10 Stress Busters

Exercise can have a huge positive impact on your mood and outlook. Physical activity has been proven to positively contribute to mental and physical health, contribute managing illnesses and diseases, and enhance thinking and learning! ¹

Exercise won't make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you're feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.²

"Any type of exercise is useful, as long as it suits you and you do enough of it," says Dr Alan Cohen, a GP with a special interest in mental health. "Exercise should be something you enjoy; otherwise, it will be hard to find the motivation to do it regularly."³

How do I get started?

The best way is to find a local activity you can do regularly. This might be an activity you do on your own, or with a group. The good news is there are loads of great activities already happening in Stockwell. You can find and join a group that interests you on the 'activities' section of this site. A few examples include:

• Local walking groups: Get involved in free and local community walks, many on which around Lambeth.
• Green Legacy Gyms: Free, outdoor community gyms where you can work out for free. The closest are in Larkhall Park and Mursell Estate
• GoodGym: GoodGym organise volunteering activities across Lambeth, combined with getting active. Do good and get fit!

Head over to activities to find more.

Alternatively, you can use the NHS Services Search to find local sports and fitness groups in Lambeth, here.

There's a solution to any problem. "If you remain passive, thinking, 'I can't do anything about my problem', your stress will get worse," says Professor Cooper.

"That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing."

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it's a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.

Easy time-management tips

If you never seem to have enough time, better time management may help you regain control of your days.

Whether it's in your job or your lifestyle as a whole, learning how to manage your time effectively can help you feel more relaxed, focused and in control.

"The aim of good time management is to achieve the lifestyle balance you want," says Emma Donaldson-Feilder, a chartered occupational psychologist.

This page has Emma's top tips for better time management.

Work out your goals

"Work out who you want to be, your priorities in life, and what you want to achieve in your career or personal life," says Emma. "That is then the guiding principle for how you spend your time and how you manage it."

Once you have worked out the big picture, you can then work out some short-term and medium-term goals. "Knowing your goals will help you plan better and focus on the things that will help you achieve those goals," says Emma.

Make a list

To-do lists are a good way to stay organised. "Try it and see what works best for you," says Emma.

She prefers to keep a single to-do list, to avoid losing track of multiple lists. "Keeping a list will help you work out your priorities and timings. It can help you put off the non-urgent tasks."

Make sure you keep your list somewhere accessible. If you always have your phone, for example, keep it on your phone.

Focus on results

Good time management at work means doing high-quality work, not high quantity. Emma advises concentrating not on how busy you are, but on results.

"Spending more time on something doesn't necessarily achieve more," she says. "Staying an extra hour at work at the end of the day may not be the most effective way to manage your time."

Have a lunch break

Lots of people work through their lunch break, but Emma says that can be counter-productive. "As a general rule, taking at least 30 minutes away from your desk will help you to be more effective in the afternoon," she says.

"Go for a walk outdoors or, better still, do some exercise," says Emma. "You'll come back to your desk re-energised, with a new set of eyes and renewed focus."

Planning your day with a midday break will also help you to break up your work into more manageable chunks.

Prioritise important tasks

Tasks can be grouped into 4 categories:

• urgent and important
• not urgent but important
• urgent but not important
• neither urgent nor important

People who manage their time well concentrate on "not urgent but important" activities. That way they lower the chances of activities ever becoming "urgent and important".

"The aim is to learn how to become better at reducing the number of urgent and important tasks. Having to deal with too many urgent tasks can be stressful," says Emma.

Practise the '4 Ds'

One study found that 1 in 3 office workers suffers from email stress. Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for good time management.

Emma advises practising the "4 Ds":

• Delete: you can probably delete half the emails you get immediately.
• Do: if the email is urgent or can be completed quickly.
• Delegate: if the email can be better dealt with by someone else.
• Defer: set aside time later to spend on emails that will take longer to deal with.

A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.

"If you don't connect with people, you won't have support to turn to when you need help," says Professor Cooper.

The activities we do with friends help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever.

"Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems," says Professor Cooper.

Read about some other ways relationships help our wellbeing.

Where can I go to sit and connect with others in Lambeth? 

• The Ritzy Cinema, Brixton 
• Brixton Village Market - food from all over the world
• Portuguese Delicatessen -  Delicatessen Serrana
• Brixton Soup Kitchen - why not volunteer?

Here in the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we often don't spend enough time doing things we really enjoy.

"We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise," says Professor Cooper.

He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality "me time" away from work.

"By earmarking those 2 days, it means you won't be tempted to work overtime," he says.

How can I have some 'me time'?

1. Unplug
   Whilst we may scroll on our phones during 'me time' they can cause us more stress, so it can be beneficial to put down your electronics and stay present. Put down the social media, the emails, the phone calls for a set amount of time and try something else, whether thats reading a book, cooking or just daydreaming out the window. You can unplug whilst taking in walk in one of Lambeth's Parks, or reading a book from the Tate South Lambeth Library.
2. Create Something
   This is all about making something for the fun of it! Forget perfection, you can draw, write, bake, cook, make up a dance routine... Just remember it's about having fun not getting it right.
3. Meet up with a friend
   Having 'me time' isn't just about enjoying your own company, you can enjoy other's too! Organise to meet up with a friend and do something fun, whether thats a movie date at Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, or a game of Tennis in Larkhall Park, this is about getting away from work and life stresses and enjoying time with those who you care most about.
4. Take a class
   If you have a couple of spare moments during the week, why not take a class and learn or do something new! Lambeth is full of activities you can try, such as learning new languages or joining a local dancing class. Indulge in an activity you've always wanted to do.
5. Exercise
   Health is a priority so why not take some me-time whilst looking after your health. The Gym Group Stockwell have loads of exercise classes daily to get involved in, or go you can for a refreshing swim in Brixton Lido.

Places where can I have some ‘me time’ in Stockwell? 

STOCKWELL MEMORIAL GARDEN

VAN GOGH WALK

LORN ROAD ALLOTMENTS

LARKHALL PARK

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps build confidence. This will help you deal with stress.

"By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person," says Professor Cooper.

"It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV all the time."

If challenging yourself seems daunting, take it one step at a time. Set yourself a small challenge for the week, by introducing change slowly you're more likely to break old habits and make new ones.

Don't rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping.

"Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour," says Professor Cooper. "Women are better at seeking support from their social circle."

In the long term, these crutches won't solve your problems. They'll just create new ones

"It's like putting your head in the sand," says Professor Cooper. "It might provide temporary relief, but it won't make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress."

You can replace your unhealthy habits with new healthy ones. For example:

• Instead of watching TV before bed, write in a journal! It's a great way to reflect on the day and how you feel
• Instead of scrolling on your phone, read a book. Escape to Tate South Lambeth Library and pick up a book to read
• Instead of sitting on the couch after dinner, go for a walk - whether its a short 5 minute walk or an hour, both can help! Larkhall park has an easy quick loop if you're short on time
• Instead of snacking on junk food, have fruit around the house! It's much healthier and just as delicious.

Importantly, tackle one unhealthy habit at a time. Trying to do too much at once can make it difficult to know where to begin, and you're less likely to make a change.

Professor Cooper says evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.

"Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective," says Professor Cooper. "The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel."

If you don't have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.

"Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective," says Professor Cooper. "The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel."

If you don't have time to volunteer, try to do someone a favour every day. It can be something as small as helping someone cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues.

Find out more about giving for mental wellbeing.

 Find out how you can help your Lambeth community by getting involved here.

Working smarter, not harder, is an expression professionals may use. This phase encapsulates the idea that a little planning can make the tasks of daily life much easier to manage. By applying a few innovative ideas to your daily schedule, you can boost your productivity, performance and work-life balance.

Working smarter, not harder, is a concept that focuses on streamlining how you work to make the entire process more efficient. Here are some of the potential benefits of working more efficiently:

• Increased productivity: When you work efficiently, you may increase your overall productivity. You can complete more tasks in the same amount of time.
• Improved work-life balance: When working efficiently, you may have more time and energy for other activities. This can improve your overall work-life balance.
• More new challenges: You can apply yourself to challenging tasks more effectively if you have more time and energy. Working more efficiently can help you complete additional responsibilities.
• Increased positivity: Professionals who work efficiently may feel more satisfied with their daily tasks. This can lead to increased positivity and a happier workplace.

Get tips on how to manage your time better

Look for the positives in life, and things for which you're grateful.

"People don't always appreciate what they have," says Professor Cooper. "Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty," he says.

Try writing down 3 things that went well, or for which you're grateful, at the end of every day.

Audio: Unhelpful thinking Audio 

In this audio guide, Dr Chris Williams helps you to replace negative thoughts with more positive thinking.

Listen here.

You can put positive thinking into practice by changing how you think about situations, for example: