Wellbeing

The Healing Power of Community

Tomorrow I will be teaching the last class of my current Womo women’s health course, and again what has delighted me the most on this, and every course I have taught so far, is the incredible support, compassion and friendship that have come out of them.

On one course the age range spanned 5 decades, and I was concerned that the interests, motivations and needs would be too diverse to be able to teach comprehensively and for connections to be made. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The younger women felt inspired by the older women, and they felt comfortable asking questions and drawing on their great wisdom and experience. And the older women were so motivated by the support and encouragement of the younger women.

It has been a truly humbling and gratifying experience to watch this fledgling Womo community unfold and grow. It is my great passion to not only support women with their healthcare journey, but also to be the vector through which this healthcare journey becomes a collective, self-supporting endeavour.

Humans are not designed to be alone. We are happier, healthier and more productive and motivated when we are together. Gradually our western society has eroded our time together. Once upon a time we hunted, ate, lived, sang, worshipped, walked and talked together, and we thrived as a result. Increasingly our lives are evolving to exist apart from each other, and in the past 2 years we have experienced the extremes of this and it’s consequences.

“A rising number of us are suffering from loneliness and this is not only affecting our mental health, but also our physical health. In fact, high social stress is an even bigger risk factor for dying from chronic disease than physical inactivity, alcohol intake and smoking put together!” Dr Rangan Chatterjee. However, the good news is that, post-covid we really appreciate the importance of our connections more than ever, and we can now go out and meet face to face. Overall, women tend to be better at connections, groups and community, so I would whole-heartedly encourage more men in particular to seek out connection. It’s a shocking statistic that the biggest cause of death in men under the age of 40 is suicide.

“Being connected to family and community support and having easy access to health care can decrease suicidal thoughts and behaviours” National Alliance for Suicide Prevention

Research has repeatedly shown that by giving to others, joining groups, creating connections and supporting a community we can increase our own happiness as well as others. For the women out there who are interested in coming on a healthcare journey with me and meeting other like-minded, health curious women, come and join the next Womo course in September. Details here: www.the-sop. com/womo

For the men out there, take your buddy out for a pint, dog walk or a coffee, or see if a men’s group meet in your area. Have a wonderful summer and enjoy some meaningful social connection time!

Emma Wightman - www.the-sop.com

Get set for the next Second Sundays!

Andover’s buzzing new event, Second Sundays, will return to the town centre on Sunday 10 July.

Filling the High Street with music, delicious street food and a mix of crafts and designer maker stalls, Second Sundays brings a fresh new feel to the centre of town. Last month saw the inaugural event take place, where a host of visitors flocked to the High Street to browse the stalls, enjoy the sunshine and soak up the atmosphere throughout the day. July’s market will feature some of the popular traders from last month selling homemade bakes, unique prints and fragrant candles. New local traders will also be in attendance, selling items such as colourful crochet and knitwear and beautiful botanical art.

To tickle taste buds local sushi business Rice n Roll will be back, along with Indian street food stall Mumbai Street Eats. Andover Tap will be serving up a special drinks menu and artisan coffee will be available to visitors who can also make use of the town’s brand new seating area, Alfresco Andover, to enjoy their refreshments.

Alongside the market traders, visitors to the July market can stop by and take part in some free family craft workshops, including a hands on paper clay session to create and decorate a unique sculpture to take home.

And providing the soundtrack to Second Sundays, the DJ’s set will feature an eclectic mix of hip hop, soul and Reggae spun on vinyl throughout the day. The monthly market has been developed by HemingwayDesign, on behalf of Test Valley Borough Council, and over the coming months will support emerging and established independent businesses from the region.

Second Sundays will be open 10am to 4pm on Sunday 10 July. Subsequent dates will be 14th August, 11th September, 9th October, 13th November & 11th December

Keep up to date with Second Sundays Andover on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates. Traders who would like to apply for a pitch at future markets can do so at www.secondsundaysandover. co.uk