City Matters Edition 014 Christmas 2016

CITYMATTERS.LONDON Christmas 2016 | Page 13
Wellness Matters
Mind’s tips for
coping with festive
pressures this year
Identify your triggers
Working out what triggers stress can help
you anticipate problems and think of ways
to solve them. Even if you can’t avoid these
situations, being prepared can help.
ONE IN 10 FEEL ‘UNABLE TO COPE’ DURING WINTER HOLIDAY
‘Tis the season
to be stressed
Organise your time
Make a list of things you have to do and focus
on the most urgent ones first. Vary your
activities to balance stressful tasks with more
enjoyable ones and try not to do too much at
once. Identify your most productive time of
day and tackle the important stuff when your
energy and concentration levels are at their
highest.
Address other causes of stress
There are some things in life that you can’t do
anything about, but plenty you can. Issues to
do with finances, work, family and personal
life all contribute to your stress levels and
there might be ways to resolve or at least
improve them. Check out mind.org.uk for
information.
Accept the things you can’t change
It’s not easy, but accepting that there are some
things happening to you that you probably
can’t do anything about will help you focus
your time and energy more productively.
THE pressure to have the ‘perfect Christmas’
is wreaking havoc on our mental health, new
research has shown.
Mind, the UK’s leading mental health charity,
revealed last week that more than one in 10
people feel unable to cope at Christmas, and that
one in five feel lonelier during the festive season
than at any other time of year.
Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 Brits
last month, and found that more than a quarter
of people felt the pressure to have the ‘perfect
Christmas’.
Challenging
It is a particularly challenging time of year
for those experiencing mental health problems;
with the number of people feeling unable to
cope almost triple that of the wider population
(31%), and 39% feeling lonelier now than at any
other time of year.
They are also twice as likely to feel the pressure
of perfection as the national average and 19%
admitted they compare their Christmas to
others on social media.
More disturbing was the finding that one in
20 people consider taking their own life directly
because of the festive period (5%), rising to more
pressures pile up: combat
them with Mind’s tips (left)
than one in five of those with mental health
problems (22%).
Commenting on the findings, Mind’s head of
information Stephen Buckley said: “Although
for many people Christmas is something to
look forward to, it can also bring with it
additional pressures such as financial strains,
feeling that everything has to be perfect, and
loneliness.”
“This can be particularly difficult for the one
in four people who experience a mental health
problem, especially if they feel unable to ask for
help.”
One in 10 people with a mental health
problem don’t know where to get professional
support over the festive period if they needed it,
prompting Stephen’s plea for people to donate to
the charity’s Christmas appeal.
“Mind can’t make Christmas perfect, but we
can ensure that everyone has the support they
need, whether through our Infoline or online
resources, such as our guides for coping with
stress, and our Elefriends online peer support
community,” he said.
“Please donate to our Christmas Appeal at
mind.org.uk/ourchristmas to help us be there
for someone who needs us this Christmas.”
Christmas 2016
The Counting House
Built in 1893 as a magnificent banking hall the aptly named Counting House oozes 19 th Century Grandeur
Decorated with a Victorian theme, it will be the perfect location to Celebrate Christmas
We have several function rooms available to hire | We can accommodate groups from as little as 6 people to
as many as 120 people | The Counting House can cater for a 3 course sit down, a buffet event or a drinks party
We will take care of all planning and necessary details to make sure your event is a huge success!
Quality food and great service makes this pub the
best place to celebrate Christmas this year
The Counting House, 50 Cornhill, London EC3V 3PD | T: 0207 283 7123 | E: countinghouse@fullers.co.uk