Wednesday 14th April 2021
Hello Everyone,
Happy Wednesday! I’m sure there are mixed feelings about the easing of lockdown this week. After such a long time at home going out to face the busier streets is daunting for some and exciting for others. Whatever your feelings, remember to use common sense, do what’s best for your situation and respect the feelings of others.
This week we have more suggestions for staying positive at home and an invitation from Camden Events Service.
I hope you enjoy it,
Bea 🐝
WHAT CAN I SHARE WITH YOU TODAY?
The Best Ways to Stay Positive and Motivated While You’re Stuck at Home
Set Boundaries
Stick to a schedule. One way to stay sane while you’re stuck at home is to create, and then stick to, a schedule. Devising a set schedule for your daily tasks will help you stay on track and prevent you from missing important deadlines or falling behind if you work or attend school from home.
Have a designated work/study area. You’ll be much more productive and happier if you have a separate, designated work or study area while you’re at home. Choose a quiet part of your home to dedicate solely to work and school-related tasks, and set it up so that it’s functional — create a comfortable environment, provide plenty of storage, and add task lighting.
Take it easy on the news. Staying on top of what’s happening locally, nationally, and worldwide is important, of course, but too much news can have a detrimental effect on your psyche and wellbeing and make life unnecessarily anxious and stressful. Try not to turn on the news first thing when you wake up and don’t watch it right before you go to bed. Turn off your news site notifications on your phone so you’re not seeing headlines all day. Make a choice to read the news just once a day.
Do Fun Activities
Get a new hobby. Try something new, like painting, drawing, or embroidery while you’re stuck at home. Picking up a new hobby can give you a tremendous feeling of fulfillment and achievement, and it relieves stress and anxiety.
Connect with nature. Studies show that people who spend just a few minutes in nature each day have lower stress levels. Take an evening stroll, create a butterfly garden in your backyard, or do some birdwatching on a nature trail, and watch your stress melt away.
Learn a new skill. From woodworking to fixing cars, now is a great time to pick up a new skill. You can start by taking a few classes online, and see where it takes you.
Read an interesting book. Having extra downtime is a great opportunity to read a good book. Read the biography of someone you admire, or dig into a popular mystery novel. If you prefer, subscribe to an audio book service, and listen as you do your hobbies.
Watch something new. If you feel left out when your friends talk about the hottest new TV show or movie, now is a wonderful time to catch up. Pick a new series or movie to watch in your free time so you can enjoy a temporary escape and discover something fun you may have missed out on in the past.
Socialize and Stay Positive
Call a friend or family member once a day. Make a point to call and catch up with at least one friend or family member each day. Not only will you make them smile, but it’ll make you smile and feel less alone, too.
Talk about your feelings. Don’t be afraid to talk about how you feel with the people you know and love. Holding your worries inside can lead to higher stress levels. Spend some time talking to others about your feelings, and you’ll probably find that they relate. This can make you feel less alone, and you can trade strategies for meeting the challenges of lockdown.
Plan for the future. Being stuck at home isn’t forever, so take this time to start making plans for your future. Whether it’s starting a new business, going back to school, or planning a big vacation, making future plans is a great way to stay positive while you’re stuck at home.
Be grateful. Take time to be grateful for the things you have, and make note of them every day. Whether it’s your good health, your job, your family, or your home, expressing gratitude reduces anxiety and stress, and it improves your outlook and mindset.
Repeat positive mantras. If you’re having trouble staying positive, try to repeat a few positive mantras every day. Think of some phrases or sayings that you can relate to, and say them out loud daily. You can also hang a print or piece of artwork on the wall that features a positive mantra to keep your spirits high.
National Open Garden Scheme
Spring: “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine.”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, – The Secret Garden
Spring is in full flow and many of our gardens are welcoming visitors across England. From Brighton to North Yorkshire there are gardens to explore full of wonderful spring blooms.
Pre-booking is required for most garden visits and some restrictions may apply.
The Virtual
TEA DANCE
Presented to you by Camden Events Service
APRIL 15, APRIL 29, MAY 13, MAY 27
A message from Camden Events Service:
We hope you are already aware that the Camden Events team have a new project to hopefully bring some joy and entertainment to your home, residential or community setting. We are producing a ‘ Virtual Tea Dance’ and plan to bring a live session of music to your shared lounges or individual resident rooms.
Camden has hosted Tea Dances for over thirty years, with Camden Centre (Camden Town Hall, St Pancras Town Hall) being the original flagship venue. Despite budget challenges, the Events Team managed to keep the monthly and then bi-monthly tea dances active providing a safe space for residents of all ages to come together to dance the afternoon away all the way until 2018.
Research proves that this dance provision is vital for the over 50’s attending in that it offers not only regular social engagement but also an opportunity for active exercise in the form of dance.
Since March 2020 with Covid19 Pandemic challenges, there has been no tea dance delivery and our Camden Community of attendees have not been able to meet. We have therefore decided to introduce a virtual option before we are allowed to bring our community back together for the real thing. The attendance ‘ virtually’ is free of charge. Mr Wonderful Dancing will be hosting four live DJ tea dance sessions on APRIL 15, APRIL 29, MAY 13, MAY 27.
We encourage you to spread the word and assist your residents to tune in.
How to be involved virtually:
- Book a place by using our Eventbrite ticket link https://virtualteadance.eventbrite.co.uk
- Ensure that you have a laptop or smart device phone or tablet to watch the event.
- If you are using the event for a number of people to enjoy at the same time in the same space please find a way to link into a larger TV or Plasma screen so that the ‘event’ can be screened larger than watching on the computer or phone screen.
- The day before and on the day we will send the zoom link to everyone who has booked their ticket on Eventbrite so that you can ‘tune in’ and be part of the virtual Tea Dance with Camden Events Team and Mr. Wonderful.
The events team are at hand to answer any questions at all so do contact us:
Email: events@camden.gov.uk
Phone: 020 7974 5633
We hope you can be part of our up and coming events and also look at the LoveCamden webpages and see information about past and present tea dance activity!
Visit us online: www.lovecamden.org/camdenteadance
From John:
“Once again, John, another big thank you for the opportunity to enjoy Kew Gardens: there are always new things to see and do – like ‘buzzing’ in the Hive and recognising trees that we’ve seen on our ‘in town’ walks or even just hugging those huge, gnarly trunks…..”
From Barbara:
An afternoon of ‘other’ thoughts – magic!
That’s it for this Wednesday. I hope you all have a good week and enjoyed this week’s content from Dragon Hall!
Stay Safe,
Bea
Covent Garden Food Bank
Please do contact us if you need a food parcel – CCGG @7Dials can provide you with a free food package each week.
If you need help with shopping, collecting medication or just want someone to talk to by phone – please let us know. You can contact Amber at amber@dragonhall.org.uk or you can reach John either at john@dragonhall.org.uk or 07759 646507 in case of an emergency.
Can You Help Dragon Hall Trust?
Your donation will support vulnerable members of our communities with food via Covent Garden Food Bank, calls via the phone support line and assistance to get online for those who are digitally disadvantaged.
View our latest video on our YouTube Channel:
Please do contact us if you need a food parcel – CCGG @7Dials might be able to provide you with a free food package each week. If you need help with shopping, collecting medication or just want someone to talk to by phone – please let us know.
You can contact Amber at amber@dragonhall.org.uk or you can reach me either at john@dragonhall.org.uk or 07759 646507 in case of an emergency.
That’s all for now – You can contact Amber at amber@dragonhall.org.uk
……….or you can reach me either at john@dragonhall.org.uk or 07759 646507 in case of an emergency.