Gracemount Wellbeing Blog

  Friday's Top Tip to Reduce Stress comes from Chantelle.  Baking is her activity of choice to relieve stress.   Here are Chantelle's thoughts on this: Following a recipe step by step makes me more mindful The repetition is calming Baking awakens the senses of touch, sight and smell, which is uplifting It helps me escape any stresses and eases anxiety If you want to be further convinced, then read this article from the Huffington Post https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/02/11/baking-stress-alleviation_n_6661148.html If baking is not your 'thing', then any type of hobby or craft will help you relax and reduce your stress. Here are some examples: art knitting / crochet jigsaws gaming

  What causes stress? Feelings of stress are normally triggered by things happening in your life which involve: • being under lots of pressure (exams, assessments) • facing big changes • worrying about something • not having much or any control over the outcome of a situation • having responsibilities that you're finding overwhelming (young carer, looking after others) • times of uncertainty when you are not sure what will happen next   There might be one big thing causing you stress, but stress can also be caused by a build-up of small pressures. This might make it harder for you to identify what's making you feel stressed, or to explain it to other people.   Revising for and sitting exams can be a stressful time, but remember it’s normal to feel a little bit of stress. This can help you focus; though too much of it can make you feel overwhelmed or out of control and can make it harder for you to take in information. Learning how to de-stress is really

Thursday’s Top Tip is an interesting one from Aisha, who writes a ‘Gratitude Diary’  “I look at, watch or listen to news items in newspapers or on TV or radio. I then note them down as happy / sad / thought provoking stories.  Eventually I reflect on them and write down what I am grateful for that day or week.”  Why don't you try this for a week.

  Escape Connect Relate is a reading for wellbeing project for young people by school librarians in Edinburgh. The ECR toolkit is a list of books to support your mental health and wellbeing, as well as links to online advice and support. Talk to Mrs Brown for more information on how to access the collection - lots of the books are already in stock in the library. It is also possible to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from  Edinburgh Libraries  too. You can keep up-to-date with the project over on  Twitter . You can find the themed book lists here https://young.scot/get-informed/edinburgh/escape-connect-relate

  Wednesday's Top Tip is Reading.   Do you know that just reading for 6 minutes a day can reduce your stress levels by 68%!! Jasmine and Niamh both recommend reading as a way to relax and lower your stress levels. Jasmine says "If I am stressed, I tend to pick up a book, as it lets you escape to another world that isn't my own.  It is also a great way to emphasise with characters from the books who experience day to day living in a different way.  It makes me look at things from a different perspective.  My favourite time to read is just before I go to bed, as it allows me totally relax and aids sleep".

  Today’s Top Tip comes from Zach.   “Music is great for relieving stress, but also for putting you in a positive mood.   You can choose something lively to wake you up in the morning, Listen to the radio or playlists throughout the day and then something calming at night.”   Listening to  music  can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical  music . This  type of music  can slow the pulse and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease the levels of  stress  hormones.   https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress#1 When you have exams or assessments, the best music to study to is Baroque.   Baroque has   60-beats per minute, which is the ideal tempo that helps with thinking and concentration.     Give it a try. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXM7arV9KCU