Little By Little, A Little
Becomes A Lot
April is Stress Awareness Month and this year's theme is "Little By Little, A Little Becomes A Lot". This is the idea that small consistent actions each day can contribute to overall wellbeing as a cumulative effect. There's a variety of strategies and techniques that you can implement to help manage and relieve stress including keeping active and moving. Over the course of the month of April we'll be sharing some of our top tips to prioritise your fitness and wellbeing to manage and reduce stress.
A moment to reflect and relax
Our modern lives are often hectic with work, social and family commitments, to help build your resilience to stresses it is important to take time for yourself to relax, refresh and reflect on the day or week that you’ve had. Taking a moment to reflect on events and your reactions can help you identify areas that may be influencing how you’re feeling and how you might want to approach them differently for the future. It is human nature to focus on the negatives in a situation so remember to be thankful and mindful of the little positives, even if it was just a good cup of tea, or someone held a door for you, it can help you keep perspective and balance.
A great way to relax is to develop your hobbies, an activity that can help distract you from the stresses of the day and something to look forward to. Many hobbies involve learning new skills and it can be really uplifting and rewarding when you see your progress. Your hobbies can be almost anything, from reading, writing or art to team sports, fitness or something more adventurous. If you don’t have a hobby at the moment have fun trying new activities to find something that interests you.
Small Actions To Make Big Changes
Taking small actions each day can combine to have a massive impact on your wellbeing and effect big changes. Whether its taking time to meet with a friend, get active in the gym, or spend some time in nature, it all can help to reduce stress and improve your general wellbeing. Here's some of our top small actions that you can take to effect a positive change.
Connect With Someone
Taking time out of you day to speak with a friend or colleague is a great way to open up and check in to see how they're doing. Whether its grabbing a coffee, going to the gym or playing sport together, spending time with someone is a great way to talk through any worries or feelings that may be causing you stress.
Connecting with someone can also provide a sense of belonging and community to reduce feelings of loneliness. Building a community is key to everything we do here at Oriam. From our fitness and tennis classes, to walking football and netball, Oriam is a great place to meet new people to build connections and share a love of sport.
Prioritise Sleep
Sleep is key to managing your wellbeing. It provides the necessary rest we need to function and be at our best alongside offering time to relax in a calming environment. Taking small steps to improve your bedtime routine can have a big impact on your general wellbeing and levels of stress. Simple steps you can take to prioritise sleep include minimising screen time, avoiding caffeine later in the day, and creating a clean and restful sleep environment to maximise your rest.
Move In Your Own Way
Getting active and moving in your own way is a great way to de-stress and manage your wellbeing. This can mean different things to different people. Whether you enjoy walking, running, working out in the gym, attending a class or playing sport, getting active and moving is great for reducing and managing stress.
We have a wide range of activities perfect for staying active and moving here at Oriam. From walking routes across campus and parkrun, to our gym and world class sports facilities, Oriam offers something for everyone.
Spend Time In Nature
Fresh air, natural light and time in nature are all good for the soul. Head out for a walk or run in green spaces to clear your head, do a little gardening if you have access to a garden or take some time to look after your indoor plants. If you’re an animal lover, caring for animals has also shown great benefits for your mental health. If you don’t have pets of your own, there are opportunities to volunteer at animal organisations like rescue centres, community farms or Riding for the Disabled where you can support a good cause and boost your own wellbeing. For the safety of yourself and the animals, please always ask the owner’s permission before petting or feeding animals that aren’t your own.
Breathe Deep
Your breathe is a powerful tool to help with stress reduction and relaxation. Short shallow breaths can heighten anxiety so being conscious and taking time to breathe deep helps us shift into a relaxation mode.
Practice Mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness allows you to focus on the here and now. It aids self-awareness, helps you practice emotional regulation and control. You can actively practice during a designated mindfulness session or be mindful of all five of your sense whilst participating in an activity, such as a nature walk.
Back Onside - For Further Support
We're pleased to be partnered with Back Onside a Scottish based charity committed to tackling mental health illness. With 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health illness each year in the UK, yet only a quarter of these people receiving treatment, Back Onside work with both individuals and teams to tackle this, offering support and encouraging recovery through sport activities. They are focused on helping people by promoting self-confidence, raising self-esteem, unlocking inner potential and promoting sports-based activity.