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New Year New Beginnings

Happy New year Everyone .

I hope you have all had a wonderful time with friends and Family.Ā 

As the New year begins we all look to make plans and set new goals but I appreciate it can be very difficult to motivate ourselves when the world around us continues to be in a bit of a tizzy with the new virulent Omnicrom variant of Covid, but….

Media coverage is helping with understanding mental health ā€“ it has been more thoughtful in relation to the pandemic than any previous global event and as the eternal optimist I try to look forwards and not backwards and still feel it is important to make some plans .

This blog is about sharing a just a couple of my ideas for 2022.Ā 

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Technology: Is it your friend or your enemy ? Should you consider reducing your exposure?Ā Ā Ā 

The mobile phone is an integral part to modern life andĀ keeps us intrinsically connected to our friends and families but can we get too much of a good thing ? Does it distract us from face to face chit chat ? Does it make us feel like everyone’s else’s life is better or more interesting than yours or has it been vital for your well being in lockdown. ?
The Psychological advantages and disadvantages of devices has been well documented but what about the physical considerations ?Ā 
BACTERIA : how often do you wipe clean your device ? why not start doing this every night.
HEV Light : Recent research indicates that the visible blue light emitted from our phones generates a similar amount of Reactive oxygen species (ROS) to that of UVA and UVB which in turn and has been can increase inflammation ,sensitivity, wrinkles and pigmentation changes.Ā 
You are unlikely to stop using your phone so how can we limit the damage ?Ā 
1.Limit your screen time. Take regular breaks from your laptop and programme your device to alert you to screen time.Ā 
2. Increase your anti oxidant intake to mop up those free radicals (any veg with colour /blueberrries/red grapes)Ā 
3. Use a sunscreen everyday (protects against screen damage) containing a HEV filter such as HeliocareĀ 
4. Make sure your skin care products contain reparative agents such as Vit C.Ā 
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Can I be kinder and more helpful ?Ā 

Make a statement to yourself or on social media such as ā€˜This year I am focusing on makingĀ  kindness a priority in my life” or set up an instagram group or Whats App group amongst friends. Share nice stories and join other ‘kindness groups’ set yourself a weekly goal to go out of your way and offer a listening ear to 1 person a day. By a homeless person a coffee.

Donate to a food bank or perhaps volunteer at a local charity.Ā 

Seriously doing for others WILL bring you greater happiness .

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Overindulged: ? how to repair the damage

Yes, it’s great to have a good time but sadly the effects of the 3 main culprits at this time of the year; Alcohol, salt & sugar can play havoc with our skin and your body.

We all know that Alcohol is really bad for the skin causing severe dehydration blotchiness and redness (the Rudolph nose comes to mind) flaky lips and puffiness around the eyes.

The excess salt we consume results in fluid retention making us puffy and bloated and reaching for the joggers and baggy sweaters and then Sugar can only be described as the Devils work and is quite frankly like taking a sledgehammer to your collagen cells, BUT before you all start shouting at me like I am the grim reaper we need our little indulgences so let’s look at how we fix it.Ā 

WATER ; is your best friend ….FREE at source. …. every hour take a sip when you get up and when you go to bed , re nourish your cells especially the brain it will clear the fog, give you mental clarity, wash out the salt and cleanse your liver.

This is really important if you are working in an environment with AC (hospitals etc)Ā 

SKINCARE; be gentle , NO harsh scrubsĀ  use essential oils and REPAIR with Vit C . Apply your moisturiser regularly throughout the day and ALWAYS at night as most absorption and repair occurs when we are sleeping. Book yourself a relaxing and reparative facial. Or apply a Moisturising face mask at home.

EXERCISE: you don’t have to become Joe Wicks … or join a Gym just go for a walk ! 30 mins a day will help to mobilize and excreet all the toxins and burn off calories. More importantly it will make you FEEL better. There is so much evidence now about the benefits of being with nature and how it helps to restoreĀ 

MENTAL HEALTH:

Be kind to yourself … don’t indulge in guilt,Ā  what is done is done , move on …… take baby steps and set yourself little achievable goals. Make a plan of NEEDS, WANTS, LIKES and work through it at your own pace. Take time to check in with yourself once a day, and BREATHE …. long and deep for 10 mins and remember to SMILE frequently.Ā 

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