13 minute read
HEALTH & WELLBEING
REDUCING THE STRESS OF CHRISTMAS
By Amanda Whitlock, Total Wellbeing Matters
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While Christmas is known as ‘the season to be jolly’, it’s often a significant source of stress. This year more people are saying they are feeling overwhelmed as they feel pressure to make it extra special to make up for the effects of the pandemic. In addition, a lack of time and money, worry about debt, and the pressure of buying the perfect present contribute to more stress. This leads to the Christmas holidays feeling like a long ‘to do’ list rather than a time to relax. So, try these Christmas stress-busting strategies to help make Christmas feel more fun and less of a chore.
Limit spending and set a budget
Being organised and realistic about your budget ensures you do not overspend. Have a conversation with your family and friends as to what the spending limit is. You might find they welcome the chance to cut their spending too! If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that relationships with friends and family are much more important than material objects. a celebrity chef with over 500 ingredients. Essentially, Christmas dinner is a Sunday roast – so cook what you and your family will enjoy.
Take some time out
You do not have to manage Christmas alone. Learn to delegate and ask for help in achieving some of your tasks. This will free up time for you to destress. Find something relaxing, such as reading a book, watching a Christmas film, listening to music, or having a long bath.
Go for a walk
One solution for holiday stress could be as simple as taking a walk. Regular exercise helps to decrease tension and boost and stabilise mood. Furthermore, exercising produces endorphins – natural painkilling chemicals that are released in the brain – that improve your ability to sleep and reduce stress. Convince the rest of the family to leave the comfort of the settee and come along on the walk with you, making the walk more fun.
Manage expectations
Everyone has an idea of the perfect Christmas, but reality often falls short of this vision. Despite well laid plans, no event ever runs effortlessly! Rather than accumulating stress along the way from any mishaps, view these as opportunities to exercise flexibility and resilience. Don’t allow the dinner being thirty minutes late, spilling food on the kitchen floor, or undercooking the sprouts to ruin your day. Just take a deep breath, laugh and move on. Don’t put yourself under pressure trying to cook a meal as detailed by
Find some joy
As you decorate the tree or bake mince pies, forget all the items left on your to-do list and give yourself permission to have fun. Laughter goes a long way in the fight against stress. It lightens your mood, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and also releases endorphins. Laughter also boosts circulation, helps muscles relax, and lessens the physical symptoms that are associated with stress. Merry Christmas everyone!
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday 4th - Thursday 9th December 11am - 4pm
You are invited to visit our beautiful Care Home. After an extensive refurbishment, Elliscombe House is now providing residential and nursing care for both respite and long term residents Please do join us for a tour of the home and some seasonal refreshment
Appointments encouraged Please call 01963 32746 or email info@elliscombehouse.com
Elliscombe House, Higher Holton, Wincanton, Somerset, BA9 8EA
FIND YOUR INNER SPARKLE!
By Tracy Frost
Christmas is a very appropriate time of the year to introduce you to Inner Sparkle, an energy that I have harnessed to empower people to rediscover their own Inner Sparkle. When we are born we are full of inner sparkle, wonder and awe – adults are drawn to babies like a moth to a flame. When we see a baby with all it newness and potential it reminds us of our very own inner sparkle and potential. Yet our own spirit may have been dulled, hidden or even suppressed due to our everyday lives. Can we find it again? Absolutely, and this is where I can help you in a variety of ways. AromaTouch is a treatment which helps with the stresses of daily life, supporting your immune function and any inflammatory response. It is a gentle but powerful experience in a safe, relaxing and held space. Holistic Life Coaching helps you find out what needs to be addressed in your life, how to find yourself again and explore a more beneficial way forward. It’s a safe space to explore your options using a variety of modalities, one size does not fit all and we work out your personal learning style for maximum impact.
Working out of a room at The Ministry of Hair salon on Long Street in Sherborne, I am an essential oil enthusiast, using them in every part of my daily life and business. Reiki is a form of energy healing, either hands on or hands off, and is a very subtle way to work with your energy. Aroma Touch Holistic Life Coach Essential Oils Reiki
Tracy Frost
Here are a couple of tips to cope with the stress and pressure Christmas can bring. We all love to give and many of us stretch ourselves a little too far at Christmas, so have a limit on what you spend per person. Think about how you feel when you receive a gift, are you concerned about the cost or grateful that someone has taken the time and effort to think about you? With this in mind think about different ways you can gift. Why not give a voucher for your time? This could mean cooking a meal for someone, a day at the beach, doing gardening or decorating? There are so many different ways of giving and making someone feel good that don’t cost the earth. Remember to BREATHE. We should use our breath to help slow our heart rate, which in turn will help to dissolve the edges of our anxiety. It’s so easy when you are caught in a hyper-anxious moment to allow it to escalate, so when you first start to feel the heightened emotions, take a really long, deep, slow breath. This allows you to come back into the body and out of your head where anxious feelings reside. Breathe deeply and slowly three times, stop and see how you feel; you may need to do the three breaths again before you can feel a little calmer. Wishing you a calm and peaceful Christmas, much love, Tracy.
A Nursing Home combining luxury and Edwardian charm!
Elliscombe House, which stood empty for several years, has now reopened as a luxury nursing home which combines every modern luxury with the original Edwardian charm of this country house.
The entire home is full of beautiful complementary hues and bright splashes of vibrant colour, beginning in the grand reception area where the lofty space has been imbued with warmth and character using Farrow and Ball’s ‘Hay’ shade. The full-length staircase window has been uncovered, and a stunning electric blind created using fabric from owner/director Catherine Trotman’s grandparent’s home. A dramatic chandelier and brass wall lights complete the transformation of this previously dark space. A nondescript passageway just off the reception area has also taken on a life of its own, transformed into a bar area for residents. in the dining room and an Edwardian ‘conversational sofa’, which has been refurbished locally in Bruton.
The glorious reception rooms, recently used as bedrooms and bathrooms, have been restored to their former glory. Two bow-fronted rooms have become an elegant library and dining room, with original fireplaces retained and antique items blended with contemporary furniture, lighting and artwork.
The bedrooms on both the ground and first floor have been reconfigured, with private conservatories added to two rooms. Part of the charm of the home is that no two bedrooms are the same, and Catherine assessed each room separately before selecting furnishings and decor to best reflect the space available. Original fireplaces have also been retained.
To retain the Edwardian charm of the house, Catherine bought a number of pieces of antique furniture, mirrors and artwork, including beautiful sideboards Neutral bases are teamed with brighter soft furnishings and accessories, sourced using Catherine’s contacts in India. The stunning block-printed quilts, cushions ADVERTORIAL
and lampshades not only add splashes of colour but also originality, as they will not be seen elsewhere!
Every possible detail has been thought of, down to the decor in the bathrooms. Here traditional elements such as tongue and groove panelling and wallpaper from Morris & Co and Colefax & Fowler have been combined with a modern air-spa system and calming lights for a truly luxurious ‘spa’ experience.
As Elliscombe House prepares for its first festive season, it is wonderful to see a grand old property brought back to life in such a stylish way.
Why work in Leisure?
By Samantha Welch, Centre Manager
Many people view working in a sports centre or a gym as a stepping stone to a ‘proper’ job, but you can forge a fantastic career in leisure. There are many opportunities open to you; you just need to know where to look.
If you like working with people and enjoy an active lifestyle, have a passion for helping people and take pleasure in interacting with all walks of life, then why not consider a job in the leisure industry. There are many advantages including shift work (the freedom to have mornings or afternoons off) and working with a young, friendly and passionate team. The chance to work in a relaxed, professional environment where you can pursue your passion for sports for free! There are always great opportunities to enhance your qualifications in a variety of fields, you just need to show you’re willing.
The careers paths are endless. If you have a passion for helping people and love exercise, begin your career as an apprentice fitness instructor. Work through the ranks becoming a fitness instructor and group exercise instructor, working towards becoming a personal trainer and then onto a strength and conditioning coach or specialise in rehabilitation or exercise referrals. If you love working with children, consider becoming a holiday activity leader or swim assistant working on up to swim teacher or working through the coaching qualifications in your particular sport. Alternatively move into sports development and develop your organisational and planning skills to run your own activities.
If you enjoy dealing with people, have a great sense of customer service and take pleasure from making everyone’s experience at your work place the best it can be, then consider a move into management. You can hone your planning, personnel and diplomacy skills to further your event organising and problem solving.
Oxley Sports Centre is always looking for new recruits with great personalities, fantastic work ethic and a great sense of humour. To check us out, visit www.oxleysc.com or pop into the centre to see what we’re all about. We look forward to meeting you.
Looking for an alternative gift this Christmas?
Gift vouchers available
osc _ info@sherborne.com www.oxleysc.com
By James Cattigan, Sherborne Sports Centre Manager
Season’s Greetings!
2022 has got to be the year we re-find our love of sporting events, get that summer bod back, and take care of our mental and physical well-being once more. And we are here to help!
As we enter the season of goodwill, we invite new and existing members to start their new year health and fitness goals early, by offering 25% off pay-as-you-go activities and monthly packages bought in the month of December* – and remember, you are not tied into to any contract!
This includes: • Gym sessions • Swimming • AquaFit • SwimFit and support Sherborne’s fantastic local businesses and Street, monthl your friends and family journey. We will also have competition for you to get stuck into And finally, from all the team at Sherborne Sports Centre, we Healthy New Year. Visit our website www.sherbornesports.co.uk, find us on Facebook and Instagram or give us a call 01935 810548 for more information. *subject to conditions
• Yoga • Indoor Cycling • Senior Active • And more to come We are excited to be sponsoring the Sherborne Festive Shopping Day on Sunday 5 December. Come and support Sherborne’s fantastic local businesses and visit our stall, located at the bottom of Cheap Street, where we will be selling centre memberships, monthly packages, and Christmas vouchers to give to your friends and family, to start their new year fitness journey. We will also have some games and a fitness competition for you to get stuck into!
And finally, from all the team at Sherborne Sports Centre, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year.
*subject to conditions
THINK OF YOUR PETS AT CHRISTMAS
By Peter Luscombe BVSc, PgC SAD, MRCVS
As you plan for Christmas, please think about your pets. Any changes in routine, noisy environments and visitors can be a stressful for them. Make sure your pets have a safe place to go and hide if they need it. Contact us for more advice if needed.
We encounter a predictable range of issues over the Christmas period. I would like to highlight some seasonal problems we regularly see in practice.
DIGESTIVE UPSETS
Probably the most common problem encountered by our pets in the aftermath of the Christmas period is vomiting and diarrhoea. This usually results from eating strange rich foods or finding discarded leftovers, so be careful to dispose of waste food safely. Most digestive upsets are not serious and can be treated simply by fasting the animal for 4-6 hours but allowing free access to water to avoid dehydration (avoid milk). Then feed your pet small meals of a plain digestible food, such as chicken and rice for a couple of days before slowly reintroducing the normal diet. If your pet is subdued, passing blood or not responding quickly to simple treatment, contact your veterinary surgeon for further advice and treatment.
INJURIES
Christmas trees, decorations, glass baubles, tinsel and electrical flexes are all extremely exciting to our pets and can lead to some surprising and in some cases potentially serious injury. Remember, do not leave your pets unsupervised.
FOREIGN BODIES
Many animals love to chew on things, and if swallowed this can result in a ‘foreign body’. Any solid object small enough to be swallowed can get stuck, and
142 Preston Road, Yeovil Somerset BA20 2EE
Lower Acreman Street Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3EX www.newtonclarkevet.com
with many new and interesting things around at Christmas the temptation to chew for some animals can be irresistible. Over the years I have been amazed by the variety of objects removed from animals, ranging from bones, toys and wrapping paper to socks and underwear! Objects such as string and cotton are especially dangerous if swallowed, and at this time of year string and nets used when cooking meat are a particular danger. Gastrointestinal obstructions can be lifethreatening and may require emergency surgery to correct.
POISONING
Many apparently harmless substances can be toxic to dogs and cats. Their body chemistry is different to ours and being smaller they are less tolerant of toxic substances. Festive plants, such as poinsettia, holly berries and mistletoe, can be poisonous. Other notable seasonal hazards are grapes and raisins (remember the Christmas cake!), batteries, chocolate (especially dark chocolate) and alcohol.
FLEAS
You might be surprised by how many flea problems we see in January after the heating has been turned up. Continue with your routine flea prevention through the winter and seek veterinary advice if you are encountering problems. Hopefully by being aware of the hazards and thinking ahead, your pets will remain safe and happy throughout the festivities. Ensure you know when your practice is open over the Christmas and new year period and what their emergency arrangements are when closed.
Wishing you all and your pets a very merry Christmas!
