We’re supposed to be keeping an eye on how much we drink, but how many of us really know what a unit of alcohol is? With so many different drinks and glass sizes, from shots to pints – not to mention bottles – it’s easy to get confused about how many units are in your drink

You can use the Alcohol Change UK Unit Calculator to find out how many units are in a particular drink or to check how much you’re drinking. Regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health

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Keep regular sleep hours – Making a habit of going to bed when you feel tired and getting up at roughly the same time helps teach your body to sleep better. Try to avoid napping where possible.

Confront sleeplessness – If you are lying awake and unable to sleep, do not force it. Get up, do something relaxing, and return to bed when you feel sleepier.

Create a restful environment – Dark, quiet and cool environments generally make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Write down your worries – If you often lie awake worrying about tomorrow, make it a part of your daily routine before bed to write a list for the next day. This can help put your mind at rest.

Move more, sleep better – Not only is regular exercise good for your physical health, but it’s good for your mind too – and being active during the day can help you sleep better. Just remember to avoid vigorous activity near bedtime if it affects your sleep.

Cut out caffeine and avoid alcohol – Try to cut down on alcohol and avoid caffeine close to bedtime.

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Early detection can save your life

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Search https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/ for free, NHS approved advice and simple tips to help you look after your mental wellbeing and see whether you can make them part of your daily routine.

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How does the service work?
If you contact your GP practice requesting an appointment for a minor illness, your GP practice will ask a series of questions using a standard appropriate symptom checklist. If your symptoms are appropriate, the GP practice can refer your for a same-day consultation with a community pharmacist.

Following the referral, the pharmacist will contact you the same day by phone and either carry out the consultation by telephone, or arrange for you to attend the pharmacy, if appropriate. Sometimes you may be offered a video consultation by the pharmacist.

The pharmacist will take your clinical history and ask about symptoms and any current medication. Following the consultation, the pharmacist will offer clinical advice and may offer to sell you an over the counter product if appropriate. The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome of the consultation and send it to your GP by secure digital message.

This service helps us to support our patient communities by reducing wait times for minor illness consultations, giving our GPs more time to see more patients who may require more urgent medical attention.  We work hard to provide the right care at the right time for our patient communities and thank you for your cooperation in this new service.

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Lots of factors contribute to high blood pressure. Common causes of high blood pressure include being overweight, stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, excessive alcohol intake, smoking and age. By raising awareness and proactively monitoring your blood pressure regularly now, you can minimise the impact it could have on your health in the future.

If you don’t have a blood pressure machine at home already, you can buy one online or from a pharmacy. You can also get your blood pressure tested at your local community pharmacy or arrange to use one at your GP surgery, subject to availability.

What should your blood pressure be?
The table below shows normal blood pressure ranges depending on age and conditions:(Source: www.moatfield.co.uk/hypertension)
*Note that you may have agreed a different target range with your nurse, GP or specialist

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure
You may need to have some blood tests (e.g. kidney function, cholesterol) and possibly a heart tracing (ECG). A few people may need more specialist investigations. The most important thing is to keep a diary of your blood pressure readings. This involves monitoring your blood pressure every morning and evening for 5-7 consecutive days to complete a blood pressure diary at home. Make sure this is not measured first thing in the morning (at least 20 minutes after getting up). Each time you record your blood pressure, you should ensure that you relax for a few minutes beforehand and your feet are flat on the floor. You should repeat the check 3 times in a row and record the lowest of your 3 readings. You can record your results on a form like this one.

Here is a useful explainer video from the British Heart Foundation on YouTube:

Blood Pressure Resources:

• What is high blood pressure? – British Heart Foundation
• High blood pressure – NHS
• Patient Statin Decision Aid
• Pros and Cons of Statins
• Risk factors for heart disease – British Heart Foundation

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For anyone who missed it, here are some key facts from Amy at The YOU Trust:

What is wellbeing?

• Mental
• Physical
• Maintaining a balance

Maintaining a healthy diet

•Make your plate look like a rainbow

•6-8 glasses of water a day

•At least 5 a day

•Be mindful of portions

•Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

Reducing Stress
Most people feel stressed sometimes and certain amounts of stress can be helpful or even motivating. But too much stress can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing. What can help to reduce stress?
•Identifying the cause
•Talking to someone

Sleep
Lack of sleep can make us feel tired, anxious, irritable, depressed and less able to learn & recall information but it can also affect our physical health.
Top Tips
•Adults need 6– 9 hours sleep each night
•Importance of finding time outside in natural light
•Good sleep environment is important (calm, tidy spaces are proven to aid sleep)

Get your 5 a day……
1) Connect with others
Talking and especially laughing, releases endorphins a natural feel-good chemical that promotes an overall sense of happiness and wellbeing.

2) Be Active
Exercising makes you feel good! As well as your physical health, being active can also have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing.

3) Take Notice
Be aware of the world around you. Being mindful of the present moment both in terms of what is happening in front of you and how you feel can have a positive impact on your mental health.

4) Give to others
This not only creates positive feelings but can also help with your mental wellbeing.
The act of giving doesn’t have to be a physical thing, giving your time can mean so much more.

5) Keep Learning
Learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement and a new confidence.

Regular exercise
NHS guidelines suggest:

– 150 minutes (moderate) activity per week

– Out of breath, talk not sing, raised heart rate

– 2 sessions of strength training

– Physical activity vs Exercise

– Build activity into your day

– Reduce sedentary time (move every 20-30 mins)

Useful Links

www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/why-lack-of-sleep-is-bad-for-your-health

10 tips to beat insomnia – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

10 stress busters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Stress – Every Mind Matters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Live Well – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Get active – Better Health – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Dr Chatterjee’s website

Home – The Gut Health Doctor

The Body Coach TV – YouTube

www.selfcareforum.org

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Hayling Island Health Centre (PO11 9AP):
Thursday 23rd December from 9-11am and 1-4pm
Friday 24th December from 9-11am and 1-4pm
Thursday 30th December from 9-11am and 1-4pm
Friday 31st December from 9-11am and 1-4pm

Emsworth Medical Practice:
Tuesday 28th December from 9am-1pm

We will be offering the Pfizer vaccine for 1st, 2nd and Booster doses for anyone aged 18 and over (you can still receive the Pfizer vaccine booster if your previous doses were other vaccines).

Please note that you will need to leave a minimum of 3 months between your 2nd dose and booster.

If you have been invited to book your booster jab by your GP, please do book your appointment as soon as possible.

Thank you for passing this message on to others and helping us to keep our community safe.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to our staff and volunteers – we could not run these walk in clinics without such a fantastic support team.

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