text:
Browsing Category

20 ways to relieve stress

20 ways to relieve stress

If you’re looking to relieve stress may I suggest not reversing into a concrete bollard and causing approximately £1,200 of damage to your vehicle? Yes, that’s what happened to me the week before last.

Why? Because I was rushing.

I’d taken on too much work. The night before my news shift a last minute commission had come in and the only time the celeb could do the interview was after my shift. Not an issue. I’ve been a freelance journalist for almost 20 years and this is part and parcel of the ‘feast or famine’ nature of being self-employed.

The only snag was that I had to be up at 5am *I am useless with early starts* for an event I was covering in London for a new client the following day so the prospect of burning the midnight oil was not exactly appealing. To make matters worse, I received an email from a different editor at 6.30pm the very same evening asking me to amend some marks on a feature I’d written weeks before. The pages were going to press the following day.

Given that I would be out on a job at the crack of dawn the next morning there was nothing for it but to deal with it there and then.

By the end of the night, my head was spinning. I’d worked my news shift, crashed my car, interviewed the celeb, transcribed the hour-long interview, tweaked the feature and tracked the case study down. I rolled into bed gone midnight yet I couldn’t get to sleep. At 1.30am I was still wide awake thinking I had to be up in 3.5 hours.

20 ways to relieve stress

Then the words of my nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner entered my head.

“Stress management is key when addressing chronic health issues. Why? Because no matter how perfect your diet is, how much you exercise or what supplements you take, if you don’t manage your stress your health will be at risk and you will sabotage all your best efforts.”

She’d mentioned this to me on our first meeting and ever since then, I’ve been doing all I can to try and lead a more peaceful life.

Now we all know that acute stress serves an important function – it protects us from danger via a ‘flight or fight’ response by giving us the means to escape a life-threatening situation or face it head-on.

Our heart rate and respiration increase pumping more blood to the muscles, our pupils dilate to let in more light and improve sight, our focus intensifies, our immune system is activated and ready for action while our parasympathetic nervous system is put on hold.

When the stressful situation is over the parasympathetic nervous system kicks back in and the body returns to balance, resting, digesting and reproducing until the next acute stressor occurs.

However, problems arise when the stressors don’t go away – something known as chronic stress – and the sympathetic nervous system remains activated diverting energy away from normal functions such as digestion, repair and reproduction.

“We all know the mental and emotional stresses we face daily – the commute, long hours at work, impossibly busy schedules, problems with finances, problems in our relationships – on and on the list goes,” my nutritionist explains

“What you may not be aware of are other stresses which elicit exactly the same response by the body. These include poor dietary choices causing imbalances in blood sugar, constant sleep deprivation, chronic infections (often gut infections), inflammation and pain, food intolerances, even over-exercising. All these create a stress response and we lurch through the day going from one stressor to another and the stress response is constantly switched on – our bodies are not designed to cope with this type of chronic stress.”

I should perhaps mention at this point that I was also in the midst of my fourth tongue-swelling reaction in as many days. We were experiencing a  heatwave in the UK and extreme temperature is a trigger.

As some of you know, I was recently diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. In layman’s terms, my mast cells – white blood cells which form part of our immune system and are in every part of the body – are confused and hyper-sensitive and mistake things like high-histamine food, certain medication, and sunlight as a threat.

The cells are filled with chemical mediators including histamine, heparin, prostaglandins, cytokines which are released in varying amounts once triggered. When this happens my tongue or throat usually swells up. Sometimes I also experience severe itching in my scalp and limbs, chronic fatigue, stabbing pains all over my body and behind my eyes. I also bruise very easily – on the day I saw the consultant who finally diagnosed me – my entire right thigh was black.

The reason I mention this is because stress is a huge trigger too and I had not one but EVERY single reaction listed, which is additional proof that I need to get back on track with chilling out.

20 ways to relieve stress

So to celebrate National Relaxation Day [15 August 2018], I’ve rounded up 20 ways to find some balance. As de-stressing can only benefit us all, I hope these tips help you too.

20 ways to relieve stress

  1. On waking, wait half an hour before switching your phone on. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve reached straight for my device and ended up responding to WhatsApp group messages or watching an Instagram story, inadvertently wasting precious minutes in the morning, which then made me feel rushed. Give yourself the chance to wake up properly, nourish your body with healthy food and set some positive intentions for the day ahead.
  2. Limit time spent on social media. Things like Facebook groups are great for providing a sense of community for those of us who work remotely but when comments are overly negative, unsupportive or just downright mean they can dampen your mood. Dip in and out and avoid becoming involved in lengthy debates.
  3. Get organised. If I’m working in London or have a news shift booked in I pick out my outfit – right down to my underwear – and hang it on the back of the door. Likewise, I sort out my handbag and prepare all my own food as buying lunch out is no longer an option with my MCAS issues.
  4. Breathe deeply and slowly. Even if it’s just for three minutes. This is instantly relaxing and helps me at night when I need to calm my racing mind.
  5. Employ mindfulness. It’s not as hard as it sounds and there are plenty of guided apps out there like Calm and Headspace. I also visited a fantastic meditation studio in London and also found solace in a weekend meditation/wellness retreat at Chilston Park in Kent earlier this year.
  6. Avoid pointless arguments.
  7. Manage your time effectively. Remember that your time isn’t necessarily set in stone. I’m a bit useless at this and like order (surprising when I’ve been freelance for 18 years and there’s little routine) so I can feel a little flustered if plans change at the last minute but usually the spontaneous changes work out for the best.
  8. If you cannot alter a situation, take a different perspective. Think ‘In what way could this situation be positive?’ Or ‘Can this have value or is it useful?’
  9. Keep a journal. Writing your thoughts down can be incredibly therapeutic and help you organise them.
  10. Avoid procrastination which can lead to feelings of not being good enough.
  11. Allow an extra half an hour for everything you do. Meeting a friend? Have a date? Catching the train (in which case I leave an HOUR earlier). Far better to be too early than too late.
  12. Turn your phone off. If I’m on deadline or trying to get a piece finished I put my phone on aeroplane mode.
  13. Create boundaries. I work from home a lot but often friends and family view this time as a chance to pop in for a coffee and a catch-up. I used to feel bad about turning them down but now they understand.
  14. Don’t overschedule. I’m guilty of cramming too much in and have been trying to make every Sunday a relaxation day but for the past two weeks I’ve ended up working. I SHALL get back on the horse!
  15. Stop trying to please everybody and learn how to say no. If not, you’ll end up being run ragged.
  16. Run a bath. It’s cliche. It works. I wrote about it here. Usually, I throw in a handful of Epsom salts, but as part of the day job earlier this year, I was sent Olverum Bath Oil and I’m now a convert. It contains no fewer than 10 essential oils including geranium, lavender and eucalyptus leaving your muscles relaxed and your bathroom smelling divine.
  17. Go to bed an hour early and wake up feeling refreshed, productive and ready to tackle the day.
  18. Move more. Exercise is a great way to clear the mind and was always my go-to for beating stress. I was a former gym bunny and tennis was my main sport. Due to my MCAS, spin classes and running are out, and I can’t play tennis competitively as vibrations – from activity to those felt on aircraft – can cause my mast cells to degranulate. Read here about the time my tongue started to swell on a long-haul flight. Now I’ve found solace in swimming and fair weather paddle boarding when I have the energy.
  19. Take up a new hobby that you love. Blogging anyone?

What are your top tips for managing stress? How are you relaxing today? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. If you think this post might help someone who is struggling, please feel free to share this post or tag them.

Helen's Health, Wellness

7 reformer pilates myths busted

Helen Gilbert reformer pilates

“Reformer pilates? No way, it’s just not my kind of thing.” That was always my standard response whenever my lifelong osteopath Paul Morrissey suggested I give it a try.

The machines looked frightening – almost like an ancient torture device – complicated to operate and, as I’d always favoured fast-paced exercise like spin, running, tennis and boot camps, I automatically assumed I’d be bored.

Then two and a half years ago I became chronically ill – read the Night It All Began here. Alongside high histamine food, ANY sort of exercise that made me hot and sweaty would bring on tongue swelling and throat closing episodes. Overnight my sporty lifestyle, along with a big part of my identity, disappeared.

So when doctors suggested I reintroduce low impact exercise on the provision I have my adrenaline pen and antihistamines to hand, I decided the time was right to learn more about reformer pilates.

Helen Gilbert reformer pilates

For those not in the know, pilates is a system of slow and controlled exercises performed on a mat or spring-assisted reformer. It’s designed to lengthen and strengthen muscles, improve posture, flexibility and agility, prevent injury and address structural imbalances in the body.

Pioneer Joseph Hubertus Pilates was said to have been a sickly child following his birth in 1883 so, in adulthood, he set about researching and developing a mind, body, spirit approach to exercise that would later transform him into a skier, diver, gymnast and boxer.

He also rigged springs to hospital beds to help bedridden patients exercise against resistance, which subsequently inspired the designs for much of the reformer pilates equipment we see today.

I popped along to the Osteopathic Clinic in Croydon for my very first reformer pilates session and busted the following myths:

No, it’s not, even though the equipment might seem so. It helped that Rhea Malkin (pictured), a triathlete, ironman competitor and STOTT Pilates Essential and Intermediate Reformer qualified instructor was on hand to guide me through my one-on-one session. Embarrassingly, I went to lie down at the wrong end of the bed-like contraption but she quickly pointed me in the right direction. I assumed my position on the ‘carriage’, which moves back and forth on wheels, and is attached to the reformer by a set of springs that provide differing levels of resistance. My feet rested on the bar at the bottom and I lay on the comfortable padded platform ready for my first move. Simple. What on earth had I been worrying about?

Admittedly, I thought I’d be bored out of my brain by repeating movements in a slow and controlled manner but there’s a heck of a lot to remember, like engaging your core correctly when performing a move, which makes it far from dull and you feel the muscles instantly working.  I struggled with finding my neutral spine so Rhea suggested visualising a glass of water, which I did not want to spill, on my tummy. For the glutes, she urged me to think about gripping a credit card between my butt cheeks. We giggled but it worked! My muscles were activated and I’d yet to start work on the reformer pilates equipment!

Nope. Your breathing is important too. The preparatory work before a move involves an inhalation, while any exertion requires an exhalation. The very mindful action of focussing on the breath as well as the move provided a delightful escape from the stresses of daily life and the thoughts that permanently whizz around my overactive mind. Of course, building a graceful, strong body is an obvious advantage too. Rhea, who regularly works out on a reformer pilates machine, is a testament to that!

Helen Gilbert reformer pilates

Think again. Yes, there’s no mat involved but just because you’re using equipment doesn’t mean that it’s any less of a workout or you’ve failed.  In fact, years ago I once tried a floor-based group pilates class. The next day my neck had locked up entirely which put me out of action for weeks. However, I managed a full 50 minutes on the reformer and successfully worked through the full repertoire of exercises which spanned the lower and upper body as well as stabilising core work.

There’s definitely a lot to remember and if I’d been in a group class I think I may have struggled. But if you have an individual instructor talking you through each move it’s a breeze. Plus there’s the added advantage that he/she can correct you if you’re misaligned.

Helen Gilbert reformer pilates

Yes it is. You might not be drenched in sweat as you would from a HIIT class but the muscles in my back, inner thighs, arms and tummy back were still screaming at me three days later (in a good way).

I held this view for YEARS. It wasn’t until my health packed up that I took note. I’m eager to get back to exercise but appreciate that the adrenaline-pumped classes I used to love no longer serve me or my health. This was such a fun alternative. I  was so enthused with the class – and the fact I didn’t have a tongue swelling or throat closing reaction during or afterwards– that I’m now contemplating buying a reformer pilates one for the house.

Visit the Osteopathic Clinic  for more information about their one-on-one reformer pilates sessions.

Relax Ya Self To Health was invited to try this session by the Osteopathic Clinic in exchange for a review.  As always, reviews are based on my honest opinion.

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog based on my own genuine experiences. My posts are for informational purposes only. I am under the care of a number of specialists for my chronic health issues. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, physio or sports therapist. If you have a health condition or injuries, always seek advice from a relevant medical professional before undertaking any activity.

Helen's Health, Wellness

REVIEW: How a ‘tapping’ session helped my anxiety

How tapping helped my anxiety

I’m sitting in an East Sussex conservatory rapidly tapping various parts of my body. I do not have fleas. I’m not at an ape imitation school. And nobody has sprinkled itching powder under my shirt. So what the heck am I doing?

It’s a complementary therapy called EFT, (Emotional Freedom Techniques), also known as tapping and I’m under the expert guidance of clinical hypnotherapist and EFT practitioner Liz Davies, a sunny character with a smile bright enough to illuminate Brighton Pier.

Often referred to as ‘psychological acupressure’, the approach fuses elements of the Chinese meridian energy system with modern Western talk therapy and is growing in popularity as a way to treat stress, anxiety, fear, insomnia and chronic pain.

If it sounds a little new-age you’re right, but last Autumn it emerged that the Duchess of Cornwall had reduced her fear of flying by using the technique.

In the same year researchers at Australia’s Bond University also scientifically demonstrated that the approach could help rewire the neural pathways of obese patients.

So, when Liz – who goes by the name of the ‘Miracle Coach’ – invited me to try a session I jumped at the chance.

How tapping helped me

Tapping is said to help release blockages within the energy system, which are the source of emotional intensity and discomfort. Ongoing upsetting or stressful situations or traumatic events that may have occurred in the past can all be contributory factors which, if left unresolved, may manifest as symptoms including physical health problems, limiting beliefs, anxiousness, emotional disharmony and feelings of being stuck.

In a nutshell, tapping aims to clear the emotional attachment that our subconscious clings onto, to help us lead more fulfilling and positive lives.

“Often people end up in cycles, perhaps in relationships that aren’t necessarily good for them, as the subconscious tries to recreate the past to make it better again,” Liz points out.

“Tapping helps address the subconscious, clear the energy and enables you to see the world with fresh eyes. There’s no emotional triggering so you can choose people, activities and things on the basis of what’s really good for you rather than a trigger that’s just pulling you along.”

At the start of the session, Hove-based Liz asks me to set some intentions. “If you could wave a magic wand, what would be your goal at the end?” she enquires. “To be able to go to a restaurant and eat and drink whatever I want without worrying about having a tongue-swelling reaction,” I reply.

“Great, are there any others?” I rattle off a few more before I’m asked to list them in order of priority. “It’s always best to go with what you instinctively feel is the strongest – tune into that feeling,” advises Liz helpfully.

I hone in on one that has been causing me immense worry and fear.

“Where’s the feeling in the body?” she gently asks. “The pit of my stomach,” I reply. “On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate it with 10 being the worst?” “10.” “What colour and shape is it?” “It’s a dense circle – maroon brown.” Liz continues:  “Does it feel like it’s moving around or stuck?”
“It’s stuck.” “And how would you describe it?” “As fear and unease.”

Your subsconscious is saying ‘thank goodness you’re listening to me’

Liz explains that colours and shapes are used because they’re the language of the subconscious. “Once you start talking in those words it creates a clear communication. Most of the time what we do is we try to ignore what the subconscious is telling us because it feels uneasy or unpleasant so we avoid it. Instead, we use our conscious mind, which is rational, but what we need to do is talk to the subconscious because that’s where the emotional stuff is.”

Then something peculiar happens.

We haven’t even started the tapping but I feel as though the ball has already shifted up from the pit of my stomach. “Yay,” Liz replies. ‘It’s because your subconscious is saying thank goodness you’re listening to me, you’re paying attention to me. That’s perfect.”

How tapping helped me

We embark on the first round of tapping and I follow Liz’s actions and copy her words.

Using three fingers I tap the karate chop point of my hand seven times and repeat after her: “Even though I have this dark maroon brown feeling stuck in my tummy, I still love and accept myself anyway.”

My eyes dart around the room – I wasn’t expecting that.

Next, I’m tapping the crown of the head….“All this fear.”
Followed by my eyebrows…”In my tummy.”
Then the side of the eyes…“This dark maroon brown fear.”
And the top of the cheekbone… “Stuck in my tummy.”
Underneath my nose… “All this unease.”
Followed by the middle of the chin… “I feel unease,”
Then underneath the collarbone…“I don’t like it.”

The process continues and I’m tapping again just beneath my armpit…“All this fear.”
Then the wrist…“This round dark fear.”
Followed by taps on the side of each fingernail…“This fear in my tummy, this maroon brown fear, this uneasy feeling, I don’t like this dark fear.”
Before finishing at the karate chop point… “In my tummy.”
Liz asks me to take a deep breath in before breathing out slowly. Round one complete.

How a tapping session helped me
“Can you rate the intensity of the ball now?” I’m lost for words and start laughing hysterically. “This is ridiculous,” I blurt out. “I can’t believe it but it feels lighter, like a three. Weirdly, it feels as though it’s shifted up into my heart area. It’s transparent and kind of an oblong shape. It no longer feels like a ball.”

“What emotion would you give it now?”

I smile again. “I’m sorry, I can’t…it feels insignificant.”

It sounds like you’ve had a one minute miracle

Liz nods: “Basically what you’re doing is processing your feelings by speaking them out loud and accepting them. Tapping at the same time is physically allowing the emotion that got squished down in your body to come up and release. It sounds like you’ve had a one-minute miracle. This does happen.

“When positive words come out or you can’t say anything negative that means the energy that was holding you back has cleared and your real true self, your bright spark is able to speak louder. When you can hear yourself clearly everything else starts to flow easier because you’re not driven by fear anymore.”

I celebrate yawns

We embark on the second round of tapping. Halfway through I experience an intense surge of excitement – butterflies if you will – in my stomach and for the first time in an age, I feel as though I’m truly alive again. Embarrassingly, though, I stifle a huge yawn at the end.

Liz doesn’t mind. “I always celebrate yawns. It’s also another way of release. And the butterflies…wow. That’s your real self coming up. This is what tapping does and why I say it’s so magical.  Sometimes just hitting on what needed to be said and tapping at the same time can be so effective.”

I hug Liz at the end. I’m feeling incredibly relaxed and also as though I’ve been given a new lease of life.

Sceptics might argue the placebo effect but I definitely felt a physical and emotional shift.

Besides, if tapping helps to improve our outlook, positivity and induce a state of calm – whatever the reason – it has to be worth a try.

Relax Ya Self to Health was invited to try this session by Miracle Coach Liz Davies in exchange for a review. As always, reviews are based on my honest opinion.

If you liked this article you might like to check out my other reviews on pranic healing, a weekend meditation retreat, a hypnotherapy mind massage, and the Inhere meditation studio.

Or check out the health and wellbeing tips of your favourite celebrities: Katie Piper, Jonny Wilkinson, Pat Cash, Andrew Barton, Gail Porter

Review: Chilston Park Hotel wellness retreat

Chilston Park wellness weekend

It’s rare you’ll find me up and about at 6.30am on a Saturday but that’s precisely what happened during a wellness weekend at Chilston Park Hotel in Kent recently.

This stunning Grade 1-listed country house, which has teamed up with Liberty Wellbeing to offer a series of stress-relieving retreats, was running a two-night yoga, Tai Chi and mindfulness programme. I was there for the day job but the timing was ideal.

I’d recently moved house – one of the most stressful things you can do – and desperately needed a break from sorting and lifting heavy boxes and making endless phone calls to utility companies.

When left to my own devices relaxation is something I struggle with despite it being an important factor in the management of my tongue swelling reactions. A structured wellness weekend dedicated to slowing down would certainly leave no room for excuses.

Except, I hadn’t envisaged waking up with the larks. I’m not good with early starts plus I’m a worrier. Throw in a 6am alarm call and you’ll undoubtedly find me wide awake at 2am fretting over the fact that I have to be up in four hours.  Yet, to my surprise, this did not happen.

Jennie Lichfield, Liberty Wellbeing’s principal teacher and the mastermind behind our schedule, believes this could have something to do with the fact that, just by being there, I had ‘given myself permission to unwind’.

The previous evening I’d arrived at Chilston Park, a pretty 17th-century country house set in 22 acres, which is one of a number of luxury properties in the Hand Picked Hotels portfolio.

A lovely chap called Guy led me through the characterful property – complete with spectacular wooden staircase and fascinating coffee tables fashioned out of original wooden shutters – into a room for tea and vegan and gluten-free carrot cake.

Chilston Park Hotel wellness weekend

There I met the other course attendees – a mix of 40 and 30-something married couples, mums, and millennials – who were all equally as eager to do the right thing by their minds and bodies.

Jennie talked us through the itinerary and there were smiles all round when she said we could roll out of bed and into the 6.30am group meditation session in our PYJAMAS should we desire. There’d also be warm blankets and plump cushions, too. *Yay*

Chilston Park Classic Double Bedroom

That night we took part in a ‘yoga for sleep’ session before bonding over deliciously nourishing vegetarian food. It was a blissful evening spent with like-minded souls and when I headed back to my quaint and cosy room (named Austen after the literary heroine – the rooms do not have numbers) at 9.30pm I felt as though I’d walked into a warm embrace.

There flickering on the TV was a video of a log fire, complete with dancing flames and the instantly calming sound of crackles.

A fluffy Larry the Lamb (the hotel’s equivalent of a Do Not Disturb sign) sat in the middle of my comfortable bed – which had been turned down for the evening – together with a welcome letter providing hotel team contact details, breakfast serving times and the following day’s weather.

I made full use of the complimentary organic Clipper hot chocolate sachets, Walkers shortbread biscuits and still and sparkling water in my room, too. By the time I climbed into bed I’d forgotten all about the hustle and bustle of the outside world and felt light and carefree.

Chilston Park Larry the Lamb

“The first evening is about laying down the journey to get here and marking the end of the busy week,” Jennie explains. “You can go to a one hour [meditation or yoga] session in your local area but it just starts to scratch the surface. When you come here, wake up the next morning in a beautiful location and totally immerse yourself it becomes a different experience and you do even more of this unfolding.”

The following day’s mindfulness session was held in the Coach House (converted stables). Jennie gently guided us through the practice, encouraging us to pay attention to the breath and body and to notice, in a non-judgemental way, how we were feeling. We learned that being present like this can help stop the mind racing and relinquish unhelpful thought patterns.

“You start to understand yourself more, recognise the attributes in your life that are perhaps not helping you or you learn new ways that will serve you better,” Jennie explains. “It’s really good to spend this much time dedicated to yourself because the deeper you go the more you learn.”

Chilston Park Liberty Wellbeing retreat

I certainly found both meditation sessions (there was another on Sunday) useful. Taking a moment to be still helped me gain insight and wisdom into my feelings, as well as the way I respond to certain situations and how I talk to myself on a daily basis.

“As soon as you start to see that you’re telling yourself the story that you’re useless, you won’t tell yourself that anymore,” Jennie continues. “Don’t believe the horrible things you tell yourself, believe the opinion of others.

“Weekends like this help us to recognise how much we are living a fast life and by slowing down and offering some kind of reflective practices it means we can begin to choose. Is this OK for me? Is this how I want to be? We have the opportunity to choose the right path for us but if we’re living too fast and on that treadmill, we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to decide.”

But it wasn’t just the mindfulness aspect that left me feeling better equipped to face the world. Physically, the Hatha yoga sessions did wonders for my creaky body. I especially enjoyed Yin, which according to our instructor Samantha Stone – who trained with the British Wheel of Yoga – is performed at a much slower pace and a good complement to regular yoga.

Chilston Park Liberty Wellbeing retreat

“Normal yoga focuses on stretching the muscles, Yin works to stress the joints, the ligaments, the fascia [connective tissue] to make them stronger,” she says. “This is a good technique for people in their older years.

“It’s supportive and the idea is that you find a pose that you can stay in for three increments. Yin is also fantastic if you’re younger and struggle with monkey mind because of the mindfulness element. You hold a pose and ask yourself how does this feel, where’s the sensation? You connect to it which can slow down the mind.”

Perhaps, what I loved most about the wellness weekend was the fact that I could just be. There was no pressure to attend every class. I tried Tai Chi for the first time, an ancient martial art that combines breathing, relaxation and flowing movements, but didn’t get on with it and Jennie said it was fine for me to sit the following day’s class out.

So I engaged in mindful colouring instead – which I thoroughly enjoyed – and read some of the meditation books and wellbeing magazines that were liberally scattered about. I could have gone for a lie down to but was extremely keen to drink up the knowledge I’d been exposed to.

Chilston Park Liberty Wellbeing retreat

Oh, and how could I forget the food?! It. Was. Sublime. As some of you know I’m on quite a restricted diet due to my histamine intolerance but the chef worked his magic conjuring up delicious dishes for both myself and others who had vegan, dairy and gluten-free dietary requirements.

The food was some of the best I’d ever tasted – unsurprising given the fact that Culpeper’s is a 2 AA Rosette fine dining restaurant.

Starters included roast parsnip soup, dairy-free herb and mushroom frittata, quinoa and apple salad, while main dishes comprised things like chickpea and roast onion curry, vegetable fried rice, garlic sautéed green beans, butternut squash and spinach gratin and spiced sweet potato wedges. I feasted like a queen and was excited to walk away with new recipe ideas.

Chilston Park Exterior Lake

If you’re feeling super stressed and in need of some me time this reasonably-priced wellness retreat is for you. Not only do you leave feeling rested and nourished physically, mentally and visually – the historic hotel has many interesting traditional features – you end up learning a great deal about yourself.

Also, I particularly liked the fact that Jennie handed out take-home laminated Liberty Wellbeing fact sheets so that we could continue using the mindfulness techniques in the real world. She’d thought of everything.

The bonus was that I got to  meet some lovely like-minded people. In fact, Leah Lardwood, owner of the blog Roots and Toots and I instantly hit it off and are still in touch, so we have the retreat to thank for our blossoming friendship, too!

For more information or to book a  Liberty Wellbeing wellness retreat visit the Chilston Park website or call 01622 859803. The price is £275 per person double/twin occupancy or £350 per person single occupancy.

If you liked this article, you might also be interested in our travel reviews of South Africa’s Kruger National Park, Barbados, and Austria. Or if you’re looking for more wellness posts or articles on ways to relax in the UK, you might like to visit this meditation studio, try a hypnotherapy mind massagemobile phone video therapy or give e-biking a spin.

Travel, Wellness

Could this psychology app improve your life?

Could this psychology app improve your life?

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” is a phrase that pops up on countless Instagram feeds.

And while the intention – aimed at helping us through the tough times and encouraging a positive mindset – is all well and good, it’s not always that easy, is it?

According to the Health and Safety Executive, 12.5 million working days are lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.

Children, too, are struggling. Recent research from children’s charity the NSPCC, revealed that the number of kids and young people receiving help for anxiety has climbed by an astonishing 59 per cent in two years. Its Childline service delivered the equivalent of 38 counselling sessions a day in 2016/17, amounting to 13,746 over the year.

And while we’re often reminded that it’s good to talk; that a problem shared is a problem halved, engaging in a conversation with our nearest and dearest mightn’t always be comfortable. In fact, it can be a daunting prospect for those who are just about struggling to make it through the day.

Could this psychology app improve your life?

When my physical health unexpectedly and spectacularly fell apart in 2015/2016 I was immensely frightened. Doctors couldn’t tell me why I was having life-threatening tongue swelling episodes almost every day or why my right foot stopped working.

Scared of setting off a reaction, I became afraid to eat. At the same time, I felt constantly fatigued with horrendous shooting pains all over my body. It took all of the little energy I had to work throughout the day to meet the mortgage payments before collapsing into bed at 7pm most evenings. My once sporty way of life disappeared in flash and I withdrew from social circles.

And while my friends worried about me, some just didn’t understand.

“Why don’t you just pay to see a doctor privately and get to the bottom of it?,” one suggested on a Whatsapp group. By this point, I was a good ten months in and had seen a number of different specialists who were none the wiser. Furthermore, this WAS an option I had previously investigated. After all, I’d been researching the hell out of it but various consultants explained the problem was so complicated it was unlikely I’d find a concrete answer.

“We haven’t seen you in ages,” commented another. “When can you drive over for a visit or come out for dinner?” At the time I was on really strong meds that caused drowsiness, my foot wasn’t working and I could only eat about eight ingredients. I hadn’t broadcasted this fact, though.

I couldn’t see the supposed silver lining

So I quietly withdrew from social media, group chats and life in general. As for talking to my family, I didn’t want to worry them. They were just as exhausted witnessing my reactions first hand. Despite the fact that I’m getting on a bit, my mum was worried sick when she saw me lying in the resuscitation ward connected to all sorts of tubes and drips with a lip the size of a golf ball.

She’d always viewed me as a strong, independent woman but as the months went on I began to crumble inside. Why couldn’t doctors tell me what was going on? Was I going to get better? At the time I couldn’t see the supposed silver lining that everyone talked about. I was worried things would continue on a downward trajectory.

One of my best friends sent a text. “I couldn’t deal with what you’ve been through. You’re coping so well, it’s amazing how much strength you have.” Those words were so very kind but I didn’t really believe them. Each night I’d weep into my pillow, more often than not waking at 3am with a pounding heart, unable to get back to sleep. I became fearful of the future and saw no way out of the deep, dark chasm that had swallowed me up.

Then I noticed a pattern. Every time I saw a hospital consultant they’d mention the word ‘anxiety’ in their notes to my GP. I’d never been anxious before. I just assumed that this was a normal reaction for anyone living with anaphylaxis-mimicking symptoms with no clear trigger. With hindsight being able to talk to an entirely independent health professional would have been an enormous support; even better if I could have done so from the comfort of my own home.

Dr Saeema Ghafur

It’s a need Dr Saeema Ghafur has been quick to identify. The psychologist spent ten years working for the NHS in secondary care, community-based adult mental health services.

During her time she recognised a gap in the market for psychological therapy offered through live video calls so last Autumn she founded Psyma, an award-winning mental health mobile app that gives users access to an array of vetted and highly qualified psychologist and psychiatrists specialising in areas including post-natal depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, panic, phobias and depression.

“I wanted to create a service that would help people overcome obstacles to accessing therapy and set up a flexible platform that would enable them to book a session with a therapist at a time that suited them,” Dr Ghafur explains.

The pay as you go Psyma service, which adheres to NICE guidelines and standards set out by regulatory bodies including the BPS and HCPC, is particularly suitable for mums without access to childcare who might be suffering from post-natal depression, those living in remote areas, busy professionals, people with mobility issues as well as those with mental health issues who simply cannot face leaving the house to make a face-to face-appointment with a therapist.

Could this psychology app change your life?

It’s very easy to use. Even a technophobe like me can operate it. You simply download the app, register your details and then scroll through the comprehensive bios of the psychologists or psychiatrists before making your selection.

You can then book a free initial 25-minute secure online video consultation with your favoured therapist. Booking is easy and the service is very flexible – in some cases, an appointment can be made within 24 hours.

Could this psychology app change your life?

There are no subscription fees or hidden costs. A 25-minute psychology session starts at £40, while 50 minutes is £75. Psychiatry services are priced at £60 for 25 minutes and £110 for 50 minutes. (The psychologists offer talking therapies to counsel patients, the psychiatrists prescribe medication).

According to Dr Ghafur, the telltale clues that you might need therapy are when things become difficult or start to impact on your quality of life and stop you doing the things you were able to do before. “Maybe you’re finding it difficult to sleep, or you no longer enjoy the things you used to,” she says. “Constant worry, increased negative thoughts, an inability to go to work and avoiding social situations are also signs.”

Interestingly, we are all well aware of the importance of taking care of our physical health through good diet and exercise but how often do we take a moment to check in with our brain?

Therapy is one way we can help care for the condition of our minds and is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

*Psyma collaborated with Relax Ya Self To Health on this post.

For more information visit:

Helen's Health, Wellness

Struggling to sleep? 8 tips that may help.

8 Tips to help you sleep

I have a good friend who can sleep anywhere. Cars, planes, trains. And the moment her head hits the pillow she’s out like a light.

Now I’m the least jealous person on the planet although I must confess I am slightly envious of her ability to instantly nod off because I STRUGGLE enormously.

Last week, on one particular school night, I hit the hay at 10pm. It took a good few hours to eventually drift off into what felt like a state of sporadic dozing. Then bam. At 3am I was wide awake. I tossed and turned. Went to the bathroom. Had a glass of water. Each act proved fruitless. At 4.30am I was still wide awake so switched on the light.

The previous week I’d moved house – one of the most stressful things you can do – and had a LOT on my mind so I made a list of all the things that were troubling me and jotted down possible solutions. I even composed an email. After 20 minutes or so I turned off the lamp. Guess what? I fell asleep instantly. Why I didn’t think of writing everything down before is beyond me as I always keep a notebook by the side of my bed!

Below Neil Shah, founder of The Stress Management Society, a not for profit organisation which offers practical help and advice on managing stress, shares his quick tips on achieving a better night’s kip.

Write down everything that’s on your mind. Thoughts, worries, problems, to-do lists. This can reduce night-time anxiety and could help you fall asleep faster.

Listening to a ticking clock or constantly checking your phone to see how many hours you have left before you need to wake up causes unnecessary anxiety.

Tips to help you sleep

Think of a situation that took your energy and left you feeling drained and tired or made you feel upset and uneasy. Visualise blowing a bubble and imagine putting that situation in the centre and letting it go. Keep doing this until you get your energy back, feel better or lighter. It’s a great way of clearing your mind.

Ban TV, phones and tablets from the bedroom. It has been proven that exposure to bright white and blue lights at night prevent our brains from releasing melatonin – the key hormone that tells our bodies that it’s time to sleep.

Meditation allows us to centre ourselves and relax the body – studies have shown it decreases stress and lowers our heart rate. For beginners who are struggling to fall asleep try counting backwards from 100. If you lose track, restart and focus on the present.

Although many say that having a 20-minute snooze in the afternoon improves alertness, performance and mood in general, napping for longer has been proven to disrupt sleep. If your energy is flagging meditate instead.

According to experts at Harvard Medical School a calming bedtime routine is essential for getting a good night’s sleep. It keeps your internal clock in check, which helps you fall asleep and wake up effortlessly.  Every parent understands the importance of preparing a child for bed so treat yourself with the same respect.

Tips to help you sleep

Our body temperature drops as we fall asleep so having a cooler room to start with may help decrease the amount of time it takes to nod off.

Do you struggle to sleep or have you found a method that works for you? I’ve love to hear from you in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this post you might also like to read The Night It All Began, 7 Easy Ways to Lead a Stress-Free Life, Why It’s OK To Say No7 Top Tips for Beating Stress

For advice on how to manage stress visit the Stress Management Society

In the news, Wellness

Review: ‘Smile’ meditation at London’s Inhere Studio

Inhere meditation studio, London

It’s not every day you’re invited to try out a meditation session at Inhere, a boutique space in the capital to help busy Londoners chill out. So imagine the disappointment at missing your original appointment due to circumstances beyond your control. Yes. This is what happened to me on Thursday.

Despite the driving rain and howling winds, I’d woken up in good spirits as I was off to The Big Smoke to see a new specialist about the weird, sporadic allergy-like reactions that cause my tongue to swell up. The hospital appointment was at 10.20am, my meditation slot at 1.30pm. Plenty of time. Or so I thought.

We all know that travelling by train to London can be a fraught affair, especially when commuting from the South East, so I’d factored in an extra hour and a half’s travel time to cushion any delays. As soon as I arrived at the station, the blinking information screens suggested something was awry. “What’s happened?” I politely asked the man in the kiosk.  “Trains are delayed because of branches on the line,” he replied staring into the distance.

“Bloody brilliant,” I thought. My mind raced ahead. “I’m going to miss my connection. I need to plan an alternative route.” Travelling on the tube hadn’t been part of the plan although now it was increasingly looking like I might have to. “But what if there are delays on the network? I’ll be underground with no way to inform the hospital?” A tide of anxiety washed over me. To be on the safe side I emailed the medical secretary explaining the situation. I’d waited so long for this appointment – I couldn’t miss it now.

I needn’t have worried. As luck would have it a much earlier but heavily delayed train pulled up. It only stopped twice. I made the connection and arrived at the hospital with half an hour to spare.  Wahoo. I was back on course. After checking in I regained my composure and waited. And waited. And waited. An hour and a half ticked by. Still, I hadn’t been seen.

Now I’m not one to grumble – the NHS has been kind to me over the past two years and hanging around is something I’ve grown accustomed to – except today I had one eye on the clock because of my appointment in Monument at 1.30pm.  I watched as mothers, grandparents and children ambled in after me and left before. This was clearly an efficiently-run clinic. Why was I still sitting here like a lemon?

Inhere meditation studio, London

I tentatively approached the receptionist who assured me I’d be seen soon. When I eventually sat down with the consultant the miscommunication became clear. Apparently one of the other doctors would have seen me at 10.20am but because I’d mentioned the specialist’s name – which was on the original letter – the time of my appointment didn’t stand as he was the lead chap running the ENTIRE clinic. This hadn’t been explained to me.

Regardless, the wait was worth it. The consultant was thorough. He took down my complex medical history in astonishing detail. He examined me. Usually, when I see a new specialist for the first time I’m in and out in 20 minutes but this was a rather comprehensive affair. “You’ll need bloods taken in another part of the hospital,” he said.

“BLOODS?!”  I was dangerously close to missing my next appointment. Sensing my anxiety, the doctor suggested I call the meditation studio. Of course, this was far more important but I detest letting people down. “I’m really sorry,” I blurted out to Inhere founder Adiba Osmani. “I’m still in Westminster. There’s no way I’ll get there in time for the group session. “Don’t worry about it,” she replied reassuringly. “We have individual slots available, just get here when you get here.”

Adiba Osmani, Inhere founder

Despite her kinds words, I felt terrible. With a cotton wool ball taped to my arm, I bolted out of the hospital and legged it to the nearest tube. By the time I arrived at Inhere, I was a sweaty, frazzled mess – ironically a perfect candidate for what was about to follow. The teacher-free drop-in meditation studio, described by Osmani as London’s ‘first’, is designed to help busy professionals stop, unwind and hear themselves again.

“The City is one of the most stressful and demanding environments, whether you’re a trader in a bank of a waitress in the Folly,” Osmani declared. “And yet there is nowhere to go for even a few minutes respite, to breathe, unwind and regain a sense of calm.”

Until now. The former corporate management consultant was inspired to set up the concept following a one-week stay at a retreat in Thailand where she witnessed the benefits of meditation first hand. “I was flabbergasted at the change I could see in peoples’ eyes after two days,” she explained. “I wanted to help people in London. I took a year away from the corporate world and learned about the scientific benefits.

“Research shows that meditating, even just for a few minutes at a time, can help us cope and manage stress better. It enables us to think more clearly, sleep more deeply, work more efficiently and live in a calmer, more considered way.” I looked at her and laughed. “I need to move in.”

Helen Gilbert, Inhere meditation studio, London

Those seeking headspace can book online or drop in and wait for a slot on their way to work, in between meetings or if they’re looking to unwind before they head home. There’s no need to “make small talk” because the sessions are teacher-less.

I was led to the luxe basement setting – all draped curtains, mood lighting and ambient music. I’d been due to join some city workers for the 30-minute lunchtime session known as ‘Steady’, one of seven options on offer. This programme is said to help you stay on track, create a positive space in your mind and learn how to put unhelpful thoughts aside.

Others include ‘Focus’ to help improve your concentration, ‘Rest’, a deep immersion relaxation, visualisation, and yoga nidra-style session to help you leave the day behind and ‘Smile’ – one of the studio’s most popular choices – to reverse negative thinking and cultivate acceptance and compassion for yourself and others.

Because I’d missed the 1.30pm group class, I had the room to myself and opted for ‘Smile’. “Before we begin, would you like to sit in a chair or lie down?” Osmani asked smiling. “We recommend that you sit up so that you don’t fall asleep.”

Damn. I’d already spied the floor cushions and blankets, which proved far too irresistible to pass up. “Second option please,” I grinned. With that Osmani disappeared and the lighting dimmed.

Helen Gilbert, Inhere meditation studio, London

A soothing female voice filled the room and proceeded to guide me through the next 20 minutes. Among other things, I was encouraged to think of a kind deed a friend or family member had carried out on my behalf and urged to focus on the warm, uplifting feelings generated before applying them to different scenarios. I couldn’t believe it when the lights came up signalling the end. The experience passed by in what seemed a flash but I was ready for more.

Just two days prior to my Inhere visit I’d moved house – one of the most stressful things you can do so this was just the welcome pit stop I needed to recharge my batteries. And despite the frantic morning, I felt remarkably calm by the end of the session. I’ll certainly be back for more!

Prices start from as little as £5 plus multipack and new guest offers are available. For more information visit:

*Relax Ya Self to Health was invited to try this meditation experience in exchange for a review

Helen's Health, Wellness

6 quotes to help you cope

Motivational quotes

I have a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt pinned to my noticeboard. It goes like this. “A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”

I cut it out of a magazine many moons ago simply because it made me smile and it’s remained above my desk ever since.

I know some people roll their eyes when they see inspirational words plastered over Instagram but over the past two years – ever since my health started to misbehave – I’ve become somewhat of a fan.

I spent much of last year grieving for the sporty, action-packed lifestyle I once led. I felt isolated. I was a shell of my former self and intensely fearful for the future, especially as doctors were unable to pinpoint what was going on. But eventually I found solace in motivational quotes.

Before long my mindset began to shift

I appreciate this may sound daft to some but it’s the truth. I made a conscious effort to jot down my favourites and most evenings before bed or whenever I felt a little down or struggled to see a way through I’d revisit them.

Before long, my mindset began to shift. Instead of resisting what was happening and longing for my old life, I began to accept what was happening to my body.

Those quotes – along with mindfulness – helped me focus on the here and now and taught me to take each day as it comes instead of worrying about how the future would unfold.

Positive about the future

Those quotes helped shine a light through the dark times.

Those quotes helped me count my blessings. After all, without this experience, my blog would not exist.

For the first time in 24 months I’m feeling positive about the future, so I’ve rounded up some of my favourite sayings below in the hope it might help others experiencing difficult times.

PS) Roosevelt’s words are still pinned to my noticeboard. If ever I start to doubt myself or feel weak I just glance up at that magazine clipping. It’s a pertinent reminder as to how far I’ve come.

Have motivational quotes helped you through a difficult time? Do you have one that you’d like to share? Please do comment below or over on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter

“The best view comes after the hardest climb”

Word #transformationtuesday

A post shared by Helsy (@relaxyaself2h) on

“So far you’ve survived everything you thought you wouldn’t”

For everyone who needs to see this today ❤#keepgoing #mondaymotivation

A post shared by Helsy (@relaxyaself2h) on

“A Sunday well spent brings a week of content”

Soooo feeling this quote today ❤Sunday is traditionally a day for relaxation but for the past three hours I've been a busy 🐝 researching (again) & contacting various specialists & support groups in a bid to get to the bottom of what's going on with my body. I'm feeling hopeful! When my system went into meltdown 22 months ago, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome was dismissed yet having researched this further and speaking to fantastically informed people including @healing.histamine I'm seeking a second opinion. If you're suffering with histamine intolerance or mast cell issues and haven't done so already, please take a look at her brilliant, extensively researched blog. Thank you Yasmina for being such an inspiration and guiding me through this confusing maze. #smallsteps #iwillgetwell #sundayvibes

A post shared by Helsy (@relaxyaself2h) on

“You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Motivational quotes

Regular readers will also know how much Auntie Chris (my friend’s aunt) has supported me this year as well as her wonderful son  Sam Koval who helped design my website.

And because AC, as I affectionately call her, talks SO MUCH SENSE, I thought I’d throw in a couple of her inspirational nuggets of wisdom too!

“No matter how long the night, dawn always breaks”

“Don’t wait for the light at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself”

Why I tried pranic healing

Have you ever heard of the term pranic healing? I certainly hadn’t until I went to a Christmas Fayre held at my sister’s gym last year. We’d gone for a nose around the stalls in the hope of stumbling across some inspirational gifts and hadn’t planned to stay late as my health was playing up at the time and I felt permanently exhausted.

But then our eyes fell upon an elegant lady performing what looked to be a bizarre mid-air finger flicking exercise. Intrigued, we edged a little closer only to spot another woman doing exactly the same thing. Seated in front of the pair of them were two visitors with their eyes closed.

Perplexed, my sister and I looked at each other. What on earth was going on? “There’s a sign over there,” I whispered behind my hand. “It’s something called pranic healing. It sounds a little woo-woo but maybe, I should give it a go?”

Now, I’ve always been an open-minded person. I am well aware that alternative therapies such as reflexology and acupuncture work for some people and not others. It’s unsurprising. We’re all unique. And I say ‘good for you’ if you manage to find an alternative or conventional medicine or treatment that makes you feel better. At the time my health was spectacularly misbehaving, read the night it all began here, so I was suitably intrigued.

The lady who’d been performing the odd-looking hand movements smiled and politely introduced herself as Angela Rigby. For 14 years she’d run a business in the fire and flood restoration industry so was used to dealing with people overcome by stress and a sudden change of circumstance. However, in 2007 she was introduced to this form of no-touch energy healing and was so impressed that she decided to train in it a couple of years later under the Institute of Pranic Healing UK and Ireland and has been using the method ever since.

The complementary therapy, which has won praise from author and philanthropist Tony Robbins, was founded about 30 years ago by the late Master Choa Kok Sui, an internationally acclaimed author, healer, chemical engineer, businessman, spiritual teacher and humanitarian.

Stress, grief or trauma can cause blockages

His belief was that physical ailments first appear as energetic disruptions in the aura – the invisible bio-electromagnetic field around us – before manifesting as problems in the body. According to Angela, pranic healing, which is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘prana’ for energy, aims to free up blockages in the aura and increase and circulate this “life energy” around the physical body so that it can rebalance and in turn focus on repairing and healing itself.

Apparently, stress, grief or any kind of trauma can cause blockages disrupting the flow of energy between the 11 chakras – whirling energy centres – which can then result in physical problems.

“We need to keep the energy body clean in the same way we keep the physical body clean,” Angela explains. “It can become congested with our stress energies. For instance, if you’re the type of person that dwells on something negative, you can end up becoming quite overwhelmed.

“Your emotions like anger, frustration and irritation, can just take over and you become bogged down. You can’t think straight and your energy flow is disrupted. It’s similar to a blocked drain but then you unplug it and the water flows. Pranic healing techniques can help keep your energy system clear and help with physical, mental or emotional issues.”

My tummy was making loud gurgling noises

At the time Angela invited me to The Anise Wellness & Skincare Retreat in Reigate, Surrey for a session but I was here, there and everywhere with hospital appointments. Nonetheless, I recently took her up on the offer of an hour-long session with the hope that it might aid the healing process in my body and help get my bizarre tongue swelling and throat closing reactions under control.

So, what happened once the door was closed?

I was asked to lie down on my back with my eyes closed while Angela did her thing. She was working on my aura, so refrained from physically touching me. Even so, Angela warned that I might experience unusual bodily sensations. She wasn’t wrong. One minute I was hot, the next I was cold and much to my horror my tummy was making loud gurgling noises. Apparently, this is perfectly normal and a sign of energy shifts within the body. Bizarrely, I was overcome with a fit of giggles halfway through. Talk about embarrassing. I apologised profusely but Angela calmly explained that these things happen.

Lying on a massage bed without being pushed, pulled or pummelled was surreal but I wasn’t there for that. The experience was relaxing in as much as I did absolutely nothing for an hour, which is most unlike me. Unbelievably, that evening I had an ENTIRE night of uninterrupted sleep – usually, I toss, turn and wake up at least three or four times. Needless to say, I was brimming with energy the following day.

Although the treatment did not reduce the frequency of my tongue swelling reactions in the weeks that followed, Angela did explain that a course of sessions is generally needed rather than a one-off. Regardless, I’d slept like a log so was thrilled.

Angela also encouraged me to look at the way I respond to situations and to become more aware of negative emotions and feelings that may not be serving me. I’ve since begun to notice patterns in the way I react to things and am working on becoming far more mindful.

For more information visit:

Relax Ya Self to Health was invited to try this session in exchange for a review

**Pranic healing is not intended to replace orthodox medicine but rather to complement it. Pranic healers are not medical doctors. They should not medically diagnose clients, prescribe medications and/or medical treatments or interfere with prescribed medical treatments.

Helen's Health, Wellness

7 easy ways to lead a stress-free life

7 easy ways to lead a stress free life

Did you know that today is International Stress Awareness day? And while we all need a degree of stress to be able to function well, modern life can easily become overwhelming. “Work, family, and social pressures can all conspire to make our lives too difficult to manage,” Dr Rafael Euba, a consultant psychiatrist at The London Psychiatry Centre, explains. “A specific difficulty we encounter in modern life is that we are not expected to switch off. We are constantly connected and engaged but there are some things we can all do to avoid excessive stress.” Here, Dr Euba shares his top stress-busting tips.

Don’t pretend the day has 27 hours and be realistic about how many things you can do in 24. Make a sensible to do list and don’t worry if plans change. A key way of managing your time is being comfortable in saying ‘no’ to things. Remember that a ‘yes’ to one thing, means a ‘no’ to something else. I also try to keep my leisure time as simple as possible so I don’t feel under pressure to constantly be achieving something.

While you might feel as though you’re being extra productive, multitasking will only clutter your brain and make you less productive. Studies show that we’re not designed to “task-switch” and we function better when we are doing only one thing at the time. Researchers at Stanford University found that subjects who multitasked while performing cognitive tasks experienced significant IQ drops similar to those seen in individuals who skip a night of sleep or who smoke marijuana. Multitasking has also been found to increase production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Having our brain constantly shift gears pumps up stress and tires us out, leaving us feeling mentally exhausted – even when the working day has barely begun.

If you’re a busy mum, wife and climbing the career ladder all at the same time don’t beat yourself up if you’ve not been able to vacuum the house or forget your child’s clarinet lesson. Give yourself credit and focus on all the good things you do instead. We can often be our own worst critic, so if you feel this is you, then pretend it’s your best friend that is feeling this way. What would you say to them? We are often far more critical of ourselves than we would be of loved ones. This approach can help you take a step back and look at the situation in a better light.

Studies show that too much time spent on social media can be linked to feelings of isolation and low mood. Part of the reason social media makes people feel socially isolated (even though they may not actually be) is the comparison factor and we make judgements about how we measure up. This kind of comparison is linked to depressive symptoms. One study found that more friends on social media doesn’t necessarily mean you have a better social life—there seems to be a cap on the number of friends a person’s brain can handle, and it takes actual social interaction (not virtual) to keep up these friendships. So feeling like you’re being social by being on Facebook doesn’t work. Since loneliness is linked to a myriad of health and mental health problems, getting real social support is important. Virtual friend time doesn’t have the same therapeutic effect as time spent with real friends.

Sleep has a big impact on our mood, with studies showing that having a sleepless night can make us more irritable, short-tempered, and vulnerable to stress. One study looked at how people who were sleep deprived responded to emotionally negative imagery, and it revealed that those who were sleep deprived had a 60 per cent higher stress response than those who were rested. Once you sleep well, your mood often returns to normal. But getting enough shut-eye is easier said than done when you are feeling stressed. If you feel like you can’t switch off, having a notebook on your bedside table, writing down any thoughts and allocating a time to go through them the following day will help to put your mind at rest. Dimming the lights and spending the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading will also help put your body in sleep mode.

Noticing the world around you and being grateful for the little things in life is linked to feeling happier and reducing feelings of depression. Research shows something as simple as going for a walk and spending time surrounded by nature can be a highly effective way to restore your sense of calm and boost your mood. But you don’t need to head to the Amazon rainforest to feel rejuvenated. Why not get your nature fix by joining a local walking group, going on a cycle ride or simply relaxing and enjoying the countryside?

Does your partner make you stressed and anxious? Look at the way he/she makes you feel. Ask why this might be, sit down and try to work things out or alternatively seek help from a counsellor. Remember that a partner should be a source of comfort, not stress: it might be that you’re no longer right for one another.

If self-help methods aren’t helping, and if you’ve been feeling stressed, depressed or anxious for more than a few weeks and it’s affecting your daily life, it’s important to talk to your GP. Some questions to ask yourself are:

  • Do I dread starting the day?
  • Do I have to multitask in order to be able to cope?
  • Am I always tense?
  • Do I have trouble sleeping, or digesting my meals?
  • Am I irritable with my partner?
  • Do I have problems concentrating?

Dr Rafael Euba is a Consultant Psychiatrist at The London Psychiatry Centre where he specialises in repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of depression, an alternative to anti-depressant medication.

Health, Wellness


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Browsing Tag

Meet our ‘adventure playground for adults’ winner

9NINE adventure playground for adults

“It was so much fun – I haven’t laughed that much in ages.” Those were the words of Melissa Bond, who won a pair of VIP tickets in our ‘adventure playground for grown-ups’ competition.

The 33-year-old took along her husband, Cliff, to the Hackney-based event, which gave adults a chance to rediscover their inner child on a raft of equipment including a giant climbing frame, six metre tall slide, log swings, space hoppers and ball pits.

More than 3,000 people attended the sold-out weekend – hosted by seed food brand 9NINE – which aimed to raise awareness around the benefits of play on happiness and wellbeing.

And it certainly worked for this Bexley Heath-based couple, who have two boys aged four and six.

“Cliff and I hardly get any time together out of the house as I work most evenings and it can be tricky to find babysitters,” said Melissa, who runs her own fitness business. “It was lovely to spend some quality time together. Cliff had an absolute blast and it was great way for him unwind after work.”

So what was Melissa’s favourite piece of equipment?

Nine adventure playground for adults

“I couldn’t decide between the swings and the see-saw. I felt free on the swings and loved seeing how high I could get towards the sky.  The see-saw was lots of fun too, although with my hubby being a tad bit heavier than me he had to do all the work and nearly sent me flying on a couple of occasions,” she laughed. “We were also lucky enough to enjoy some of the 9NINE products. The seed bombs were soooo yummy!”

I was able to enjoy the moment

The busy mum also learned a valuable lesson from her adventure playground experience. “I need to take more time out from work and home life and plan more activities that involve play,” she confessed. “For once I was able to enjoy the moment and not let my thoughts distract me from what I was doing.”

Melissa also had some lovely words to say about our blog, which she discovered after 9NINE published our post on the competition.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying the content and getting loads of ideas,” she said. “As a wife, mum to two boys and business owner finding time to relax is a challenge. The more I learn about health and fitness, the more it is becoming apparent that rest and relaxation are very important for body and mind.”

Thanks for your kind words Melissa!

This was our second giveaway. Amanda Johnstone was the winner of our ‘summer skin care’ hamper worth over £100.

And the good news is this isn’t last of our competitions  – we currently have another very exciting one in the pipeline, so watch this space!

If you’d like our blog posts delivered straight to your inbox, just pop your email address in the ‘subscribe’ box underneath my picture.

Competitions, Fitness, Health, Wellness

Win VIP tickets to an ‘adult playground’ in London

Adult playground

Can you remember the last time you played on a swing or whizzed down a slide? Or, an occasion where you fell about laughing after doing something silly?

If the answer is no, then it might be time to inject some fun back into your life.

According to Richard Wiseman, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, every adult could ‘benefit from an afternoon in a giant playground’.

“Giant swings, slides and see-saws”

“Research shows that being playful makes us happier, more open-minded, gets the creative juices flowing, helps us bond together and can even help those suffering from depression,” he explains. “Humans are hardwired to play, and this doesn’t stop in childhood.”

Well, now you have a chance to step away from your screen and have a jolly good time recreating the memories of yester-year because seed food brand 9Nine is setting up The Playground, a play area for adults with giant swings, slides and see-saws. Yes!

“Play is in our DNA”

The free event is being held at London Fields in Hackney between 29-30 July and will give grown-ups an hour on the equipment, as part of a move to raise awareness around the benefits of play on happiness and wellbeing. There’ll also be DJs, refreshments and 9Nine snacks.

“In a world where our actions are usually dictated by what we have to do, we wanted to provide a place where people could come and let go and feel happy and free without any stress or rules,” explains 9Nine marketing director, Kerry Collinge.

“Happiness is at the heart of our brand and while we feel we have nailed the nutritional side of things, we wanted to do something that gave physical presence to a topic that we believe needs more column inches. Play is in our DNA – we’re simply bringing the right tools to the table.”

“We grow old because we stop playing”

The event runs between: 11am-10pm on Saturday 29 July and 11am-9pm on Sunday 30 July

But Relax Ya Self to Health has a pair of tickets for the exclusive VIP launch night on Friday 28 July.

To enter the competition, please comment on this post naming your favourite childhood game and subscribe to my blog here so that I can contact you should you win.

The draw will take place on 12 July. Good luck!

As George Bernard Shaw once said: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

For more information visit:

Competitions, In the news, Wellness

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-34
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for August 2018
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-165-88-201.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
And the winner of our summer skincare hamper is…

Wimbledon-themed competition prize winner announced

The Wimbledon Championships may be over for another year but Relax ya Self To Health is thrilled to announce the winner of our tournament-themed giveaway.

Mandy Johnstone’s name was pulled out of the hat in our first ever competition, which saw people enter via the blog and across our social media channels.

The mother-of-three, who has won a box of skincare summer essentials worth more than £100, described the news as ‘fabulous’.

“It has really put a smile on my face,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to using all the goodies and might save them up for my trip to Greece in October for my 50th birthday and really pamper myself.”

Her hamper contained:

  • Ladvial Sun Protection (in three different SPFs)
  • Solero Cooling After Sun Lotion x 2
  • Dr Organic Aloe Vera Lip Balm
  • Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner
  • Dr Organic Aloe Vera Wet Wipes
  • Soft & Gentle Cool Boost Antiperspirant
  • Miaroma Citronella Pure Essential Oil

Mandy enjoyed watching the tennis over the Wimbledon fortnight and even managed to head to the grounds one day, where she saw top names including Venus Williams and Johanna Konta.

And the Londoner, who works as a revenue controller, is also trying her hand at the sport again.

“I’ve not really played much tennis since my school days but now the kids have grown up I’ve recently taken it up again as I have more time for myself. I am enjoying it all over again. It’s different now. I love the social aspect of it too. You get to meet new people all the time and really anybody can play. Tennis is for everyone.”

Mandy, who subscribes to our blog, also had some very lovely things to say about Relax Ya Self To Health.

“I look forward to receiving the blog posts in my inbox,” she continued. “I guess I’m rediscovering myself and find the articles really useful. The blog has great health and wellbeing tips and generally make me feel good in myself.”

Thanks Mandy!

The good news is we have a number of other exciting competitions in the pipeline, so watch this space.

If you’d like to subscribe to the blog to ensure that you don’t miss a post, simply pop your email address in the ‘subscribe here’ box to the right above the Instagram pictures block. It’s free. Or you can follow us on the Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by clicking on the icons below.

Previous Story
Next Story

You Might Also Like

No Comments

Leave a Reply


text:
Four-Month Programs

Does Remote Year have any itineraries less than four months?

Right now Remote Year is only offering four month and twelve month itineraries, however we are constantly evolving, so check back in with us for future offerings.

Common Questions about Remote Year

Everything you need to know before getting started


text:
Iiht Ltd

No reviews yet. Add your review below

Iiht Ltd's reputation score is 50%, which is average.

Add your review about Iiht Ltd

Add your email to be notified about new comments and updates for this company

Iiht Ltd Contact Details

IIHT Limited, 4th Floor, Lakshmi Complex, Bangalore, 560001, Karnataka, IN

Social media accounts

Company Profile

No information found

No employees found, you can help us by adding somebody you know works for this company

Data Matching (Fuzzy Search)

This function searches for similarities in different listings, e.g. when two companies have similar addresses or phone numbers, even if they are not exactly the same.

The following companies have something in common with Iiht Ltd:

IIHT - RepScore = 22% (Bad), similarity index = 63%

SIVALLEY - RepScore = 77% (Good), similarity index = 37%

PICSEAN - RepScore = 50% (Average), similarity index = 34%

ADSKARO - RepScore = 56% (Average), similarity index = 33%

TRAITSYS - RepScore = 42% (Average), similarity index = 32%

INFIDOF - RepScore = 100% (Excellent), similarity index = 32%

SALARPURIASATTVAPARKCUBIXBANGALORE.COM - RepScore = 67% (Good), similarity index = 31%

GRIHA SOFTWARE - RepScore = 67% (Good), similarity index = 31%

EMIND TECHNOLOGIES - RepScore = 20% (Bad), similarity index = 31%

Country affiliation

United States

Possible negative reviews and complaints for Iiht Ltd

IIHT LTD - Consumer Complaints Forum

Consumer reviews, complaints and opinions about IIHT LTD. Share your experience, submit a complaint, contact IIHT LTD directly.

Web ratings

Iiht Ltd has found on

Website check

www.iiht.com registration date: 17 March 1997 - more than 3 years ago

Address: IIHT Limited, 4th Floor, Lakshmi Complex, Bangalore, 560001, Karnataka, IN

Phone number: +918061604545

domain www.iiht.com is not listed in spam databases: good

Not a company you are looking for?

Report a new company


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Irish Republican News · May 8, 2009
[Irish Republican News]

[Irish Republican News]
Give them absolutely nothing

By Anthony McIntyre (from the Pensive Quill)

On Monday of last week a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer turned up on the doorstep of award-winning Sunday Tribune northern editor and mother of one Suzanne Breen’s Belfast home.

The PSNI’s interest had been aroused by Breen’s Sunday Tribune stories relating to the deaths of two British soldiers in County Antrim in March and the killing of the informer Denis Donaldson in the Irish Republic three years ago. Breen, in her journalistic pursuit of the facts, spoke to the Real IRA. The organisation revealed to her that it had carried out all three killings.

Breen described the police visit:

“Detectives wanted my computer, disks, notes, phone, and any material relating to stories I’d written about the Real IRA ... I was given three days to comply. If I didn’t, they’d seek a court order under the Terrorism Act. I won’t be complying. The duty of a reporter to protect their sources is part of the National Union of Journalists’ code of conduct. It doesn’t matter whether those sources are police, paramilitaries, politicians, or civil servants ... compromising sources undermines the freedom of the press. Journalists and police do different jobs. Our role is to put information into the public domain. If a journalist becomes a gatherer of evidence or witness for the state, they cease being a journalist.”

At the start of April, shortly after the killings of the two soldiers, the deputy first minister in Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, was reported in the Belfast Telegraph to have lambasted what he called ‘dissident journalists’ who give more attention to the Real IRA than Mr McGuinness felt appropriate. He was also said to have claimed that the journalists in question were ‘giving succour to these people’.

It was an approach previously adopted by McGuinness’s predecessors in the North, including Roy Mason who, to use the memorable phrase coined by Margaret Thatcher, sought to starve those politically violent groups of the oxygen of publicity.

When Martin McGuinness remarked on these ‘dissident journalists’, some of Suzanne Breen’s friends and colleagues, of whom I am one, contacted her to express concern. McGuinness had recently been given to criticising his former comrades, on one memorable occasion denouncing them as ‘traitors’, and it seemed any journalist seen to be publicising the claims or views of those former comrades would not escape his wrath. Now with the PSNI action against Breen the view that he was tipping the scales in favour of some sort of move against her has been reinforced.

Ms Breen had long been a thorn in the side of the minister and his party colleagues. She had delved deeper than most journalists into the workings of the Northern Ireland peace process. Sinn Féin often took umbrage at Breen’s journalism.

As has so often been the case in Northern Ireland it seems the journalists who ask the most difficult questions are those who receive the most hassle from the state and its security apparatuses. Ed Moloney, Liam Clarke and Kathryn Johnston prior to Suzanne Breen were hounded by the police. In their cases all three fought a determined action against police encroachment on journalistic sources and won the day.

If journalists gathering information to better inform the general public about their society, including the people that society outlaws, are forced to pass that information on to the state what possible chance of any of those outside the law coming forward with information that is essential for the enhancement of public understanding? Would society really be better off had Suzanne Breen not spoken to the Real IRA? As she argues ‘a new form of Section 31 won’t make the Real IRA go away, any more than the original affected the Provisionals’. Section 31 was the legislation which for long was used in the Irish Republic to censor Sinn Féin. It was a draconian power that kept the Irish public in a state of permanent ignorance about a problem that needed more rather than less information to solve it.

Commenting on the Moloney case of a decade ago Breen claimed that despite Moloney’s victory ‘the PSNI is pursuing the same strategy, against the same paper, with a different northern editor. It didn’t work then, and it certainly won’t work now.’ She went on to point out that over the years as a seasoned journalist she has interviewed people associated with many armed parties to the Northern conflict. No one from the state came harassing her. Why now?

Given that there is no information other than what she has already placed in the public domain that she can give to the police -- or should provide given that the only information she acquired was in her capacity as a journalist, and that should always remain off limits to the state -- the police investigation may have resulted from Martin McGuinness’s comments being interpreted as political pressure. If I am mistaken and Martin McGuinness opposes the PSNI concentration on Suzanne Breen then we can expect him to denounce it. So far he has not.

In an era much heralded as a new beginning, where political policing was supposed to have been a thing of the past there has been a strengthening of the type of powers long associated exclusively with political policing, including the use of 28-day detention period for people being questioned in police custody and the construction of a ‘supergrass’ unit in Maghaberry prison. This situation is exacerbated by the renewed assault on journalism.

The Sunday Tribune is backing its northern editor. Editor Noirin Hegarty said: ‘this paper fully supports its northern editor. Our stories were clearly in the public interest. We stand firm in upholding journalistic ethics and the protection of sources, and we will continue to do so to the highest level.’ The National Union of Journalists is doing likewise. Its General Secretary Jeremy Dear commented: ‘if the police and security services believe they can force journalists to become part of intelligence-gathering operations, the very future of independent journalism will be put at risk.’

Professor Brice Dixon of Queen’s University’s Law School, and long the head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, added his shoulder to the wheel: ‘It’s essential to the running of a healthy democracy that investigative journalists be allowed to go about their perfectly lawful activities without being impeded or constrained by police. What the PSNI are proposing to do is, in my view, a perversion of the Terrorism Act.’

Journalists and anti-censorship activists everywhere should rally behind this robust position and ensure that Suzanne Breen is not marginalised and subject to punitive sanction by the state. She has been an outstanding journalist in her coverage of the Northern Irish conflict. With those formerly on the receiving end of British state censorship now seemingly calling for more of it, journalists more than ever are left to defend the pass which the state should not be allowed to breach. Fearless journalists like Suzanne Breen cannot be allowed to become isolated and left to defend that pass on their own.

We have a favour to ask

We want to keep our publication as available as we can, so we need to ask for your help. Irish Republican News takes time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we believe it makes a difference. If everyone who reads our website helps fund it, our future would be much more secure.

For as little as £1, you can support Irish Republican News – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

© 2009 Irish Republican News


text:
SharePoint Information Site > Page Layouts > Standard Pages

Standard Content Page Layout Options

The two Standard Content Page Layouts below are considered our workhorses. They represent approximately 95 percent of the pages that make up websites at DePaul. When combined with the power and flexibility of the webparts available for use with these layouts, there is almost nothing you can't accomplish.

The most commonly used layout is the Two Column Layout. All new pages default to either the Two Column Layout or the Three Column Layout.

Content Page Layouts:

Two Col

Two Column Layout:

The Two Column Layout offers left navigation and a full-width Main Content area.

It's ideal for standard use for all kinds of structured content and standard web parts.

Three Col

Three Column Layout:

The Three Column Layout offers left navigation, a Main Content area in the middle and a Right Sidebar. It is the default page layout for many sites.

This layout is being slowly phased out, as it is no longer an industry standard layout. The right sidebar offers a place to put additional content or calls-to-action, however, this practice is not optimal.


text:
Reception Chair

    Known for their excellent resistance to rust, enhanced functional life and smooth finish, the offered Reception Chair is precisely designed from high grade cast iron, which is procured from well-known vendors. Offered chairs are manufactured in compliance with the prevailing market trends. These chairs are delivered at the customers’ end within the promised time frame due to our wide distribution network..

Chair Furniture Banquet Furniute Outdoor Furniture School Furniture Recliner Furniture Office Furniture Auditorium Furniture Kursiwalla Furniture Sofawalla Furniture Metopluslifestyle Furniture


text:
Stories about a love-struck clerk, a miraculous child, and a pregnant rebel.

Kuya Wes

Direction: James Robin Mayo | Screenplay: Denise O’Hara & Heber O’Hara

Wes (Ogie Alcasid) is a timid and earnest remittance clerk who falls for his customer in need, Erika (Ina Raymundo). As Wes offers to help her out, his “relationship” with Erika and his friction with his younger brother Raf (Alex Medina) starts to change him.

Like James Mayo’s own The Chanters and his associate Thop Nazareno’s similarly beloved Kiko Boksingero, Kuya Wes features a cute premise that promises a feel-good, underdog-story film, but as it delivers the charms it also deals a sucker punch, a double-edged blow that tickles your ribs as much as it wrenches your guts.

Wes is a generation older than Kiko and The Chanters’ Sarah Mae, but he is in many ways just as immature. Wes is not his real name, but a nickname of endearment given to him by his regular customers. His devotion to his clerical job is disproportionate to its prosaic repetitiveness. We watch him continually redecorate the remittance center with the latest holiday greetings as the months go on—Valentine’s followed by graduation, graduation followed by Mothers’ Day, Mothers’ Day followed by Fathers’ Day. Erika’s similarly clock-like visits, at one in the afternoon on the 16th of every month, is Wes’s sole hope of joy in his unremarkable life.

Continue reading “Reviews: ‘Kuya Wes’, ‘Pan de Salawal’, ‘Liway’ (Cinemalaya 2018)”

‘Sleepless’ (2015): a pleasant non-romance about urban insomnia

Sleepless only pretends to be a romantic film; in truth, it is a story about brokenness and healing, set against the charm of the city at night.

The call center industry, well-known for employing its workers in graveyard shifts, and which is ironically called one of the nation’s sunrise industries, lends Philippine cities a unique claim to the title of the city that never sleeps. While contenders for the nickname in other continents are havens of endless leisure and nightlife and luxury, Manila (or Cebu or Bacolod) are inhabited by night dwellers who forgo sleep not out of choice, but out of necessity.

Many of them, that is, but not all. Sleepless, an entry to the 2015 QCinema (Quezon City) Film Festival, is ambivalent about the call center industry. It is tempting for a film with such a premise to be an echo chamber of critical sociopolitical sentiments: that this outsourcing industry disadvantages our nation in a neo-imperialist world order, that it enslaves its workers under alienating working conditions, et cetera, et cetera. But for Sleepless, the graveyard shift, the darkness of ungodly hours, is just a backdrop to its story, the circumstances that its characters happen to inhabit.

Note: this essay is an in-depth commentary on the film, and includes spoilers by necessity. It is meant for those who have seen the film.

Continue reading “‘Sleepless’ (2015): a pleasant non-romance about urban insomnia”


text:
Reviews>Books>Calendars & Diaries

Featured articles in Calendars & Diaries

Equations of a Being: A being who gathered Moss is a collection of thought pieces pertaining to existential spectrum.
A review of a short book that is a joy to read, and which was made into a highly successful stage play and film.
At the end of the sessions with Dr. Marlowe the girls decide to get together and talk about one last secret, one that they had not even told the good doctor about. This is the story of how they fix the problem of one of the girls.
Here you learn about Cat, the last of our wildflowers victims whose adoptive parents are really weird. You will meet her mother and father and you will like neither of them. This story will bring you to tears. Watch the feelings of each and every one of the girls and how Cat's story g...
This book is the 3rd book in the 5 part series about the Wildflowers, it is also one of the books which introduces and explains why one of these young girls is going through the problems that include the divorce of their parents. This one is about Jade.
This is book 2 of the Wildflowers series by V.C Andrews. The book is a look at the life of Star, it includes the divorce of her father and her mother leaving her and her brother to live with her grandmother. The book gives you a look at how this young woman sees her family and how oth...
This is the first book in a series called the Wildflowers series by V.C. Andrews and it discusses a young woman named Misty's look at her mother and fathers divorce and how she feels about the relationship she had with them after it. Dr. Marlowe brings together 4 young women who must ...
Can't login?


text:
Rhode Island

rhodeisland census Complete your RI Census Records Hunt with ease and comfort

Dig the history of your family from the

RI Census Records Index!

As per the 2010 US Census, Rhode Island is known to be the 2nd most densely populated and the 8th least populous of the 50 United States. The population enumerated in the Twenty-third census was 1,052,567 (approx), which was an increase of 0.4% from the Census 2000.

Rhode Island Federal Census was first taken in 1790 and continued every ten years, thereafter. However, the 1890 population records were completely burned in the 1920 warehouse fire. The RI State Censuses were conducted in the following years: 1774, 1777 and 1782 (partial records exist) including 1865, 1875, 1885, 1905, 1915, 1925 and 1935.

Genealogical significance of census data:

USA Census statistics have typically been an important source of learning social and economic facts about people at different times. These records act as an official document for proving ancestors' names and ages in the absence of birth certificates. Many researchers also hunts for several other information like, relationship, residence, immigration details, citizenship, profession type and many more. Census data provides valuable clues to locate families in Rhode Island.

To obtain Rhode Island Census Records, please provide the information below. When you fill-up the form, make a note : The more fields you fill in, the more detailed result you will get.

First Name (optional) Last Name * Match type

exact spelling
begins with
sounds like
Text or Select the Census Year State *
 e.g. 1930
Additional Information
We need your Identity :
Your Name *     :
Your email ID * : We Respect your Privacy.. learn more
I wish to receive updates and additional information from this website.
Search Census Record

Detailed census records Tracer:

Now-a-days people want detailed and complete information; partial records have no use today. Viewing this, is developed to deliver comprehensive records. The database of this site is compiled with over 800 million vital and historical records.

People having difficulty to find family history information of over 300 years can go through this huge database to accumulate multiple authentic records simply and easily. It ensures unlimited access to all census records collection. Genealogists and other data seekers can serve their purpose of making genealogy tree by deriving useful materials.

Find Rhode Island(RI) Census Records
County Wise

Bristol Kent Newport Providence Washington

What our Register Members are Saying?

Nancy Wilson
On 24th May 2012. Bristol, RI

I have found the census record of my granduncle very easily and much quickly. This site is 100% genuine and very supportive too. I'm greatly thankful and has always helped me to run my search.

On 20th Oct 2012. Newport, RI

As a part of my work, sometimes I need to search people's census records and that is the main reason behind joining I must state that this site is totally different and I have found all the records that I searched. It has definitely a great help for me and my colleagues. A warm thanks to this brilliant search system.

Search Rhode Island Census Records

About Rhode Island

Ranked 43rd in the U.S. (By Population)

Rhode Island State Flag

Capital         : PROVIDENCE

Largest City : PROVIDENCE

Area            : 1,214 SQ MI(3,140 KM SQ)

Population   : 1,050,292 (2012 EST)

Geographical Information

- Latitude : 41° 09 ' (N) to 42° 01 ' (N)

- Longitude : 71° 07 ' (W) to 71° 53 ' (W)

- Length : 48 miles (77 km)

- Width : 37 miles (60 km)

- % water : 13.9% State Seal

Find USA Census Records State Wise

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Census of 2010

The Twenty-third United States Census is the most current National count of population of the US. The official census day for enumerating individuals was April 1, 2010 and is popularly known as the 2010 Census, Census of 2010 or the Census 2010.

The counted in this year was 308,745,538. Even if the number increased by 9.7% from the 2000 census but...

Read Full Article ...

Don't Worry !

If Your Search Ends Up
With "No Result"

Our Dedicated Search Expert Team Will
Search The Record For you From The
Different Sources in The Web.

- 24x7x365 Dedicate Support Team
- Free Search Expert Support
- Cross verification of each and individual record.
- 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Probably the Best Record Provider on the Net.

People Records API  |  Public Records API  |  Background Check API

By using the website (, you are complying with the privacy policies & terms of services. Further using of the website (, or database or data please refer to our privacy & terms of service pages.


text:
Quick Search

Castle Hills, TX Real Estate

Castle Hills Real Estate
Population: 850   Castle Hills, named "Community of the Year" by the Dallas  Homebuilders Association Awards, is a majestic 2,500-acre master-planned  premier golf course community, located in North Dallas, west of the  Tollway, near Carrollton and Plano. The community  is convenient to many major employers, shopping, recreation, and  entertainment. Castle Hills Golf Club is home to the 18-hole, Jay  Morrish-designed course and club with dining, pro shop, meeting rooms and  teaching academy. Throughout Castle Hills, there are parks, lakes, a  hike-and-bike trail and community centers with swimming pools, basketball  and tennis courts, fitness rooms, ball fields and more. A neighborhood  shopping center features retail shops and restaurants with outdoor dining.  Top area builders at Castle Hills include American Legend Homes, David  Weekley Homes, Darling Homes, Highland Homes, Huntington Homes and...

Castle Hills, TX Homes For Sale

Search For Properties In Castle Hills

For a list of schools located within the district(s) please click on the link(s) below.

Property Information