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https://civilservicelocal.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/22/beat-the-january-blues/

Beat the January blues

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A National Spotlight, Northern Ireland, Scotland

a woman laughing while potting plants

Laugh, breath and relax

The third week in January is thought to be the most depressing of the year. Christmas seems a distant memory, we may have debts from festive overspending, short cold days and failed new year’s resolutions which can all lead to low motivation levels.

CS Local Scotland wellbeing network have partnered with -

  • Charity for Civil Servants have invited Laughter for health founder, Jo Bluett.  Jo will introduce the concept of therapeutic laughter, and offer you some basic principles, along with positive mindset and psychology tools, potentially as a foundation to Laughter For Health workshops
  • Manda Stretch offers a Taster in Laughter Yoga…. During this short session you will take away some suggestions and tips on how to cope with difficult times. Laughing for no reason is the key to Laughter Yoga . We shall do some laughter exercises, some breathing techniques, and complete with a short relaxation. We can remain seated the whole time and this is suitable for all ages. Everyone can do it!

Following our Laughter Yoga session we will relax with some therapeutic gardening

  • Fiona Thackery of Trellis: (improving lives through gardening)- Therapeutic Gardening (also known as 'Social and Therapeutic Gardening') is the use of garden space and/or activities to help people enhance their health and well being. Gardening can be an enjoyable medium through which to promote physical, social and emotional health. Gardening can also offer education and training opportunities, not only in horticulture skills but life skills, literacy and numeracy. In turn these can lead to improvements in confidence, pride, quality of life and self-esteem.

Hopefully this morning of activities will help banish the depression of the late stages of winter and you will learn the wider benefits to your health that happiness brings.

Interested?

Date - Tuesday 19 January 2021

Time - 9:45am to 12:15pm

Online - MS Teams

Get your tickets by registering on Eventbrite

Please register using your departmental email address and ensure you have permission from your line manager to attend.

If you have any questions about the event please email the team

CS Local is also offering "HOPE21" a wellbeing festival on 20 January.

 

 

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8 comments

  1. Comment by Jo Lawrence posted on

    Laughter yoga is SO good for the soul, I can't recommend it highly enough!

  2. Comment by rozanne kidd posted on

    Well done CS Local Scotland! A great set of initiatives any year but this January, we will need these more than most. I encourage colleagues from across our CS Local Scotland community to take part ,particularly if any might already be feeling the toll from the past year. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happier, healthier 2021 ahead!

  3. Comment by Heather posted on

    Thank you Rozanne, the science behind the laughing yoga is great and it can have an impact on your waist line which we may all need following the festive season! Merry Christmas

  4. Comment by Julie posted on

    This sounds great! Are those of us not based in Scotland also able to attend?

    • Replies to Julie>

      Comment by Heather Flanagan posted on

      Anyone can attend Julie, it is the Scottish team who have organised, please feel free to join us

      • Replies to Heather Flanagan>

        Comment by Julie posted on

        That's brilliant, thank you! I'm also sharing this with our DWP colleagues here on Tyneview Park too!

  5. Comment by caroline posted on

    Obviously this must be very popular! Just tried to join but there are no tickets left. Will the sessions be available after the 19th for those unlucky enough to miss the deadline?

    • Replies to caroline>

      Comment by Heather Flanagan posted on

      Hi Caroline, thank you for your interest in the sessions, it has had a great deal of interest. We are not recording the sessions so they won't be available following the event. Sorry about that.