess your breathing

The three most vital things we need to do to stay alive are breathe, drink water and eat food. You can go for several weeks without eating, and days without water, but we can only got for minutes at the most without breathing. Ensuring that body is well oxygenated is is vital to better equip you to deal with the daily stresses that we face, as every cell of the body needs oxygen to function properly.

So how do we know whether stress is impacting out breathing?

• Do you ever suffer from breathlessness or shortness of breath?
• Do you find you usually take short, shallow rapid breaths?
• Do you feel out of breath climbing the stairs?
• Do you ever suffer from a fuzzy mind or brain fog?
• Does it feel difficult or uncomfortable to take a full, deep breath from your belly?

If you answered yes to all or most of these questions, you need some help as stress is having an impact on your breathing. 

Breathe for stress relief

What are the three most important things that we need to do to stay alive? Breathe, drink water and eat food. when we are stressed it has an impact on our breathing so having a simple exercise to hand to use in these situations is very useful.

The following technique can be done anywhere and at almost any time. It is a simple technique with huge benefits.

Controlled breathing technique

1. Sit or stand in a comfortable, relaxed position with your spine erect.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of 5. Imagine a ball or balloon in your belly inflating
3. Hold the breathe in the ball or balloon in your belly for 5-10 seconds.
4. Count slowly to 8 as you exhale.
5. Repeat this several times.

TOP TIP – As you breathe, let your abdomen expand outward, rather than raising your shoulders. This is am ore relaxed, natural way to breathe and helps your lungs fill themselves more fully with fresh air.

Alternate nostril breathing for stress relief

Oxygen is the most important nutrient of the body – every cell needs it to function efficiently. The brain is the largest use of oxygen, even though it only takes up less than 5%  of the body’s total weight.

Breathing helps ingest oxygen to be transported all over the body through the bloodstream and it helps in the elimination of waste products. Breathing correctly will also help purify the blood, create an upsurge in energy and will relax your body and mind.  Good breathing habits are therefore crucial.

An ideal way to relive stress is through breathing exercises. These exercises are incredibly effective and can be performed pretty much anywhere and at almost any time! They don’t take long to perform an are very easy and free to do – which is always a winner in our book.

 Are you a left nostril or right nostril breather?

Take a moment to identify which side you think you breathe out of? We want to demonstrate an ancient brain-balancing breathing technique which is designed to produce optimum function in both sides of the brain.

We do not breathe evenly on both nostrils. If you hold a finger under your nostrils and exhale hard you will notice which one is working harder than the other. Alternate nostril breathing balances the amount of oxygenated blood that each side of the brain will receive and in turn leaders to a balance between our creative and logical thinking sides of the brain. It is also a technique to calm the mind and bring balance to the nervous systems. Here is how you do it.

 Place a finger under your nostrils and exhale through your nose. One nostril will be working harder than the other. This changes according to activity and swaps throughout the day.

1. Close your right nostrils using the back of your left thumb.
2. Inhale from your left nostril to the count of four.
3. Let go of the right nostril and gently punch the left nostril with your left ring finger and hold for the count of 16.
4. Exhale through your right nostril for 8 counts.
5. Repeat on the other side, swapping over fingers.

 Deep Breathing: The 4-7-8 Approach

Breathing exercises can be incredibly beneficial to help us wind down and remain calm during our bedtime routines. Being one of the cheapest means to help aid sleep, there are many popular breathing exercises that can be carried out.

A Harvard trained medical doctor, Dr Andrew Weil, believes breathing in and out is the key to getting the perfect nights sleep.

We have recently been seeing the ‘4-7-8’ Breathing Exercise everywhere! It is said to make you fall asleep in as little as 1 minute. This breathing exercise, also known as the ‘Relaxing Breath’ is said to promote a better night’s sleep, with just 5 steps and can be done anywhere and everywhere. Based on an ancient Indian practice, Pranayama, which stands for “regulation of breath” the exercise, eases the body into a state of relaxation and calmness.

So how do you go about practising this?

Step 1) Make a whoosh sound by exhaling completely through your mouth.

Step 2) Shut your mouth and quietly inhale through your nose, counting mentally to 4.

Step 3) Hold your breath for 7 seconds

Step 4) Exhale by making a whoosh sound again, for a count of 8.

Step 5) Repeat this cycle another 3 times, so in total for 4 breaths.

Please feel free to share this information with someone that you think will benefit from it.

If you are struggling with stress and/or your mental health please give us a call we will do our best to help you Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk

Become a better estimator of time

In order to become more efficient at managing time and planning your time it is crucial to get better at estimating the amount of time things will take. Like any form of exercise the more you practise this, the easier it will become so try and make a time management exercise part of your regular route.

Exercise to become a better estimator

1. Pick a few tasks that you are going to be working on over next few days.
2. Write down an estimate to how long you  think each task will take .
3. When you are then actually working on the task keep an note of how long you actually spend on each one.
4. Once you have completed all of your tasks compare your estimates with actual time spent.

 Within 20% of your estimate?

Well done. You seem to be clear about how long things take and you will find it easier to schedule your time and activities without becoming overwhelmed and missing deadlines.

Above or below 20% of your estimate?

If you fall in to this category, look for reasons why you might have mis-estimated the time required. Use your insights to adjust your estimates on future tasks.

Repeat this exercise regularly for one moth to improve your ability to estimate task times and this will help improve your ability to plan and schedule your time effectively.

Myths about time management

Time management is an important stress-management technique and is crucial in today’s always-on world. We often here lots of reasons why people don’t feel that they need to improve their time management skills so we thought we would address some of these here! Do you recognise any of them?

 Time management myths

 MYTH: Planning my time is more time wasted.

TRUTH: Actually, research suggests the opposite. Knowing how you should spend your time and what you should be spending it on is the first step towards effective time management. Begin by clarifying your priorities and you will immediately find that you use your time more effectively.

MYTH:  If there is not enough time to get my to do list done, then I have a time management problem.

TRUTH: A time-management problem is not using your time to your fullest advantage to get done what you need to do. You are not making the most effective use of your time.

MYTH: The busier I am, the more I am getting done. 

TRUTH: Ever heard the expression a busy fool? Maybe you are only focusing on urgent tasks, but urgent tasks are not always important tasks. Stephen Covey talks about the “activity trap” where we busily climb the ladder of activity without realising it is against the wrong wall. It’s easy to be too focused on the doing and the implementation and not enough on the outcomes and the end results.

MYTH: I feel very hassled and stressed, so I must have a time-management problem. 

TRUTH: You may not have a time-management problem. First you should make sure that this really is the issue by being clear about what needs to be done and if it is actually getting done or not.

The 80/20 time management technique

Time management is an important stress-management technique. If you fail to master your time, you will get overwhelmed , stressed and your productivity and efficiency diminish.

Time management helps you to reduce long-term stress by giving you direction when you have too much to do. It also puts you in control of where you are going and makes you more efficient in your use of time. Some simple techniques can result in more effective management of your time.

 Time management technique – The 80/20 principle

The 80/20 principle is also known as the Pareto’s principle, after Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto who came up with the concept.  The principle implies that 80% of results come from 20% of the actions or efforts.

So what does this mean? So examples of this in everyday life include:

• 80 percent of sales volume coming from 20 of products in the product line
• 80 percent of your time could be spent with the same 20% of your friends and family

Pareto’s principle is important for time management as it lets you focus on the most important tasks to spend your time on and to forget the other 80% that aren’t going to make much difference. For example, 80% of your distractions will be coming from 20% of things such as emails, phone calls, unplanned visitors, social media. Once you know this you can work out which ones interrupt you the most and incorporate ways to eliminate these interruptions.

It may be a little difficult at the beginning but you will soon get used to it and you’ll see a rise in your productivity and will be able to better manage time and effort.

Please feel free to share this information with someone that you think will benefit from it.

If you are struggling with stress and/or your mental health please give us a call we will do our best to help you Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk

For today’s stress awareness information I have included information on a FREE course, from Threshold DAS

Understanding Mental Health & Understanding Stress

Level 2 Understanding Mental Health and Understanding Stress-

Aspects of mental health are increasingly becoming relevant in our modern stressful society. The course explores the concept of mental health and wellbeing, the different factors that may affect it, as well as the role and impact of stereotyping and stigma. The course specifically explores stress and its impact, including its definition, types of stress and potential causes, as well as understanding personal effect and stress management.

https://www.agored.cymru/Units-and-Qualifications/Unit/CDL765

http://www.agored.cymru/Units-and-Qualifications/Unit/CDC068

Form More Information, please contact:

Melissa Selby

Education Engagement officer

Threshold DAS Ltd

Mobile – 07494866899

Office - 01554 752 422

Email - MSelby@threshold-das.org.uk

Address – 12-14 John Street, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 1UH

Please feel free to share this information with someone that you think will benefit from it.

If you are struggling with stress and/or your mental health please give us a call we will do our best to help you Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk

Why say no?

Do you feel like you are trying to take on too much? Are you trying to cram too many activities in to too little time? Do you feel like you are constantly rushing from one thing to another? If you have answered yes to all or most of these questions then you may need some help improving your assertiveness and saying ‘no’ when it is appropriate to prevent your bridge from becoming overburdened,

So why should we say no?

Lowering your levels for stress can be as simple as and straightforward as just saying no. Consider the following reasons for saying no:

1.      Say Yes is not always the healthiest answer

When you are under too much stress, you are more likely to feel run down and even get ill so saying yes is more likely to put too much load on your bridge.

2.      Saying no doesn’t mean you are selfish

When you say no to something you are not being selfish. You are honouring your existing commitments and this means that you can devote more time to them and do them properly.

4.      Saying no means you can pursue new things

Ever wanted to pursue new activities but not had the time? Saying no to some things will free up some of your time to enable you to pursue new interests.

5.      Saying no allows other people to step up

If you say yes to everything it prevents other people from taking responsibility and can lead to them not stepping up. By saying no you are opening the door for others to benefit from taking he task on.

Why do we find it hard to say no?

We have all been there . Someone has asked us to do something that we really want to say no to, but we find ourselves saying yes and doing it anyway. So why do we find it so hard to say no?

 Why we find it hard to say no?

To learn to say  no, we first have to understand why we resist it. Below are some common reasons that pope find it hard to say no to:

1. I don’t want to be rude

Saying no to older or more senior people or within specific cultures can be a sensitive issue. No-one wants to appear rude by saying no, and often it is this that stop people from saying that they can’t do something.

1.  I don’t want to let people down and I do genuinely want to help

If you are kind-hearted you will struggle to turn people away and are willing to help where possible, even if it eats in to your time or causes you what we call ‘yes-stress’.

1. I don’t want to cause any conflict

Perhaps you say yes, as you want to avoid confrontation or conflict and to quite simply have an easier life.

1. I want to conform

We have all found ourselves in this situation at some point in life. You don’t want to alienate yourself from the group because you are not in agreement, so you agree to the requests of other.

1. I worried I might miss out

Another reason people worry about saying no is that you might turn your back on opportunity.

 These are all false beliefs. It is more about how you say no, than the fact your are saying it which affects the outcome. Saying no at the end of the day is your prerogative.

Learn to say no

We can have a hard time saying no to people. It is so much harder to say no than yes and I can feel like I am letting people down if I don’t say yes. Inevitably though by taking more things on, the only person I am harming is myself, as it usually leads to stress and feeling like I am rushing around all the time.

Where no is the appropriate response, it is important to learn to say it without guilt. Yes is not always the healthiest answer. When you are over-committed and under too much stress, you are more likely to feel run down and even get ill so.

 So how can we learn to say no?

Here are some things to keep in mind when you need to say no:

1. Say no with confidence

No is a powerful word. Use it confidently and without fear. Steer clear of phrases like ‘I am not sure’ as this could be interrupted as ‘I might say yes later’.

1. Say no with brevity

Be clear why you are saying no, but don’t get involved in elaborate justifications.

1. Say no honestly

Also don’t make up excuses to get out of a commitment. Honesty is the best policy.

1. Say no respectfully

You may be presented with important or good causes that you have to turn down. Acknowledging and complimenting the efforts and informing them that you can commit at this time shows that you respect their endeavours.

1. Say no repeatedly

Occasionally you may find you have repeat your response several times for it to be accepted. If this happens reply calming and firmly.

Please feel free to share this information with someone that you think will benefit from it.

If you are struggling with stress and/or your mental health please give us a call we will do our best to help you Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk

Research Highlights the Power of Small Actions on Wellbeing. 

There is research to support this idea and demonstrate the importance of engaging in short daily actions to aid wellbeing, such as stress-relieving hobbies and enjoyable activities. A recent survey found that 60% of respondents agree that stress-relieving hobbies improve their productivity and confidence, with 54% agreeing that their hobbies reduce employee burnout from work-related stress [5]. In fact, research has shown that engaging in leisure activities can lead to reduced stress levels, as evidenced by decreasing levels of the stress hormone cortisol after engaging in art-related activities [6]. Daily hobbies and participation in activities you find enjoyable have a clear benefit for overall wellbeing and stress reduction, as studies show engagement is positively associated with self-reported health, happiness, and higher life satisfaction [7]. 

The time spent on these activities does not have to be long. A lot of us don’t have the time to engage in these activities every day while trying to juggle personal and professional responsibilities. However, the power of these activities is evident even if they are engaged in for just 10–20 minutes of your day. For example, research into mindfulness and meditation highlights the transformative effect it can have on reducing stress when engaging in it for just a short period of time. A 10-minute mindfulness meditation session can effectively reduce stress and anxiety through a sense of relaxation, calmness, and improved emotional regulation [8]. The benefits of adopting this habit can be incredible in such a short period of time. Research has found that just 10 days of guided meditation can reduce stress by 14% and irritability by 27%, while three weeks of use can lead to further stress reduction [9]

 
Short periods of daily exercise can also have great benefits. Scientists at the University of California found that just 10 minutes of light exercise a day, such as an evening stroll, can have great benefits for cognitive ability and mood for the elderly or those with low levels of physical activity [10]. The research highlights that just small steps towards increasing the amount of exercise that you do from zero to just 10 minutes are enough to yield improvements. The Stress Management Society believes in the Butterfly Effect of Wellbeing – the idea that small changes in one’s routine can set off a ripple effect, leading to transformative outcomes for individuals and communities alike. Participating in Stress Awareness Month can make a world of difference, not just for individuals but for their entire community.  

Let’s take, for example, someone who decides to go for a short walk during their lunch break, simply to escape the office for a bit. They might not realise it at first, but this small action sets off a chain reaction of positive effects that extend far beyond just a change of scenery. On the surface, it could seem as if this lunchtime stroll is about stretching your legs, but it provides much more than this. It gives you a chance to clear your mind, shake off stress, and come back to your desk feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes your way. Regular walks like these also do wonders for your physical health. They help keep your heart healthy, improve your circulation, and reduce the risk of all sorts of health problems down the road. So, by making this simple activity a part of your routine, you’re not just looking out for your present wellbeing but also investing in your future. On an emotional level, taking a walk can work wonders too. Being out in nature, even if it’s just for a short time, can help you stay present and mindful. It’s like hitting pause on all the worries and pressures of the day and just focusing on the beauty around you. This kind of mindfulness can make a huge difference in how you handle stress and navigate through tough situations. Let’s not forget the social aspect of getting out. Going for a walk, especially if it’s a regular thing, gives you the chance to connect with others in your community. You might bump into neighbours, strike up conversations with fellow walkers, or simply enjoy the sense of camaraderie that comes from sharing the same space. 

So, what might seem like a simple stroll is actually a powerful incentive for positive change, both for yourself and for those around you. That’s the beauty of Stress Awareness Month — it reminds us that even the smallest actions can have a big impact. Incorporating short actions to aid your health and wellbeing within your daily routine can have a profound impact on reducing stress levels, improving overall wellbeing, enhancing productivity, boosting confidence, and reducing burnout. By dedicating time to these activities regularly, individuals can experience significant benefits for their mental health and quality of life. 

Therefore, the Little By Little campaign encourages individuals to integrate manageable adjustments into their daily routines. There is an emphasis on the short, snappy actions you can integrate into your daily routine to ensure there is a small window of focus on your wellbeing each and every day. This could be as simple as ensuring you take a walk during your lunch break, doing 10 minutes of stretching each day, or spending time listening to music you love. These small actions each day can be mental, emotional, or physical, as long as they serve as small building blocks in order to foster good mental health. 

If you are having issues with your mental health, feeling stressed or overwhelmed – please contact Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk we will do our best to direct you to the support that can help you.

References:  

[1]Stress Statistics UK | 2023 Data | Champion Health 

[2]16 Employee Burnout Statistics You Can’t Ignore (everyonesocial.com) 

[3]The UK’s Mental Health Issues in the Workplace – 5 statistics – Mental Health Midlands 

[4]Stress: statistics | Mental Health Foundation   

[5]https://blog.bitsandpieces.com/blog/stress-relief-hobbies-survey 

[6]https://www.webmd.com/balance/health-benefits-of-hobbies 

[7]Hobby engagement and mental wellbeing among people aged 65 years and older in 16 countries | Nature Medicine. 

[8]5 Benefits of 10 Minute Meditation | BODi (beachbodyondemand.com). 

[9]https://trytwello.com/benefits-office-meditation-classes/ 

[10]Ten minutes of exercise a day improves memory | Memory | The Guardian

5 ways sleep will improve your wellbeing

A good night’s sleep is incredibly important for your health. Anyone who has had a good nights sleep know the feeling of waking up well rested and feeling on top of the world. Sleep is just as important as eating healthy and exercising for your overall wellbeing as sleep is nature’s healer.

Here are 5 ways that sleep will improve your health:

1.    You will be ill less frequently

Even a small loss of sleep has been shown to impair immune function and your ability to fight off infection.  Study after study shows that if you skimp on sleep, your are likely to get ill. The more sleep you get the more you create the optimum environment for your natural defences to work well.

2.    You will be more relaxed

You will be able to cope netter with the pressures of the day if you get enough sleep. You will help yourself avoid building up high libels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline – then they are present you are unlikely to get a good quality deep sleep.

3.    You will be able to maintain your weight

Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain. Your body needs sleep to normalise weight-control hormones. In fact, short sleep duration is one of the strongest risk factors for obesity.

In one extensive review study, people who slept 4 hours a night for two nights running had a 24% increase in appetite, craved sweet, starchy and salty foods and lost interest in fruit, vegetables, protein and dairy products. If you’re trying to lose weight, getting quality sleep is absolutely crucial.

4.    You will improve your memory

Deep sleep dramatically improves how your brain works. It affects how nerve cells in the brain connect, governing everything from how the brain controls behaviour to the ability to learn or remember.

5.     You will be at greater risk of heart disease or stroke

It’s known that sleep quality and duration can have a major effect on many health risk factors. These are the factors believed to drive chronic diseases, including heart disease.  A review of 15 studies found that people who don’t get enough sleep are at far greater risk of heart disease or stroke than those who sleep 7–8 hours per night.

Contact Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk

Simple ways to change your mind

Researchers in stress have discovered that by changing certain aspects of your body, your thoughts and your feelings can be changed too. Our state of mind can have a significant impact on our physical state. For example if you believe that things are overwhelming, and that you cannot cope with the stress, u will convince yourself of that viewpoint and make the situation much harder to handle.

Here are some simple ways that you can change your state of mind and shift your physiology.

 Eliminate stress with a smile

The power of a simple smile, means that if you choose to smile, you will automatically feel happier. Why not give it a go right now? As you do this notice the changes in how you feel. When you smile you immediately start to feel different. If you find yourself feeling sad or down, force yourself to smile, and you will notice  the change in your thought patterns and motions. The quickest way to change your psychology is to change your physiology and vice versa.

 Stand up straight

Bad posture can have a negative impact on your emotional state. By standing upright or sitting straight with your spine erect your body is communicating to your mind that it needs to align its state. This is the magic of ‘mind over matter’.

 Act as if….

When you experience a stressful event, the first thing to do is step back, take a deep breath and analyse the situation. Then you can try to forcibly change your thoughts using your physical state. Simply start by pretending that you would like to be. If you feel down and stressed, begin by acting like someone who is happy and relaxed. Think about how people you aspire to be would act and emulate them. This will start as the catalyst that changes your state of mind and your patterns and in turn will influence your physical state.

Using affirmations to change your mindset

Posted on by Louisa Valvano

Positive affirmations can be a powerful tool in transforming the negative power of the little voice in your head and turning it into a positive, motivational and affirming little voice. We wanted to give you a list of some affirmations that you can use, that are designed to reduce stress, increase feelings of personal power and help you fill your potential.

 Here are some affirmations you can use, or create some of your own:

• I am calm
• I am relaxed
• I am stress-free
• Challenges help me grow
• I am in charge
• I am in control
• I am at peace with myself
• I forgive others
• I like exercise
• I like to relax
• I remain calm
• I can handle whatever comes my way
• I am strong
• I can accomplish anything
• I make healthy choices
• I choose happiness

If your finding that you need support with stress and/or your mental health please contact us on 0800 917 6255 or email: communityhub@nacro.org.uk

Little By Little Journal                     

At The Stress Management Society, they recognise that even the smallest of efforts to improve your mental health can have huge impacts. That’s why their theme of Stress Awareness Month 2024 is ‘Little by Little’. This emphasises how even the smallest steps taken each day towards self-care and stress reduction can yield significant improvements in mental health over time.

They encourage you to focus on making one manageable adjustments to your daily routine. While the impact of small actions on their own may seem little, the cumulative effects of these habits can end up being profound! Think of it like building a house – laying down a single brick may not seem significant, but eventually your efforts will begin to mould your mental health house. Small consistent efforts will lead to remarkable outcome!

Clink the clink to start your Journal Today: SAM LByL Journal (stress.org.uk) *

*with thanks to the Stress Management Society

What is Stress?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your to-do list seems endless, deadlines are fast approaching and you find yourself saying ‘Eek! I feel stressed!’? But what is stress really, and how does it affect us?

Firstly, let’s debunk one myth: stress is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing. Without this brilliant ability to feel stress, humankind wouldn’t have survived. Our cavemen ancestors, for example, used the onset of stress to alert them to a potential danger, such as a sabre-toothed tiger.

Stress is primarily a physical response. When stressed, the body thinks it is under attack and switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode, releasing a complex mix of hormones and chemicals such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine to prepare the body for physical action. This causes a number of reactions, from blood being diverted to muscles to shutting down unnecessary bodily functions such as digestion.

Through the release of hormones such as adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine, the caveman gained a rush of energy, which prepared him to either fight the tiger or run away. That heart pounding, fast breathing sensation is the adrenaline; as well as a boost of energy, it enables us to focus our attention so we can quickly respond to the situation.

In the modern world, the ‘fight or flight’ mode can still help us survive dangerous situations, such as reacting swiftly to a person running in front of our car by slamming on the brakes.

The challenge is when our body goes into a state of stress in inappropriate situations. When blood flow is going only to the most important muscles needed to fight or flee, brain function is minimised. This can lead to an inability to ‘think straight’; a state that is a great hindrance in both our work and home lives. If we are kept in a state of stress for long periods, it can be detrimental to our health.  The results of having elevated cortisol levels can be an increase in sugar and blood pressure levels, and a decrease in libido.

Fight

When your body goes into a state of stress, we may feel agitated and aggressive towards others; this can be due to our bodies’ natural reaction being “fight”. This can be a helpful reaction to ward off predators, but in unnecessary situations, it can negatively affect relationships and ruin reputations.

Flight

Some of us avoid our stressors, removing ourselves from the situation instead of tackling it. This can be a sign of the “flight” survival instinct; a function that can save our lives if we find ourselves in dangerous surroundings. However, in everyday life, this natural instinct can lead to a stressful situation escalating, and increase our stress levels when we realise that the stressor isn’t going away and we need to fa

Freeze

Unknown by many, there is a third mode that stress can cause; freeze. For some people, becoming stressed sets the stage for ‘dysregulation’. The energy mobilized by the perceived threat gets “locked” into the nervous system and we ‘freeze’. This  response sometimes reveals itself when we breathe. Holding our breath and shallow breathing are both forms of freeze. The occasional deep sigh is the nervous system catching up on its oxygen intake.

What do you do to destress at the end of the day/ week – feel free to share your hints and tips ?

If you are feeling overwhelmed, need someone to talk to about your wellbeing, please contact Connecting Carmarthenshire on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub.org.uk  and we can help you with free advice, signposting and support.

Feel free to share these emails to whoever you feel may benefit from them 😊

#littlebylittle 

Don’t be a slave to Tech!

Email

 Did you know that we get on average 364 emails a week?  205 billions are sent every day and this number is expected to reach 246 billion by the end of 2019

Email is the thing that now causes us the most problems in our working lives. Whilst there is no doubt that it is an amazing communication tool, the volume of email has got out of hand. Email is a disruptor and a distractor which according to Bob Proctor, a productivity guru, can hamper your productivity by over 500%. He states that you should work from one thing at a time and see it thought to conclusion rather than jump from one task to another (which is what email encourages).

So here are the 7 more effective habits to control your email stress.

1.     Don’t be enslaved by email

Don’t forget that you are in control of your email. You can choose to open it or not.

2.     Put your email into perspective

How often do we get life-changing emails? The reality is that is we disconnect from emails for a couple of days the majority of things can wait.

3.     Choose your time to reduce email stress

Why not set dedicated times to check your email rather than always leaving your inbox open? It is a much more efficient and less distracting way of managing your emails and will enable you to focus and concentrate on other tasks.

4.     File/save important stuff right away

This might save hours of looking for an email at a later date, and will help you stay on top of things you have actioned.

5.     Process and purge

Aim to delete emails as soon as you have dealt with them. Sort your emails in to important and urgent and work on the high priority emails first.

6.     Is your inbox your virtual attic?

Are you keeping lots of things in your inbox that you don’t need? If you haven’t looked at them for over a year = would you miss them if you got rid of them? Your inbox is exactly the same as all the items sitting in your loft at home.

7.     Stop panicking

If someone needs you urgently they will usually try and get you on the phone. Just because is instantaneous doesn’t mean your need to respond immediately.

What do you do to destress at the end of the day/ week – feel free to share your hints and tips ?

If you are feeling overwhelmed, need someone to talk to about your wellbeing, please contact Connecting Carmarthenshire on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub.org.uk  and we can help you with free advice, signposting and support.

Feel free to share these emails to who ever you feel may benefit from them 😊

Prynhawn da / Good afternoon,

How do you manage your stress?

Do you recognise you are stressed?

April is Stress awareness month and Nacro Connecting Carmarthenshire will be giving some hints and tips on how to manage your stress throughout the month.

If your finding that maybe things are getting a little too much to handle yourself - please do not hesitate to call us on 0800 917 6255 or email communityhub@nacro.org.uk - We are here to help you!

The theme of this years Stress awareness month is #LittleByLittle which highlights the transformative impact of consistent, small positive actions on over-all wellbeing.  Even the smallest of steps taken each day towards selfcare and stress reduction can yield significant improvements in mental health over time.

We want to encourage you to focus on making manageable adjustments to your daily routine. While the impact of small actions on their own may seem little, the cumulative effects of these habits can end up being profound!

#LittleByLittle #connectingcarmarthenshire #nacro #carmarthenshire #sirgar