|
|
Welcome to our last newsletter of 2020!
This month we are looking ahead to the Christmas period which is not always joyful for some. It can be a time of increased stress, loneliness and lethargy.
In this month's articles, we consider the stress that you might feel at this time of year and suggest some ways of working through these feelings.
We also look at the theme of loneliness and what you might do if you are feeling lonely.
In our Video this month Elliot, talks about the potential benefits of exercise for managing stress.
We have recycled our popular Christmas top tips on looking after your posture over the festive period - our gift to you!
And we revisit an often asked for recipe from last year. A seasonal gingerbread that you can enjoy with the whole family.
We finish 2020 with something uplifting and joyful from our favourite the Kid President.
|
|
|
What's on at Durham House
|
|
|
|
The Clinics
As we come to the end of the second lockdown we remain grateful that we have been able to continue to offer chiropractic services and most massage therapy treatments in both clinics and do so with safety and well-being in mind. We are always thankful for the lovely feedback we receive on the work that we do, and want to thank our patients for being so supportive.
December Opening Hours
Both clinics continue to be open for treatments until the 23rd.
Closed - 24th to the 28th for the Christmas period.
Open - 29th and 30th
Closed - 31st and 1st for the New Year
And re-open on Saturday 2nd January 2021.
The Studio
The Studio re-opens on Monday 7th December, which is great news. Our timetable is still phased and we continue to monitor all government recommendations and COVID secure measures to bring you a safe environment.
As a reminder of the types of classes we offer, please click on the link below.
Team News
You might recall last month we announced that a team of clinic staff were taking a part in the Movember Move challenge. This was to walk or run 60km each over the month of November in awareness of the 60 men that are lost to suicide every hour.
The team made up of Sarah (studio), Vic (operations), Sarah (massage), Sam (massage), Cathi (front desk) and Frida (chiropractic) managed a whopping 569 km's which is 422 miles. This was a mixture of dog walking, running and even buggy runs, and we think the number could have been much higher (had some remembered to turn the tracker on every time!)
Sue Masters Holistic and Beauty
We are pleased to announce that Sue can fully re-open her treatment room from the 2nd of December and is taking bookings. It is getting quite full so don't delay! Her workplace continues to be fully COVID secure and existing measures will continue to be in place to protect your health and well-being.
For bookings please contact Sue directly on 07876 353423.
|
|
|
Feeling Blue
Apparently blue is the world's favourite colour! More people pick this shade as their personal fave than any other!
That might have to do with blue's pleasing associations (think crystalline seas and clear sunny skies) but researchers suggest people probably love how blue makes them feel. In fact, if you want to feel calmer quickly, all you need to do is bathe yourself in blue light, one new study shows.
If you're sad and describe yourself as 'feeling blue', you're using a phrase coined from a custom among many old deep water sailing ships. If the ship lost the captain or any of the officers during its voyage, she would fly blue flags and have a blue band painted along her entire hull when returning to home port.
At Durham House we see many people struggling to recognise or manage their feelings of the blues and stress because it often manifests physically as, for example, muscle tension, pain or headaches. There are many great sources, the NHS website being one, that list helpful stress management techniques such as getting enough sleep, avoiding too much caffeine and nicotine, regularly seeking support from family and friends and prioritising our workload.
|
|
|
Mental Health and Well-being
|
|
|
|
The Feeling of Loneliness
Whether you’re riding out the coronavirus pandemic with roommates, family members, pets, or you’re by yourself, you’ve probably experienced feeling lonely at some point over the last few months. The truth is that loneliness doesn’t just crop up when you’re alone; many of us experience it even when we’re scheduling virtual chats or gathering around the table for a family dinner.
Even if you’re happily quarantining with people you adore, you might miss certain types of interactions or even relationships. There’s a specific kind of loneliness that comes from being unable to do things with your friends, or the small daily interactions. Though you’re probably doing your best to take these new developments in stride, the pandemic has likely changed your life in major ways.
Most of us have gone from a reality where we can easily be around friends, family, co-workers (even strangers on crowded trains or in stores), and we’ve transitioned to a far more insular existence. Suddenly, travel is limited and impromptu hangouts are literally unsafe. And, as if the pandemic isn’t isolating enough, politics, media and relentless “news” is overwhelming.
In short: Loneliness is understandable no matter your circumstances, and it sometimes feels like there aren’t enough socially distanced park meet ups or video calls to make up the difference.
So what should you do when you’re feeling lonely? Check out our tips in the article attached.
|
|
|
Finding Support
Christmas time can also bring up a whole lot of practical and emotional issues which can be really stressful. The pressure to spend money on presents, decorations and travel can triggers a lot of money worries. If you have eating or alcohol problems you might be struggling with the amount of food and drink around in the coming weeks.
Coronavirus (Covid-19) is impacting all our lives, and we know that the usual advice might not quite apply. Some ideas for looking after yourself may feel unrealistic right now. And some treatment and support options will be harder to access, or may be unavailable for a while. But we hope that you can still find information that helps you understand what you're going through, and find a path forward.
If you need support, The Samaritans are there to listen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 116 123 for free.
If things have got so bad you’re feeling unsafe, the quickest way to get help is calling 999 or going to A&E.
|
|
|
Exercise For Stress Relief
|
|
|
|
|
This month Elliot talks about the potential benefits of exercise for stress relief
|
|
|
Have Yourself a Healthy Posture Christmas!
Your Christmas turkey may look all 'butter wouldn’t melt' as it sits in the supermarket freezer, but weighing in at around 25lb, it can become a back busting heavy weight when you’re bending over to get it out of a hot oven!
A happy back means a happy Christmas so use these tips to make sure the festivities run smoothly.
|
|
|
|
Treat yourself or buy as a gift
Available to purchase in both clinics
For more information call:
Farnham 01252 725 669
or
Fleet 01252 622 050
or email
farnham@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk
fleet@durhamhousechiropractic.co.uk
|
|
|
|
Gingerbread Cookies
December is a month when much celebration and feasting occurs. It's one of the darkest, coldest months and Christmas brings a bit of relief and warmth into all our lives.
While all of us enjoy a bit of indulgence, there is a case for thinking about what we’re eating. It's important to make sure that, for the majority of the month, we still get all the vitamins, minerals and macro nutrients the body needs to support us through the winter months when there are lots of bugs around and not much sunlight to keep our vitamin D stores up.
The immune system needs about 20 different vitamins and minerals to function optimally and sugar has a direct negative effect on the immune system, so this month’s recipe is a family favourite but with a healthier twist.
Before we get on to the recipe, let’s consider vitamin D. Because we live in the northern hemisphere, it's estimated that a very large percentage of the population is deficient in this important nutrient. In fact, Public Health England has suggested that everyone over the age of 1 should supplement vitamin D between the months of October and March when we get the least sun exposure. Vitamin D is not just needed for bone health, it's also needed for stabilising mood and is absolutely crucial for immune function.
So on to the recipe... everyone loves a gingerbread cookie at Christmas and the kids love making and decorating them, as well as eating them! This recipe uses wholemeal flour which provides a much slower releasing carbohydrate, so reducing those sugar highs (and lows) that come with conventional baked goods. Wholegrain flour also retains many of the nutrients that are found in the outer husk of the grain, which we lose in the refining process to make white flour.
Instead of processed white sugar, which actually provides no nutrients apart from calories and uses up many nutrients in its processing, this recipe uses maple syrup and pitted dates, which do contain sugar but don’t give the same blood sugar spikes and provide many other nutrients at the same time.
Spices offer many health giving properties. Cinnamon is known to help blood glucose balance and recent research found that daily cinnamon intake helped to lower overall cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
Ginger has a very long history of use in various forms of traditional / alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few.
|
|
|
|
We are going to leave you with this Kid President gem.
Have a safe Christmas and Happy New Year.
Be kind to yourself and others and we look forward to seeing you in 2021.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
