Hi There, Be Aware : Feeling stressed out today?

Depression and anxiety are two of the five most common mental health disorders Singaporeans are currently facing. Why don't you create time just for YOUrself today? Take sometime off, even if it is for just 20 minutes. Do something, anything at all which will make you smile a little or giggle a little.

Light up some candles at home

Colours and different scents play important roles in creating calmer environments. Allow your tired eyes to fixate on turquoise, lavender, blues and greens . That shouldn't be too hard now should it? Look at the natural world around you, the trees, grass, the sky. If you happen to live in a concrete jungle, well then.. make the best of your situation. You could place little potted plants at home or buy paintings which radiate serenity.

Examples of calming scents are Lavender, Bergamot and Jasmine. Imagine sipping a hot cup of chamomile and honey tea, listening to the pitter patter of raindrops, inhaling calming lavender, blocking all negative thoughts.. and just resting your body and mind. Okay it sounds a little too dreamy for hot and humid days, so hey switch on that air conditioner or turn the fan on high (if the heat is a contributory factor to making you feel more anxious and stressed out), sip on your chamomile and really, just relax! Buy some flowers for the home, you don't need many.. even if you buy just three of four stalks, you can place them in different parts of the home. Flowers are known to make people happy and some studies have shown that it might even increase intimacy with others ( I guess that could be if someone else bought you the flowers, he he he). Anyways, here are some pictures of one of my favourite flowers, the lotus.

Spend time with your pets, animals receive and give us love. Giving and being loved makes us feel happy. So what are we waiting for? Now buying a dog, rabbit or cat may be difficult for some of us so an alternative could be to buy pet fish :). They do not usually require alot of maintenance plus they are very pretty to look at. You could learn yoga? I think the most important thing about learning yoga, (apart from feeling ready to learn it), is learning from someone you KNOW, someone who lives a life which lives up to the teachings of yoga. This is because places which offer yoga classes have become so commercialized, hence I think discernment is necessary when deciding the institution you want to learn yoga from. You don't want to go for yoga classes which end up making you feel more stressed out, so I guess choosing a REAL teacher is imperative.If paying for classes is difficult, you could try alternatives such as meditating or just learning what you can from YouTube, then if you want, you could try practicing at home or outside at the park.