Mrs Marshall calling................day 16

Happy Monday everyone – I hope you had a good weekend?  I managed to do my relaxation challenge each day over the weekend…….how did you get on?  I even managed to lie outside and watch the clouds go by but I didn’t see many shapes or images….I think the clouds were moving too fast   I would love to know how you got on – please leave a comment here on the BLOG or send me an e-mail.

I was reading more information over the weekend about other ways you can relax and lift your mood when you might be feeling a bit down.  The sitting quiety and listening to noises around you is one of the best but you could also try one of these ideas:

Give someone a big hug – hugging someone close has very positive effects on our body and makes us feel good.  Do it every day to get maximum effect.

Sing – the more we sing – and the louder we sing – the happier we feel   You don’t need to be a good singer you just need to try – get someone to join in with you – twice the fun – have a go…..

Dance – when our bodies move to music signals are sent to our brain and endorphins are released – endorphins make us feel good and happy – you can dance to any piece of music or you can take part in one of the many dance videos there are on-line just now.  Better still sing and dance at the same time and I bet you will definately end up smiling  

Have a chat with someone – talking to someone usually helps us to cheer up – it can be on-line or on the phone, or by texting……..but why not have a ‘blether’ with someone in your house – tell them how you are feeling and share ideas on how to make you smile.

Do some drawing – did you know that drawing and doing art activities can boost our levels of happiness? – focussing on drawing distracts us from worries and reduces stress levels……..and everyone likes to draw………….start with a DOT and see where it takes you   (remember many of you did this with Mrs Piper?)

Have a warm bath – try and have the water as warm as possible – this helps us to relax and it also helps us to sleep better.

Have a good sleep – everyone needs sleep – when we don’t sleep everything becomes much harder to cope with.  Try and make sure you get into a sleep routine – if you stick to your routine every night your body will start to wind down and prepare for sleep better – have a bath – read or draw or listen to gentle music – lie down to sleep – listen to the silence around you and gently nod off  Zzzzz.

Go for a walk in the frest air – see how fast you can walk – this helps blow away the cobwebs in your brain and clears your head so you can think better.  Walking is one thing you are allowed to do.  Choose a route and do it every day – time yourself – can you get quicker at completing your walk?  Do it even in the rain – you will feel amazing!

Have a go at some of these and see what works for you best.  Let me know how you get on.  If you have any ideas I would love to hear them – I always like new things to try.  Enjoy your day      Mrs M