Mind, is a mental health charity, providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Their mission is to offer support and respect to everyone experiencing mental health problems. The organisation also has an online mental health community Elefriends. A safe space where anyone aged 18 and over with experience of a mental health problem can share their story, connect with others, access Mind’s more extensive information, resources and give support in return. Find out more at mind.org.uk/community.

Voir has spoken to Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind, to shed some light on the situation and how we can cope with life after the lockdown.

We spoke to Stephen on the cause of rise in stress and anxiety in returning to the workplace, and how to remedy this. He acknowledges that ‘change and uncertainty are difficult for most of us to deal especially now when we don’t know what the future looks like. He continues to state that “The coronavirus outbreak will have a long-term impact on our economy – we’re likely to see another recession as the nation attempts to get back on its feet. We know there is a strong link between issues like debt, unemployment and poor housing to poor mental health. So, it stands to reason that factors like job insecurity, unemployment, low paid work and redundancy could have a knock-on impact on mental health.” Stephen also emphasises on the efforts of the organisation to campaign on issues like housing and benefits as these kinds of factors, disproportionately affect people who have existing mental health problems.

If you’re really feeling stressed, Stephen recommends many yoga and meditation. You can find many yoga and meditation classes centred on anxiety and stress online and look to incorporate these practices in your daily life. Here are a couple of YouTube videos of meditation and yoga to ease anxiety and stress.

Meditation for Anxiety by Yoga With Adriene

Meditation for Inner Peace by Yoga With Adriene

The best way to keep your anxiety in check according to Stephen, especially regarding this crisis is to stay well informed. Seek only reliable information and not rumours to keep you updated. Also, avoid dwelling on the issue his advice is that we should take a break from it and only check when necessary.

Another trick that helps is to focus on the positive What has been beneficial for you during this lockdown. Have you finally watched that Netflix show you didn’t have time for? if you haven’t here is Voir’s top picks of Netflix shows to watch. What about that book you have always wanted to read?

Voir’s Recommends;

1). https://www.voirfashion.co.uk/post/a-netflix-guide-to-quarantine-chill

2). https://www.voirfashion.co.uk/post/8-books-to-read-before-watching-the-movie-version

Also, focus on what you look forward to once we are outside, be it dinners at restaurants, the hair appointment you plan to make as soon as they will let you or even getting to see your friends in person and not through a screen.

Feeling worried is normal from time to time, but if it starts to impact your day-to-day life, Mind encourages you to speak to someone you trust and contact your GP (many can do a consultation over the phone or by video).

You can also head to these pages on the Mind website for more information:

1). www.mind.org.uk/coronavirus

2). www.mind.org.uk/stress

3). www.mind.org.uk/anxiety

Mind has confidential information and support line:

• Mind Infoline- 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am – 6pm, Monday – Friday)

• Contact Mind’s Media Team for interviews or further information on 0208 522 1743.

• For out of hours support, call 07850 788 514 or email media@mind.org.uk.

We need your help to support people with mental health problems right now. To donate to Mind’s emergency appeal, visit www.mind.org.uk/donate

To access a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories, visit:

time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture

These images have been developed by Time to Change, a campaign to change how we all think and act about mental health problems. Time to Change is led by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.

Words by Camila Karalyte

Graphics by Georgia Walters

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The stress of the current situation, along with a lack of exercise and an increase in comfort food and snacking, may be causing all of us to feel a bit ‘meh’ about ourselves, both physically and mentally. Voir has spoken to Master and Teacher of Reiki healing (a form of energy healing), Skylar Green, about her views on body image and how to manage the negative thoughts. Skylar believes that ‘chronic stress and poor quality of thinking can consequently lead to how we see ourselves…research tells us there is a powerful connection between the body and the mind’. During this period, we should all be easier on ourselves, encourage the mindset of ‘my weight doesn’t equal my value’.

Body image is a combination of positive thinking and active work. Small steps like positive affirmations will help you bring body confidence while making sure to be active whenever possible is also helpful. If you are dealing with negative body image, Skylar recommends these four steps to help find positivity:

1). Exercise

25-Minute Pilates Workout to Tone Your Abs, Butt, and Arms by POPSUGAR Fitness

Flat-Belly and Tight-Booty Cardio Dance Workout by POPSUGAR Fitness

Exercise in any form- it will reduce stress, release endorphins and keep you fit. Even if it’s just taking the dog out for a walk, or dancing around the kitchen while the coffee brews, it will make you feel happier and you’ll feel better for having done it. Make it fun and blast your favourite tunes and enjoy yourself, it doesn’t have to be a chore.

2). Mantra Meditation

5 min Mantra Meditation for Beginners – Easy Guided Meditation by Yoga with Kassandra

4 Minute Guided Mantra Meditation by Yoga with Candace

Mantra mediation- Mantra is a powerful type of meditation that is practised through sound vibration, either chanted aloud or whispered. It helps to relieve stress, helps you to attain peace and connect to your true self. As you continue to practice this, your poor body image will disappear.

3). New Hobbies

21 Low-Cost Empowering HOBBIES Worth Trying by Alexandra Potora

15 Self Care Ideas for Coronavirus Quarantine by Lavendaire

Find a new hobby- take this time to think about yourself and what you enjoy doing, maybe something you never usually have time for like baking or crafts. Whatever you choose to do, do it with gratitude that comes straight from your heart as this can transform your life.

4). Reiki

There are many ways you can lower stress and encourage some body positivity. Meditation is widely known to help bring peace, but the energy healing practice, Reiki, has also been proven to help benefit towards a better body image. Stress and anxiety can affect your appearance so learning to control it will help physically, as well as helping your mindset. Skylar’s tips to incorporate Reiki practices into our daily lives involve undergoing a level one course in Reiki. This helps us attune and to learn the healing techniques, she explains; ‘Attunement is the energy transmission through the teacher to the student, where the student’s body of energy is attuned to the healing energy of Reiki, which then enhances the student’s ability to channel Reiki for the rest of their life’. For more help and understanding, you can download her e-book ‘The Human: Mind and Soul’.

Having a peaceful attitude will welcome a more positive view towards your body, so, try and avoid focusing on any stress whether its work, money or virus related, and focus on bringing peace to yourself, not beating yourself up for being less active during this time or eating more.

Find out more here:

https://www.facebook.com/naturalpowerfreedom/

www.naturalhealinghearts.com

Words by Camila Karalyte

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The post Staying Body & Mind Positive According to the Professionals appeared first on Voir Fashion.

We all have skills we have always wished to know a secret knowledge we have always been envious of lacking. Usually, the excuse to not learning this skill has always been lack of time now you have no excuse. This time can be an opportunity to learn some skills you have always wanted to know.Knitting

Although this skill seems archaic today you find that most people wish that they could knit. Knitting is said to offer the same relaxation as yoga knitting stimulates the logical part of your brain in measuring the thread requirement. Kitting also helps us have a creative release and also completing a project brings a sense of accomplishment.

Gwyneth Paltrow, @clubllondon instagram and Flavia Lucini styled by DaVian Lain

Dancing

We all think we can dance until the time comes and you realise maybe you can’t dance. Now that social media is so congested with TikTok videos of dance routines you have just realised that your 2 step, side to side club dance routine doesn’t cut it. So, take time and learn a few routines and maybe join the TikTok craze.

Meditation /YogaMeditation is the practice of using a technique of breathing exercises and focusing on one thought or object. Meditation is known to reduce stress and anxiety and aids in focusing the mind. Most people have credited meditation with improvement in their sleeping patterns and increased focus.

Taken from @another__kind instagram, from @ohanaandchill and Barbie by Sophia Webster

ExerciseAlthough we all know how to exercise what we are referring to is specific exercise classes. There are different exercise classes you can take online with the equipment you have around you.

Cooking When it comes to cooking just like dancing, we all can cook the everyday rice or potatoes but when it comes to complicated dishes and cuisines not all of us cut it. Through online classes, you can learn to make more experimental dishes and also learn how to fuel your body on good healthy meals depending on your dietary requirements. Cooking can also be a creative release as you try to create new meals.

Katy Perry by Nadia Lee Cohen, Adriana Lima for W Magazine and Jessica Walsh’s Instagram

MakeupWhen applying your make up, especially if you do it every day you find yourself in the same routine using the same method and products. Now is the time to try the experimental looks, perfect that wing liner or even match your eyebrow shapes to look more like sisters than the cousins they were before.

New LanguageLearning a new language may be more of a task than the skills mentioned above but can also be fun. Speaking a foreign language has proved to be beneficial and is currently a skill that is highly sought after these days depending on the language. Apps like Duolingo assist you in learning new languages for free.

Words by Precious Njoki

Graphics by Katie Janes

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