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Self-care Christmas? It’s a time of joy, family and a whole heap of expectation – how can we do self-care at Christmas? Indeed, it is one of the most stress-filled times of the year for many of us. Self-care is essential to survive that Christmas stress says Jen Wood, our Wellbeing Lab manager & therapist FIVE MINUTES WITH Jen Wood, Wellbeing Lab manager & therapist Why is Christmas so stressful? The main thing is the expectation we place on ourselves. We are trying to be all things to all people. There is this huge pressure from the media and society to be perfect and as soon as we strive for that we are in trouble. We actually get hooked on the dopamine our brain releases when we receive praise and society rewards perfection. We often don’t realise that good enough is good enough. Also, the media tells us it is a season of joy, fun and togetherness. We should be out having fun. Yet, particularly the bereaved, that triggers a sense of loss, loneliness and isolation. Statistics show the increase in numbers of people suffering depression and anxiety at this time of year. What should we be doing to counteract the pressures? Downtime is hugely important. In our seasonal cycle, winter is a time of resting and renewal yet we are instead building up to a crescendo of festivities in a state of Christmas-stress induced panic. It’s difficult to step back completely but look at bringing in some self-care to your everyday. How can you nourish yourself? Even if it is just one minute your brain acknowledges you’re nourishing. You need to fill up your self-care cup every day. But we are so busy – what can we do to fit in self-care? The key things are eating well by balancing all the rich foods we eat at this time of year with lots of good, natural foods. Hydrating ourselves is essential, especially if we are drinking alcohol. Also, ask yourself if you sleeping enough? If we are just on the edge of coping a lack of sleep will tip us over. Just thinking of nourshing yourself will start to help. What are your top self-care tips? A little self-care can be a different thing everyday. I drink a glass of water in every morning before I do anything and I drink it in, mindful of all the goodness its bringing me. Or it might be that you come home and have a shower after a stressful day. Literally wash that stressful body off your body and out of your self. Breathe. Consciously breath, asking yourself what do I need today. If the answer is that you feel stressed then try breathing that out on your out breaths. I also find writing out my feelings and thoughts as a way towards stress-relief. It is lovely to meet up with friends but it is not always possible. If you hold your anxiety in then it can come out in an unhealthy way – losing your temper, feeling highly strung with everything still locked inside of you. Writing is as good as talking so writing a journal can help let those feelings out. If we have a little more time for self-care what should we do? Go for a massage. Ask for that voucher for Christmas or treat yourself. It’s cold and in the cold we tense up without even knowing it – even without stress. So the best way to combat that would be a luxurious massage. JEN’S GUIDE || HOW TO DO SELF-CARE AT CHRISTMAS Restoration Yard is not just a store and a beautiful restaurant, we passionately believe in restoration of self too. Life is complicated enough: so we’ve created a haven for emotional healing, rebalancing and renewing the self. We call it our Wellbeing Lab: a welcoming series of spaces for everything from yoga and Pilates to mindfulness and mums & babies classes. We host learning workshops and art-making crafternoons, and also offer harmonizing coaching, massage therapy, reflexology and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in our Sanctuary.

Giving you the heads up on new season shopping Sisi Gibreel, Head of Retail at Restoration Yard talks prints, colour and just some of the new collections for autumn. Come in store to see for yourself. Happy shopping. What collections should we be looking out for this season? The store is full of beautiful new pieces. One of my favourite collections this autumn is the new season Vilagallo with all its beautiful prints and fabrics. I introduced this gorgeous brand last season with just a few of its pieces and everyone loved it so we have gone deeper into the collection for autumn/winter. It’s spot on trend. Its silk prints and colour combinations in the dresses and tops have a sophisticated allusion to Pucci. It’s only been on the rails a few days and already customers are loving the extra details that are synonymous with the label’s handwriting – like the lurex sparkle tuxedo trims on the beautifully tailored trousers. VILAGALLO SILK PRINT DRESS Knitwear is always a strong part of the RY offering. What have you picked up for autumn? Wyse London has nailed it again. The luxurious knits stand out because of its use of contrast colour trims on beautifully made, luxurious knits – neon pinks and greens on rich greys and navy. There is a relaxed elegance to the collection especially the loungewear hoodies with the star-detail cuffs. WYSE LONDON KNIT WYSE LONDON HOODIE & TRACK PANTS It’s autumn and after the cold winter last year what other cosy knits are you loving? Oh the other knitwear brand that’s exciting me is the lovely British brand Foxology. These gorgeous and clever pieces will become a must-have in every closet. FOXOLOGY Any must-have accessories? Well, it’s clear from our buying that I love uniqueness and quirkiness. So Pom Amsterdam scarves are looking amazing this season. It’s all about the contrast and again the printed fabrics. These scarves elevate every look from everyday to stand-out. POM AMSTERDAM SCARF Where to turn to for our autumn staples? Part Two just never goes wrong. From the mustard blouse to the classic belted coats, there are wardrobe staples in this collection that work for women, again and again. PART TWO SHIRT

Feeling a bit frazzled? April is Stress Awareness Month so to help you deal with stress, Restoration Yard’s Wellbeing Consultant, Lifestyle Coach and Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, Jen Wood has shared her top 10 tips to help you conquer the stresses of everyday life. 1. Start a journal Writing down your feelings can reap health benefits, including improved cognitive functioning. Journaling feelings of stress – as well as exploring possible solutions to these problems – can soothe you and help process difficult feelings. Plus, you’ll be more likely to take proactive steps to avoid stress in future. Restoration Yard’s Store has some gorgeous stationary to write your thoughts in. 2. Mindfulness meditation Whether you meditate ‘formally’, or weave it into your daily life, the practice of mindfulness meditation can greatly reduce stressful feelings, and counteract some of the negative effects of stress. Meditation can also be a tool for introspection – focus on the cause of stress you’re experiencing and, as you relax, solutions may come to you with more ease and clarity. Restoration Yard’s Wellbeing Lab hosts regular classes and mindfulness workshops. 3. Self-hypnosis Self-hypnosis is similar to meditation, as it harnesses the power of your unconscious mind and offers many of the same benefits. What’s more, self-hypnosis can help address the underlying cause of stress by focusing on changing unhelpful habits that may be creating that stress, while relieving current symptoms. For more information on hypnotherapy please contact Jen Wood. 4. Ask for help Sometimes we need the support of a professional to help us to break free from negative patterns and transform our lives. Working with a therapist is another great way to relieve stress and get to its root cause at the same time. Find out more about Jen Wood’s therapies here. 5. Unleash your creativity Exploring your creative side can be a great stress reliever. Drawing a picture provides distraction from stress, and gives restorative experience of being in ‘flow’, while helping you explore your inner world on a non-verbal level. As well as being therapeutic, it will have allowed you to create something beautiful which will act as an anchor and remind you to come back to the present moment. Restoration Yard runs a variety of classes from candle making to felting. 6. Ditch self-criticism – turn to affirmations Negative self-talk can be very stressful, and because it’s unconscious it slips under the radar – it comes from that internal voice that evaluates things positively or negatively, and tells you about things you’re experiencing and about yourself. Our ‘inner critics’ can be loud, and drown out the quieter voice of our inner wisdom. Redress the balance and challenge negative self-talk by using positive words and affirmations. The results include stress relief and growth, and new, more supportive neural pathways in our brain. 7. Learn to say no and let go If you’re feeling overwhelmed, overscheduled and overstressed, it’s definitely time to slow down and learn how to say no to other people’s demands on your time. Setting boundaries and realising you can prevent the hectic lifestyle that keeps the cycle of stress going will empower you. You can also look within yourself to see why you may say yes too often, and take steps to feel better right away. 8. Get out of your own way How often do you get so stressed and overwhelmed that you react aggressively and then regret it? If this happens regularly, you may be suffering from self-sabotaging thought patterns that cause additional mental and emotional stress. You can look within and change these patterns, reducing future stress in yourself – and in those around you. 9. Massage A recent study found that massage therapy can reduce pain, promote muscle relaxation, and improve both mood and sleep quality, and another found that, after subjects were massaged, the levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their saliva decreased. Studies have shown massage can also lead to recipients reporting feeling better about their body image, especially for women. Restoration Yard’s The Sanctuary, offers massage. 10. Yoga Yoga can provide a feeling of being grounded, a feeling of safety and security, and offer relief from the symptoms of stress as well as the supportive skills to enhance everyday life, now and into the future. Restorative Yoga is particularly beneficial for stress, but any yoga or mind/body exercise is great to reset the nervous system. See Restoration Yard’s full Wellbeing Lab programme here. As well as coordinating a full programme of sessions including yoga, Pilates and mindfulness, Jen also offers cognitive behavioural therapy, hypnotherapy, mindfulness coaching, Harmonizing Lifestyle Coaching and Harmonizing Massage at Restoration Yard, which is just five miles from Edinburgh. Study references: 1 Physiological responses to touch massage in healthy volunteers Autonomic Neuroscience, 2010 – autonomicneuroscience.com 2 Effects of massage on pain, mood status, relaxation, and sleep in Taiwanese patients with metastatic bone pain: a randomized clinical trial PAIN®, 2011 – Elsevier 3 A preliminary examination of the effect of massage on state body image Body image, 2011 – Elsevier