Tag: Mental Health

Woman doing a yoga pose outside
18 Sep

Morning or Night: What’s the Best Time to Do Yoga?

Yoga is all about bringing balance to your life and promoting physical and mental wellbeing through strength, flexibility and breath exercises.

If you’ve just started yoga, or you’re looking to enhance your yoga experience, you may be wondering the best time to practice your poses.

The simplest answer is: whenever is best for you!

Ultimately, yoga is designed to help you clear your mind, so it makes sense to do yoga when it best suits you. Avoid feeling stressed by trying to cram a yoga session when you don’t have time, just because it’s the morning!

Woman doing a backbend

Differences in Yoga Poses

However, it also depends on the type of routine you do. Some poses are energising, while others are calming, so there may be particular yoga routines you follow in the morning that you wouldn’t do in the evening.

For example, backbends and sun salutations are energising and invigorating – perfect for morning routines, but probably not what you’re after for the evening when you need calm before bedtime.

Instead, in the evening, you probably want forward bends to calm, as well as twisting poses to help relieve tensions that have built throughout the day.

Woman practising a yoga pose

Practising Yoga in the Morning

If you’re a morning person, or you tend to have a few moments of peace to yourself in the mornings, then it makes sense to enjoy yoga at this time. A morning routine can help you clear your mind and awaken your body for the day ahead.

A key benefit to morning yoga is that an early morning session can help to refresh the body if you tend to feel stiff after waking up. Doing yoga first thing also offers the additional benefit of an empty stomach – no one wants to be twisting their body round or lying tummy-down on the floor after a meal!

Another argument in favour of morning yoga is that not only does it set the tone for your day, but it can also ensure that you get it done! If you decide to do an evening routine, then it can be tempting to push it back or let other chores and activities get in the way of your relaxation time.

Finally, some choose to enjoy yoga in the morning because it tends to be cooler then. By doing yoga in the morning, you may be able to work out for longer, as you may not get as hot.

Woman doing a twist yoga pose

Practising Yoga in the Evening

If you use yoga as a way to help you unwind and relax, then it might make more sense for you to practice it in the evening before bedtime, as a way to settle your body and mind ready for sleep.

By enjoying yoga in the evening, you are giving yourself time to free your mind from the stresses of the day, making drifting off to sleep a little easier!

If you often find falling asleep difficult, then there are other supplementary things you can try to help you relax in the evenings, such as CBD oil. This can also be useful to help soothe sore muscles if you find you’ve stretched yourself too much trying a new yoga pose!

Practising yoga in the evening has additional benefits, too. If you find yourself rushed in the morning trying to fit in a routine before work or school, then the evening may provide you with more free time.

A further benefit of evening yoga is its ability to help break ‘bad’ habits. If you are prone to sitting in front of the television and snacking all night, then breaking this time up with a yoga routine can help to promote healthier choices in your lifestyle.

Person meditating on a yoga mat

Same Time Every Day?

When it comes to yoga, consistency is important, but it generally refers to consistently practising each day, rather than at a set time. As long as you get a chance to enjoy yoga each day, the exact time shouldn’t matter.

It is more important that the time you set out for yoga won’t leave you feeling rushed, stressed or overly tired, as trying to cram a routine for the sake of it may cause you to lose enthusiasm or abandon yoga.

As such, you can even practise in the mornings some days and in the evenings on others, if that works best for you.

When do you find is best to practise yoga? If you have tips for finding the right time to do yoga and making space in your day, then leave us a comment on our social media channels!

A mug by a bed
26 Aug

Four Remedies for Good Sleep

A full night of good quality sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. Even just one night of inadequate sleep can wreak havoc on your body and mind.

Here at ElleVance, we are dedicated to helping you achieve good sleep and peace of mind. Research has shown that natural remedies like CBD oil for sleep can be a beneficial part of your nightly routine.

Numerous other remedies can be harnessed to support good sleep; here, we explore some effective solutions for bad sleep.

The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep

Some people are ‘morning people’, while many others are not. However, regardless of if you are full of energy in the morning, all of our moods are better when we’ve had a sufficient amount of sleep.

A bad night’s sleep can leave you in a terrible mood, feeling far more irritable or negative than usual. Getting plenty of sleep also means that you are able to concentrate more and will not need to rely on stimulants like sugar and caffeine to keep you alert.

Sleep is an important part of physical health, as well. A healthy sleep schedule can help you control your appetite and maintain a healthy weight; being sleep deprived can affect the hormones that signal hunger.

Your mental health can also be supported and regulated when you get enough sleep. Sleep can be very beneficial when you are struggling with stress or trying to improve your emotional wellbeing.

Realising how good sleep can be beneficial is important, but how can poor sleep be remedied?

A woman waking up in bed

Meditation

Many people are sceptical of meditation, but it can be beneficial for a number of reasons. Just sitting and practising some mindful breathing exercises can help you let go of the stresses of the day and set you up for a more peaceful night’s sleep. The practise consists of slow breathing while you sit and observe your breath and body while focusing on any thoughts or feelings that arise and eventually pass.

A 2011 study showed that meditation could improve the symptoms of insomnia and overall sleep patterns.

A simple meditation session of 15 minutes can be enough to calm your body and mind before bed. You can practise meditation at any point throughout the day to help combat feelings of stress. A general reduction in stress can be beneficial when looking to achieve better sleep.

If you are unsure where to start, guided meditation through specialist sleep apps can be very helpful.

Yoga

Taking up yoga can be a great remedy for achieving good sleep and improving general health. Moving your body in slow, controlled movements helps boost mental focus and can alleviate stress in the mind and body.

Like meditation, yoga can be practised at any time of the day while still being beneficial when it comes to bedtime. Bedtime sessions can be especially useful in helping you release tension from your body that you didn’t even realise you were holding.

A woman doing some yoga

Lavender

For years, lavender has been used as an effective sleep remedy. Lavender can be used as a sleeping agent in many different ways.

For some people, its smell is enough to induce feelings of calm and relaxation. There are many varieties of lavender-scented candles and room sprays on the market to choose from.

Lavender tea is another great sleep aid, especially when blended with camomile.

A 2014 study concluded that lavender oil capsules were beneficial in improving sleep for people who were also taking antidepressants.

A woman asleep surrounded by lavender

CBD Products

Like lavender, CBD oil can be used as a natural remedy for improving sleep. Taking CBD oil is effective in supporting you to feel more relaxed, which can help you fall asleep faster.

Continual research into the positive effects of CBD oil is being undertaken in relation to sleep quality. Studies have already shown how it has the potential to help alleviate symptoms of insomnia and the disruption of REM sleep.

It should be noted that if you are experiencing persistent sleep issues, a professional should be consulted. CBD products can be effective but should not be considered a replacement for professional treatment.

For more guidance on the benefits of CBD oil and the science behind it, please don’t hesitate to browse our website or get in touch.

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A man looking stressed
21 Jul

Sleep and Stress: Why are They Linked?

The NHS website advises that adults should aim for eight hours of sleep per night. Of course, how much sleep is needed will vary on the individual. However, working out how much sleep your body and mind require to feel sufficiently rested is vital to your overall mental and physical health.

A whole host of reasons can cause lack of sleep, a prevalent one being stress. The connection between lack of sleep and stress is a strong one, and poor sleep can also affect your levels of stress, creating a cycle of one impacting the other.

A woman sat at laptop with head in hands

Why Does Stress Exist?

So what is stress and how do you know if it is impacting your life?

Stress originates from a fight or flight response that humans have used to survive from potential danger throughout our evolution.

The fight or flight response radically increases the autonomic nervous system to produce hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. The growth of these hormones causes the heart rate to increase to ensure enough blood reaches the vital organs, ready for action.

However, despite a decrease in these threats over time, this response remains, meaning that stress can prevail in less dangerous situations such as work, family or social interactions.

How to Identify Stress

Stress can affect people in a multitude of ways and can produce various mental and physical conditions depending on each person. These could include things such as a loss of appetite, eczema and being unable to sleep, as well as anxiety, racing thoughts and the inability to relax.

Most people will feel stress from time to time, and this cannot be helped. However, if this is how you feel the majority of the time you are awake, this is a cause for concern. An accumulation of stress can have a long term negative impact on your body and mind.

A white clock

The Cycle of Stress and Sleep

The web between body and mind is a complex one, and often when one is affected, so is the other. This strongly applies in the link between stress and sleep as one can impact the other.

For example, stress can cause you to lie awake at night, worrying about the preceding morning. In turn, the lack of sleep the next day will only enhance these feelings of anxiety about the future as your body and brain have not been able to sufficiently rest.

How Does Stress Cause A Lack of Sleep?

Stress reduces the quality of sleep as well as the length of a deep slumber. In extreme cases, stress can cause sleep deprivation through the intense level of alertness, meaning winding down to sleep can be prolonged. Troubling and racing thoughts can often overwhelm the individual and keep them awake with no solution of soothing their worried state.

If you are concerned that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder, you can read further information here.

How Does A Lack of Sleep Cause Stress?

As mentioned, an inadequate amount of sleep can cause you to feel an increased level of stress. Feeling tired can change the way you perceive situations and therefore have lasting impacts on you and those around you, which only elevates feelings of uncertainty and pressure.

Many mental health charities, including Mind.org, emphasise the importance of gaining enough sleep to reduce levels of stress.

The Importance of Maintaining Healthy Levels of Stress

With the potential of stress preventing reasonable levels of sleep and vice versa, knowing how to keep control of your levels of stress is integral to ensuring you are happy and healthy.

A white bath

Improving Your Lifestyle

If you can reduce your levels of stress in the evening, this could have a significant impact on how quickly and how well you fall asleep. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine is integral to winding down stress levels and preparing your body for sleep.

This could include a comforting hot drink, a warm bath, reading a book or listening to a podcast. Using meditation can also support you to let go of stressful thoughts and can be used throughout the day to keep on top of stress levels.

Taking CBD oil for sleep can support you in feeling more relaxed, which in turn, will help you to fall asleep. For more information about taking CBD oil, discover more about what happens when you first take CBD oil.

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If you cannot improve your levels of sleep, it is vital you seek out the support of a medical practitioner who will be able to help you further.

Ensuring you are acquiring a sufficient amount of high-quality sleep is integral to your overall mental and physical health. By reducing stress levels, you can improve your sleep, and by ensuring you have enough sleep, you can gain a healthier perspective of stressful situations.

team of rowers on a boat
03 Feb

How Sport Can Improve Mental Health

Exercise has long been hailed as ‘nature’s antidepressant’ and there is a good reason for this. Exercise can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and help improve self-esteem and positive feelings.


How Does Exercise Improve Mental Health?


Exercising triggers the release of brain chemicals that increase our happiness and our relaxation, and usually, sport is a great form of exercise.

A study from the Mental Health Foundation showed that participants had an elevated mood after 30 minutes, from some form of exercise. This could have been anything from gardening to walking, in comparison to those who participated in an inactive activity such as reading.


The benefits of sport on your mental health

person doing a sit up

Sports Encourages Friendship

Friendships are one of the most important relationships we have in our lives and are crucial to mental health. When it comes to sport, if you are part of a team, this is the perfect environment for friendships to blossom. Team sport relies on trust and loyalty and these two components can facilitate bonding. Having friendship in your life is an innate need for the majority of us and fulfilling this boosts our mental health.

Sport Reduces Depression and Stress

Being physically active takes your mind away from daily stressors. It only has one thing to focus on, and that is what sport you are participating in right at that moment. When you are exercising, the process reduces the stress hormones in your body and stimulates the production of endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are chemicals that can help keep stress at bay and alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms.

person doing exercises on floor

Sports Improve Sleeping Habits

Sleep is absolutely vital to us. Not only is it important to how our body can perform, but it’s also very important to how our brain performs. Lack of sleep can cause all sorts of issues, ranging from hormonal imbalances, tiredness, and a slower rate of healing, amongst others. Sport helps us get a much better quality of sleep, which of course has a positive effect on our mental health.

Sport Boosts Your Self Confidence

Sport usually offers a chance to practice regular exercise. Because of this, we are able to see our stamina, flexibility, endurance and other skills improve over time, which can be a great confidence booster. Along with physical health improving, the energy that comes with it will only fuel the desire to keep practising the sport, and in turn, progress with it. This will reinforce that you are capable of anything you set your mind to!

Sport Boosts Your Cognitive Function

Did you know, exercise boosts your brain function? According to Start Active, Stay Active (2011), there is clear evidence that daily physical activity can reduce the risk of cognitive decline in adults, with a risk reduction of 20-30%, of those developing dementia. It is also said that physical exercise can reduce the likelihood of experiencing cognitive decline in people who don’t have dementia. Keeping your cognition as healthy as possible can help prevent mental health issues, as mental health issues are associated with a disruptive cognition.

person doing yoga on beach

Sport and Mental Resilience

Engaging in sport and exercise is a healthy and effective way to cope with life stressors, rather than turning to substances such as alcohol, smoking, or other negative behaviours that could further the issues of mental health problems and worsen your physical state. When faced with mental or emotional challenges, sport gives one of the best kinds of healthy relief, and along with this, regular exercise improves your immune system which is important for both physical and mental resilience.

Sport and Hemp

There are numerous benefits of taking hemp oil for sport. Quality hemp products are rich in CBDA, which acts as an anti-inflammatory, and in CBD, which preserves the nerve cells structure and function. Hemp can also help speed up the recovery process after sport, which means you can get back to exercising in no time, enabling you to keep a routine that supports both your physical and mental health.

Summary

Participating in sports is a fantastic way to improve your health. Not only by having the support of peers and building friendships but also for the physical effects it has on your body. Why not try out a new sport?

Here at ElleVance Sciences, we have a range of supplements that can support your active lifestyle. Read here to find out how CBD oil can improve wellbeing and give our online store a browse!