Tips to keep that balance:

Ask for help!
If you’re finding your workload overwhelming, let someone know. Ask for help, or let a manager know. It never should be a burden. Asking for help will also aid in stress relief.

It’s okay to say ‘No’
If you’ve already got enough to do, it’s okay to say no when someone else asks you to do a task and you’re too busy. Saying yes and not being able to complete the task/help might even be a hindrance.

Do a Going-Home checklist to avoid taking work home with you
Set a task list to start working on again tomorrow. List the things you have accomplished today. Check-in with your colleagues where you are all at. Switch off from there and enjoy your home time.

Enjoy your annual leave!
If you’ve booked leave, take it and enjoy it! Don’t worry about what you’ll be coming back to when you begin your holiday. There should be no guilt in taking leave and enjoying it fully. Turn that ‘out of office’ on and make the most of it.

Take your breaks and stay hydrated.
This is important – a lot of us forget to take our breaks from being too focused on tasks or just being too busy – having a little break to stretch, breathe and have a drink helps us think clearer. You’ll thank yourself for it.
I hope these tips help you to achieve a healthier approach to work!

The post The Importance of A Healthy Work/Life Balance appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

1. Happier!
Cold water therapy releases endorphins, the happy hormone! It is also released during exercise, which is even better when swimming!

2. Boost immune system
Yet to be proven in myself, I think – Although scientifically proven to produce a hormone called norepinephrine. This hormone has been shown to help regulate the immune system and can increase white blood cells.

3. Social Element
There are a few swimming groups around – why not join one and make a couple of new friends! Or invite friends or family to come with you – share the benefits.

4. Stress reduction
According to research, cold water immersion can trigger the flight or fight response, the same response caused by stress and anxiety. With repeated exposure to this and your control, the stress response reduces, and your body adjusts – the same to everyday stresses and anxiety.

I think it’s always good to give something new a go – and if you can do it from your own home – what’s stopping you!

The post Cold Water Swimming/Immersion appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

Cycling
Obviously, you’ll need a bike for this one! Cycling is a brilliant form of cardio. It works your leg muscles and your core muscles really well. You can choose scenic routes, get in that fresh air, and explore new places.

Skipping (Jump rope)
It may seem a little boring at first, but actually, there are so many techniques of skipping that make it fun! Try different styles. Speed skipping. You could even try double dutch with friends!

Swimming
Not only is swimming beneficial for health, I personally find it very therapeutic being in the water. Swimming works the whole body! Being in Cornwall, surrounded by sea, you could try cold water swimming, which is proven to improve your circulation and help relieve anxiety and depression.

Aerobics / Zumba
Fun exercise! There are often classes within communities and gyms, but there are often classes online, e.g., on YouTube. Exercise to music and have fun with the dancing element!

With so many different exercises to try, cardio may not seem such a bore after all!

The post Exercise Alternatives! appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

Tire yourself out!

Doing a little exercise in the evening is my favourite to try and tire myself out. Going for a little walk or doing some yoga a couple of hours before planning to go to bed is when I find it is best. I feel as though my body has worked and is ready to begin relaxing.

Winding down before bed.

Before I get to bed, I try and wind down for at least an hour beforehand. By winding down, I mean I stop using blue light admitting devices, like my phone/tablet/tv/laptop. If I want to entertain myself, I read or do simple puzzles—anything to relax the brain after working hard all day. 

A sunrise/sunset simulation lamp

This is one of my favourite investments! They’re easy to set up and so relaxing. It helps me ease off to sleep with its ‘sunset’ setting on a timer and wake up peacefully with its ‘sunrise’ setting. I bought mine on Amazon, and it was around £35.

Lavender essential oil spray

I swear by lavender oil to help me have a peaceful night! A few quick spritzes and I’m relaxed. Sadly there is no hard evidence (that I could find) to say that lavender is scientifically proven to aid sleep, but I know many people find it helps.

I know when I don’t put all of these into my routine, I have a worse night’s sleep or don’t wake up feeling as refreshed. I hope these tips are handy – try implementing them for a week or two and see if you feel a difference!

The post Sleep Hygiene appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

Being kind to yourself

I think it’s a lot easier to criticise yourself than to be kind to yourself. I also think it has been made to seem egotistic or self-centred to be complimentary to yourself. There is every reason to be kind to yourself! There are many ways to be kind to yourself. To tell yourself you look good today. To take 5 minutes of fresh air in peace. To say you’ve done a good job on a piece of work. Eating a balanced diet. The list goes on. These things are all so beneficial to your mental health and your physical health.

Being kind to others

I know there’s a lot of kindness out there. Random acts of kindness are publicised widely across social media. For example, people film their actions and post them online. Quite often, these acts are pretty large gestures. Being kind to others isn’t always a huge gesture. It can be asking someone if they need help with something, even if they say no. Telling someone their hair looks nice today. Pulling a chair out for someone to sit down. These small gestures could be the highlight of someone’s day!

Being kind has been proven to lower stress and anxiety levels. I think the thing is, it’s the thought that counts as well, even if the gesture is not needed/accepted. Going into each day with the intention to be kind is such a rewarding thing to do, not just for yourself but for others too.

The post Kindness appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

Here is a list of less-known stress symptoms:

–         Anxiety / a feeling of dread

–         Neglected or lonely

–         Worried and tense

–         Sleep problems / fatigue / vivid dreams

–         Sore eyes / blurred vision

–         Bowel problems

–         Feeling dizzy or nauseous

–         Rashes / itchy skin

–         Sudden weight gain/loss

–         Changes to menstrual cycles

–         Spending too much/other forms of compensation

–         Biting/picking/itching skin

–         Loss of libido

–         Muscle pain

Stress is something almost everyone will experience in their life. In this day and age, there is a lot to cause stress. The stress could be financial worries, health worries, job worries, relationship worries, and the list goes on. What is important is to recognise stress and its many symptoms and get appropriate help or make tweaks to your life to make it less stressful. If you find your stress is your job, try speaking with your line manager to see if there can be any adjustments to your role. Speak to your friends and family to see if they can suggest any ideas or have gone through something similar themselves. Your GP will also be able to point you in the right direction for help.

The post Stress Awareness appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

In this age, the news is readily available to us every minute of every day, via your phone, laptop, tv, and the traditional newspaper. It’s in between adverts on your favourite TV shows. It’s spread far and wide over social media. The latest stories are sponsored to come up on your search engines and social media feeds. It’s worth noting the source of the articles to judge whether it is legitimate and reliable. The world can be a scary space, and the current affairs are worrying times.

Firstly, I believe it’s essential to be educated in the newsworthy events of the world, to know what’s going on to create opinions, use the information to help others in need, or make informed personal decisions on topics such as politics.

I also believe that too much exposure to the news can be detrimental to your mental health. It’s true that the majority of reported news is negative – according to statistics, approximately only 10% of all news is positive. Latest studies show that overly consuming the news can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression. In particular, studies found a specific type of news-related anxiety, called catastrophising, where someone thinks or anticipates that an event in their life is a / will be a complete disaster with devastating consequences.

I know I’m the type of person to absorb the news and worry, so I like to try and take a break from the internet and tv channels that present news regularly. It’s not because I don’t care to know what is going on, but because I know I overthink, it’s actually to be kind to myself. Big news is understandable to worry about, but it’s important to not let that worry and anxiety overtake your life. It’s healthy to take a moment, or even a few days, to avoid the negative cultures of media. Take that time away from the media to look at beautiful scenery, laugh with the people you love, and do things you enjoy without worry.

Despite how the media portray it – Not everything in the world is terrible. It’s good for your wellbeing to look out for things that make every day a little brighter, create happy memories and see the good things in life.

To relate back to the title of this blog – No news can definitely be good news.

The post Can No News Really Be Good News appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

•  Always revise on the business you’re going to work for. The more you know, the better. Suppose your new colleagues ask you questions on the history of the business or their business values. In that case, it’s best to make sure you feel confident that you know as much as possible about the business.
• Dress appropriately; make sure you feel confident and comfortable! There’s nothing worse than feeling uncomfortable in an outfit! If you need to be able to move around, wear more relaxed clothing. If you’re sitting at a desk, wear something that won’t restrict your arms or be uncomfortable to sit in. If you have a uniform, try it on when you receive it to make sure it fits nicely. It really does help.
•  Do some mindfulness when you start the day. Relax into the day, settle your mind, and ease into it. Wake up a little earlier to fit it into your day, to walk in feeling relaxed and ready!
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help! No one will expect you to know all the ins and outs of a role straight away – if you need assistance, just ask. If they’re a good employer, they’ll be happy to help.
• Check your bag the night before – have you got everything you need? Keys? Money? Phone? ID badge? Being prepared will stop any unnecessary running around in the morning, leading to a more relaxed start to the day.

I hope these tips are helpful and get you through that first day anticipation!

The post Starting A New Job – First Day Jitters Tips! appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

The only thing is, these intentions can be just that – intentional. I know people set off into the
new year with a fresh mindset and dedication to stick to these goals, but life gets in the way.
Slipping into the previous lifestyle or routine, spending more than planned, or falling into old
eating habits. It’s so easily done! But it’s important not to beat yourself up for it. You can
always pick it up again tomorrow if you slipped off a new nutritional plan. Or maybe you find
that the resolution didn’t suit you – for example, you could have made a resolution to start a
gym class and you didn’t like it – that’s fine, maybe try something else like a one-on-one
training or a different type of class! There’s nothing wrong with changing these resolutions if it
does not suit you. Do not feel disheartened! There is no time scale to these goals!

No resolution is too big or too small if you think this change or goal will make you happier.
Also, I wanted to mention that just because it’s seen as traditional to start these goals off on
New Year, it does not mean that if you come across a goal or idea that you’d like to
accomplish at any point in time, it is an inconvenient time to start. There is no time like the
present – and good luck to you if you have made resolutions!

The post New year, new …? appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.

On reflection of 2021 with friends and family, a common theme was feeling overly concerned and anxious about what was going to happen in regard to Covid. Almost consumed by possibilities of the future. So, I thought I would share my 2022 mindset:

For 2022, I would like to be more present, less anxious about what could happen, and more focused on what I can do to make every moment positive. To not dwell on the negatives of the past and move forward to bring the best energy into my life. To assure me that nothing can be predicted and to take all positives and negatives in my stride. To make better choices, to continue my new ‘healthier’ lifestyle. To make the most of fresh air, friends, and family.

I think it is important to carry this mindset with me and remind myself of it when things are harder, or I’m even just having a day when things aren’t going my way! Maybe take 5 minutes now to consider your mindset for 2022 – personally, it helps me.

So happy new year to everyone, and I hope you make it positive and light!

The post Welcome, 2022! appeared first on Cornwall Cardiologist.