HEALTH & WELLBEING

STARTING A CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

WE'VE CARED FOR YOUR EARS SINCE 2001

By Amanda Whitlock, Total Wellbeing Matters

It can be a little overwhelming to talk about mental health especially if it is a topic that is new to you. However, the more you talk about mental health the easier it becomes.

We all have mental health. This is shown by the way we think, the way we feel and our sense of wellbeing. When we talk about mental health, we are not always talking about mental illness. Some life events such as bereavement or relationship breakdown can adversely affect someone’s wellbeing. However, there may be no obvious cause as to why a person is feeling mentally unwell.

There may be some signs that someone may have poor mental health. You may notice that they are always tired or more withdrawn than normal. They may be tearful or appear distracted. The reality is there may be many ways in which a person may reveal they are having problems – the key is to notice a change in behaviour and then talk to them about it.

Choose a private space to start the conversation, somewhere you can both feel comfortable. It’s important to give enough time for the conversation and to ensure that you will not be interrupted. Don’t just ask them how they are – most people will reply with ‘I’m fine!’ Ask them how they are feeling because you have noticed that they don’t seem to be themselves. Share instances of where you have concerns. Listen to what they say to you. Respect their feelings, experiences and values even if you do not share them. Ask them how long they have been feeling like this, who do they have to give them support and ask if there is anything you can do to help. The most important thing is to be genuine and show that you care. Encourage them to contact their GP – they may not be mental health specialists but they can refer onto the relevant services and treatment.

Celebrating 20 years of independent hearing care in SHERBORNE tel: 01935 815647

If a person talks about thoughts of suicide or self-harming remain calm and do not be afraid of continuing the conversation. If you feel that the person is at real risk of suicide, do not hesitate to call 999. • The very latest HEARING AID INNOVATION • Ear wax removal with MICROSUCTION • Hearing tests with AUDIOLOGY EXPERTS • Experienced and IMPARTIAL ADVICE • Local, friendly, FAMILY-RUN PRACTICE

Talking to a person experiencing mental distress can be shocking 4 Swan Yard, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AX and unsettling. It is very important www.girlinghearingaids.co.uk INDEPENDENT & HCPC REGISTERED that you take steps to protect your own mental health. It is okay to have boundaries - don’t agree to give any support that would put Untitled-1 1 16/09/2021 20:57:45 you under too much pressure or makes you feel uncomfortable. It is important to identify those things that boost your sense of wellbeing and improve your mood – find those things that give you joy and actively include them in your life. Do not feel guilty for prioritising your own mental health – you cannot help others if you don’t at first take care of yourself. For more information about training for you or your staff on mental health awareness, contact www.totalwellbeingmatters.com.

School Lunchboxes

By James Cattigan, Sherborne Sports Centre Manager

We’re back to school and although you won’t have the kids raiding the cupboard and fridge all day long as you did in the holidays, you’ll still need to feed the little angels when they’re at school. But what to put in the lunchbox?

As with any meal the foods you provide need to have a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Proteins are used by the body for growth and repair. ‘Carbs’ are our preferred source of energy. Fats help with the relaying of electrical signals across the body and the absorption of vitamins and minerals which, in turn, helps with chemical processes that keep us focussed and energised.

These nutrients can be split into four categories: vegetables and fruit, grain products, dairy and alternatives, meat and alternatives. Ensure you have some of each of these in your lunchbox and you cannot go too far wrong.

Vegetables and fruit could include: salad in a sandwich, carrot/cucumber/ pepper sticks, an apple, banana, pot of blueberries.

Grain products could include: bread/wrap/ flat bread/bagel as part of a sandwich, couscous, rice pot.

Dairy and alternatives could include: cheese in a sandwich, yoghurt, cheese sticks. There are many varieties of milkfree products in the supermarkets as well.

Meat and alternatives could include: meat, fish or peanut butter in a sandwich, boiled eggs, pot of beans, tofu.

The last thing to remember is to provide plenty of water. Stick to these few lunchbox guidelines and you’ll keep your child fit and healthy while at school. The teacher will also thank you for their improved concentration levels. Unfortunately they will still raid the fridge as soon as they get home!

WIN £10 in our

WORDSEARCH competition

THE READING ISSUE

As you may have noticed the theme for this month has been somewhat literary! If you play Scrabble or Bananagrams (a recent discovery) you will know that a good knowledge of seven letter words can prove vital. This is the inspiration for this month’s Wordsearch. Just find the seven letter words in the grid below, ring each word until you have found all of them and when you have completed the puzzle send it to: The Conduit Magazine, Unit 4, Barton View Business Park, Sheeplands Lane, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 4FW. The lucky winner receives a £10 cheque. The closing date is: Monday 25 October. Good luck.

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JOINTLY KITCHEN LOLLING MADNESS OUTPOST PERVADE PRONOUN QUALIFY RESTFUL STOPPER TABLOID UTENSIL YEARNED YOUNGER ZANIEST

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Screen Time

By Samantha Welch, Centre Manager

I’m sure that we’ve all had the experience of talking to a loved one whilst they are craned over a mobile, tablet or staring at a screen. It can make you pretty miserable when the person you’re talking to is distracted and responds in grunts and quick glances, but if the phones are away it’s a different story and you get their full attention, that feels wonderful.

Sports centres across the country are trying to encourage and engage with youngsters to help deal with this problem by offering child-friendly classes, zones in the gym and swimming sessions, whilst promoting kids’ triathlons and competition. This has proved to be successful so far, but as the nights draw in, is the siren call of the screens too difficult to ignore? It’s a problem we need to face as a community and one which can, we believe, be fixed.

Oxley Sports Centre is central to the town and is surrounded by several schools so has taken the community need for alternatives to technology seriously and is looking to help tackle this issue. The Centre has been offering swimming lessons, junior gym sessions along with junior climbing for a while now, but has boosted its children’s classes in recent months with classes such as Boogie Bounce. All this can be accessed on a pay-as-you-go basis or through the Active Kids membership. There are three different memberships for young, junior and teens with different price points and offers, so that parents would be paying only for what they use, and children could access what they’d like to. The three age entry points allow the children to access activities suitable for them in their age range. As they get older, more activities and facilities open up to them, encouraging them to widen their activity level and hopefully their love for sport and physical activity, which we hope will help build a lifelong relationship with exercise – keeping healthy in fun and friendship.

This October we are running our highly successful holiday activities for youngsters aged 8-14 with many different and varied activities, including water-based fun, sporting and non-sporting games, arts and crafts, team challenges, film and science days, plus all the old favorites like dodge ball and hamsterballs. To find more about all of the above, please contact Oxley Sports Centre on 01935 818277, email osc_info@ sherborne.com or visit our website on www.oxleysc.com.

Half Term

Holiday Activities 25-29 October

osc _ info@sherborne.com www.oxleysc.com

DEVILISH TALES OF STINGY JACK

By Tracey Warren, Stoodley and Son

As the nights start drawing in and the first leaves turn brown, our thoughts turn to autumn and the end of summer. As a funeral director, people ask me if I celebrate Halloween, a time when the souls of our loved ones are remembered. I do have a bowl of sweets for the local trick or treaters and usually a carved pumpkin outside my door. However, for me Halloween represents a time of remembrance and continuing bonds with those that have passed away. Its origins are poles apart from the modern day ‘Americanisation’ of this celebration.

The word Halloween dates from about 1745. It simply means Saints Evening, and is a mixture of the Scottish word eve or een and the English word All Hallows (The Feast of Saints).

But further back than that in the pagan calendar it is linked with Samhain which is from the old Irish for summer’s end. During these festivities the passage tombs of their Neolithic forefathers were lit with flaming torches. It was also marked with great gatherings and feasts. The ancient burial mounds were opened and these were seen as portals to the other world. The festival also paid tribute to the souls of deceased family members who they believed visited the house, and food and offerings were left out for them. The families even laid out a place for them at the table during the Samhain meal.

The thought that the souls of the dead would return home for one night of the year and must be appeased is actually prevalent in many cultures around the world. In Christian society Halloween is the evening before All Hallows Day on 1 November and All Souls Day on 2 November. This time is used for honouring the saints and praying for the souls of the newly deceased. In many of the local churches in the local area, All Souls services take place to commemorate the dead.

In today’s traditions many of us have a house decorated with a carved pumpkin, but this tradition was not carried out until mid-late nineteenth century in America. In Ireland and Scotland a turnip was used, then immigrants to North America started using a native pumpkin which was much softer and much easier to hollow out.

The scary faces carved into them were said to ward off evil spirits. In Irish Christian folklore, the ‘Jack o Lantern’ was a representation of a wicked man called Stingy Jack whose soul was denied entry to heaven and hell.

The tale goes – after an evening of drinking with the Devil, Stingy Jack decided he didn’t want to pay for any of the drinks and convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin to pay the landlord. As soon as the Devil did this, Jack grabbed the coin and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross he had in there. This silver cross prevented the Devil from changing back to his original form.

After some time had passed Jack decided to free the Devil on the condition he should leave him alone for one year, and if for any reason Jack died within that year the Devil would not claim his soul. A year passed and the Devil once again came upon Jack who was admiring a beautiful fruit tree. Jack then tricked the Devil into climbing the tree to collect some fruit, whilst the Devil was at the top Jack quickly carved the sign of a cross into the bark, once again trapping the Devil. Jack demanded that he would only release him if he left Jack alone for ten years.

Time passed and Jack spent his life, drinking, thieving and being generally unpleasant until he died. At the gates of heaven God refused him entry on account of the life he had led and the sins he had committed. So Jack left and went to hell. The Devil, keeping his word not to claim Jack’s soul for ten years, would not admit him to hell either. In a rage, the Devil threw a hot coal from the fires of hell at Jack and banished him.

Jack placed this coal into a hollowed-out turnip to stop it going out and carried it to light the way. He has roamed the earth ever since looking for a place for his soul to rest.

May you have a peaceful Halloween and take time on that special day to remember those that have passed before.