Concerns around mental wellbeing have risen this year, but added burdens around work, childcare and the blurring of work/life boundaries as a result of recent restrictions have had an even greater impact on women.

For example, a recent report in the UK stated that women are 43% more likely than men to be working more hours than they did before the coronavirus pandemic began. 

The report also found that women who have additional responsibilities around childcare or caregiving are more likely to have experienced [mental distress](/condition/improve-your-mental-wellbeing).

Have you found it harder to cope in recent months as a result of added pressures around work, family life or finances, or even greater uncertainty? 

If so, there are steps you can take to help you:

- deal with circumstances that feel outside your control
- ease your stress levels
- face uncertainty with more confidence 

Read our tips below for advice on making this happen. 

Woman sitting alone at home working on laptop late at night

What do you do to relax at the end of the day? Here’s an idea you can try: an easy foot massage.

If you’ve had a massage before, you’ll know it involves moving the muscles and other soft tissues of your body. It can help the body relax, slowing down breathing and heart rate. By helping muscles relax, it can also reduce pain. Studies suggest that massage can improve sleep, too.

__It’s easy to give yourself a massage at home. Try this easy foot ‘arch rub’:__

1. Put your foot in your hand, holding the top of your foot.

2. Use the fingers of your other hand to rub the arch of your foot.

3. Rub from your heel to the ball of the foot.

4. Do this a few times before repeating with the other foot.

iStock-166025610

What do you do to relax at the end of the day? Here’s an idea you can try: an easy foot massage.

Massage therapy has been used in China for more than 3,000 years.

3,000 years

An easy massage to help you unwind

Baths are great for treating sore and aching muscles. But how can a bath be good for your mind? 

It’s thought that essential oils may help you feel more relaxed or more energised and may even help to improve your mood when you use them in your bath. 

Essential oils can be found in lots of bath products such as bath oils, bath bombs and soap, but you can also mix your own. 

__To use essential oil in your bath, follow these steps:__

1. Choose an essential oil. Try lavender for a better night’s sleep, lemon to lift your mood or eucalyptus to refresh and invigorate.

2. Dilute it in a carrier oil such as grapeseed, jojoba, almond or argan oil. Add 5 to 20 drops of essential oil to 1 tablespoon of carrier oil and mix well. Don’t add essential oil directly to your bathwater without first diluting it in a carrier oil. Undiluted essential oils can cause skin irritation. 

3. Add the essential oil mix to your bath just before you get in so that the oils don’t evaporate too quickly. 

4. Sink in and inhale the scent coming from the warm water. You can also massage the oil droplets in the water into your skin. 

You should avoid using essential oils if you:
- are pregnant 
- are breastfeeding
- have any cuts or broken skin
- have previously had a reaction or allergy

You should always do a patch test before using any new product to see how your skin reacts. Apply a few drops of your diluted essential oil to a small area of skin on your forearm and cover with a plaster or bandage for 24 hours. Do not use the product again if you notice any kind of irritation.

Baths are great for treating sore and aching muscles. But how can a bath be good for your mind? 

According to research, the human nose can detect more than 1 trillion scents. That’s definitely not to be sniffed at. 

1 trillion

How to run the perfect bath for your mind

Bored of working out at the gym or in the same spot in your living room? 

It turns out fresh air isn’t the only good thing about exercising outside. Also known as “green exercise”, an outdoor workout has a number of benefits.

Some studies suggest that moving your body outdoors can help improve your mood. That’s because the extra exposure to sunlight can increase vitamin D production, which may lift your mood.

So, why not connect with nature, take in some views and soak up the rays during your next workout?

It can be a run up a hill or a circuit training session in your local park, a gentle walk around the block or even just a few laps of the garden.

iStock-1172155958 (1)

If you're bored of working out in the same spot in your living room, try getting outside to exercise. Also known as “green exercise”, an outdoor workout has a number of benefits.

It’s recommended that you do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, a week. You should also do 20 to 30 minutes of strength training twice a week.


150 minutes

Take your exercise outside to boost your mood

You may already know that citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C and that vitamin C may help strengthen your immune system. 

But besides being rich in vitamin C, citrus fruits are also high in fibre, so they may help improve your digestive health, too. An orange can provide 3.7g of fibre – just over 10% of your recommended daily fibre intake of 30g.

Wake up your taste buds while boosting your vitamin C and fibre intake with these tangy citrus fruits:

- 1 orange (154g) contains 3.7g of fibre
- 1 grapefruit (308g) contains 4.93g of fibre
- 1 lemon (65g) contains 1.82g of fibre
- 1 lime (65g) contains 1.82g of fibre

Snacking on an orange or grapefruit is easy, but lemons and limes are trickier – try adding them peeled to your smoothie.


iStock-638312326 (1)

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. But did you know that they're also high in fibre?

You can also get vitamin C from peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and potatoes.

True

Try citrus fruits for a surprising benefit

Beat the urge to reach for a sugary pick-me-up in the afternoon with some easy prep-ahead snacks.

When the afternoon slump hits and you need a quick snack to see you through to dinner, it’s hard not to grab the first thing in sight. Processed snacks might be tasty and easy, but they’re usually high in salt, fat and sugar, and they rarely keep you going for very long.

More nutritious snacking can be as simple as keeping the fridge stocked with a few pre-made options – most don’t even require cooking. Fill portable food storage boxes with sliced fruit, vegetable sticks, unsalted nuts, and cherry tomatoes. Keep reduced-fat cheese spread in the fridge for dipping.

__Try one of these easy prep-ahead ideas.__

Next time you put the oven on, add a tray of chickpeas tossed in paprika and a teaspoon of oil and roast for about 30 minutes at 200°C. Allow to cool and pop in the fridge to snack on in the afternoon. 

Or pre-make roasted veg fingers: Scatter sliced carrot, sweet potato or parsnip on an oven tray, drizzle with a dash of oil, add seasoning and cook for about 30 minutes at 200°C or until soft.

s-well-mP8HvwFA dw-unsplash

Beat the urge to reach for a sugary pick-me-up in the afternoon with some easy prep-ahead snacks.

Adults should not eat more than 30g of sugar a day (about 7 sugar cubes). Children aged 7 to 10 should not eat more than 24g (6 sugar cubes) and children aged 4 to 6 not more than 19g (5 sugar cubes) a day. A lot of sugar is hidden within processed foods, even if they’re savoury.

Try these healthy afternoon snack swaps

A good night’s sleep is a wonderful thing. The secret to consistently sleeping well may lie in following a bedtime routine.

Good sleep can improve your memory, concentration, athletic performance, productivity, overall mood and boost your immune system – but how to give yourself the best chance of a proper night’s sleep?

__Setting a nightly ‘bedtime call’ or alarm for when you’re likely to start feeling sleepy might help. __

Research tells us that going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day helps reinforce the body’s sleep-wake cycle – so the body ‘learns’ when to go to sleep. 

Your bedtime alarm doesn’t have to mean hitting the sheets right away. It could signal the start of your winding-down-for-bed routine – turn off phones, switch off the TV, brush teeth, read by dim light. The key is following the same relaxing routine each night, at the same time. 


The secret to consistently sleeping well may lie in following a bedtime routine.

Reading a book or listening to the radio can relax the mind by distracting it, helping you go to sleep.

This is your bedtime call

Research suggests there are many ways to help boost memory, concentration and focus. Try a game to flex your brain muscle.

__Dust off a jigsaw__
Recognising common colours, shapes and patterns of puzzle pieces is a good workout for your brain. A study has shown that doing jigsaw puzzles can help improve your perception, memory and reasoning.

__Play an online game__
Brain-training apps are developed to test and challenge your mental reasoning through action, puzzle and strategy games. One study shows that these types of games may be good for brain functions like memory and processing speed. Examples of brain-training apps include Elevate and Peak.

__Solve a problem__
Whether you’re into crosswords or sudoku, solving these types of puzzles causes a release of dopamine – the ‘feel-good’ chemical messenger that helps regulate mood, memory and focus.

mel-poole-i6NcIJXdK10-unsplash

Research suggests there are many ways to help boost memory, concentration and focus. Try these activities to flex your brain muscle.

Studies show that taking regular short breaks can help you to manage stress and improve concentration.

A fun way to give your brain a workout

Have added pressures and lifestyle changes that are beyond your control affected your mental wellbeing? Here are some tips to help you manage.

Matt Haig, writer

If you’re exhausted from working longer hours or greater childcare responsibilities, think about what you can realistically do to make things better. For example, you could talk to your employer about more flexible work arrangements.

Focus on controlling the things you can control 

If you find everything to be too much, ask yourself what it is exactly that’s too much and make changes. For example, if you're handling most of the housework, could someone else help?

Actively deal with any stress 

Uncertainty often involves worrying about the future, so try to stay in the present moment. You may find that mindfulness or breathing exercises help with this.

Learn to accept uncertainty

This could be from a partner, close friend, family member or just someone you trust. If you're concerned about your mental health, it may be time to speak to a doctor. 