Stress is back under the spotlight this month with National Stress Awareness Day on Wednesday 5th November. At this time of the year stress levels typically rise, because although nature may be slowing down and encouraging us to rest and retreat, our modern lives and work schedules continue to demand constant activity and productivity.

Winter offers an invitation to turn inward and recuperate. When we override this seasonal rest cycle by forcing ourselves to race on without refuelling we can begin to experience burnout. A common symptom of this is depression.

7 TIPS TO TRANSFORM DEPRESSION THIS WINTER

1. Listen – Allow the wisdom of your body to communicate with you by noticing the physical signs and symptoms it gives you rather than overriding them. Be kind to yourself. It is okay to feel low.

2. Pause – Give yourself permission to press pause, de-stress and take time out to rest.

3. Lighten Your Load – Let go of unnecessary commitments. Clear some space in your calendar so that you can slow down, indulge in some personal reflection and get more sleep.

4. Go Within – Use creative mediums like poetry, art, song, dance and body movement to explore and process your emotions, especially the ones you’ve felt unable to express in the past.

5. Remove the Mask – Make a list or draw pictures of all the things you pretend to be in your life. What are you putting up with? What are your frustrations? Where do you feel tension? By expressing these it becomes easier to go behind the mask you wear and rediscover who you truly are underneath.

6. Get Outside – Make an effort to get outside during the day and increase your exposure to daylight. This will help to boost your mood and is especially important during the winter months when there are shorter daylight hours.

7. Uncover Your Passions Connect with your true interests to boost your sense of self-fulfilment and help overcome depression. Lacking inspiration? Remember some of the things you used to love to do as a child and reignite old hobbies or experiment by trying something new.

NB: If you think you may be suffering from prolonged stress, depression or SAD consult your GP for further advice and information.

With the shortest day of the year coming up, we have issued a number of tips to ensure people stay safe over the festive period.

With winter quickly approaching we are urging people to take a number of measures to protect themselves and their properties during the darker nights.

The aim is to cut crimes which traditionally rise when the clocks go back. While crime has been reducing in recent years, burglary, robbery and vehicle crime can increase with the darker nights.

Our tips are:

* Most burglars are opportunists – Make sure you use a light timer switch to make it look like you’re at home

* One in five burglaries take place through unsecure windows and doors, so keep them locked – don’t let them in!

* Do not leave your house or car keys in a visible and easy to reach place in your house

* Be careful not to advertise your movements when visiting public places or using social media sites like Facebook

* When out and about keep expensive items out of sight and close to you at all times

* Consider property marking your expensive and valuable items

* Make sure people know your whereabouts

* Do not leave property on display in your car

* Consider personal safety when travelling at night, avoid dark short cuts and always let someone know where you are going

* Register your valuables for free on the National Property Database  www.immobilise.com

* Plan journeys in advance and remember to book a licensed taxi before heading out for the night.

With the darkest nights upon us, thieves may take advantage which could increase the risk of burglaries and thefts. We are urging people to do as much as they can to ensure they are not targeted by thieves and by following a few common sense safety tips they may save themselves and their families a lot of money and distress.