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Top tips on how to reduce stress from cost-of-living crisis

The lingering stress of the cost-of-living crisis weighs heavily on the shoulders of many, and with temperatures dropping, food prices skyrocketing, and New Year credit card bills dropping through letter boxes it is bound to have an added impact on the stresses of everyday life, so people up and down the country are looking for tips to ease and eliminate as much stress as possible.

CBD experts Simply CBD have revealed some tips that will help encourage stress relaxation and a stress-free routine that you can implement into your weekly routine. 

New analysis reveals that searches in the UK for ‘reducestress’ increased 216% over the past month, proving just how desperate Brits are to find solutions for feelings of overwhelming stress.

In fact, searches for ‘is stress normal’ has seen a huge 635% increase over the past month in the UK, showing just how concerned people are about stress levels and how they can impact their health.

Self-care

Being mindful of your own needs is essential and focusing on self-care will help reduce stress and anxiety tremendously. Some forms of self-care include maintaining a balanced diet and sustaining a healthy sleep schedule but indulging in pampering is often overlooked.

Pampering doesn’t have to break the bank. Forget spa days or trips away; you can easily indulge in pampering at home:

  • Take a hot bath or shower.
  • Pop on a face mask and read your favourite book – time away from blue light from your phone also helps relax the mind.
  • Light some candles and listen to a meditation podcast.
  • Treat yourself to your favourite home-cooked meal (or take away if you prefer!).

Exercise

Although the thought of exercise can sometimes be exhausting, with long workdays feeling tiring enough, finding the time to get a good workout in can often be the release from a lot of pent-up stress.

Sometimes getting past the mental barrier of doing physical activity is the only thing holding you back from releasing tension and endorphins, aka the body’s natural painkillers.

The exercise doesn’t necessarily need to be intense, and there are many options when it comes to fitting in an hour of increased heart rate:

  • Go on a walk – Whether with friends, family or just by yourself, getting out for some fresh air and moving your body will work wonders.
  • Take part in a local exercise class – there are many different options, such as low intensity Yoga and Pilates, which are great options if you don’t want to do an intense workout.
  • Take part in an online exercise class! – if physically leaving the house to exercise fills you with dread, you will be pleased to know there are thousands of online classes and pre-recorded free videos of workouts that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Listen to music

Listening to music gives the brain a total workout, and we all know how vital brain health is. By listening to music, you can:

  • Reduce blood pressure.
  • Improve memory.
  • Reduce anxiety.
  • Improve sleep quality.

Not only can it reduce stress, but it can elevate moods and clear the way for emotional expression; this is why it is great that there are so many genres of music to choose from; just pick whatever gets you out of a funk and makes you feel good!

Experiment with hobbies

By experimenting with hobbies that you might have put on the back burner, you are allowing your body to remind itself of something you enjoy and take pride in. Hobbies are a great distraction and can be the perfect way to relax and forget about the stresses of everyday life.

If you’re struggling to think of a hobby, it’s never too late to find one! By making a list of all the hobbies you would love to try, you are already one step closer to expanding your knowledge, widening your range of skills, keeping your brain working and mind off all things stressful.

Turn the phone off and stay off social media

In a world dominated by technology, we have everything at the push of a button, making it hard to imagine life without it, but keeping so up-to-date and caught up on social media can sometimes be exhausting and lead to unhealthy comparisons.

By turning off your phone or limiting the time spent on social media, you can shut off the constant updates and remain solely focused on other things that might bring you joy. Instead of getting distracted by technology, you could be reading your favourite books, spending time with family and friends, giving yourself a well-deserved pamper or just taking a nap, whatever relieves stress from your day!

TUC: Solidarity with Turkey

APPEAL FOR DONATIONS

The recent earthquakes are strongest to hit Turkey since 1939 and big cities such as Adana, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Diyarbakır, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Malatya, or Hatay are critically affected. At the time of writing the death toll stands at over 17,500, with  many more missing and thousands displaced.

The TUC works closely with the trade union federations in Turkey DISK and KESK. DISK and ​KESK ​​​​​have many members in the concerned areas and are gathering all possible efforts to provide humanitarian aid to the trade-unionists and their families during this tragic period.

The TUC is calling for contributions from trade union branches to go to the ITUC-Asia Pacific Natural Disaster Fund to help support the relief efforts. To help ensure that donations from UK unions are earmarked for our sister unions in Turkey, please include a payment reference “DISK & KESK” with your donation.

The ITUC-AP Bank Account is as follows:

ITUC – Asia Pacific DBS Bank Limited 12 Marina Boulevard Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 3 Singapore 018982
Account No: 003-945670-0
Swift Code: DBSSSGSG

Payment reference: DISK & KESK

Building solidarity with Turkey is a priority for the TUC’s international work. The TUC has a history of supporting trade unions in Turkey and it is increasingly a priority for our affiliates, as recent motions to TUC Congress 2016 and 2018 demonstrate.

The TUC maintains close fraternal relations with KESK and DİSK, our sister trade union centres.

Turkey has been identified as one of the 10 worst countries for workers by the International Trade Union Confederation’s annual survey of worker’s rights, the Global Rights Index. The TUC and affiliates want to see an immediate end to abuses against workers, infringements on democratic norms and human rights, an end to the mistreatment of the Kurdish community, the release of all political prisoners, and the release of Abdullah Öcalan as a step towards peace talks, and engagement in a peace process 

Pints For Passengers this Six Nations Weekend!

 Innis & Gunn ‘prop up’ with free award-winning pints for tram passengers at this weekend’s Six Nations game

Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn and two former Scotland internationalists* are giving rugby fans a helping hand to get in the game spirit for the Scotland v Wales kick-off with free flavour-packed pints for passengers travelling to the stadium by tram tomorrow (Saturday 11th March).

The Innis & Gunn pop-up bar will be making a rare appearance at the Murrayfield Stadium tram stop where the Brewer’s team will serve up free pints of its award-winning lager and Lager Beer 0% to fans en route to the first Six Nations’ home game.  

Whatever your team, whether you’re backing blue or supporting red, the free pints are on offer for all rugby fans who spot the bar, provide proof of age, and a valid tram and match ticket.

That’s not all. For those who will be making their way to the stadium by foot, you can check out the Innis & Gunn ‘One for the Road Bar’ that will be popping up at Malone’s on Morrison Street – providing the perfect pre-match pints for the road. 

Capturing the free-spirited and original nature of the brand, Innis & Gunn aims to unite the nations in their shared passion for Scotland’s biggest craft lager and most loved craft brand – no matter the score.  

Innis & Gunn’s founder, Dougal Sharp, said: “We know our customers are massive rugby fans, so we want to surprise and delight match goers with a perfectly refreshing pint as they arrive by tram to the stadium on Saturday. A good way to showcase our superb Scottish hospitality to the Welsh. 

“Avoid the scrum at the stadium bars – we’ll see you on Saturday. Good luck to both teams!”

*Former Scotland International rugby prop and Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks legend, Barry Stewart, and former Scotland international and 1990 Grand Slam winner, Sean Lineen, were on hand to pass out the pints to passengers. Backwards passes only, obviously!

Five Scottish projects among next generation of innovators to get £24 million cash boost

Investment includes £19 million awarded to British entrepreneurs to develop greener technologies

Five Scottish projects are among the next generation of energy innovators who will receive a £24 million cash boost from the UK Government to develop new technologies that will decarbonise UK industry, build home-grown energy supplies and help prepare for a net zero future.

Thirty-seven British companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups, will get a share of the £19 million Energy Entrepreneurs Fund. And there’s to be a further £5million available through the Local Industrial Decarbonisation competition which will launch this summer.

The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund will drive forward innovations to reduce carbon emissions, develop clean energy and improve energy efficiency in people’s homes.

The UK-wide projects will allow industry to play its part in helping the country meet its 2050 net zero target by delivering decarbonisation solutions, as well as potentially creating hundreds of green jobs and triggering private sector investment worth millions.

The winning Scottish projects include:

  • Decommissioning oil wells: Clearwell Technology Ltd, based in Aberdeen, received £223,872 to design a thermal pipe milling tool for well plugging – a green tech that could transform how oil and gas wells are sustainably decommissioned
  • Tidal turbine testing – Glasgow based, Flex Marine Power Ltd, received  £968,205, towards a lower cost tidal turbine for coastal power generation within a microgrid which will be tested with community partners on the island of Islay

The other Scottish recipients are Innovatium Group Ltd (£324,413.71) and Synaptec Ltd (£829,220.41), both based in Glasgow and Power Enable Solutions Ltd t/a REOptimize Systems (£660,854.40) in Edinburgh.

Further information here

Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Grant Shapps said: “The UK is a nation of innovators, and this funding will help the next generation of energy pioneers develop cheap and green technologies of the future.

“This will not only deliver more green jobs and cheaper energy but also create world-leading solutions to help us reach net zero and economic growth.”

Welcoming the announcement Minister for Scotland John Lamont said: “I am delighted that five Scottish projects have received funding from the UK Government.

“Energy innovation is a vital part in helping the UK reach our net zero target by 2050 and these Scottish projects will be key to discovering decarbonisation solutions as well as helping to boost green jobs and economic growth.”

Also announced today, the government will launch a £5 million Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition this summer. The competition will support groups of industrial businesses such as glass, cement and ceramics manufacturers, join together in ‘clusters’. Along with other key stakeholders including local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), these ‘local industrial clusters’ will develop coordinated and collaborative decarbonisation plans that will kickstart their journey towards a low-carbon future.

The Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition will take a similar approach to how existing clusters like Teesside and Black Country are tackling industrial carbon emissions. Representing a major step forward in helping dispersed industrial sites begin their journey to decarbonise in the 2020s, this builds on one of the key commitments the government set out in their Net Zero Strategy. Winners are set to be announced later in 2023, and further detail about the competition will follow in the spring.

The Energy Entrepreneurs Fund and Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition will not only help to supercharge the UK’s move to domestic renewable energy – they also form part of the government’s wider plans to bring down the cost of energy by enabling the development of green global solutions of the future.

Bruce Cardo, Director of Clearwell Technology said: “We are thrilled to have the support of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund which will allow us to bring our thermal pipe milling technology for oil and gas well decommissioning to market faster, helping us to achieve our goal of delivering step change in the cost of decommissioning of legacy oil and gas infrastructure.”

Civil Service Stollers issue earthquake donations appeal

The devastating earthquake in Turkey has had a real impact at our club and particularly for our committee member Nazmi and defender Baris who both hail from the country

🇹🇷

We will be collecting donations from the list below at our game on Saturday at Christie Gillies Park.

Green funding, recyclable kitchens and keeping homes draught-free are among the hot topics planned for CICV’s Green Home Festival 2023

Building greener kitchens, accessing renewable funding and preventing heat loss through windows and doors are among the main events being planned for this year’s Green Home Festival, organisers have revealed.

Air source heat pumps, effective insulation and electric vehicles (EVs) will also be high on the agenda at the second five-day event, which is being organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV).

Running from 14-18 August as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe and delivered via a mix of in-person and virtual presentations, the festival will once again deliver practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a net zero nation.

With a focus very much on consumer issues, CICV organisers have followed up on the success of last year’s inaugural event with another line-up of topical talking points, including:

  • Garden rooms and garden offices
  • Practical consumer guidance on heat pumps
  • Efficient use of gas central heating
  • Hybrid heating and boiler types
  • Converting disused buildings into smart homes
  • Insulation and fabric of buildings in domestic retrofitting
  • The future of low-carbon heating technologies, such as microwave
  • Webinars on retrofit skills and heat programmes
  • Solar panels, including battery storage options.

The festival is again likely to attract Ministerial attendance from the Scottish Government, with other special guests also being pencilled in to appear to extol the virtues of green energy and low-carbon living.

One of the CICV organisers, John McKinney, Secretary of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, said: “Last year’s inaugural Green Home Festival delivered a wealth of demonstrations and hands-on guidance about efficient use of energy and smart interaction with the built environment.

“As we all try to minimise carbon emissions and do our best to mitigate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis, it is likely that interest this year will be even greater, and the proposed programme is designed to have a greater focus on consumers and practical domestic advice.

“The construction industry has demonstrated unprecedented levels of co-operation in the common interest in recent years and this festival will once again illustrate that it can work together with the public to help build a greener Scotland for everyone.”

Presenters at the show will include experts from the CICV and other organisations including the Architects Climate Action Network, Edinburgh University, BE-ST, and the Energy Savings Trust, with venues, dates and booking details to be revealed later this year.

Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, added: “Representatives from across the construction industry in Scotland have once again been working hard to put together a programme for the festival which is relevant to a wide audience and of real practical value to consumers.

“There is a tangible feeling that the will to act is now there in the broad mass of companies, organisations and individuals who want to reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.

“As the agenda firms up and the festival begins to take shape over the coming months, we expect that its professional perspective and focus on a more sustainable and healthier environment will attract a wide audience from Scotland and beyond.”

The second Green Home Festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020.

Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

Holyrood report: Employers should invest in mental wellbeing services and flexible working policies

Mental health and chronic pain are having the most significant impact on economic inactivity rates in Scotland, according to a new report from the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee.

The report considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scotland’s labour market, looking specifically at long-term illness and early retirement as drivers of economic inactivity.

The Committee found that although the pandemic has not significantly impacted economic inactivity in Scotland, it has clearly highlighted the extent to which a healthy working-age population is required to sustain a healthy economy.

The Committee heard that implementing remote and/or flexible working practices may improve employees’ wellbeing, bring more people into the labour market, including disabled people and people with chronic or mental illness, and support older workers to remain in the labour market for longer.

However, evidence from employers highlighted that many employers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, require additional support to implement flexible working and improve reasonable adjustment policies.

The report expresses disappointment that due to budgetary pressures, the Scottish Government’s plans for a ‘Centre for Workplace Transformation’, which would seek to embed some of the learning gained from the pandemic, was not delivered on target in 2022.

Additionally, the Committee noted that best practice from wrap-around employability services, like the Fair Start Scotland programme, which provides tailored support to get working-aged people who are disengaged from the labour market back into employment, should be shared across all of Scotland’s local authorities.

Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s COVID-19 Recovery Committee, Siobhian Brown MSP, said: “Whilst our report found the pandemic has not had a significant impact on economic inactivity levels, issues such as poor mental health and chronic illnesses, are part of the complex challenges to Scotland’s economic and social recovery from COVID-19.

“Increased partnership working between the Scottish Government and employers to support investment in employees’ wellbeing and embedding post-pandemic opportunities for flexible working is crucial to supporting more people into the labour market.

“Remote and flexible working practices could also support more disabled people and those living with chronic health or mental health conditions into the workforce, whilst also enabling older people to stay in the labour market for longer.

“It’s important that as a priority, the Scottish Government sets out what additional support it is providing for employers to develop practical resources to support the adoption of flexible working policies and share best practice, which are vital to improving Scotland’s economic activity levels.”

ROAD-TO-RECOVERY-reportDownload

‘Sickening’ BP profits show need to phase out fossil fuels

Climate campaigners have slammed the latest oil company profit announcement as ‘sickening’ as BP revealed £23billion profits after tax in the past 12 months. As with Shell last week, the profits are the largest in the company’s entire history.

Climate scientists and energy experts have been clear that in order to stay within internationally agreed climate limits, there can be no new investment in fossil fuel development. 

BP’s CEO Bernard Looney recently told shareholders that BP would be focusing on maximising profits and narrowing BP’s portfolio of green energy investments in favour of more oil and gas.  

A Channel 4 investigation in 2022 found that “BP invested £300m into renewables and ‘low carbon’ in the first half of 2022 — equivalent to just 2.5% of its £12.2bn profits for that time period. By comparison, it invested £3.8bn in new oil and gas projects — more than 10 times its low carbon investments.” 

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s oil and gas Campaigner Freya Aitchison said:
“The announcement of yet another sickening profit for an oil giant should anger us all. Fossil fuel companies are being allowed to bank billions in profits whilst millions of ordinary people struggle to pay their bills. 

“Bosses and shareholders at these big polluters are being allowed to get even richer by profiteering from one of our most basic needs. The harm caused by the fossil fuel energy system couldn’t be clearer.

“These companies are not serious about climate action or transitioning away from oil and gas, the evidence shows they are spending just a tiny fraction of their profits into truly green projects. In fact, BP is actually scaling down its investments into green energy and planning to be drilling for more oil and gas for decades to come.”

“The Scottish Government must seize the opportunity of its Energy Strategy to instead chart a clear path away from oil and gas and towards an energy system that is built on clean, reliable renewables. Ministers must listen to the science which tells us that to meet climate targets in a fair way, fossil fuel extraction needs to be phased out in the next decade.”

NSPCC: Safer Internet Day

The online world benefits all of us including children and young people. It can help them learn, play, and keep connected with friends, but we also know there are risks involved (writes Carla Malseed – Local Campaigns Manager for NSPCC Scotland):

TOMORROW (7th February) will mark the 20th anniversary of Safer Internet Day, and this year’s theme is “Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online.”

More children and young people are spending time on the internet than ever before.

And we are encouraging and supporting parents, carers and professionals to open the conversation around how they can support children to keep safe. Talking with children about online safety is vital and can help them to understand what is and isn’t appropriate.

But we understand that knowing where to start can be a little daunting. Asking your child what platforms, apps and sites they are interested in is a great place to begin.  Exploring the apps that your child uses, will help you to understand what they are viewing on a regular basis. By discovering more about privacy and safety settings, you’ll be able to decide which are the right ones to use and therefore help to keep your child safe.

Asking questions about what they do online can identify what your child already knows about keeping safe in the digital world. You could ask ‘what’s your favourite game to play online?’ or ‘how to do you speak to your friends online?’ to help give you a clearer picture how they are spending their time.

Finding out about location sharing is also vital, as some apps and sites use GPS technology to show where users are posting content.

Consider the different communications features available too, for example, check their privacy settings are switched on to prevent unwanted contact and group chat settings can be set so that only your child’s phone contacts can be added.

Learning the basics together can help you to know how to report and block people and content, and help prevent  your child from being exposed to anything inappropriate or harmful. It’s always important to remind your child they can come to you if they see anything that upsets or worries them.

We know that a child’s safety online is incredibly important, but we also understand that for parents it can be overwhelming. Here at the NSPCC, we have resources and tools to help you keep your child safe whilst using the internet and to give you peace of mind. A bespoke workshop is available on YouTube to help you get a better understanding of online safety – www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO6Ux7qfYXk

More information about online safety can be found on the NSPCC website – www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/online-safety-blog/SID-2022/