How to look after your mental health at work

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There is no denying that the world of work can be demanding. Admin, staff management, endless meetings, and HR reviews can add to the pressure of an already pressurised role, and if you aren’t careful, your mental health can suffer.

We’ve had a look at what you can do to keep up with the to-do list and ensure your mental well-being is taken care of too.

Enjoy your work
We know that you can have everything from a job, but doing something you hate is not only boring but disheartening and can take away your confidence. As we approach the end of this decade, ask yourself whether you really do like what you are doing, or if there is something that you’d rather do. See if there are any other roles in the company you work for that may be a better fit for you, or keep an eye out on other opportunities out there that will match all your needs.

Talk it out
If something isn’t right at work, then talk it over with the right person, but don’t gossip. We all engage in a little kitchen banter but things won’t change if you don’t let a manager or the HR department know what is happening. You might find that your issue has been mentioned before and that there is something that can be done not only to help you but to make things better for everyone and that has to be a mental health win.

Take a break
You might think that you can’t take a break, but you need to. Getting up, walking around, having a glass of water and stretching might sound simple, and they are, but doing this each hour is a good idea and can take the edge off things.

Look at your lifestyle
We spend a lot of time at work and if you want to be more emotionally resilient, you do need to look after your physical health. A good diet and eating regularly will allow you to focus and stop the 11am sugar crashes that leave you snacking on chocolate. Keep water on your desk or workstation, and try to moderate your alcohol intake in the evenings as you will feel less like working when you have a hangover. Oh, and you might not feel like chucking on your trainers, but exercise can help you get rid of stress and worry, so find something you like and do it.

Own your mistakes
If you make a mistake at work, ignoring it won’t make it go away but could make it worse and get you into real trouble. If an error has been made, own up, look at what can be done and show those you work with that you can be responsible and have potential.

Think about it in another way
Negative thoughts can get us down and when that happens even someone taking your lunch out of the fridge or using all the printer paper, can mean things get blown out of proportion. Go to someone you trust, but that at work, or out, and they could help you see things from a different perspective, or reassure you that it will be OK. Often when we set our cards out on the table as we see them, someone removed from the office may be able to offer practical steps you can put into place to make changes that will make you happy.

List it
If you feel overwhelmed at work, it’s hard to know where to start – so often you don’t do anything at all. An easy way to stop overwhelm is to make a list of everything you need to do, then prioritise by urgency and importance. If you can turn your worry into a manageable plan, you can feel calmer and in control again.

If you do all of this and work still feels too much, ask for help.

Team Pure Beauty

Don’t let autumn bugs get you down

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aches and pains, antibiotics, autumn, awake, bed, bin, bones, chemist, chillier months, common cold, Coughs and colds, difficulty swallowing, do not suffer in silence, feel terrible, fever, flu, germs, good sleep patterns, GP, Hand washing, health, health concerns, healthy diet, high fever, hot water bottle, Ill, increased anxiety, infected and inflamed, kids, lots of water, lower moods, mental health, over-the-counter painkillers, painful and swollen glands, raw throat, rest, sad, school, seasons, sharp, Sick bugs, sneeze, sorry for yourself, soups and smoothies, sunshine, symptoms, temperature, the elderly, throat infections, tired, tissue, tonsillitis, tonsils, upset tunnies, vaccination, vapour rub, virus, Vitamin D supplement, vomit, vomiting, white spots, young children

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, but the changing seasons, and the kids going back to school, means it also comes with a wave of health concerns. While a healthy diet, lots of water, good sleep patterns and exercise can keep you fit, bugs do come along so we have had a look at what they are, and what you can do to get things under control.

Coughs and colds
Coughs and colds make a sharp come back in the chillier months of the year and while they make you feel tired and sorry for yourself, fortunately they aren’t that bad and do go away. The common cold can’t be treated with antibiotics, so you don’t need to see your GP, and you can treat the aches and pains with over the counter painkillers. Keep fluids up, drink soups and smoothies, use a vapour rub and get some rest. Do remember to use a tissue to catch germs when you sneeze and cough and then bin the tissue and wash your hands to stop passing onto others.

Flu
If you have flu you will know it as you will feel terrible for several weeks. Flu can be serious for young children, the elderly, and anyone with a respiratory illness or disease. Flu gives you bad muscle aches and pains that prevent you from getting out of bed, you have a high fever, a raw throat and cough that can keep you awake at night. Again, there is no cure, but you can have the vaccination, which is free for vulnerable groups, otherwise it’s painkillers, rest, a hot water bottle and lots of fluids. If things do get really bad and your symptoms aren’t easing, speak to your GP and just check that you don’t have anything more serious.

Mental health
As the nights draw in, the hours of sunshine decrease and the cold hits our bones, some of us may well experience lower moods, increased anxiety and SAD. A healthy diet, exercise, time outside and a vitamin D supplement can help. If you feel down and just can’t shake this off, contact your GP and see if you can talk to someone and look at the options, but do not suffer in silence.

Sick bugs
Some viruses at this time of year will cause upset tunnies, vomiting, or both, which are pretty miserable, so stay in bed and rest up. Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of the virus, and you shouldn’t return to work or school until 48 hours after things have cleared.

Throat infections
Viral infections can cause sore throats that then become infected and inflamed. You can use painkillers from the chemist, but if you have difficulty swallowing, a temperature, painful and swollen glands, or white spots on your tonsils, you may have tonsillitis so will need to see your GP.

So, eat well, drink water, get lots of rest and keep the bugs away as much as you can.

Team Pure Beauty

Why getting up early could be good for you

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The early hours might not be something you are familiar with or keen on, but they are not only the quietest time of the day but can also be the most productive.

No one yelling “mum,” no phone calls coming in and no emails landing in your inbox that need an urgent response. There’s also something really special about watching the sunrise and feeling accomplished before breakfast.

If you’re not a morning person, this might sound like hard work, but setting your alarm just a little earlier each day can be all it takes to make big shifts and we have some suggestions on how to make the switch.

Me time
We all know that time by ourselves can be hard to come by, but even a few extra minutes by yourself with your own thoughts can be huge for your peace of mind and mental health. Whether ‘me time’ to you means meditation, doing some yoga, writing a gratitude journal or listening to a podcast with no interruptions, mornings can give you the time to do this, so you feel cared for and looked after.

Do some exercise
We all have good intentions, and we all have our own body clocks, but while the rest of the house sleeps, you could fit in the exercise you keep meaning to do. It could be going for a walk as the sun comes up, running on the treadmill, doing a boxing session in the living room or lifting weights, all of these are a great way to start your day and work towards a goal. Whatever makes you feel good and gets you moving, go for it and we think you will be surprised the energy and motivation this will give you for the rest of the day.

Enjoy one hot cup of coffee
How many times do you make your first coffee of the day but never actually get to drink it while it is hot? Even getting up half an hour earlier than usual will mean you can make yourself a coffee, or tea, and sip it while it’s hot and plan your day.

Eat breakfast
Giving yourself a little extra time in the morning means you can prepare and enjoy a healthy breakfast. It is so easy to grab a cereal bar or knock back a smoothie as you run out of the house, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Eggs on toast, a bagel with smoked salmon and lemon juice or smashed avocado on rye bread are all easy to prepare, quick to eat and good for you – so make that extra time in the day count.

Get to work
For some people, the stillness of the morning is the perfect time to do some work. With an increasing number of us working for ourselves, or having flexible hours, being able to get through your to-do list can be done on your terms. Maybe you are most productive at admin at 6am, or you like to write blog posts when the office is silent, or it could be that getting your accounts done before 7am makes you feel organised and efficient.

Find what works for you and you’ll be amazed at how those extra hours can change the way you live and feel.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy ways to stress less every day

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anxiety, appreciate the little things, bed, best friend, bike, body, breathing, busy, caffeine, coffee, deep, demands, desk, edge, emails, endorphins, energised, exhaling, family, feel-good hormones, focus, food, full breaths, gratitude journal, gym, health, healthy sleep routine, herbal tea, here and now, Insta perfect, Inta perfect, life, look after, Meditative breathing techniques, mental health, morning, mouth, move, natural way, negative phrases, nose, physical wellbeing., Relax, relaxed, savour the moment, scroll, shallower, shifts, shorter, sleep, social media, stress, stress levels, stressful, sun shining, tension, to do list, trigger, vicious cycle, wake up, walking the dog

Life is busy, demands grow every day, the need to be Insta perfect plays on our minds and sometimes things can just get too much. It is just as important to look after your mental health, as it is to keep tabs on your physical wellbeing or things can start to get on top of you.

We have had a look at some simple ways you can take back control when it comes to feeling good about life and stressing less each day.

Think about how you start your day
For many people, anxiety is an issue and it can feel worse in the morning. To help with this, try to avoid activities that trigger your stress levels the moment you get up. Don’t look at your emails as soon as you wake, scroll through social media when you are at your desk and not in bed, and if coffee adds an edge, try a herbal tea and some meditation before hitting the caffeine.

List it
We aren’t talking about a to-do list, but a gratitude journal. Each day write down ten things that you’re grateful for and start to appreciate the little things we often take for granted, like family, health, food on the table and even the sun shinning. When you start to see what you do have and focus less on what you wish you had, shifts can be made and stress levels can go down.

And breath
Tuning into your breathing can make a real difference to how you feel as this really does affect your body. Think about it, when you are stressed out, your breathing becomes shorter and shallower, this can make you feel worse and a vicious cycle is set in place. Meditative breathing techniques can make a big difference to how you feel and allow you to become more relaxed and able to think straight. Start by simply taking deep, full breaths in through your nose, and exhaling slowly out of your mouth. Set aside ten minutes a day, more if you can, and just sit with your breath and feel the tension lift.

Get some exercise
Yes, we are all busy but there are real benefits for our mental health if we exercise. When you move your body releases endorphins, feel-good hormones, and when this happens it helps you to feel more energised and focused. This doesn’t mean hitting the gym twice a day or training for a marathon, but simply walking the dog, getting on your bike or taking a step class are all ways to bring good vibes into your life the natural way.

Be your own best friend
Have you ever stopped and thought about how you talk to yourself? Words like stupid, slow, lazy and failure are negative phrases we often use with ourselves, but now is the time to stop and be your own best friend and look after you.

Sleep it away
When we are tired, our worries seem to get worse and we find it harder to turn off and relax. Try to get yourself into a healthy sleep routine so you are able to give your body and mind time to recuperate and catch up. A set bedtime, having a warm bath with added essential oils, doing some yoga are all ideas that can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Live in the moment
It is all too easy to think about what went wrong in the past, or worry about the future, but why not start to enjoy and appreciate the here and now? You cannot change what has happened and we do not know what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, so savour the moment and leave those worries at the door.

Team Pure Beauty

Struggling with Acne? You Aren’t Alone.

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acne, bad skin, beautiful women, Beyonce, breakout, Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, celebrities, celebrity, depression, Eva Longoria, flare-up, isolation, large pores, loneliness, mental health, not alone, photoshop, pimples, spot, spots, uneven skin, Victoria Beckham

Having a skin issue like acne can affect not just your skin, but also your mental health. The condition can be tricky to deal with and can leave sufferers feeling frustrated, isolated and depressed. It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone in your struggle with acne, and some of the most beautiful women in the world also struggle with their skin. Here’s a list of five celebrities who also suffer from acne and other skin issues:

Victoria Beckham

 

By LGEPR – Victoria Beckham, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19900209

To look at Mrs Beckham’s skin these days, you wouldn’t know she struggled with acne for so long, but she dealt with bad skin way into her twenties. To keep her skin in tip-top shape, she swears by a strict regime of exfoliation and moisturisation, and insists that products containing glycolic acid are what have made all the difference to her face.

Cameron Diaz

By https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600/26307333616/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76482897

It’s hard to believe that someone as goddess-like as Cam has ANY problems, but she’s human like the rest of us and her acne was an issue even in her thirties. She credits clean eating with helping her skin to get better “I hadn’t needed to be angry at my skin or feel bad about myself. I had just needed to LISTEN TO MY BODY. Acne was my body’s alarm system, it was a way of telling me [to stop eating fast food]”

Eva Longoria

By Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40665890

Eva Longoria, star of Desperate Housewives, says that her hectic lifestyle is partly responsible for her issues with breakouts. “Because I fly so much, hydration is important. When you have good skin, everything else kind of falls into place. Also, I use blush with shimmer in it. That way, your skin glows and people notice it.”

Beyonce

By Rocbeyonce – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FWT11.jpg / https://www.facebook.com/shawntok, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49895196

While it may come as a shock that Queen Bey has anything even remotely close to being a flaw, the ex-Destiny’s Child singer deals with pimples, uneven skin and large pores. The vasy majority of images that we see of Beyonce have been retouched in some way, giving us slightly unrealistic expectations of what celebrity skin is really like.

Britney Spears

By Glenn Francis – Britney Spears, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26447539

Britney is perhaps one of the most well-known famous acne sufferers, not least of all because the girl is NOT afraid to step outside with a bare face. Whether it’s a conscious effort to give her skin a break from make-up with she’s having a flare up or just a normal woman having a “can’t be bothered” day, we applaud Britney for putting her best face forward, no matter what.