Stridi

Hello again! It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. and also, arguably, the most stressful.   I likely wasn’t the only one heading home from town this morning, suddenly thinking “oh no! I still haven’t got anything for so-and-so”. If you’ve even got half of your Christmas shopping done, that’s amazing. If you haven’t started yet, that’s fine too – life gets in the way. This time of year isn’t easy. There’ll be plenty of people still running to the shops over the next week or so. However much you’ve achieved, you’re doing great. A personal story: I was walking through town today. It was busy. The Christmas market was on, people were rushing around, there were things in the way, lots of noise.  I’m an anxious person, but having previously worked in retail for over two years, I’m used to busy places, crowds and shoppers.    Even so, I felt tension, the atmosphere was overwhelming. I didn’t know which shops to go into. I’m not much of a shopper, a...

  Hello, and welcome. If you’re reading this, congratulations – it was Blue Monday yesterday, and we got through it. According to psychology experts, Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year. The weather is cold, the skies are grey and it’s around the time when our new year resolutions are showing early signs of wear and tear. So we get towards the end of January and we’re all feeling a bit gloomy. How did you feel yesterday?  Part of my reason for writing this piece was because I had a gloomy day. I’m not even sure why. But this time of year can be hard anyway.  I remember an old housemate, who suffered from depression, saying he always found January and February to be the hardest time, because it was so dark, chilly and the weather was terrible.  Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels So I’m writing this piece to give some tips on overcoming those gloomy days, when you’re at work, or away from your coping methods. Even if you love your job, b...

Hi Everyone, Welcome back to Stridi Towers. Hope you are all having a great Christmas and that you’re looking forward to the hope and positivity that the New Year can bring! This will just be a short piece to reach out and provide some tips over how to look after both your physical and mental health over the next few days. We’re in that weird period between Christmas and New Year where nobody really knows what is happening. Many people are briefly back at work (and that’s if you even stopped!), but others are still relaxing on the sofa, finishing off the last few mince pies. So here’s some advice for looking after yourself this week: Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels   Winter Walks are Wonderful. A short stroll will do you the world of good. Whether this is with family members, a socially distanced outing with a friend, or simply on your own. Sunshine, fresh air and exercise will increase your serotonin levels, helping to put you in a good mood for the rest of the day. ...