How to look after your mental health at work

Tags

11am sugar crashes, admin, banter, boring, chocolate, company, confidence, decade, desk, disheartening, eating regularly, emotionally resilient, engage, error, exercise, fridge, good diet, gossip, hangover, happy, HR, HR department, HR reviews, importance, lifestyle, list it, look after, lunch, manageable plan, manager, mental health, mental health win, moderate your alcohol intake, Negative thoughts, office, opportunities, overwhelmed, own up, Own your mistakes, perspective, physical health, potential, practical steps, pressure, pressurised role, prioritise, reassure, removed, responsible, right, roles, simple, snacking, staff management, stress and worry, stretching, suffer, take a break, Talk it out, to do list, trainers, trouble, water, work, work can be demanding, workstation

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

Let Pure Beauty save your skin

Tags

acne, acne attacks, age, anti-oxidant, antidote, apply, bacteria, balances, bane of your life, cleansed skin, clears, CoEnzyme Q10, collagen production, comfort, concentrated, controls, correct, daily, Decleor Mandarin Smoothing Oil Serum, dehydration, Dermalogica Breakout Control, Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence i, discomfort, DMAE, drops, dryness, ease, effective, Elemis Hydra-Boost Sensitive Day Cream, environmental issues, Eyes, face, fast-absorbing formula, fine lines, genetics, gentle, gently calms, hazelnut, healthier, hyaluronic acid, hydrate, hydration, ingredients, invisible cream, Jan Marini C-ESTA Eye Repair Concentrate, lightweight toner, locks in moisture, massage, Mirabilis Jalapa, mix, moisture, moisturisers, morning, naturally, night, olis, Orange Blossom milk, outbreaks, palms, people, prevents, redness, refreshing formula, relieve, rested, restore, sad eyes, save your skin, sebum, sensitive skin, sensitivity, serum, silky, skin, smooth, soothed, spots, suffer, sunflower, teenagers, toning, unique blend, Vitamin C, warm, water intake, wrinkles

Whether it’s outbreaks, fine lines, redness, sensitivity or dryness, at Pure Beauty we are confidence we have a product, or two, that can help save your skin.

Redness
If redness is the bane of your life, the Dermalogica Redness Relief Essence is just for you. This lightweight toner gently calms and balances sensitive skin, leaving it feeling soothed and rested. Concentrated like a serum, this product has a refreshing formula that not only deals with redness but thanks to a gentle blend of ingredients it helps relieve, restore and hydrate skin so that discomfort and dehydration is taken out of the equation.

Sensitive skin
The Elemis Hydra-Boost Sensitive Day Cream is the perfect antidote to sensitive skin. This anti-oxidant rich, calming, fragrance-free day cream offers hydration to even the most sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture, while naturally rich anti-oxidant Mirabilis Jalapa and orange blossom milk, soothe, moisturise and comfort. Used on a daily basis, after toning, your skin will start to feel more balanced, calmer and beautifully hydrated.

Fine lines
Age, genetics, water intake and environmental issues all play a part in fine lines, but there are products that can ease them. We love the Decleor Mandarine Smoothing Oil Serum as it can help with the first signs of ageing and correct both the fine lines and wrinkles that come to us all, and it smells pretty good to. A unique blend of hazelnut, sunflower and camellia oils means that from the first use skin appears even and radiant. This can be used morning and night and it is suggested you warm two drops between your palms and then massage into cleansed skin, and then apply your moisturiser.

Acne attacks
Most people suffer from some form of acne during their lives, and not just when they are teenagers. There are many reasons for spots to occur, but there is one thing we know and that is that the Dermalogica Breakout Control works at getting rid of them. This is an effective, invisible cream that clears, controls and prevents breakouts thanks to a gentle but effective mix of ingredients. The silky, fast-absorbing formula starts to work on application, soothing the skin as bacteria is taken away.

Sad eyes
The skin around our eyes is super thin which means it’s one of the first places to show signs of ageing. The Jan Marini C-ESTA Eye Repair Concentrate comes with high levels of vitamin C along with DMAE and CoEnzyme Q10 which together address the visible signs of ageing around the eyes. Regular application can lead to the reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and because the complex encourages collagen production, skin looks tighter, firmer and so much healthier too.

If you would like more details, or are interested in trying some samples, get in touch and let us come to your rescue.

Team Pure Beauty

Top tips for holiday health

Tags

alcohol, anti-diarrhoea pills, anti-histamines, antiseptic gels and wipes, basic, bottled water, car, care, chill out, chlorine, citronella, cost, creams, Deep vein thrombosis, dirt, eating, energy tablets, ferries, first aid, food, fresh air, fresh fruit and veg, germs, ginger, heading off, healthy, ice cubes, Ill, illness, itching, legs, long-haul flight, loo, lurk, minor accidents, mosquitoes, nauseous feeling, online search, over-the-counter medicines, packing up, painkillers, partying, peace of mind, peppermint tea, planes, plasters, policy, Pre-holiday prep, protected, protection, redness, regular medication, rehydration salts, sand, school’s out, sick, sight-seeing, skin, STIs, strong smells, suffer, summer, swimming, symptoms, trains, travel bands, travel insurance, travel sickness, travel vaccinations, tummy bugs, walk, Warmer temperatures, wash your hands, well-earned holiday

School’s out for summer which means many of us are packing up and taking off for a well-earned holiday. With swimming, eating, sight-seeing and partying to do, the last thing you need when you go away is to be ill.

We have put together some top tips that will hopefully keep you healthy so you can chill out and get the break you deserve

Pre-holiday prep
Before you even get in the car, we would strongly suggest you have the following ticked off your to-do list:

Check if you need to have any travel vaccinations and get them done in plenty of time, the last thing you need is to get sick because you aren’t protected.

You might think travel insurance is a cost you can avoid, we think it’s something you can’t be without. Do an online search, find a policy that is right for you and you have the peace of mind knowing that if illness strikes, you can get care.

If you are on regular medication, make sure you have enough to take away with you, and a couple of days supply for when you get home.

In case of minor accidents, be sure to pack basic first aid items such as antiseptic gels and wipes, painkillers, creams, energy tablets, plasters, anti-histamines, and rehydration mixes.

Nip travel sickness in the bud
One of the first things that can go wrong on holiday, is when travel sickness kicks in. Cars, planes, trains, and ferries can all cause that horrible nauseous feeling and even lead to sickness, but you don’t have to suffer. Travel bands and over the counter medicines are one way to deal with this problem, as well as sipping on cooled ginger or peppermint tea. Sit somewhere away from strong smells in the fresh air and take deep breaths to help calm the symptoms.

Keep deep vein thrombosis away
Deep vein thrombosis is rare, but if you are taking a long-haul flight, remember to walk around the cabin and stretch your legs whenever you can. Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, and wear loose, comfortable clothes when you travel and if you are worried, there are special socks you can buy before you fly.

Stop stomach bugs before they start
Warmer temperatures, more people, differing cleaning standards and food being left out for longer than usual, are all reasons why stomach bugs can be rampant on holiday and they spread quickly too. The most important thing to remember is to wash your hands, or use an antibacterial gel, after going to the loo, as well as before and after preparing and eating food. Talking about food, while it might be tempting to try something new from a stall or market, this is where germs can lurk and as for the hotel buffet, just be careful about what you choose as you don’t know how long things have been sitting around.

Another really important thing you need to do if you want tummy troubles to stay away, is to only drink bottled water, try to avoid ice cubes from bars and if you’re going for salads and fresh fruit and veg, check they have been cleaned with bottled water.

If problems do strike, you will need to get some rest will the bugs and bacteria pass through your system. This really is the time for bottled water and while we would suggest keeping away from anti-diarrhoea pills, you might want to use rehydration salts. You can try drinking cooled chamomile or peppermint tea as this can be soothing and help you to sleep. If you can keep food down, plain toast and biscuits are a good idea – dairy products are not. If you can’t get things under control and are worried about dehydrating, find a local doctor and seek medical advice.

Mosquitos are not your friends
We know that you have to wear suncream, but you might also want to use an over the counter spray to keep mosquitoes away from your skin. You can also use a few drops of citronella: mix a little with your moisturiser, or use in a burner at night time (but keep an eye on this to be safe). However hard we try to keep safe, bites do happen and if they happen to you, go for an antihistamine tablet or try a cream as these will help to reduce annoying itching and redness, but also remember that aloe Vera products can help soothe bites. Try not to scratch as this can make things worse, and also leave you with scars.

Do not burn
When it comes to sunburn, prevention really is better than cure. Use a suncream that offers your skin the best protection, stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, and wear a hat for your head and glasses for your eyes. If you get burnt, take a shower to cool things down and wash away creams, sand, dirt, and chlorine, then apply an aloe gel to cool, calm and hydrate your skin. If things really have got out of hand, think blisters and sores, see a doctor, and don’t go out in the sun until things have cleared up.

Be protected
Coming back from a holiday with a tan is great, arriving home with an STI is not. By all means, go away and have fun, but take protection with you and use it!

Team Pure Beauty

Good Health for the New Term

Tags

adults, advice, anxiety, back pain, backs, bedtimes, books, boost, bugs, chemical, children’s health, clean hair, clear sign, colds, combing conditioner, conversations, depression, dirty hair, emotional health, family, family life, fine-toothed comb, fruit and vegetables, gaps, good health, GP, hair, happy, head lice, healthy diet, heavy bags, help, homework, immune system, itching, kid’s multi-vitamin supplement, kit, laptops, long, mobile devices, natural, new school term, nits, open line of communication, pencil case, physical well-being, poor posture, rucksack, school children, self harm, shoes, short, shoulders, sleep, spines, sports kits, stress, stretching, suffer, sunglight, support, Tea Tree, top tips, under the duvet texting, uniform, Vitamin D, wet hair, withdrawal

The uniforms have been bought and labels have been stuck on, the shoes have been shined and the new pencil cases are the cleanest they will ever be. While we know it is important to get their kit ready when it comes to the new school term, it is also worth looking at your children’s health too.

While you can’t stop them catching colds and picking up bugs, you can give them the best start to good health and we have got some top tips so you can help them feel their best.

Immune System Boost
School children are constantly picking up colds and viruses, so it is really important to keep their immune systems strong. As well as a healthy diet, packed with fruit and vegetables, it might be worth giving them a kid’s multi-vitamin supplement to plug the gaps and keep them healthy. Do speak to your GP or pharmacist about which product is best for your child and remember that as well as those key vitamins we all know about, as the nights draw in and there is less sunlight, added Vitamin D could be a smart move too.

Treat Head Lice
Head lice are quickly spread by head-to-head contact and with children playing close together, it is no wonder they can become rife, fast when the new term starts. Clean hair, dirty hair, long or short – it really doesn’t matter, these little bugs simply want to get onto your child’s scalp so the best thing you can do is check hair on a regular basis and if there is a lot of itching going on, it might be a clear sign something is up. If you find your child does have head lice, you can start to combat the problem by combing conditioner through their wet hair using a special fine-toothed comb. This method can help to remove the head lice and nits (empty shells) but if this doesn’t work you can use a natural (often tea tree based) or chemical lotion instead to blast the bugs away.

Keep Backs Healthy
It isn’t just adults who suffer from back pain, thanks to heavy bags and poor posture, children are increasingly being plagued too. Yes, they need to take in books, laptops and sports kits, but using a rucksack and carrying their load on both shoulders is a back healthy way to go. Sitting up in class and stretching at the end of the day can also help even things out and keep spines happy.

Communicate
It isn’t just physical well-being that is important for children, but emotional health too. With almost a quarter of 14-year-old girls found to have used self-harm as a way to cope with stress, anxiety, and depression, it is really important to try to keep an open line of communication with your children. We know this isn’t always easy and that when there are problems opening up can be hard, but try to have those conversations and see where help is needed. Keep an eye on much time is being spent on screens, whether there is withdrawal from family life and if you are worried, speak to a teacher or your GP about getting more support and advice.

Bedtime
Every family has different rules when it comes to bedtime and screens. The reality is that mobile devices are often found in the bedroom late at night and these can impact sleep and overall health. Find a plan that works for you and your children, decide on a bedtime, ensure homework is done so there are no last-minute panics that impact stress and sleep, and ensure mobiles are turned off and there is no under the duvet texting which means getting up the next day is tough.

Good luck!

Team Pure Beauty