Health & Wellbeing
Value of sleep on health and wellbeing You may have heard of Dr Rangan Chatterjee. He is a GP, an author, TV presenter and producer of the excellent podcast, Feel Better, Live More. In one of his books he states, “It’s thought that between 60 and 80 per cent of GP consultations are related to stress.” That is huge! It’s another warning to take stress seriously. I suspect right now that figure is significantly higher. But don’t lose heart, because here is another way you can manage the stress in your life: Dr Sleep. You can find more information on my website (below), about the effects of sleep deprivation if you are concerned, but put simply it can have a similar effect on our minds and bodies as stress. Adrenaline and cortisol are released if
our sleep is deprived. Our memories aren’t as sharp, our emotional resilience drops and it can even lead to a resistance to insulin resulting in type 2 diabetes. For now, let’s concentrate on how you can improve the quantity and quality of sleep. You need to prioritise sleep. Try not to think of it as tagged onto the end of a fullon, full speed day. Prepare for it. Plan your evening.
This may mean making some changes such as eating your evening meal earlier, cutting down on caffeine and alcohol in the evening and turning off computer screens (phones, laptops, but not TVs) an hour before going to bed. The busier and more stressed we are, the more important it is to allow our bodies and brains to recover properly at night. Preparing to fight
another day. Allow your mental and physical self to slow down before going to bed. We know how sleepy a hot bath or shower can make us feel – so try that. Reading a book – not your company’s accounts but something to take you away from the everyday, to distract, to entertain. This part of stress management is like all others – small changes make big differences so whilst it may require thought and effort to change your routine it will be worth it. Why not try a new routine for a couple of weeks and see how you sleep and if you are more productive during the day? Sleep well! Alice Johnsen is a life coach based just outside Sherborne. 07961 080513 alicejohnsen.co.uk
The tick-tock of nature is reassuring By Dr Susie Curtin Nature writer and qualitative researcher rewildingjourneys.com Welcome to my meditations in nature. Here in the Blackmore Vale we are blessed with a unique and biodiverse landscape that affords a welcome distraction in these unnerving times. I hope you will join me in celebrating all that nature offers us this autumn. September has quietly drifted away in a misty Indian summer haze and a rainy October has crept in behind. Now as the nights grow colder, the seasonal colours are slowly taking hold and the greenness is tinged with saffron and cinnamon tints; autumn is stirring. A few days ago, whilst
walking in Duncliffe Woods, I was mesmerised by a large flock of swallows feasting on the tiny insects that drifted on the strong breeze. These powerful aviators were diving, circling and freefalling over the grazing cattle on the southern edge of the woods. Standing snug against an old oak tree, I watched as their fly-pasts came ever closer. It was the 9th October. Now, as I write this, these elegant birds will already be making their way south; travelling over Western France, Eastern
Spain, across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco, over the Sahara and the rainforested Congo all the way to South Africa. They travel hundreds of kilometres a day, flying low over the landscape. It is hard to fathom how these small creatures have the capacity to make such enigmatic migrations, but they do. As I watched them that day, amidst the wonder, I felt a tinge of sadness. Their imminent departure would leave our skies bare for a while and their exodus was a
final marker to end the summer warmth. But nature moves swiftly and already our winter visitors are en route to take their place. Flocks of starlings are arriving from Northern Europe and it won’t be long before the chattering redwings and fieldfares appear overnight from Russia and Scandinavia. Listen out for their ‘seep seep seep’ calls as they travel in the darkness over your gardens. There is something reassuring about the tick-tock of nature’s rhythms; the comings and goings that signify that nature is still working, and the world is still turning. It keeps things in perspective. That is why nature’s cure is so powerful and why protecting our environment is so important. 47
