How to keep festive stress away

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Family, friends and fun are all part of Christmas, but the festive season can bring anxiety, worry and stress too.

While it’s great to catch up with your nearest and dearest, we know that things can get intense, so we have had a look at how you can make time for you, so that things really are merry and bright.

Breathe
This sounds obvious, but when the pressure is on, make sure you practise deep breathing as it will really help you to stay calm. Sit somewhere quiet, relax and then put your left hand on your lower abdomen and your right hand on your heart. As you breathe in, let your tummy expand and your chest will start to naturally lift. As you slowly exhale, bring your tummy button to your spine. Repeat each set five times and you will start to relax.

Have a place for you
With music blaring out, the TV on and computer games raising the roof, it’s a good idea to have somewhere you can go and just chill out. Whether it’s in the garden, bathroom or your bedroom, take yourself off somewhere quiet, close your eyes and imagine somewhere you really love – like a tropical island or on the beach. Think about what you see, what you can hear and what you can smell, and then float away to somewhere more tranquil than under the Christmas tree.

Go outside
Just five minutes in the fresh air can clear your mind and give you some headspace and a little perspective. A walk around the block, a quick cuppa in the winter sunshine, or clearing up the leaves in the garden can be all it takes to give you some calm. If you can, get out for longer because staying inside all day won’t do you any favours and that’s when tempers can fray.

Drink enough water
Being hydrated is important if you want to feel well and this is especially true at Christmas when there are so many demands on you. Aim to drink at least two litres a day, and if you keep a reusable bottle on your desk and in your bag, it’s really not that hard to get all you need. Oh, and don’t over do things when it comes to drinking booze as that won’t help things!

Have a bath
A long soak in a hot bath can do wonders for all of us, so go on, treat yourself.

Keep a journal
At the end of each day, write down three things you’re grateful for, and why you’re grateful for them. It’s easy to get annoyed with the long queue in the post office and frustrated by the lack of car parking spaces at the shops, but appreciating what has been good and where you have found joy and gratitude, can be really powerful.

Team Pure Beauty

How to practise self care when you work from home

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9 to 5, afternoon, bad habits, balance, bills, biscuit tin, boost, boundaries, break, calls, chair, chocolate bar, clear, clients, coffee, computer, designated office space, desk, DIY, eight hours of sleep a night, energy, evening, exercise, Eyes, fresh air, fresh fruit, Friday, friends, headaches, Headspace, healthy snacks, HIT session, home, homemade flapjacks, job, lighting, living room, meal, meditate, mind, motivated, motivation levels, nuts, oil fish, perk, pitta with feta and egg, PJs, postman, return, routine, salad with oily fish, sensible, set of goals, shops, showered, Skype, soups, stews, team meeting, tidy, tip, unwind., VA, walk, weekend, work, work and personal life, working from home, working hours, yoga, yoga pants, zone

When you work from home, self-care is vital and it is important to make a clear distinction between your work and personal life, ensuring you take time for yourself.

We have some sensible, but easy ways you can get a better balance when it comes to working from home.

Set Boundaries
When you work from home, it is really easy to slip into bad habits like working late into the evening and at the weekend. To maintain a healthy balance between work and home, set your work hours and stick to them. Maybe it is the traditional 9 to 5 that works for you, 10 until 6 is better for some people, a half day on Friday can be a perk of the job. Decide it, do it and stick to it.

Have a place to work
If you can, create a designated office space with a desk and upright chair that supports your back. If you have a whole room or can renovate the loft or the garage, this will give you a great working area and get you in the zone. Lighting is important as this will help you not to strain your eyes or cause headaches. Having a tidy workspace will help to keep your mind clear, and turning off the computer at the end of the day will help you maintain your working hours.

Start the day the right way
You might not have a team meeting to go to, but starting your day with a new list and set of goals, will keep you on track and motivated. You don’t have to do this at your desk, you can have a walk, a coffee after the school drop off or even speak to your VA and make sure you are both on the same page.

Walk away
Making time for some exercise during your day will boost motivation levels and increase productivity. Whether you go for a park run, walk the dog, do a HIT session, or practise yoga in your living room, doing something will give you a break and more energy.

Take a lunch break
We know many people don’t take have an official lunch break, but if you can make time to walk away from your desk and head outside for fresh air, this will set you up for the afternoon ahead. Packing up a salad with oily fish, filling up on soups and stews or having a pitta with feta and egg is a good way to fuel up and afternoon smoothies or homemade flapjacks are good too.

Do not do chores
Putting on the washing, going to the shops, visiting friends or doing a little DIY might be on your list of jobs at home, but it isn’t your real work that will pay the bills. Find times when you can do this, but stick to your working times as above, or you will end up having a clean house and full fridge, but unhappy clients.

Have healthy snacks
It is easy to go for the biscuit tin or unwrap a chocolate bar when you are working at home, but having fresh fruit in a bowl and nuts and raisins in a pot on your desk means when you are peckish, you don’t overdo the rubbish.

Get Dressed
It might seem like a good idea to work in your PJs or yoga pants, but you wouldn’t go out to work this way, so don’t do it at home. Get up, get showered, put the coffee on and get dressed and this will give you a work ready feel, and save blushes with the postman or unexpected Skype calls from clients.

Meditate
We believe that if you take a little time to meditate during the working day, it will give you headspace to unwind so you will return to your computer feeling refreshed.

You still need to sleep
We all need to aim to get about eight hours of sleep a night, and this is the same when you work from home. Late nights and lie-ins might be tempting, but they won’t do your motivation or productivity levels any good. Get into a routine and if it means scheduling calls at 9am or booking a dance class at 6pm to keep to time, then do it.

Got a working at home tip? Send it our way as we would love to know what it is.

Team Pure Beauty

Exercise Apps You’ll Love

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If you hate going to the gym and feel intimated by fancy fitness studios, why not jump on the digital bandwagon and get fit with an app?

OK, you will need a certain amount of willpower and determination, but free from judgement and competiton, by downloading an app, you can work-out when it suits you, wherever you like and you can often track your progress so you stay motivated too.

We have had a look at some of the best options out there to keep you in tip-top condition.

Gixo
Day and night, teachers are available on Gixo for 15, 25 and 40-minute sessions of running, walking, HIIT and strength routines that you can do without having to leave your living room. With no excuses about not being able to find time to get to the gym, you can try a free trial at home and then get to work with the ‘four week to summer fitness programme’ – what are you waiting for?

Daily Yoga
If you want something a little less intense and a bit more zen, then the Daily Yoga app offers over 100 yoga and meditation classes with plenty of poses to choose from. From sun salutations, warrior poses and downward dogs, you can chill out and tone up with this app and the meditation offerings mean this is a one stop de-stress and focus shop.

From Couch to 5k
If you haven’t heard of ‘From Couch to 5K’ where have you been ? This app is quite literally taking people from the comfort of their couch to the 5K finish line in weeks. It is perfect if you are a total beginner who wants to try running, but isn’t sure where to start. You only have to sweat for 30 minutes per day, three days a week for nine weeks to get to your target distance, and we think that you will be hooked on running before then! Why not get a friend involved and you can get fit, together?

Six Pack in 30 Days
Got a beach holiday coming up? Then you might want to strengthen your abs with ‘Six Pack in 30 Days’. No fancy gear is needed to do these ab workouts and the programme is suitable for total newbies. The app clearly shows you how to do classic core workouts like Russian twists and reverse crunches which will help you to work up a sweat, but make you look fab-tastic.

Strava
Not that exercise has to be a competition, but if you want to compare your performance with friends this app cold help to give you that extra push towards the finish line. Strava is a great way to keep track of running and cycling distances, speeds as well as endurance, and believe us, it can become as addictive as those feel good endorphins.

Studio Tone It Up
If community is important to you, then Studio Tone It Up could be what you have been looking for. Without leaving the house, you will be guided through workouts that will help to get your body toned and your mind strong. There’s a choice of yoga, cardio, barre, boxing, kettlebell, and more on offer and with new classes arriving every week, there’s no chance of getting board, just fit.

Headspace
Not everyone is looking for a physical workout, and if that is you, then how about trying the a wellness journey with the Headspace app? Start things off with a free 10-day beginner’s course that shows you the essentials of practicing mindfulness on a daily basis and with meditating known to help ease insomnia and increase productivity at work, you never know where this could lead.

Got an app you think we would like? Let us know about it and we will give it a go.

Team Pure Beauty