Sound Healing for Stress Management in Corporate Settings: A Harmonious Solution
Sound Healing for Stress Management, an innovative approach that harnesses the power of soothing sounds to alleviate stress and create a harmonious workplace.
In the bustling world of corporate environments, stress is a constant companion for employees. The pressure to meet deadlines, achieve targets, and navigate daily challenges can take a toll on mental and physical well-being. Enter Sound Healing for Stress Management, an innovative approach that harnesses the power of soothing sounds to alleviate stress and create a harmonious workplace.
Understanding the Impact of Stress in Corporate Life
The corporate world often demands long hours, high expectations, and constant adaptability. Unsurprisingly, this can lead to elevated stress levels among employees. Work-related stress is a significant concern, as it can result in burnout, decreased productivity, and even physical health issues. To combat this, forward-thinking companies are turning to alternative wellness approaches, and sound healing has emerged as a powerful tool for stress reduction.
The Healing Harmony of Sound
Sound healing is an ancient practice that utilizes resonant frequencies and vibrations to induce relaxation and promote overall well-being. Through the use of instruments like crystal singing bowls, gongs, and tuning forks, sound healers create soothing auditory landscapes that guide listeners into a state of tranquility. These gentle vibrations penetrate deep into the body, relieving tension, and soothing frazzled nerves.
Sound Healing as a Stress Management Solution
The incorporation of sound healing into corporate settings offers a holistic approach to stress management. This practice provides employees with a safe and rejuvenating space to unwind, recalibrate, and release accumulated stress. Here's how sound healing works its magic:
1. Reduces Cortisol Levels
Cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, is released in response to stressors. Elevated cortisol levels can lead to chronic stress. Sound healing sessions trigger the relaxation response, reducing cortisol levels and promoting a sense of calm.
2. Enhances Mindfulness and Focus
Sound healing encourages mindfulness—a state of present moment awareness. This heightened mindfulness translates into improved focus and concentration, allowing employees to tackle tasks with clarity and efficiency.
3. Promotes Relaxation and Emotional Well-Being
The soothing sounds of sound healing sessions create a serene atmosphere, fostering emotional balance and relaxation. This can help employees manage emotional stressors and maintain a positive outlook.
4. Fosters Positive Work Relationships
Group sound healing sessions provide a shared experience for employees, fostering a sense of unity and promoting positive interactions among team members. This can significantly contribute to a more harmonious work environment.
5. Sound healing changes brain wave states
It allows the receivers brain to move from busy doing to relaxed and in this place we can heal from sickness & injury & regenerate cells.
6. Sound Healing makes you feel good
Sound triggers the release of endorphins, oxytocin & dopamine feel good hormones & neurotransmitters that help brighten the receivers outlook
7. Lazy Meditation
Sound healing hasimilar effect on the body & mind as meditation with minimal effort from the receiver.
Integrating Sound Healing into Corporate Wellness Programs
Ready to introduce the healing power of sound to your corporate wellness program? Here's how to get started:
1. Partner with Certified Sound Healers
Collaborate with certified sound healers to design effective and tailored sound healing sessions for your employees.
2. Offer Regular Sessions
Incorporate scheduled sound healing sessions into your wellness program calendar to provide employees with consistent stress relief opportunities.
3. Educate Employees
Host workshops or informational sessions to familiarize employees with the concept and benefits of sound healing.
4. Measure and Adapt
Monitor changes in employee stress levels, engagement, and overall well-being to fine-tune your sound healing offerings.
Conclusion: A Sound Future
In the quest for employee well-being and productivity, the integration of sound healing into corporate settings is a harmonious solution. By addressing the root causes of stress through the gentle power of sound, businesses can create a nurturing environment where employees thrive mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Elevate your corporate wellness program with the transformative benefits of sound healing. Contact us to explore how this ancient practice can revolutionize stress management and well-being in your workplace.
The Harmony of Entrainment: Sound Healing and Meditation
Sound Healing has been nicknamed the ‘lazy man’s meditation’ because through a phenomenon called Entrainment we can change brainwave states from busy active Beta & Alpha to relaxed Theta & Delta the space where our body can rest, heal, repair & reach flow state.
If you have tried meditation before but struggled with a busy overactive mind then you are not alone! In this blog you’ll learn that you can swap meditation for sound healing or use them together to achieve the same results.
Effortless meditation
Sound Healing has been nicknamed the ‘lazy man’s meditation’ by he world reknown sound healer Tim Wheater (one of the leading sound healers in the western world) because through a phenomenon called Entrainment we can change brainwave states.
If you have tried meditation before but struggled with a busy overactive mind then you are not alone! In this blog you’ll learn that you can swap meditation for sound healing or use them together to achieve the same results.
Introduction
In a busy world filled with constant stimulation, finding moments of inner peace is a precious luxury. Fortunately, both sound healing and meditation offer pathways to tranquility and wellness. These practices harness the power of entrainment, a phenomenon that synchronizes brainwaves and promotes deep relaxation. In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of entrainment and delve into how sound healing and meditation are intertwined in their ability to enhance our well-being.
Understanding Entrainment
Entrainment is the process by which one rhythmic system influences another, causing them to synchronize and harmonize. It can be observed in nature, where the rhythmic sounds of ocean waves or chirping birds can induce a sense of calm within us. Entrainment also occurs within our own brains, as neural oscillations align with external rhythms, bringing about a state of resonance and balance.
During a sound healing the brain wave states change from busy day-to-day beta & alpha into slower states like (Theta & Delta) which are the same brainwave states that are achieved when you are in dreaming, deep healing and meditation. These brainwave states reduce stress hormones the body and repair itself from injury & illness.
Image from wellandgood.com
Sound Healing: Harmonising with Vibrations
The practice of sound healing utilizes the power of specific frequencies and vibrations to restore harmony in our bodies and minds. Through the use of various instruments like singing bowls, gongs, and tuning forks, sound healers generate resonant tones that penetrate deep into our being, shifting our brainwaves into a state of coherence.
Much like meditation, sound healing induces a relaxed mental state, allowing our minds to let go of stress and enter a state of deep awareness. As we surrender to the vibrations surrounding us, our scattered thoughts become still, and our bodies begin to unwind. With each resonating sound, we feel our entire being attuning to a natural rhythm, promoting a sense of balance and peace.
Meditation: The Symphony of Mindfulness
Meditation, a practice that dates back thousands of years, serves as a powerful tool for self-discovery and stress reduction. By focusing our attention and quieting our minds, we enter a state of mindfulness, creating space for inner exploration and tranquility.
Just as sound healing embraces the power of vibrations, meditation relies on the rhythmic flow of our breath or a repeated mantra to anchor our wandering thoughts. While our brainwaves initially fluctuate, as we relax and deepen our meditation, they begin to align with a slower, calmer rhythm, inducing a meditative state.
The Intersection of Sound Healing and Meditation
Sound healing and meditation share a common goal: to achieve a state of heightened awareness and inner calm. Both practices utilise entrainment to synchronize our brainwaves and promote a sense of equilibrium. As we immerse ourselves in healing soundscapes or meditative states, the vibrations and rhythmic patterns guide our minds into a state of resonance, encouraging deep relaxation and focus.
Moreover, sound healing and meditation are complementary practices. Prior to meditation, sound healing sessions can serve as a gateway to stillness, preparing the mind for deeper introspection and facilitating a more profound meditation experience. Conversely, meditation nurtures receptivity, allowing us to fully absorb the healing vibrations present during a sound healing session.
Embracing Serenity in a Harmonious World
In the realm of entrainment, sound healing and meditation stand as valuable tools for finding serenity in an often chaotic world. By harnessing the power of harmonising vibrations and rhythmic patterns, both practices help release tension, foster inner awareness, and promote overall well-being.
As you explore the realm of sound healing and meditation, remember to approach these practices with an open heart and an open mind. Allow yourself to experience the transformative power of entrainment, and discover the profound harmony that awaits within you.
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Boost Your Wellbeing whilst at work: At desk activities
Help your team to increase their wellbeing & therefore their productivity with these simple at desk activities
Boost Your Wellbeing whilst at work: Simple Desk Activities to Recharge and Rejuvenate!
In today's fast-paced lifestyle, incorporating regular well-being practices like yoga or meditation to support our physical and mental well-being can be challenging. Ironically, the busier we become, the more essential it is to establish a strong well-being routine. Neglecting to do so can adversely affect both our personal and professional lives.
The demand for assistance in improving mental, emotional, and physical health has significantly increased, prompting forward-thinking companies to introduce regular well-being activities for their employees.
Many individuals within the workplace commonly experience stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and feelings of being tired and wired, which hampers their ability to concentrate.
According to Champion Health's 2022 survey, a staggering 76% of individuals employed in corporate environments reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress. If you can relate to these experiences, please know that you are not alone.
The Impact of Stress on Our Daily Lives
In order to navigate through each day, our brain handles essential life functions such as breathing, temperature regulation, and blood circulation. Simultaneously, it must filter out stressors like loud noises, blue light emitted by electronic devices, environmental pollutants, and everyday pressures.
Despite our modern context, our ancient body still operates under a programming that originated from a time when being alert to severe threats was crucial. Consequently, it reacts and panics in response to stimuli such as sirens, mistakenly perceiving them as genuine attacks, just as it would if a saber-toothed tiger suddenly lunged at us. Within a fraction of a second, our sympathetic nervous system, responsible for our safety, kicks into action.
It releases cortisol, a stress hormone, into our bodies, and determines whether we should fight, flee, or freeze in response to the perceived threat.
Experiencing occasional stress is generally manageable. However, if we are constantly exposed to stressors and lack a regular well-being practice to regulate our nervous system, it can lead to long-term imbalance or illness in the body. This can manifest in various issues such as anxiety, depression, diminished libido and fertility, sleep disturbances, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, and more. Therefore, it is crucial that we take a proactive approach to prioritize our well-being.
Within a workplace setting, if members of our team are stressed and unable to effectively manage their stress, they are likely to be unresponsive and less productive. Additionally, they may experience a higher likelihood of taking sick leave.
It is understandable that the demands of daily life often place well-being activities low on our priority list. When we are busy, the concept of creating space to do "nothing" may seem peculiar. However, it is important to recognize that by doing less, we actually gain more. More energy, which provides a sense of having more time, increased creativity, inspiration, clarity, and patience. In the long run, investing in our well-being is truly worthwhile.
As the saying goes,
"Make time to go for a walk in nature every day, unless you are busy. If you're busy, make sure to dedicate one hour for it."
Practical Strategies to Lighten the Workload in Your Workplace
Tailor this approach to suit your needs and make it manageable. It doesn't have to be time-consuming. Devoting just 2 minutes per hour can significantly impact your day.
Breathwork
Emotional Freedom Technique EFT or Tapping
Eye exercises to reduce eye strain
At desk stretches
Tips and tricks to help you make the most of your working day
Checking in with yourself
How you are feeling?
Are you sitting straight?
Are you unconsciously holding tension in the body e.g. the jaw, the hips, the hands
How are you breathing? Shallow breaths into the chest? Or deep breaths into the tummy?
When was the last time you stood up and walked around
Have you had enough water to drink?
Wellbeing rule
Ensure you stand up every hour, take a break from the immediate environment every two hours, and step outside the building every four hours. Allocate a minimum of 10 minutes away from technology every five hours. Stay hydrated by consuming an ample amount of water. Additionally, make it a point to get some fresh air.
Sound bites
Listen to sound healing recordings from your desk for a quick dose of calm.
Check out this free sound healing recording with guided meditation.
Wellbeing in the workplace
Arrange a sound healing & meditation experience from your workplace.
I hope this blog has been helpful to your team. If you have any other wellbeing in the workplace suggestions you think should be added to this blog please share them in the comments.
Effective Workplace Strategies for Enhancing Team Well-being: Small Changes with Big Impact
10 Must-Have Elements to Support Team Wellbeing in Business
In today's fast-paced and demanding work environment, prioritising employee wellbeing is crucial for businesses seeking to establish a positive and productive work culture. Here are the top 10 must-have elements that all businesses should implement to support the wellbeing of their teams.
Effective Workplace Strategies for Enhancing Team Well-being: Small Changes with Big Impact
Top 10 things you can start doing today to support your teams wellbeing
In today's fast-paced and demanding work environments, prioritising employee well-being is paramount to ensure a thriving and motivated workforce. While major overhauls may seem overwhelming, implementing small changes can have a significant positive impact on the overall well-being of your team. This blog will explore effective workplace strategies that can be easily incorporated to enhance team well-being, fostering a healthier and more productive work environment.
1 - Embrace Fresh Air in the Mornings
Boost vitality and alertness by opening windows to allow invigorating fresh air to permeate the workspace. Increased oxygen levels can enhance mental and physical well-being.
2 - Encourage Stand-Up Breaks
Normalize the practice of taking short breaks to stand up and stretch. By promoting these breaks, individuals benefit both physically and mentally, while reducing time spent idling near the coffee machine or photocopier.
3 - Incorporate Non-Allergenic Plants
Enhance the aesthetics and air quality of the workplace by selecting low-allergen plants. These not only beautify the environment but also cleanse the air, infusing it with oxygen.
4 - Harness the Benefits of Salt Lamps
Consider incorporating salt lamps, as they have been praised for their ability to draw out negative electric energy from the surroundings. Moreover, they are believed to support lung health.
5 - Mitigate Electromagnetic Frequencies
Given the omnipresence of technology in our lives, employ electromagnetic frequency blockers to provide reprieve from harmful blue light emissions, radiations, and vibrations emitted by digital devices. These measures help alleviate the stress imposed on the body.
6 - Mood-Enhancing Music
While not everyone may work effectively with music playing constantly, consider playing soothing tunes during specific times, such as lunch breaks or at the end of the day, to gently signal the passage of time. For instance, when implementing standing breaks, a soft song such as some sound healing could be played every hour as a reminder to take a break.
7 - Foster Group Activities for Wellness
Introduce activities like sound healing sessions, which can contribute to a sense of well-being and cohesion among team members.
8 - Engage in Well-being Challenges
Encourage participation in well-being challenges, such as walking to and from work, substituting coffee with non-caffeinated alternatives, quitting smoking, or adopting healthy habits. These challenges promote personal growth and a healthier lifestyle.
9 - Organise Group Exercises
Arrange group exercises like sponsored swims, fun runs or bike rides such as the London to Brighton. These activities foster team spirit while promoting physical fitness and boosting team morale.
10 - Provide Health Incentives
Motivate healthy choices by offering incentives, such as providing nutritious lunches or rewards for engaging in wellness-related behaviors. This cultivates a supportive environment for making positive health decisions.
By implementing these 10 essential strategies your workplace can create a formal and motivating environment where team wellbeing is prioritised and thrives, resulting in increased productivity & performance, higher job satisfaction, and decreased turnover rates.
Transform & support your teams mind and body with the power of sound – book your corporate sound healing session today and embark on a journey of deep relaxation and rejuvenation.
How Sound Healing can positively impact the work place
Research from Champion Health shows that stress within the workplace is at an all time high & so forward thinking companies are seeking wellbeing practises to support their teams mental wellbeing.
How Sound Healing can positively impact the work place
And why your team will want to incorporate a regular wellbeing in the workplace practise
When I retrained in 2020 to become a certified sound healer it was with my own mental wellbeing in mind that I pursued this new course. I knew that sound healing had been the only practise that I had experienced that could help my busy brain, anxiety & stress. Once I qualified and started sharing sound with the world I was pleasantly surprised to hear the results my clients had, pain relief, support for depression, improved sleep, greater creativity & the list goes on. When I spoke with my clients further I noticed there were an increasing number of people who work in the corporate world seeking sound healing to help them manage their stress levels & to have some quality downtime.
I decided to do some research into the corporate world to see how employees mental health is, especially post covid and the lockdowns and in my quest to find statistics on workplace wellbeing the results blew my mind. I share some of the data with you in this blog post, as well as feedback from my corporate clients & it feels unless we take action very soon we will have a huge mental health crisis on our hands. Workloads are bigger, deadlines are shorter and despite having technology & automations on ourside, people are still working harder than ever but, to what effect?
The screenshots & data I share in this blog are from Champion Health.They have a brilliant article explaining their findings from extensive research of UK employees in a corporate working setting. I recommend checking them out as they may be able to support your company.
Wellbeing in the workplace
Many forward thinking companies such as Google, Amazon and octopus Energy have actively taken steps to support their staffs wellbeing from within the workplace by introducing services such as massage, yoga, meditation, breathwork and sound healing. Overall, staff have reported feeling:
Calmer
More peaceful
Supported by their company
Less stressed
Able to focus on their workload
They’re more loyal to their company and likely to stay in that role because the benefits are so high.
With stress, depression, financial difficulties, muscular skeletal issues and insomnia being reported to be real concerns for people. Adding Sound healing to your workplaces well-being strategy will reduce your teams stress, anxiety, pain & time off work.
Since the covid 19 lockdowns reports of mental health issues and increased. Let’s look at some statistics to better understand how employees are feeling generally at the moment.
www.championshealth.co.uk
www.championshealth.co.uk
Stress
76% of our professionals are experiencing moderate to high levels of stress - a percentage increase of 13% compared to data from 2022.
Taking into account that stress comes from various sources and that stress can effect individuals differently.
35% of employees report that the stress they experience at work is having a negative impact on them.
That’s over ⅓ of the workforce feeling the negative effects of stress. It is well known that those under high levels of stress are more likely to:
Get sick
Take days off sick
Struggle to keep up with deadlines and workload
And in turn that could negatively impact the rest of the team. And returning to the previous figure of 67% of the professionals feeling stressed - due to various reasons - that’s ¾ of the workforce potentially unable to work to their full potential as they’re unable to manage their stress load.
Anxiety and depression
Our data reveals that 60% of employees feel anxious and 56% are experiencing symptoms of depression.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain
41% of employees are currently experiencing MSK pain. In the UK alone, 7.3 million working days were lost due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in 2022.
That is a lot of time off work. Be that for recouperarion or appointments. Staff are needing time off work for support with their body. Sitting at computers for long periods in chairs is known to not be good for our body. Making small changes around the office like:
Standing desks
Physical activities
Regular breaks from the computer
Finances
Financial pressure is affecting 37% of individuals.
This makes financial pressure the leading external cause of employee stress, ahead of relationships (32%) and parenting (29%).
Without giving everyone a pay rise, another way to support financial pressures is to offer things that will be of value to the team that they may not be able to afford to do outside of work. Like Sound Healing, Yoga, Meditation. If time and money make it difficult for staff to access these services doing them at work could really help
Supporting mental health is vital because left untreated anxiety and depression can get worse. Implementing support for mental wellbeing can be the difference between confident, motivated, driven employees and vacant, preoccupied or needy staff.
Take action now, not when things get bad. Prevention is better than cure.
Why should your company implement well-being in the workplace?
If you’re thinking ‘how would this look for my company?’ Or ‘Are my staff stressed?’ Or ‘what is workplace wellbeing programs?’ Then the following lists should help you in your decision. Imagine dedicating around an hour per week to a group activity which, will help
Boost team morale
Improve productivity
Increase energy levels
Enhance the collective mood
Boost sales
It’s a well known fact that when staff are happier and less stressed they work better. Creativity flows through them, less mistakes are made and work is completed at higher standards.
What workplace activities should I chose?
There are factors to consider such as:
Team size
Their abilities (some physical exercises may not be suitable)
Their interests
The space you have available
The time of day you can assign to these activities
How regularly you can commit
What types of activities are good for wellbeing in the workplace?
Sound healing
Meditation
Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep)
Breathwork
Tai chi / qi go
Yoga
Pilates
Dance
Somatics
Journaling
Mindfulness
Colouring / art therapy
Massage
Singing
Walks in nature
Things to consider before you book
Being mindful of religions (some religions might not approve of yoga and meditation)
belief systems (vegans might not appreciate puppy yoga)
Health conditions
Limiting screen time and sitting at a desk.
Lastly it should be fun and optional. Something for the team to look forward to and enjoy. Something that makes your company forward thinking with your employees well-being a top priority, leading to staff retention and lots of eager new staff applicants.
Summary
Some practises such as sound healing can have fantastic effects on the overall teams morale. Not all the team need to participate for the whole team to benefit. The improved mood and focus is almost contagious.
Remember, It isn’t a one and done. You will need to regularly practice these well-being exercises. Most types will compliment the other so you could do a few different sessions throughout the month. I recommend a minimum of monthly sessions, weekly or fortnightly are better if your budget & time permits. Your team will thank you and long term it will be more lucrative for you.
Work with me
I offer online & face to face Sound Healing, Meditation & Yoga Nidra sessions for workplaces. Download our corporate sound healing and wellness in the workplace brochure to find out more & to book your next session.
Check out our other blogs about Sound healing int he workplace
Quarantine Wellness
Mental health expert Sarah Challacombe shares twenty-five top tips to help families to adjust, keep their hopes up and look after themselves whilst in isolation. Learn how to readjust to this new normal when you have a young family to care for.
Guest Post - Mental health wellness tips for people in quarantine
Staying home for long periods of time, the change in routine and relationship dynamics can have a stressful effect on even the calmest of people. The brilliant Sarah from Balanced State shares with us her top tips for keeping sane during the quarantine.
On March 16th everything changed. The basic freedoms we have grown up with, to decide when we can go outside, go to the shops, where we can exercise, even down to what food and drink are available to us to buy, was removed. Covid-19 had arrived in the UK and we had to respond. Immediately, the UK Government announced that social distancing would be applicable to everyone, regardless of whether you were experiencing Covid-19 symptoms and other illnesses.
Consequently, we find ourselves, as part of a global community, in quarantine, staying in our homes all day, every day for the foreseeable future, allowed out for only four specific reasons, (exercise, work - but only if you can’t work from home, shopping for essentials or collecting prescription) unless we’re an essential key worker - which many of us are not. We’re having to adapt to our ‘new normal’, likely taking it day by day.
This is unlike anything many of us will have experienced before and can leave us feeling confused, frightened, anxious or overwhelmed. A lot of us will be working from home, missing our daily social interactions with colleagues, the bus driver, the barista or even ‘joe public’. The human brain is conditioned to worry about the unknown, so if you can, by refocusing on things you can control and make changes and adaptations to what you can’t control you are taking positive steps to safeguard your mental health. Below is a list of some tips that you can implement to try and help you and your family and friends get through this surreal of times. Some may be more useful than others, which is fine. We’re all trying to find our feet and work out what is going to help us manage this time.
Stick to a routine
Go to sleep and wake up at a reasonable time, write a schedule that is varied and includes time for work as well as self-care.
Dress for the social life you want, not the social life you have
Get showered and dressed in comfortable clothes, wash your face, brush your teeth. Take the time for a bath, or even a facial if you can. Wearing bright colours can really enhance our moods.
Get out at least once a day, for at least thirty minutes
The sun has started to make an appearance again but if you are concerned about contact, try first thing in the morning or later in the evening and less travelled roads. If you are high risk or living with those who are high risk, open the windows and blast the fan. It is amazing how much fresh air can do for spirits.
Find some time to move each day, again daily for at least thirty minutes
If you don’t feel comfortable going outside, there are many YouTube videos that offer free movement classes and if all else fails, turn on the music and have a dance party to release those happy hormones.
Reach out to others
There are so many ways to communicate with technology, Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, old fashioned phone calls and texting. Everyone is in this together so you can connect with other people to seek and provide mutual support. Don’t forget to do this for your children as well. Set up virtual playdates with friends daily via FaceTime, Facebook Messenger for kids, WhatsApp, Zoom etc - your children miss their friends too.
Stay hydrated and eat well
Stress and eating often don’t mix well and we find ourselves overindulging, forgetting to eat and/or avoiding food. Drink plenty of water, eat some good and nutritious foods. If you can challenge yourself to learn how to cook something new. Get experimenting in the kitchen.
Develop a self-care toolkit
This will look different for everyone. A lot of successful self-care strategies involve a sensory component (seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (comforting pressure). An idea for each: a soft blanket or stuff animal, hot chocolate drink, photos of happy memories eg holidays or parties and friends, favourite music, lavender oil, a rocking chair, a weighted blanket. A journal, much-loved book, or colouring book is wonderful to take you away from reality, bubbles to blow or blowing watercolour on paper through a straw are visually appealing as well as work on the controlled breath. Chewing gum, fizzy drinks, ice lollies or ice packs are good for anxiety regulation. For children, it is great to help them create a self-regulation comfort box (eg shoebox they can decorate) that they can use when overwhelmed. Getting your children to make their own boxes will make them feel involved and in control of a situation that is so out of their control. They are also more likely to help the child if the contents have been chosen by them.
Spend extra time playing with children
Children will rarely communicate how they are feeling but will often make a bid for attention and communication through play. Don’t be surprised to see therapeutic themes of illness, doctor visits and isolation in your gameplay. Understand that play is cathartic and helps children to process their world and problem solve and there’s a lot they are seeing and experiencing in the now.
Give everyone the benefit of the doubt and a wide berth
Cabin fever is likely to set in after a time which can make us irritable and bring out the worst in us. We all have moments when we are not at our best in ‘normal’ times, so imagine the extra stress on us in the current situation. Try to remember to take a breath and practise controlled breathing in times of arguments or potential arguments. Leave the room if needed. Give the benefit of the doubt where appropriate and not hold grudges or continue disagreements. We are all trying our best.
Everyone to have their private space
Space is so important and it may not be a lot where you are but if possible, try and create a separate space for work and for relaxation. For children, help them identify a place where they can go to relax when feeling stressed. Make the space cosy with blankets, pillows, cushions and beanbags. It is good to know that even when we are on top of each other, we have our own special place to go to be alone. Let others know that it is your private space so when you are there you aren’t to be disturbed.
Expect behavioural issues in children and respond appropriately
We are all struggling with disruption in routine. Many adults and children rely on and respond well to routines to make them feel safe and prepared. Anxiety, fears, nightmares, meltdowns and difficulty sleeping, or separation anxiety will increase, with children testing the boundaries and meltdowns. Do not introduce major behavioural plans or consequences currently - hold stable and focus on emotional connection.
Focus on safety and attachment
We are going to be living for a bit with unprecedented demand for meeting all work deadlines, home-schooling children, running a sterile household and making a whole lot of entertainment in confinement. we can get wrapped up in meeting expectations in all domains but we must remember that these are scary and unpredictable times for children. Focus on strengthening the connection through time spent following their lead, through physical touch, play, therapeutic books and via verbal reassurances that you will be there for them in this time.
Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance
We are doing too many things at this moment under fear and stress which may result in mistakes. This is OK. Practice “radical self-acceptance: accept everything about yourself, your current situation and your life, without question, blame or pushback. You cannot fail at this as there is no precedent or map to follow. We are doing all we can do - our best.
Limit social media and Covid conversation, especially around children
We are in a time of social media and 24/7 news coming at us from all angles that we can feel completely overwhelmed with it all. What we hear in the morning, may very well have changed by the afternoon. Who even knows what to believe anymore? If you are going to follow the news find a couple of trusted sources you can check a couple of times a day at set times for a limited amount of time eg 15 minutes tops, 2-3 times daily. Keep news and alarming conversations out of earshot of children - they see and hear everything and can become very frightened by what they hear.
Notice the good in the world, the helpers
Try to focus on the good. There are loads of community groups emerging to provide practical support, stories of people donating and supporting each other in the smallest of ways but with the biggest of impacts. You can support restaurants, offer to grocery shop or collect prescriptions, dog walk and/or check-in with vulnerable neighbours. By helping others we can help ourselves regain some agency when things seem out of control. Counterbalance the heavy negative news with the positive hopeful news, because it is out there.
Find something you can control and control it
At a time of uncertainty and feeling overwhelmed you can help yourself by finding something in your life to control, no matter how small that something is. It might be to reorganise your bookshelf, clear out your wardrobe, rearrange your furniture, clean your cupboards or tidy the toy box, with the help of your children! Having some control over things will help to anchor and ground you when the bigger things around us are chaotic.
Find a long-term project to focus on
We have been given the gift of time so how will you choose to spend it? You may have always wanted to learn that guitar that has been in the corner of your bedroom for the past 5 years or attempt the 300 piece jigsaw from last Christmas, learn to draw, read the Harry Potter series, or binge-watch an 8 series TV show. Now can be that time to find something to keep you busy, distracted and engaged to take breaks from what is going on in the outside world.
Engage in repetitive movements and left-right movements
Research has shown that repetitive movement (knitting, colouring, painting, clay sculpting, jump roping etc) especially left-right movement (running, drumming, skating, hopping) can be effective at self-soothing and maintaining self-regulation in moments of distress.
Express yourself
Our emotional brain is very receptive to the creative arts and it is a direct portal for the release of feelings. Find something that is creative (sculpting, drawing, dancing, music, singing, playing) and really go for it. See if you feel that sense of relief. This is also a very effective way of helping children to emote and communicate as well and can be fun for all the household to take part in as a group activity.
Find lightness and humour in every day
I admit, there is a lot to be worried about now. But it doesn’t have to all be darkness. Humour and fun still exist and a great way to give Covid-19 the 2-finger salute! Find something that makes you smile or laugh each day: YouTube is a veritable feast of funny videos and creative videos and WhatsApp seems to forever be pinging with memes and gifts designed to make us laugh. Streaming services are showing more films and comedy stand-up shows to lift our spirits. We’re still allowed to laugh every day if we choose to.
“Chunking” and “worry time”
We have no precedent for this, so many of us will feel like we are making it up as we go along. We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week or 1 month from now as changes are happening daily. By ‘chunking’ we can help to manage our anxiety around overwhelming issues. Focus on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge feels manageable - that maybe 5 minutes a day, or even a week at a time. You will know what feels doable. Take one chunk at a time and move through stress in pieces. If you’re finding yourself worrying throughout the day allocate yourself a set amount of ‘worry time’ in which you allow your mind to wander and worry if that is what it chooses to do but have a limit, knowing that after say 30 minutes or 1 hour, that worry time is over and you will move on with your day.
This too shall pass
Even if it doesn’t feel like it, this time will pass and quarantine will end. Take the time to remind yourself and those around you, it isn’t forever. There will come a time when we will return to feeling free, safe and busy, anticipating and connected to the days and weeks ahead. Dare I say, looking forward to the future again.
Reflect on a lesson
This time of Covid-19 will likely seem sad, frightening, possibly even avoidable. At a time of trauma, a key feature to help someone work through it is to help them find their agency, what potential positive outcomes can they affect? What meaning and growth can come out of destruction? Whether something big or small, is there a lesson we can each take from this crisis? Is there anything we need or want to change in ourselves? Our home? Our work? Our communities?
Reach out for help
If you have a therapist or psychiatrist, they are still available to you just at a distance. Continue with your medications and therapy sessions as best you can. If you realise you are having difficulty coping for the first time, seek help. Mental health services are doing their best to adapt and respond to the changing needs of society. Teachers and related service providers will try to help, especially for those parents who are having to suddenly be the entire treatment team to their SEN children. Reach out to fellow homeschoolers, parents and neighbours to feel connected.
Remember, you are not alone
We are all experiencing this ‘new normal’. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. If you don’t want to, then don’t write your autobiography or learn 3 new languages. You’re not in competition with anyone else. There is help and support available to you. Even though we are physically distant we are virtually connected.
About Sarah:
Having experienced her own struggles in life, Sarah retrained and is a qualified integrative counsellor (MNCS) Acc based in South West London. She works with her clients face to face, via Zoom and/or over the telephone, to achieve their professional or personal goals in a collaborative, confidential, safe and empathetic space. Sarah creates a space where clients can talk freely as she actively listens to what is concerning you in life. As an integrative counsellor, she draws on a variety of methods to bring awareness and understanding to your thoughts, feelings and emotions, working towards acceptance and a healthier sense of well-being.
Issues clients being include but are not exclusive to, stress and anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship issues, goal achievement, anger, self-defeating behaviours, physical, domestic, psychological abuse and guilt and shame. Sessions can be a one-off, short or long term. Whatever it takes to get you to the point you wish to be.
If you feel you may benefit from having an objective, non-judgemental ear to get clarity and make real-life progress then please contact Sarah for further information here.
Self support during Covid-19
Being a parent or carer to young children whilst on lockdown, self-isolation or social distancing during the Corona virus outbreak is a new situation for us to all be in. We need to take practical steps to support our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing during this time. Check out my 20 top tips
How to support yourself during self isolation and social distancing
Coronavirus has hit hard in the UK. With many classes for young families being forced to close as we are all told to self-isolate. These difficult times are hard to escape as they are everywhere on the news, radio, social media and understandably what people want to talk about, sending us regularly into a state of panic, stress and worry. As the shelves in the supermarket look barren, we need to reflect on all that we do have. All that is positive and light in the world and how we can proactively challenge this time for a better outcome.
I am a firm believer that we are tribal beings and thrive from human contact. Without it, stress levels increase, depression grows and it can be difficult to think or feel like yourself. Loneliness is a killer Mothers who are adjusting to their new life with a baby can really feel the impact of staying indoors. Depending on your circumstance you may be cooped up at home with your baby and/or your partner for months. At first, it might be nice, time for you to be together but as time goes on you need to ensure that you won’t get cabin fever and you are supporting yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.
Here are my top tips to staying healthy, happy and YOU during the global pandemic:
Do exercise. There is so much choice online on YouTube and also many classes are now going online, look for the right fit for you, it could be dancing, pilates, yoga or even aerobics. Something that will get your body moving and heart pumping. You would usually get natural exercise walking to the park, to the supermarket and classes etc, if you suddenly stop all exercise your joints may being to ache.
Play with your baby - check out our classes, we do live and pre-recorded videos with songs and games you can play with your little one if you get stuck for ideas.
Call a friend - we are all in this together and whilst we cannot be together, let’s be together in any way that we can be, either an email, call or Facetime. Check-in to see if your friends are ok and share your experiences with them.
Keep a diary - sometimes it is easiest to get things off your chest and out of your mind by putting them on paper. Being stuck at home long term may mean the smallest things anyone does, including your partner, can be really irritating. ‘why must you breathe so loudly!’
Do fun things around the house, have a dance party, play dress up, look through old photo albums or make yourself some wholesome delicious food. Enjoy the time to do nothing (something we are not very good at) but also don’t just stop everything either. Give yourself a motivation to get up every day and keep going. Find things to look forward to.
If you have an older child you can find hours of fun in activities you can create and do together. Why not make playdough together then enjoy playing with it. Check out our favourite playdough recipe. Or you could make maracas from things lying around the house and become a band.
It may be tempting but try and limit screentime for both you and your little one. We offer short online classes that you can tap into if you are stuck on ideas.
Keep showing your baby love and affection with cuddles, singing, massage and play.
Expand your music collection - music allows for expression, to release emotions, to feel and sometimes to even escape. Look out for new music to light you up and make a new playlist.
Do some art, if you have the resources great! If not, get creative with what is around the house. You could make paint from pantry ingredients like turmeric and cinnamon or you could cut up old magazines and newspapers for sticking collages.
Read books - this is such a good way to take you away from your 4 walls and into other worlds, free your soul even if you are stuck indoors. Perhaps you could do a book swap with your neighbours.
Have a spring clean - as you are going to be indoors for a while make your home your palace, keep it fresh and clean and ensure you are ventilating.
Keep a gratitude list - I usually do this mentally at the start and end of my day and it has literally made me such an appreciative, happy and positive person. In times that all feels like it is going crazy and wrong and you are losing control, take a moment to sit with your thoughts and what you are grateful for at the moment. Sometimes you may have to search a little harder but you should always be able to find something. You might want to write them down to reflect on in times of need.
Do some meditation - you may not have done much of this before and not quite get it or think it is for you but honestly, give it a go. Just a moment to be with yourself. There are many different types, including guided, colour, sound, look them up online and find one that works for you.
Try to eat well - junk food may temporarily fill a need but whole cooked food will fill you up and give you something to do whilst you get creative with what to do with your time. Home-cooked food will fill you up and give you something to do whilst you get creative with what to do with your time.
Find a new podcast. Ask for recommendations in local Facebook groups if you are stuck. Perhaps something light-hearted and funny to give you a boost.
Learn to play an instrument. There are tonnes of videos on YouTube that will teach you to play an instrument from an accordion to a zither.
If you are woo woo like me, do things to remove negative energy - light some white candles and sage, maybe recharge your crystals.
Turn off electricity that isn’t being used. Reduce EMF near your body.
Be kind to yourself and others.
Whilst we are in it, this may feel like a lifetime but it will not last forever. I think one thing is likely, those of us who survive will come out on the other side, different people. Looking at the world through different lenses and hopefully savouring our freedom and the good things in life.
Maternal Mental Health Week
Monday 4th of May - Friday 8th of May 2020 is Maternal Mental Health Week. Learn more about the different types of Maternal Mental Health conditions, how common they are & what we can do to help. Post Natal depression is a very common mental health condition and no family should suffer alone.
Maternal Mental Health Week & Postnatal Depression
Advice for families living with PND
Mental health is as important to take care of as our physical health. Maternal Mental Health week draws attention to all of the ways parents may be feeling during & after pregnancy including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, psychosis, eating disorders & depression.
You may have heard of Post Natal Depression. This is more than the ‘baby blues’. It as well as the aforementioned conditions are something that no mother or family should suffer through alone. There is a lot of help available.
Below are some suggestions.
If you are living with any of these conditions just know that you are not alone. There is nothing wrong with you. You are not broken or doing anything wrong. You are stronger than you think and you can get through this.
Self Care
When you are busy caring for a newborn baby and recovering from this massive transition in life & your body it is important to make time for yourself each and every day.
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Start your day with a large glass of water.
Practise big belly breathing. Focus on your breath for a moment. Deepen the in-breath and slow the out-breath. Breathwork is a brilliant way to calm your nervous system, relax and energise your body.
Movement - move your body daily, that could be through exercise, stretching, walking or dancing. This will help to release feel-good endorphins in your body. Moving your body is a great way to get out of your head and be present.
Get out of your house daily to get fresh air. There is real therapy in nature. If you can, go to a park or woodlands, somewhere near trees.
Spend less time on technology, especially social media or forums with other parents where you may compare yourself to others.
Think of something every day that makes you feel good, it can be a memory, something you are looking forward to or something you are grateful for that has happened in your day.
Practising mantras and positive affirmations [examples below]
Journalling, this can be a really great way to get things off your chest.
Eat the rainbow - try and consume a varied diet without processed foods, caffeine or refined sugars. Look after your gut. Your gut creates 90% of your body’s serotonin, a happy hormone.
Get as much sleep as possible.
Sing out loud & proud. Singing is brilliant for depression & there are many choirs for parents. You don’t need to sound like Charlotte Church to sing publically.
Surround yourself with good music to raise your vibrations.
Do more of what you love, that lights you up and makes you feel like you.
Create vision boards and be realistic about what you can achieve each day.
Try meditation & mindfulness.
If you are woo woo perhaps try keeping some crystals with you.
Things you can do with your baby
Skin to skin time which you can get through hugs and baby massage are brilliant for increasing Oxytocin & Serotonin for both you and baby. It also helps with the bonding process.
Carry your baby in your arms, a sling or carrier - this helps with changes in your hormones by lowering cortisol [the stress hormone] and increases oxytocin [the feel-good love hormone]. Having an understanding your biology can help you, see The Sling Consultancy for more information. Baby carrying also reduces crying in your baby which in turn can reduce anxiety & stress levels.
You are not alone
According to Tommys more than 1 in 10 mothers get Post Natal Depression. This can also affect fathers, adoptive parents & those that have previously miscarried or suffered baby loss.
Reach out to friends & family for help or services like the Samaritans.
There may be local support groups for you to join.
Talk about how you are feeling and be sure to take time out for yourself.
Our message to you
Don’t be ashamed. This isn’t anyone’s fault.
Do what you can, don’t put too much pressure on yourself [especially during lockdown]. Try not to compare yourself to others or worry about expectations.
You don’t need to have everything under control to be a ‘good’ mum.
Don’t be so hard on yourself, everyone is winging it, some are just good at appearing like they have their sh!t together.
No baby comes with an instruction manual so do not feel as though you are a failure.
Tomorrow is a new day.
This too shall pass.
Positive affirmations & mantras to try
I am enough
I love myself & my baby
I am an amazing mum, even as I work hard to be a better one
Not loving every moment of being a parent does not mean you don’t love being a mother.
I am all that my little angel needs
No one can be a better mother for my children than I can
Trust your instincts you are the best mum your baby can have.
The advice and suggestions in this blog are from a collective of mothers, health care professionals and Baby Massage & Yoga specialists in the Blossom & Berry network.
Have you lived through any of these mental health conditions?
What helped you through it? Share your top tips with us and help another family <3
Crystals possess unique energies that can assist in transforming and transmuting other energies. However, they require regular cleansing, especially if they have been exposed to negative energies from individuals or have supported you during a transitional period. Cleansing methods vary, and it is crucial to select appropriate techniques based on the type of crystal you possess.