Has your 2 – 5 year old still not had their flu vaccine?
You can book or drop-in to a mop-up clinic at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People this Saturday (21 January).
To book an appointment, please call 0300 790 6296
LIGHT UP JANUARY
Women’s Singing Workshop
Wednesday 18th January 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm at Inverleith St. Serphs.
MEN’S COOKING CLUB AT PILTON COMMUNITY HEALTH PROJECT
Looking forward to welcoming you all back to #makingthyme our men’s cooking and wellbeing club TODAY (Tuesday 17th January from 1-3pm at #pchp.
This week we’re going to kick things off with a deliciously healthy Spanish omelette and salad so if you’re interested in joining us, please feel free to register via the QR code on the poster or by sending me a WhatsApp.
We’ll take some time this week to discuss how we might like to take this group forward into Spring so if you have any ideas or are interested in something specific, let us know and we can discuss as a group.
Look forward to seeing you tomorrow from 1pm!
Research by leading animal charity PDSA has revealed that 84% of owners believe their pet improves their mental health, which is unlikely to come as a surprise if you are an animal lover.
Four-legged friends can have a positive impact on our life in many ways, both mentally and physically. This Blue Monday (16 January 2023), PDSA Vet Nurse, Nina Downing, shares her top five reasons why owning a pet is beneficial for our overall health.
“Spending quality time with your pet is beneficial to the wellbeing of both you and your four-legged family member. Humans and animals are social creatures, so this companionship can go a long way in reducing loneliness. Giving your furry friend love and attention, as well as receiving it in return, can significantly boost mental wellbeing – particularly for those who are socially isolated and may not see other people during the day.
“As well as being a great bonding activity, and essential for their own wellbeing, walking with your pooch can also be a social experience for you, allowing you to meet other dog walkers while out and about.
“Having a two-minute chat with neighbours as you pass each other in the park or conversing in a pet shop can make all the difference to your mood. These human connections are also easier to form, as you already have an established common interest – the love for your pets.
“For many, pets are calming figures in our lives and can offer solace in our darkest moments. In 2022, Google searches for emotional support dogs rose by 50% – indicative of the positive impact animals can have on our mental health.
“Whether you find comfort in petting your pup or confiding in your cat’s ear for a chat about your troubles, this stress relief plays an important part in maintaining wellbeing.
“In fact, research shows that spending just 10 minutes interacting with your pet each day can lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. As well as reducing stress, receiving an animal’s unconditional love without fear of judgement can help build self-confidence.
“Like people, most pets benefit from an established routine. From feeding and grooming, through to playing games and taking them out for a walk, the responsibility of caring for a pet can provide a clear day-to-day purpose and a reason to get out of bed in the morning. These actions also help establish structure in your day and are excellent habits for your own wellbeing, as well as your pets.
“Sometimes the monotony of everyday life can feel overwhelming, which is where our furry friends come into play – literally!
“A good game of tug, chase, or fetch can get you up, moving, and having fun, and brings lots of benefits for our pets as well. Activities like this not only encourage you to get more active but can help you feel less overwhelmed by stressors in your life, too. When you engage in regular play or exercise sessions, a chemical called dopamine – a feel-good hormone – is released by the body, helping you feel positive and motivated.”
“Having a pet means they are reliant on you to meet their welfare needs and, for many, this responsibility can stimulate positive feelings such as a sense of belonging, added security, and being in control.
“The accountability and structure that comes with pet ownership can be highly motivating and encourage you to create the very best life for them and, in turn, for you! That’s why so many people make sure they are doing everything they can to give their pets a happy and comfortable life.”
PDSA relies on donations to deliver vital treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK.
To keep families together this winter, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support more than ever to prevent vulnerable people having to make a truly heart-breaking decision.
To find out more about PDSA’s vital work during the cost-of-living crisis, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/costoflovingcrisis
A report by National Autistic Society Scotland and Scottish Autism found that 96% of people surveyed support a commissioner to promote and protect the rights of autistic people.
The organisations surveyed 1,215 autistic people, family carers and professionals working with autistic individuals.
The report urges the Scottish Government to move forward on its commitment to establish a Commissioner “sooner rather than later”, with public consultation now delayed until late 2023.
The survey asked respondents to rank priorities for a commissioner; the majority indicated that the commissioner should hold local authorities, service providers and the Scottish Government to account in providing adequate support to autistic people and their families.
Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents indicate that they need mental health support for themselves or for an autistic person they support, and 49% said they need support in education. Yet first person accounts from autistic people and families in the report show that too many are struggling to get the support they desperately need from public services.
Read the report here.
Nicola Cameron, the parent of Alex who is autistic, said: “Our experience has been prolonged, frustrating, and confusing. After six years we are finally getting some clarity on Alex’s support needs.
“But it is upsetting to have lost critical years that could have been used to make his school experience easier. We have been left to navigate the system on our own, learning as we go and funding everything ourselves. And still we have not heard from CAMHS.
“It is clear resources are stretched and children like Alex are being failed by the services that are meant to help them. Support for young autistic people involves different professions and, because each autistic person is individual, the journey cannot ever be linear.
“But it can be easier. We feel that a commissioner for autistic people could help to create a more joined up system that prioritises individuals’ needs, and fights for recognition of the autistic community.”
Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland said: “The commitment to establish a Commissioner for autistic people and people with a learning disability was an SNP manifesto commitment at the last election, but we’ve only inched forward and now with the delay in the Public Consultation until the end of this year there’s a very real concern that this important work is simply not being prioritised.
“The longer the delay the longer diagnosis waiting lists grow, the longer people go without the care and support they need, the longer people are stuck in hospital, and the longer children wait for support in school.”
Charlene Tait, Deputy Chief Executive of Scottish Autism said: “Every day we encounter individuals and families whose human rights are being breached as a result of a lack of accountability within the system.
“All too often it feels like the system works against autistic people and their families, when it should be working for them. They need a Commissioner in their corner.
“We consider that the creation of a Commissioner is a necessity, and we call on the Scottish Government to develop a sense of urgency on this issue.”
Samaritans Scotland will host an event at Glasgow Central Station today (Monday 16 January) in a bid to dispel the myth of ‘Blue Monday’.
The third Monday of each year is often referred to as the most depressing day of the year and falls on January 16 in 2023.
To debunk the idea of ‘Blue Monday’, Samaritans runs an annual Brew Monday campaign throughout the UK which emphasises the importance of talking and encourages people to reach out to family and friends and have chat over a cuppa.
This Brew Monday, Samaritans Scotland has teamed up with Scotland’s Railway to hold an event at Glasgow Central Station. Volunteers and staff will be on hand from 8am to 2pm offering tea, coffee and biscuits to commuters and passers-by.
AG Barr has kindly donated cans of Irn Bru for the event, meaning visitors can cheers to ‘Bru Monday’ too! There will also be a selection of sweet treats thanks to Lees of Scotland.
Danielle Rowley, Influencing Manager at Samaritans Scotland, said: “At Samaritans, we know there’s no such thing as ‘Blue Monday’. We all have our good days and our bad days, these aren’t for the calendar to decide.
“Our dedicated listening volunteers all over Scotland are consistently busy 24/7, 365 days a year, picking up a call for help every 10 seconds.
“The simple act of having a chat with someone over a coffee can have a huge impact – it could even save a life.
“It’s time to stop the myth about this Monday being ‘blue’ and instead start a conversation over a brew – or Bru!”
Anyone can contact Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123, even on a mobile without credit. Or you can email jo@samaritans.org.
The lingering stress of the cost-of-living crisis weighs heavily on the shoulders of many, and with temperatures dropping, food prices skyrocketing, and the New Year in full swing, it is bound to have an added impact on the stresses of everyday life. Therefore, people up and down the country are looking for tips and tricks 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 ‘reduce stress’ increased by 216% over the past month, proving just how desperate we 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:
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:
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:
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!
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Beat the Winter Blues
Blue Monday takes place on the third Monday of January, which falls on Monday 16th this year. It is coined the most miserable day of the year due to various factors such as bad weather, debt following the expense of Christmas and failing to stick to those new years resolutions you may have made early January.
Winter, in general, can feel more doom and gloom than the brighter, warmer seasons. Here we share some top tips for beating the winter blues while prioritising your heart health:
Outdoor movement
It can be tempting to stay indoors during the colder months, when the weather isn’t as nice and the days are dull and uninviting, resulting in us being less active.
Getting outside even for a short time, moving, and exposing our eyes to some natural daylight (even if it isn’t very bright) can instantly lift our mood. Try going for a daily walk or run, wrap up in appropriate clothing and get your heart pumping.
Prioritise a healthy diet
A healthy diet can boost your mood, help you maintain a healthy weight and give you more energy. Concentrate on including lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates such as wholewheat pasta, bread and brown rice and lean meats such as chicken and turkey.
Aim to eat two portions of fish each week, including one oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout or mackerel. It can be helpful to opt for meals you can cook in a slow cooker, so you can prep them in the morning when your motivation is high, and they are ready when you’re tired at the end of the day.
Revisit your new year’s goals
If you have fallen off the ‘bandwagon’ with your new year’s resolutions, don’t beat yourself up about it. Creating new healthy habits and changing old, less-healthy ones takes time.
You are in a better position now than you were before you initially set your goals, as you now have some meaningful insight into what went wrong. Set your goals again and put things in place to support you where you fell off track last time.
We have a healthy tip on Setting Effective Goals here which may help.
For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.
To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.
Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:
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The Daily Mile Foundation, supported by INEOS, has announced that 4 million children in 90 countries worldwide are taking part in the health and wellbeing initiative, up double in size since 2019.
The initiative has received formal backing from the Scottish Government and in 2022 Scotland was announced as the world’s first Daily Mile Nation, meaning over half of primary schools across all 32 local authorities are doing the Daily Mile, developing healthy habits for life.
The Foundation’s expanding network of partners in the UK, Europe, USA and beyond continues to focus on increasing the number of schools taking part. In England alone, partnerships with Sport England, supported by the National Lottery, ITV and London Marathon, have led to record engagement with The Daily Mile, resulting in over 2 million children participating.
The support from national and local partners around the world who share the ambition to help children become more active is critical to the continued growth of The Daily Mile.
The Daily Mile initiative was founded by Elaine Wyllie MBE in 2012 – born out of a concern around children’s lack of physical fitness. Headteacher of St Ninians’s Primary School in Stirling at the time, Elaine got her pupils moving for 15 minutes every day to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
The Daily Mile in partnership with ITV created an advert to promote the benefits of The Daily Mile, which highlighted how The Daily Mile can contribute towards improved academic attainment, and encouraged more schools to join the initiative. As did high profile support from sporting legends including marathon record-breaker Eliud Kipchoge and rugby’s All Blacks.
Research shows the benefits of The Daily Mile for children’s physical health, mental wellbeing, and learning. Increased activity means increased fitness, helping children feel happier and supporting children’s focus and concentration in the classroom. Research by the Universities of Stirling and Edinburgh found that the success of the initiative lies in its core principles and ease of implementation.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS says: “INEOS has supported the Daily Mile for years because it’s a free, simple, and effective way to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing.
“It has been a natural fit for us to work with an initiative that is so passionate about helping more children enjoy exercise more often, and we look forward to its success as it continues to transform more lives around the world.”
Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder of The Daily Mile says: “From a single school in Stirling to now over 16,500 schools and 4 million children, it is staggering to see how this initiative has grown into a global movement in a little over 10 years. Being active is key for everyone’s health and wellbeing.
“I’d like to thank the children, teachers, schools and all of our partners in 90 countries who share our vision of helping children across the world to get fit for life. Reaching the 4 million milestone is a brilliant way for us to kick off the year and we’re excited to continue to make a positive impact on children’s lives in the years to come.”
If you want your school pupils to benefit from taking part in The Daily Mile, sign your school up here.
Cross-government action plan backed by £68 million.
More than 80 actions supported by £68 million over the course of this parliament are outlined in the Scottish Government’s response to Changing Lives, the final report from the Drug Deaths Taskforce.
Measures are being taken across a broad range of areas including employment, justice, transport, education and health and social care to improve the lives of those affected by drugs.
The response is underpinned by two principles – that services treat problem drug use the same as any other health condition and that people with lived experience are involved in policy decisions.
Many of the 20 recommendations and 139 action points made by the Taskforce are already being addressed but new announcements include:
Drugs Policy Minister Angela Constance said: “Every drug death is a tragedy and unacceptable. We continue to face a public health emergency and cannot underestimate the scale of this crisis.
“The Drug Deaths Taskforce was formed to provide independent expert advice on our response to this emergency and this cross-government action plan includes a broad range of initiatives which will not only support the complex needs of people who use drugs but also help support prevention and early intervention.
“This publication outlines our whole government commitment to addressing this challenge and ensuring that people with problem substance use can access all the services they need and are entitled to.
“I thank the Taskforce members, past and present, for their important contribution. The final report, Changing Lives, has provided us with clear, evidenced recommendations and our response outlines a new, even more ambitious, phase of our mission to save and improve lives.”
