While our first approach to our mental health should come from lifestyle adjustments - focusing on our food, sleep and movement - we may also need extra support.

We may not want to take medication because we don’t feel our symptoms are bad enough, we’ve tried medication in the past and didn’t find it helpful or we simply want short-term support to help us get on top of things.

In the last three weeks - and indeed 3 years has been a lot going on around us.

Even if we are not directly involved with events, seeing the images and hearing the stories on the news and social media can feel incredibly overwhelming.

This can cause us to feel stressed, which can lead to difficulty concentrating, can affect our sleep pattern and contribute to us feeling irritable.

And. This in itself can lead us to feel more overwhelmed.

SO WHAT DO WE DO & HOW DO WE COPE WITH OVERWHELM?

AND HOW DO WE COPE WITH THE FEELINGS OF GUILT AS WE CARRY ON OUR LIVES AS NORMAL?

We’re generally stressed.

We have a lot going on. Children, jobs, relationships - a swirling to do list.

We’ve had chronic stress (thanks Covid). We have monthly stress (thanks menstrual cycle). We have hormone stress (menopause, puberty).

And we often walk around with a body full of tension.

So; here are three things to do to relax right now:

It is not only the season to be jolly - it's also the season that can cause an awful lot of stress /distress. Family, food and Far-too-much-Fun can all add up to feeling a little worse for wear. Here are 10 helpful hints to help you get through:

Have you ever suffered from butterflies in your stomach? A feeling of dread? Sweaty palms? Feeling that you are struggling to get a breath? Feeling nauseous? Or a general feeling of being on edge, startling easily?

Most of us have experienced this feeling at some point in our life. Usually brought about by being asked to speak publically, awaiting a job interview or waiting for life changing good or bad news. It's normal, it serves a function and we wouldn't be human without it.

But what do we do when it's seems to stay? When the feeling appears to come on for no reason and then doesn't leave us?