Rhiwbina Living Issue 50

Avoid sensationalist
headlines
One of the main triggers of
anxiety and stress over the
last few months has been the
sensationalist headlines in the
press. Social media often doesn't
help as many publishing outlets
want you to read their stories so
that they can build revenues.
Get any news you want to know
about from a reputable source
and try to stay away from news
that doesn't directly impact on
you.
Talk to your children
Involving your young family
members in discussions can be
tricky. Children may well feel
confused themselves and you
may want to keep them informed.
Be truthful in your conversations
as any exposed untruths will
cause a sense of distrust between
you. Making them feel safe and
protected should be a priority.
Pace yourself
Remind yourself that you can't do
everything at once. Whatever you
are trying to achieve, it has to be
done over time and with patience.
We will all be moving at our own
pace as we come out of lockdown
- be aware of that with others and
make others aware of that too.
Prepare for the future but focus
on the present and any positives
that it brings.
Sleep
Where possible, try and create
a routine and environment that's
conducive to a good night's sleep.
Sleep is crucial to both your
emotional and physical state
and its effectiveness in helping
you reset and heal cannot be
underestimated.
It should therefore be considered
a priority of your day.
Stay connected
Lockdown has kept us physically
apart, and for some, this has
caused huge distress.
Loneliness and feelings of
isolation have rocketed over the
last few months so it's important
to keep connected as much as
possible.
Many of us have kept in touch
with family and friends using
our phones and internet but as
lockdown eases, it's easy to lose
the connections you built up over
the last few months.
Look out for loved ones too who
have gone quiet. Many people are
struggling in silence and a quick
catch up will make both you and
them feel less isolated. Even a
socially-distanced walk can help
you feel connected to those you
care about.
Control what can be
controlled
Worrying about things that are
outside of your control can take up
a lot of your time and energy.
You may need to be told that there
are many things that happen in your
life, over which you have no control.
That is a simple fact.
You can be a lot more effective if
you focus only on the things that
you have control over. You can't
stop a storm coming but you can
prepare for it so take some time to
figure out the things that you can
control and discard those aspects
of your life that you can't control -
including the behaviour of others.
wellbeing
Three steps to dealing
with stress
Stress is the feeling of feeling
under excessive pressure and it can
cause many emotional and physical
problems. It can also creep up on
you slowly as stressors build on top
of each other before it suddenly hits
you.
Step One - Become Aware
Becoming aware that you are
stressed and understanding what
is causing your problems is the first
step.
Physical warnings are usually the
first indicators - headaches, overtiredness
and tensed up muscles
are all associated with stress.
Work out the connection between
your physical ailments and their
underlying causes.
Step Two - Identify the causes
Identifying the underlying causes of
your stress is your next step. These
can be classified in three possible
ways:
1) those that you can sort with a
practical solution
2) those that will get better over time
3) those causes that you can’t do
anything about
If possible, try and let go of the
worry of the second and third
elements to free up mind space.
Step Three - Review your
lifestyle
Are you trying to do too much? Are
you able to delegate anything?
Prioritise the things you are trying to
achieve and re-organise your life
Remind yourself that there is a time
for everything but only if you do one
thing at a time.
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