Category: Health

I daresay we’ve all heard that ‘laughter is the best medicine’. It’s a cliché of course, but like many clichés it contains some powerful truth. In the same way that our thoughts affect our behaviour, so our behaviour affects our thoughts. It’s a feedback loop, whether negative or positive. So, if we try to cultivate and maintain a good sense of humour, this can only have beneficial results. The Mayo clinic website for instance tells us that in the short term a good laugh enhances the intake of oxygen-rich air, dampens the stress response, relaxes us and eases tension. Longer term benefits, the website claims, strengthens the immune system, prompts the body to produce natural painkillers (endorphins), improves mood and can make it easier to cope with difficult situations.

Sleep is quite literally medicine for both our brain and body. A strong body of scientific research shows that sleep is essential for metabolic health, cardiovascular health, brain function and daily cognitive ability.
Although sleep is gaining attention, it is still not prioritised as much as exercise or nutrition. As a society, we often admire those who appear to ‘function’ on very little sleep.

Two of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned about negative emotions is that they contain information. They are telling me something about myself – and, albeit with practice, they can be channelled and focussed. This is especially important since negative emotions, if they are allowed to spiral out of control, can have dire consequences for ourselves and others. It’s wisely said, for instance, that an angry person lives in an angry world. Such that more and more things can trigger that anger, which feeds back to that individual and further clouds his perceptions. This ‘loop’ has been termed ‘perception is projection’. How we feel colours our experience, which in turn reinforces our negative perceptions.

Christmas can mean very different things to different people: joy and connection for some, but for others it can bring stress, grief, financial pressure, loneliness, relationship breakdown, or concerns about young people.

Winter can be harsh on both our physical and mental health. As a practitioner focused on the body and mental health, I encourage a balanced approach to wintering well.

Winter, for me, is a time to recharge after the long, carefree days of summer and the bustle of autumn. I love the cosy evenings with family and friends — hot chocolate in hand, card games on the table, a film flickering in the background. That gentle togetherness is part of what helps me restore my energy for the year ahead.

Our November meeting began with Wendy Johnson from the Heart Trust charity giving us a talk and demonstration on how to use a defibrillator to save a life. She brought along five out of 15 different defibrillators, which can cost from £650 up to £25,000. Wendy told us that when nurses call out for one it’s “Bring me the defib” because the full word is too long! All defibs have a battery, but now one has been developed to run on solar power. The machine will indicate if the battery is running low.

People can complete a questionnaire, which asks for their views and experiences of appointments they might have had when they needed help quickly, such as at their GP practice or a local pharmacy. All residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland can take part, with a specific questionnaire for each of the three areas.

Our sense of ‘being me’, of having a mind and memories and feelings, is deeply mysterious. Even if you believe that the human mind is nothing but the product of brain processes, a purely physical phenomenon, no one has yet discovered how brain activity translates into the experiences that give me my sense of self. There are at least five aspects to this puzzle.

In hypnotherapy there is an intriguing phenomenon called organ language. This is to distinguish it from body language, like folding one’s arms defensively. I first came across it when a client, Greg came to see me wondering if hypnotherapy could help his eczema. The procedure is to relax someone into hypnosis. Then investigate any past experiences that have led to the creation of the issue. Memories appear in the conscious mind released from the subconscious that in most cases strives to support and protect the life of the whole individual.

As summer winds down and routines fall back into place, it’s the perfect time to hit reset and start investing in the most important project of all: you.

Our group continues to meet every third Wednesday of the each month, at Kibworth Cricket Club, from 7.30pm. We have had some lovely sessions over the last few months, from education on nutrition to bringing out our competitive side in table top skittles. Last month we held an ‘evening tea’ and raffle. We had some wonderful cakes and prizes, all kindly donated by members and businesses in the community. The money from the evening was a marvellous £345 which is on its way to LOROS hospice.

The General Medical Services (GMS) contract is the standard agreement between NHS England and GP practices in England for delivering core medical services, according to NHS England. It's a national contract negotiated yearly, defining what services GPs are expected to provide and how they are funded. The GMS contract covers a significant portion of GP practices in the UK (and is 195 pages long!)