LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN Bringing you the latest Long Road lockdown news!
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SENDING VIRTUAL HUGS X Hello, from Long Road!
We've made it to week 3 of our college closure, which is also the first week of the Easter Holidays! While you enjoy a well earned Easter break, why not sit
Long Road Sixth Form
back and relax as you read this weeks edition of the Lockdown Lowdown.
College
@LR6FC
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CALMING POWER OF REMINISCING ABOUT HAPPY TIMES A recent article by Emma Young You’ve just had a fight with your
Your brain needs help if it’s to quickly
partner or a confrontation with a
regain control. And, according to
colleague. Now your heart’s racing,
a new study published in Nature Human
and you’re struggling to think straight.
Behaviour, you can provide it by
What should you do?
thinking back over good times.
Psychologists are not short on ideas for
Mauricio Delgado and Megan Speer at
how to calm yourself down after a
Rutgers University, US, made 134
stressful experience. Seek out a friend?
volunteers feel stressed by videoing
Yes, there’s good evidence that can
them while they plunged their hands
help. But what if there’s no friend to
into icy water. Some then spent 14
hand? You could try to alter your view
seconds reminiscing about a positive
of what just happened from “Disaster!”
experience (like visiting Disneyland)
to “Not really so bad”.
while others reflected on an
If you are feeling stressed or anxious please contact a member of the welfare team on wellbeing@longroad.ac.uk and someone will call you.
emotionally neutral event (such as But it can be difficult to engage in this
getting luggage ready for the trip).
the surge observed in the neutral memory group. Thinking about happy
kind of “cognitive reappraisal” when you’re in the immediate aftermath of a
Afterwards, the group who’d recalled
memories, then, went right to the heart
stressful event – perhaps because
happy memories felt better, but not
of the physiological stress response.
acute stress compromises the neural
only that: the expected rise in their
circuitry that’s involved in emotion
levels of the stress hormone cortisol
To explore how, Delgado and Speer
regulation.
was only 15 per cent, on average, of
used the same technique as before to
CALMING POWER OF REMINISCING ABOUT HAPPY TIMES A recent article by Emma Young stress a fresh group of volunteers and
associated with increased activity in
combat acute stress at a physical level
then had them reminisce about their
prefrontal brain regions associated
is important, since there’s plenty of
own positive or neutral experiences
with emotion regulation and cognitive
research finding that people who tend
while they scanned their brains using
control – the same regions suppressed
to calm down physiologically soon
fMRI. The pair found that recollecting
by acute stress – as well as in
after stressful events are generally
good, but not neutral, memories was
corticostriatal regions associated with
healthier, both physically and
the processing of reward.
psychologically, over the long term.
“Engagement of cortical regions
There are a few caveats. This work was
previously linked to emotion regulatory
on healthy adults. People with
functions may be significant for
depression usually find it hard to recall
enhancing or sustaining pleasant
positive memories, so this technique
feelings during positive reminiscence,
may not work well for them. And it’s not
thus dampening the physiological
clear yet whether any technique that
stress response,” the researchers
makes you feel positive emotions would
concluded.
be effective or if there’s something
If you are feeling stressed or anxious please contact a member of the welfare team on wellbeing@longroad.ac.uk and someone will call you.
special about reminiscing. The idea that thinking about positive past events, including achievements or
But this is at least a simple method,
successes, can help to improve
and one that in theory many people
ongoing mood and resilience to stress
could try.
is certainly not new. But showing that simply recalling happy memories can
"The best things about Long Road were the approachability of the teachers, and the academic and extra-curricular provisions.
STUART KEPPIE Long Road Alumnus, 2012 BSc Biological Science, University of East Anglia DPhil Interdisciplinary Bioscience PhD, University of Oxford During my time at Long Road (2010– 2012) I studied Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computing.
work and advice on my personal statement helped me get to where I am today. I loved the atmosphere,
I thoroughly enjoyed my time and got a lot out of the experience. I found a particular affinity for Biology stimulated by the course content and the
The feedback on my course work and advice on my personal statement helped me get to where I am today."
provisions. The feedback on my course
enthusiastic teaching, which inspired me to continue onto a BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia. I am now studying for a PhD at the University of Oxford in Interdisciplinary Bioscience,
opportunities and mix of people at Long Road. Going to the gym, studying with friends in the LRC and getting involved with extra-curricular clubs sparked passions and good habits to which I now credit my success. I was given a strong academic foundation for university, and was motivated by those around me to become stronger and be better."
researching osteoarthritis. Do you know an ex-Long Road The best things about Long Road were the approachability of the teachers, and the academic and extra-curricular
student? They can join our Alumni Community, simply visit: https://networks.futurefirst.org.uk/sig nup/longroad
PET EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK Working from home with our fluffy friends
Not everyone is feeling down in the
Toby is pictured here working as
dumps about being on lockdown. Our
Personal Trainer and assisting his
fluffy friends are loving the fact that
human in a home workout. Although he
we're working from home -and thy're
is a very active cat, you can see that
doing a great job of cheering us up
what Toby does best is offer moral
too!
support from the sidelines! Fun fact, he
PET EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK
Is your pet assisting you while you work at home?
Whether they're helping you
is called Toby as he has extra toes on
revise, or lazing on your laptop, we want to know!
Email your pet photos along with a short description including
To keep everyone smiling we will be
each paw!
their name and age to
afutter@longroad.ac.uk.
sharing a Pet Employee of the Week every Friday on our Instagram page
A big thank you to Sports Manager
@lr6fc. Make sure you follow us to see
Matt for introducing us to Toby, we can
the weekly winner and runners up!
see he's working hard with you!
We will be posting our winning Pet Employee of the Week every Friday on our Instagram account
@lr6fc Meet this weeks Pet Employee of the Week, Toby...
QUARAN-TEA Spill the tea Write us an article on
SPILLING THE TEA ON THE BEST WAYS TO GET THROUGH LOCKDOWN Lockdown life can be pretty boring.
Thursday to make your contribution!
what you've been doing during lockdown!
It can be about any topic, as long or short as you like and include
Of course, you've got your online classes to keep you busy - which we're
We'll be asking for recommendations
sure you're totally sticking to your
on things such as....
timetable and asking for extra work,
Books
right?
Films TV Shows
photos - whatever you've been up to we want to hear from you!
Head to our Instagram page every
But when you're not busy studying,
Music
being stuck in the house all day can be
Recipes
pretty dull.
Games
afutter@longroad.ac.uk to see your work here in the Quaran-tea!
To try and keep us all entertained, and
Want more? Write us an article on what
stop us from going to stir crazy, we're
you've been doing during lockdown,
asking YOU for your recommendations
share the short story you've been
on different activities to keep us all
working on or give us a preview of your
enterainted whiole we're in lockdown.
poetry! Whatever you've been up to, email
afutter@longroad.ac.uk to see
your story here in the Quaran-tea!
QUARAN-TEA SPILLING THE TEA ON THE BEST WAYS TO GET THROUGH LOCKDOWN This week we've been asking you for Book
Spill the tea Write us an article on
recommendations. So sit down with a cup of tea
what you've been doing
and cosy up with a good book.
during lockdown!
A big thank you to everyone on Instagram who
It can be about any
got involved!
topic, as long or short as you like and include
Book Recommendations: 'The Red Queen' - Philipa Gregory 'The Fire Maker' - Peter May 'Wuthering Heights' - Emily Bronte 'Memoirs of a Geisha' - Arthur Golden 'High Society' - Ben Elton 'Me Before You' - JoJo Moyes 'The Bletchley Girls' - Tessa Dunlop 'The Librarian of Auschwitz' - Antonio Iturbe Wolf Hall trilogy - Hilary Mantell 'Catcher In The Rye' - JD Salinger The Hunger Games - Suzanna Collins 'Of Mice and Men' - John Steinbeck
'A Secret History' - Donna Tartt 'Gone' - Michael Grant Harry Potter - JK Rolwing
photos - whatever you've been up to we want to hear from you!
'Riders' - Jilly Cooper 'Love, Simon' - Becky Albertalli
afutter@longroad.ac.uk to see your work here in the Quaran-tea!
STUDYING FROM HOME - STEPS TO SUCCESS Studying and working from home, it's pretty strange for all of us! To try and help you out we will be sharing a studying from home tip every week to help keep you on thew path to success!
Remember, if you're struggling with studying from home you can contact your teachers and Progress Coach for individual advice,
Do you have a tip for studying at home? Let us know!
Email Abby on
afutter@longroad.ac.uk to share your advice
LOCK DOWN - GLOW UP USING YOUR EXTRA TIME TO GLOW UP YOUR SKILLS Being in lockdown is giving us all lots of
April is Stress Awareness Month so
extra time during our day. But just
we're looking at the different skills and
because you're at home doesn't mean
techniques you can use to manage
you have to watch Netflix all day
your stress. For more information you
(although we know it is tempting).
can click here to visit the Stress Management Society website.
Are you learning a new skill while you're in lockdown?
Have you found a great resource?
Share it with us! Email afutter@longroad.ac.uk
#LongRoadLife
INSTA LIKES AND INSTA LOVE Spreading likes and love on social media
Make sure you follow us
As well as sending you this newsletter,
But it's not all about us, we want to
we will also be spreading the love over
know what you're getting up to! Make
@lr6fc
on our Instagram account!
sure you use our hashtag -
#LongRoadLife and tag @lr6fc in your posts
We're going to be posting different
posts and stories so that we can share
activities on our Instagram for you to
you on our Instagram feed!
and stories so we can
take part in. So take a break from
to get involved with our lockdown activities!
Use
share them on our feed!
#LongRoadLife and tag @lr6fc in your
studying and follow us on Instagram
@lr6fc to get involved. Share the Insta love with us! Use our Instagram feed and stories as a
We're all about fun and positivity - you
base for connecting with
can use the opposite page to reflect
other students and
on things you are grateful for and start
applicants.
spreading that positivity.
APRIL 2020: EDITION 3
LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN B R I N G I N G
Y O U
01223 631100
enquiries@longroad.ac.uk
www.longroad.ac.uk
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Long Road Sixth Form College
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