TIME OUT
Oh dear, you are feeling stressed and you need to chill out. Hopefully clicking on these links will help...
Spas
www.spagasm.com - independent reviews of the top UK spas
Massage is one of the oldest and simplest forms of therapy and is brilliant for health and relaxation. It is an excellent stress reliever and is beneficial for treating sleeping disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, lower back pain and depression.
www.theretreatcompany.com - time out for health and wellbeing
Yoga
It's not just for girls and/or hippies. In London, the Iyengar Institute in Maida Vale is highly recommended. Why is it good for you? It increases your flexibility, tones you up, helps you sleep better and is also said to be good for your mood, concentration and attention. It helps you become more aware of your body's posture, allows you to relax even in the midst of stress and helps you to feel fitter, more energetic, and more peaceful. Click here for more information.
Pilates
It's not just for girls and/or dancers. For lunch-time classes in the City (and also in Greenwich) throughout the year from beginners to intermediates, Ellie is recommended. New classes start every six weeks and she is available for one to ones and small groups. Why is it good for you? Like yoga, it assists in aligning your body, stretches and strengthens the body and is associated with increased energy levels and a sense of well being. It can help in the rehabilitation of injuries and is a great work out for abdominals, as it really targets this area.
Walking
Even just 20 minutes a day in natural light will help your energy levels to increase.
Nutrition
As you know, what you eat affects how you feel during the day. You wouldn't fill your car with rubbish petrol and oil and expect it to function properly. Try to be aware of what you are eating at work, particularly when you are stressed and therefore liable to start living on junk.
Are you drinking at least eight glasses of clean water a day, to keep yourself hydrated while beavering away at your computer? Benefits include glowing skin, boosted energy levels and increased immunity. Eat fresh food wherever possible, keeping refined foods (particularly sugar), caffeine and alcohol to a minimum (and try to limit those late-night takeaways at your desk).
Getting enough essential fatty acids in your diet is particularly important. Good sources are oily fish, nuts and seeds, avocado, olives, cold pressed oils (e.g. flaxseed), corn on the cob and dark leafy vegetables. They are used by every cell in the body and are needed for energy production, cardiac function, healthy skin, hair and nails, hormone production and brain function.
Recommended reading on how diet affects your health includes "Beat Stress & Fatigue", "Optimum Nutrition for the Mind" and "New Optimum Nutrition Bible", all by Patrick Holford.
Check out Leon in London for a healthy lunch.
Meditation
Meditation reduces stress and anxiety and is no longer seen as something wacky. If you don't fancy chanting "om", then try Acem Meditation. It's a non-relgious form of meditation developed in Norway by doctors and psychologists to aid relaxation, energy, health and personal growth. Courses take place around the UK.
Study something fun
Central St Martins College of Art and Design - evening, weekend and holiday courses doing fun stuff - release your inner creativity!
City Lit - huge range of short courses covering a large range of subjects
The Open University - no longer the home of 70's professors muttering late into the night on BBC2. It is very slick and professional and offers a large choice of courses
Hot Courses - lots of choice here
Cooking
Leiths - unwind after work by learning some dinner party winners at this famous school
Books for cooks - workshops at this cute Notting Hill venue
www.1click2cook.co.uk - help with menu planning and shopping lists
Completely random
Go ape - swing from trees to unwind!