...And Breathe

It is important for our wellness and wellbeing to take a step back from our usual day to day and take a moment to just reflect and breathe.

From 3 minutes to 30 minutes, or even longer, its really quite easy to fit mediation into your daily routine and it’s really beneficial too! Just taking a moment each day to meditate can:

Better your focus and concentration
Improve self-awareness
Reduce stress
Improve sleep
Put you in a better mood

Get some Headspace

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to meditate, but didn’t know where to start, then Headspace is a good place. With a YouTube channel full of info and a handy phone app there is lots of useful tips to get you into meditation. You can introduce it into your daily routine and have a regular meditation time or you could do it if if you are feeling stressed or just need some help getting to sleep. And best of all you can access a portion of their meditation for free!

Learn More

Struggling to sleep?

Up to 16 million adults in the UK are suffering from sleepless nights, are you one of them? Whether it’s changes to your working pattern, changing of the seasons or a stressful day it’s very easy to fall out of your sleep routine but not as easy to get back into it. Mind Charity shares some tips that could help you get a better sleep routine:

Stick to a schedule

Try and stick to the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and could help you fall asleep more easily and then stay asleep throughout the night.

Avoid afternoon naps

If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you can’t fall asleep at bedtime eliminating even short catnaps may help.

Exercise daily

Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.

Have a look at last week’s page for some helpful workout videos you can introduce into your daily life.

Avoid alcohol and heavy meals

Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. If you can, avoid eating large meals for two to three hours before bedtime. Try a light snack 45 minutes before bed if you’re still hungry. Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can also disrupt sleep so avoid these close to bedtime.

Evaluate your room

Design your sleep environment to establish the best conditions for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius. It should be free from any disruptive noise and it should be free from any light. Before you go to bed check your room for noises and other distractions. This includes a bed partner’s disruptions such as snoring.

Consider using blackout curtains, eyeshades, earplugs, “white noise” machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.

Wind down!

Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. Try to avoid electronic devices as the light given off activates your brain (see our blog below on digital detoxing for some more info). Also if you are waking up during the night, still avoid these devices as they will wake you up further.

Try some of the meditation exercises above, there are ones for falling asleep and also to get you back to sleep if you have woke up during the night.

Still struggling?

If you are still having trouble sleeping don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or to find a sleep professional. You may also benefit from recording your sleep in a diary to help you and your doctor better evaluate common patterns or issues you may see with your sleeping habits.

5 Ways to Wellbeing

From getting active to sitting and being mindful, this guide shows you 5 things you can introduce into your daily life to improve your well-being.

30 days of Mindfulness

This handy guide from Headspace gives you small actions you can take every day over the next 30 days. How many will you complete?

Useful Apps

We know we just mentioned above that it’s important to have a digital detox from time to time but for times when you are using your phone there are some really helpful (and free) apps to help you meditate, fall asleep easier and just take a moment to breathe:

Headspace – for meditation and sleep

Insight Timer – for meditation and sleep

Calm – for meditation and sleep

Sleep Cycle – for tracking and analysing sleep

Happify – activities to boost your happiness

My Possible Self – toolkits to improve your mind

Join in the conversation and let us know what you thought about #WessexWellbeing on our social pages!

Useful Contacts

Call NHS 111 (for when you need help but are not in immediate danger)

Contact the Samaritans – 116 123 (free to call from within the UK and Ireland), 24 hours a day

Contact the Shout crisis text line – Text SHOUT to 85258

Call the Mind Infoline (Mon – Fri 9am -6pm) – Call 0300 123 3393 or text 86463

Contact your GP and ask for an emergency appointment

If you need emergency help:

Call 999

Go to your local A&E department