It’s a nice day for a ‘green’ wedding

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If environmental anxiety grows when you think about the impact of your big day, there are simple steps to make your wedding more eco-conscious

Go paperless

It’s a nice day for a ‘green’ wedding

A simple way to cut your carbon footprint, and potentially save money, is to go digital with your wedding communications – a temporary website to house all information for guests, and gather RSVPs, can make life a little more simple for you, and save on print and postage emissions.

Get vendors on board

You might want to choose suppliers based on their eco values, or have detailed discussions with them about adapting things to be more environmentally-friendly. Remember, sticking with local produce (flowers, food etc.) can be a big help, as well as discussing disposal/waste for afterwards – could leftover food be given to a local shelter?

Travel

Naturally, a destination wedding that requires flights for a large entourage is going to be less eco-friendly, while choosing a venue more local to the majority of your guests could minimise additional travel. Some venues are able to have the ceremony and reception all on site, which can save travelling between places during the day, or where this isn’t avoidable, could you encourage a carpool system for guests? I once went to a wedding with a double decker bus transporting attendees between destinations!

Sustainable favours

Something simple like packets of seeds can be a lovely long-term gift that keeps giving, as guests can be reminded of you and your special day when tending to the flower! Another option might be to make a charitable donation, or plant a tree for every guest.

Reuse and repurpose

From Facebook Marketplace to Still White, Depop, Ebay, Vinted, and good old charity shops, there are so many places where you can find pre-loved treasures to add a special touch to your day. You might pick up a wedding dress that’s only been worn for a few hours for a fraction of the price, or find pristine decor for your reception tables. Plus, opting to rent suits, bridesmaids dresses, or encouraging guests to rewear something from their wardrobe, can be a fun way to encourage everyone to get involved in your green purpose. They don’t say ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ for no reason!

Jewellery

And speaking of borrowed, could you wear an item of family jewellery with sentimental value rather than buying something for the big day? Or consider exploring sustainable diamonds, which are lab grown so you know the Earth wasn’t harmed with mining activities, and there is no risk of conflict trade in their creation.

Give back with gifts

Their company may be the only gift you desire, but friends and family often want to share their love with something special for you as well. But rather than a physical wishlist, you could suggest people make donations on your behalf to a list of charities that are close to your heart.

Organising a big life event is stressful enough, so just know that you aren’t expected to ‘do it all’. Even trying just a few of these ideas, or any other sustainable suggestions you come across, is a great start – know that every little bit helps

5 ways to take care of your mental health in hot weather

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When temperatures peak, our wellbeing can suffer. Here are five tips for taking care of your mental health during heatwaves

5 ways to take care of your mental health in hot weather

There are a lot of pros when it comes to hot, sunny weather. It’s a chance to get our vitamin D levels (a really good mood booster), to slow down, and to get outside. But, when the thermometer tips over a comfortable point, and we don’t have an easy way to cool off, we can find ourselves feeling flustered, sluggish, and irritable.

So, what can we do to make sure that we take care of our mental health during heat waves and hot weather? Try following these tips:

1. Consider your medication

Certain types of mental health medications – tricyclic antidepressants and antipsychotics, including amitriptyline, imipramine, doxepin, mianserin, and trazodone – can impair the part of the brain responsible for temperature regulation. This can mean that you’re more at risk of overheating, and so should take extra precautions in hot weather. If this applies to you, it’s always worth checking in with your GP or mental health team.

In the same vein, medication generally needs to be stored at room temperature – which is about 25°C – and can start to lose potency if the temperature drastically exceeds that. Generally, most medications will make it through heat waves without a problem, But watch out for changes in colour, taste, or structure, and if you’re in any doubt reach out to your pharmacist.

2. Stay hydrated

You probably didn’t need us to tell you that you need to drink more water when it’s hot, but did you know just how important staying hydrated is for our brain function? Drinking enough water has been linked to lower rates of anxiety and depression, but it can also help you stave off brain fog, and help you stay more alert – with studies showing that just being dehydrated by 2% impairs things like memory and focusing on your daily tasks.

3. Understand your feelings

You’ve probably experienced it yourself, but studies have shown a link between hot weather and heightened emotions, particularly anger and hostility. The heat can interfere with the processes that regulate our mood, and we may find that we respond to things in ways we wouldn’t do normally – such as snapping at loved ones, road rage, and quickly escalating disagreements.

If you’ve noticed this is happening, you’re well on your way to taking control. By identifying that we’re not behaving in a way we would normally do, we’re able to take a step back and really assess the situation and put it in perspective. Try to communicate with those around you, let them know that you might be more prickly than normal, and try to keep your cool if you notice others going through the same thing. This could be a good time to amp up your self-care practices or to vent in a journal.

4. Try to get some sleep

Trust us, we know it’s easier said than done, but when we’re not getting enough

Mid-year wellbeing reset: Feel the benefits in five days

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The summer months are a great time to rethink our relationship with social media and incorporate more mood-boosting time outdoors. So when Very offered us the opportunity to try a five-day reset, we jumped at the chance…

Mid-year wellbeing reset: Feel the benefits in five days

I admit that, in recent months, I’d become a self-care hypocrite. My phone tells me as much with weekly usage reports creeping up and up and its tiny screen being my first and last sight every day.

I write and speak about mental health and wellbeing every day but I’ve become adept at preaching and not practising what I know to be important. I’m good at making excuses about why I can’t get outside more (something that brings me joy) and away from my laptop beyond working hours. I tell myself that I don’t have the time, there are other things I should be doing and it’s too hot/cold/rainy and my hiking boots leak and rub and I don’t have time to replace them.

Then, like a gift - quite literally - the team at Very contacted us with an offer to work together to highlight the wellbeing benefits of spending more time outdoors, and a challenge was born! I would prioritise stroll time in nature over scroll time on my device for five days and reflect upon the impact it had.

My task was to challenge my ‘productivity’ and technology-focused mindset while Very kindly and swiftly addressed my incessant procrastination around buying new outdoor gear. Just a day after I selected them, two new beautiful pairs of Adidas hiking shoes and a lightweight Berghaus jacket from their sports clothing and equipment range arrived on my doorstep. I no longer had any excuses left…

Day one

With the high-summer morning sun peeking through the blinds at 5.30am, I wake up earlier than my alarm and consider reaching for the phone. I could easily spend an hour scrolling through reels but, instead, I throw on some clothes and the Adidas Terrex Hikster low hiking shoes (I love the colours - beige, purple and white), wake up my dog, Zac and head out.

It’s already a warm day and, as I walk by the Thames, I notice how the river sparkles and witness two cygnets swimming alongside their parents. I remind myself that I wouldn't have seen this if I’d indulged in my regular morning social media binge.

Mid-year wellbeing reset: Feel the benefits in five days

adidas Terrex Hikster low hiking shoes and Zac

I sit down on the grass while Zac sniffs the ground around me and I close my eyes for a moment and breathe deeply before turning back towards home. It’s not yet 7am and I’ve felt the sun on my face, connected with nature and spent some quality time with my canine chum. I feel like I’ve achieved something already but, more than that, I feel calm heading into a new work week.

Day two

“As soon as you make the call to Samaritans, you are wholly supported”

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To raise awareness of Samaritans and the support they offer to everyone, listening volunteer and previous caller Kay shares her story of picking up the phone and the difference it made to her life

“As soon as you make the call to Samaritans, you are wholly supported”

“I can say without irony or agenda, that person I spoke to saved my life,” Kay asserts on Happiful’s podcast I am. I have. Kay is now a listening volunteer for Samaritans and dedicated to helping people when they need it. She knows from first-hand experience the perspective changing power of a conversation when you are at your lowest ebb.

Kay’s own call to Samaritans changed what was an overwhelming and frightening situation for her into a series of interactions that helped her recover from a potentially life-changing illness and subsequent low mood and fearful feelings.

It all began with a health emergency that took place on her daily commute into London. Kay collapsed on board her train after unknowingly developing sepsis from a tick bite on a dog walk, and had to be rushed into hospital as a result. This experience was understandably very traumatising for her.

“When I woke up in the hospital I was physically on the mend,” Kay explains. “Mentally, I was challenged.”

Kay shared her feelings with her GP who offered antidepressants but it wasn’t a route she wanted to take at that time. However, Kay was looking at an eighteen month waiting list for counselling with the NHS and six weeks through her work’s medical insurance. Even the shorter period of time, Kay shares, felt far too long for her to cope with.

Kay found herself waiting on a train platform during this period and this is when she noticed the sign for Samaritans. “As luck would have it that day the train was delayed. I called and got through within three minutes,” Kay says. “Suddenly I had someone actively listening to me. That call was the conversation that triggered me to think that there is support available.”

I knew I was supported and could always call Samaritans at any time all year around

The Samaritan’s listening volunteer explained to Kay that she could contact them whenever and however she needed to, as her train arrived. “I emailed them and phoned again,” Kay says. “Then, I ran speaking to Samaritans and the wholesome support alongside the therapy I started to have. When I felt strong enough to finish my course of talking therapy, I knew I was supported and could always call Samaritans, at any time, all year around.”

Unvaccinated: A BBC documentary

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With cases of Covid-19 on the rise, the BBC has announced a new documentary that seeks to understand why five million people are yet to receive the vaccine

Unvaccinated: A BBC documentary

In recent months, Covid-19 infections have been increasing in the UK. Following several lockdowns and over 197,000 deaths, the experts are warning that we could be entering the fifth wave, yet 8% of the UK population is still unvaccinated. A documentary due to air on Wednesday 20th July at 9pm, on BBC Two, BBC Factual, and iPlayer aims to determine why this is the case.

The documentary will be presented by Mathematician, Professor Hannah Fry. Hannah worked on the data that contributed to bringing the UK out of the first lockdown in 2020 and, together with leading experts, will try to uncover what the nation thinks of the vaccine roll-out today.

This complex debate has been around for a few years now, and Hannah wants to unearth these long-held opinions, beliefs, myths, and fears that have prevented people from getting vaccinated. Looking at the latest statistics and science, alongside how media misinformation spreads, Hannah will bring in seven unvaccinated participants, all of which will be asked if their opinions have changed and if they would be more likely to take up the vaccine, after the experiment.

“With covid infections on the rise again, there couldn’t be a more important time to examine the reasons why so many adults are still not getting the vaccine.” Tom Coveney, BBC Commissioning Editor, Science.

Scientists have said that we are likely to face more pandemics in the future, meaning further vaccine roll-outs. With this in mind, now is the best time to explore the views of the nation.

The documentary commissioned by Jack Bootle is made by STV Studios and will be a one-hour feature exploring how this debate has become the “heart of modern life”. It will look at the views from both sides in an “open and sensitive way”, says Craig Hunter, Creative Director of Factual, STV Studios. It will reveal why some people are hesitant, and teach these reasons to those who advocate the vaccine so, collectively, we can get a better understanding of what the vaccine means to the UK population.


If you have been affected by the pandemic and are looking for further support, reach out. Visit the Counselling Directory.

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