13 minute read
HEALTH & WELLBEING
By Jill Love, Slimming World consultant
We thought you might like to meet the Slimming World Team in your area. We have:
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• Jill love who has been an awardwinning consultant for nearly 19 years. She holds her group on a
Saturday morning at 8am or 10am at the Methodist Church Hall, in the
Quedam, Yeovil. Jill is the senior member of the team.
• Hi, my name Is Shelley Lawrence. I have over 13 years’ experience as a
Slimming World consultant and target member, alongside qualifications in nutrition and weight management. I run seven groups from my permanent venue in Yeovil and two groups in
Somerton. Slimming World is a way of life for me! • Hi, my name is Julie. l run a Slimming
World group at 6.30pm Monday and 9.30am Tuesday together with my husband Marc. We are longterm members and you can find us at Y.E.S.S (Yeovil Ex Services Social
Club) on Preston Road.
• Hi, I am Linz. I run two Slimming
World sessions on a Friday morning at 8am and 9.30am at Park House, 45 The Park, Yeovil. I have been a member for around 11 years and
Slimming World is a lifelong plan for me which keeps me as a target member.
• Hi, I’m Laura. I have been a consultant for just over a year in
Ilchester. I have a 9.30am and 7.30pm group on a Tuesday at Tall Trees
Community Centre.
Local groups running throughout the week in Yeovil, Ilchester and Somerton
Visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk for your 2022 fresh start.
As you can see, we have a wealth of experience from Jill with 19 years to our newest consultant, Linz. To find a group to suit you look on www.slimmingworld.com for our latest offers.
ARE YOU AFFECTED BY MEMORY LOSS OR DEMENTIA?
In the UK, one person develops dementia every three minutes. It turns lives upside down and there is no cure. Almost everyone knows someone whose life has become affected. Many people living with dementia are often isolated and do not feel part of their local community. The term dementia covers a range of different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. It affects people in different ways, but it’s a condition that progressively gets worse. As well as problems with memory, symptoms can include feeling confused, having difficulty thinking things through and following conversations, which impacts on a range of everyday activities, from socialising to shopping. There’s lots of support in South Somerset for people living with dementia and their family members and carers. You can receive individual support and information about dementia in all its forms, and advice on day-to-day living, benefits and finances, power of attorney and so on. There are groups to attend and meet others in the same situation, such as memory cafes, singing groups and carers groups. These are invaluable for helping you to feel less isolated and keep connected with others in your community, learning from and supporting each other. Dementia Action Week is 16-21 May, and across the area there are lots of events happening locally so keep an eye out in local media.
For more information on support and services in your area, you can contact the following organisations, all operating in South Somerset: Alzheimer’s Society based in Langport. Call 01458 251541 for advice and support and local information about groups. This number is unmanned but messages are picked up several times a day so please leave a message and someone will call you back. www.alzheimers.org.uk/find-supportnear-you. Rethink Reconnect. Support is delivered within the home, covering housing issues, safety in the home, budgeting, benefits, life skills and improving social networks. This service is offered free of charge to eligible people living in Somerset. For more information, call 07971 963027 or visit www.rethink.org/help-in-your-area/ services/housing/reconnect-floatingsupport-service-somerset. Filo Project. Day care provided in a host’s home. For more information, call 0333 939 8225 or visit www.thefiloproject.co.uk. Admiral Nurses. A Royal British Legion service helping the armed forces community and their families affected by dementia. Call Freephone 0808 802 8080 or visit www.britishlegion.org.uk/ get-support/care-and-independent-living/ support-for-carers/admiral-nurses. Somerset Carers Service. To find your local carers support group (both in person and online), call 0800 316 8600 or visit www.somersetcarers.org.
Dementia Connect Support Line
(national). Call 0333 150 3456. You can also call your local GP surgery and ask about groups and activities in your community.
For more information about wellbeing in South Somerset, visit www. wellbeingsouthsomerset.org. For dementia services specifically, visit www. wellbeingsouthsomerset.org/category/ dementia-2.
WHY INVEST IN EMPLOYEE WELLBEING?
By Amanda Whitlock, Total Wellbeing Matters
Before we explore the reasons why employers should implement workplace practices that improve the mental health of their staff, we need to think about what we are talking about when we talk about mental health.
When we talk about mental health it is important to recognise that we are not talking about mental illness. Mental health is part of our overall health – you cannot separate mental health from physical health. We also need to appreciate that having a bad day does not mean you are mentally ill. It is normal to sometimes feel sad or angry or low or anxious. These emotions make us human. It only becomes mental illness if: • the feelings are more severe than normal
• you have been feeling like this for a while
• it is severely effecting the quality of your every day life. strengthen our resilience and help us improve our ability to cope with adverse circumstances.
As an employer, you have a legal duty of care to ensure that employees are provided with a safe working environment and must take reasonable care to prevent personal injury (including mental or physical harm) that may arise in the workplace. However, not only is investing in mental health ethically and legally the right thing to do, it is also financially a smart thing to do. ‘Poor mental health costs UK employers up to £45 billion each year. But for every £1 spent by employers on mental health interventions, they get back £5 in reduced absence, presenteeism, and staff turnover.’ (Deloitte, 2020).
The World Health Organisation defines mental health as: ‘a state of wellbeing in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community’ (WHO, 2014). There is no single cause for mental health issues and we all react differently to stress and difficult life events. The factors that impact our mental health and wellbeing are often defined as either a risk factor or a protective factor. Risk factors are those aspects of our lives that have a negative effect on our mental health, while protective factors By implementing policies and procedures that support employee wellbeing, you will cut absenteeism, improve staff morale, increase productivity and boost the motivation and commitment of your staff. In a recent survey it was found that: ‘Employees favour a workplace that cares for their wellbeing and demonstrates support for wellbeing through a healthy work/ life balance and strong diversity policies’ (World Federation for Mental Health, 2017: Mental Health in the Workplace). Training your staff in mental health awareness or as mental health first aiders is a step towards equipping your teams to be able to talk about their mental health and for issues to be dealt with before they reach crisis level. For more information, contact info@ totalwellbeingmatters.com.
WHY PERSISTENT PAIN TENDS TO GET WORSE WITH TIME
By Dr Andrea Haas
Persistent pain tends to get worse with time. This is due to something called neuroplasticity. We used to think that the brain was set in stone and that once we had reached a certain age, the brain didn’t change. This is, though, far from the truth.
The brain is made up of a huge network of nerve fibres and connections. For every activity, thought, emotion, there is a specific network of nerve fibres and connections. These are constantly changing and adapting depending on what we focus on in our lives, whatever age we are.
When we learn a new activity, for example, take up golf or piano lessons, it takes time and effort to get good at it, as it takes time for the appropriate nerve connections to be made. However, if we stop doing an activity those nerve connections start to die away. ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’, and we literally do. We all know what it’s like if we haven’t done something for a while.
Unfortunately, the same happens with pain. When we have had pain for a long time, it becomes part of our lives; we spend more time focusing on it. When we focus on it, the network of connections associated with the pain also get larger and stronger, which makes our pain worse. This produces a vicious cycle. It is not helped by family and friends asking how your pain is today. Have you taken your medication? Are you able to do this because of your pain? Each time the word pain is heard or spoken it stimulates the pathways again. The other thing is, the brain can’t tell the difference from imagination and reality. So, sitting on the sofa thinking about that walk that might make your pain worse, also activates and strengthens those pathways! All this makes the area of the brain that represents pain much larger in those who suffer with persistent pain. We know this from doing functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans. An fMRI scan detects blood flow to different areas of the brain when we think or do something or see something.
So, how can we stop this constant growth of connections? Easy! Stop focusing on it! But, not so easy to do. There are techniques that I teach my clients to help them.
1. Rename your pain. Give your pain a name, e.g., Freddie, or refer to it as something else, such as ‘discomfort’.
2. Tell your family and friends to stop asking you about your pain. 3. Take up a hobby which is creative and enjoyable and requires focus and attention, such as woodwork or painting. While you are focusing on the activity, you are not focusing on your pain.
Next month, we will look at the link between sleep and pain, another vicious cycle.
Dr Andrea Haas 07770 672122 www.andrea-inner-strength.co.uk
THERE IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE AT OXLEY SPORTS CENTRE
By Samantha Welch, Centre Manager
Join us
for a warm welcome
osc _ info@sherborne.com www.oxleysc.com
A sports centre is more than just a sports centre. It is the hub of any community, a hive of activity for the young, old, active and for those that find things that little bit harder.
The friendly faces that greet you, that know your name, who know just by seeing you what you are there for are the lifeline of the centre. It is that very welcome that keeps you coming back to the same place. You may not have been in a while, but a friendly face and a ‘Hello, how have you been?’ goes a long way. Attending an active session, be that in the gym, the pool or a class, is a social event. A chance to catch up, laugh and workout with others in the class. You may just be popping in for a coffee and a catch up with friends, but we all want to be sociable, especially after the past couple of years. It is well known that the mental health of the nation took a nosedive in the past couple of years and it’s hardly surprising given what we have all been through. The main thing people are missing is other people! Being sociable is a very human trait and to be able to sit and chat or hang out with family and friends in person is a massive boost to your mental wellbeing.
Being able to pop into Oxley Sports Centre and know you are going to get a ‘Hi’, regardless of if you are just going for a quick swim or a gym session and do not want to speak to anyone, is a reminder that you are not alone and gives you a sense of belonging. It may even bring a smile to your face if you are feeling down.
Given that exercise releases endorphins (hormones that make us feel happy), exercise can give us that ‘feel good’ factor and create a general feeling of wellbeing. Many of us feel energised and happier when we have worked out – this is a fact! Alternatively, a coffee and a cake or a chat with a friend can sometimes be just as therapeutic. Sitting and watching the hustle and bustle is just as good for the soul as doing a physical activity, if not, as good for the body! Whilst sitting with the delicious goodies you’ve just purchased, it gives you time to ponder on the many varieties of activities to get involved in, from yoga and Pilates to social netball and squash, taking the plunge and learning a life skill such as swimming or joining the Loose Women on a Thursday for Aqua, a natter and more cake. It is all about engagement and the feeling you belong somewhere regardless of your athletic ability.
So why not wander up to see us and feel how warm our welcome is?
HOW WELL DO YOU BREATHE?
By Tracy Frost
This may sound like a really silly question. We know that we breathe all the time because we have to do that in order to survive. Why am I writing an article about something that every human and animal does automatically without needing to think about it? Because breathing consciously can have a better impact on your health. When we breathe normally (unconsciously), we only use about 70% of our lung capacity but what if we could do our breathing differently? Could it have a bigger impact on our health or life? Recognise the phrase ‘Just take a deep breath’? Taking a deep breath allows our body to take in more oxygen, helping to stimulate our vagus nerve which runs from our brain to the abdomen. This is in charge of turning off the ‘fight or flight’ reflex. We all know how debilitating this can feel when our heart races, our breath quickens, our emotions are heightened and we may start to feel out of control. It doesn’t have to be a big thing to trigger these feelings.
When we find ourselves with feelings that cause shallow breathing, we can still achieve a sense of calm through our breath. When you realise what is going on in your body, try and stop, then breathe slowly and deeply. Do this three times; allow your body to slow itself down with the controlled breath you are giving it. If you still feel heightened, do another three slow, deep breaths. Eventually your body will understand what you are giving to it. Aroma Touch Holistic Life Coach Essential Oils Reiki
Tracy Frost
Here is an exercise for you about finding your normal breath and observing it so you will be able to tell when things may be off. It will take about three minutes. Find somewhere that is fairly quiet where you will not be disturbed.
Sit comfortably with your shoulders back: be as still as you can; breathe as normally as you can; notice your breath, don’t try and change it. All you are doing is seeing what your normal breath feels like to you. You are just being a little more mindful of how you put your breath into the world.
• How does your breath feel in your nose and mouth when you inhale? • How does your chest feel? • How does your breath feel in your lungs? Is it going to every part of your lungs? • Does your breath feel hot or cold when you inhale? Does it feel different when you exhale? • How does your body feel when you breathe in and how does it feel when you breathe out? • Make a note of anything that doesn’t feel right
This is just the start of a journey about understanding and working with your breath. If you wish to know more, please feel free to get in touch. Until next time, much love, Tracy x
