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Over to You magazine 29/05/2020

Don’t miss our earlier issues! OTY 15/05/2020 and OTY 01/05/2020 are still available.

Eynsham-Lockdown

There are some wonderful posts on eynshamlockdown.org. Well worth a read! Please send your contributions to Lucy Badger or Sarah Medina. Some people say they worry about things like spelling and grammar - but please don't worry about that! We can quickly edit for you as we upload for you!

Anxious? Here's help

Thanks to Kristie Waller for her sound advice on helping to reduce anxiety levels during these uncertain times.   

Will schools restart before the end of the school year? Will universities deliver face-to-face lectures? With so many unknowns, it is understandable that anxiety levels may be high. It can be helpful to focus on things we can control, rather than worry about the things we cannot control. We can control things like: how much news we engage with; how much time we spend on social media; our own social distancing; and developing a positive outlook. If you do feel overwhelmed or a sense of panic, this 30-second reset activity may help:

  1. Stop​ and ​acknowledge​ your feelings, emotions, body sensations.
  2. Say them out loud - ​be kind -​ remind your brain and body that this is a normal response in a time of threat.
  3. Steady yourself ​- feet on the ground, a hand on the stomach or a hand on the heart.
  4. Take a ​deep breath in​ - breathe into your stomach - feel it balloon out.
  5. Breathe out fully ​- allowing your out-breath to be longer than your in-breath - feel your stomach contract.
  6. Repeat 3 times​ or as long as you need until your heartbeat starts to slow down.
  7. Now notice ​what sensation in your body feels good​ - is it the in-breath? Your slowing heart? Your shoulders releasing? Your jaw relaxing? Whatever it is, focus on increasing this positive sensation.
  8. Look around you - ​what brightens this moment? ​Blue sky? Sun? Flowers in a vase?  A tree outside the window? A picture of a loved one? A happy memory? A nice picture? A piece of music? Whatever it is, ​focus on this now.  
  9. Know that in this present moment, ​you are safe and you can be calm.

Gallery

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a simple flower design to colour in

Colouring corner

This issue's colouring corner picture is a large flower head, in tune with the blossoming gardens of Eynsham! Look for the ‘Flower head’ download above, open/save and print it.

Attitude of gratitude

Studies have shown that thinking about things we are grateful for, even in midst of difficulty, helps to reduce stress, and makes us feel clamer and happier. A lovely idea is to write down the things you are thankful for and put them in a 'Gratitude Jar' (or pot or box!). This can be a daily reminder of silver linings and a pleasure to read further down the line. For now, some of our fellow villagers express their own thanks:

  • Parcels of seeds in the post, the house martins coming back to house, my parents and siblings teaching and cooking with my children on Zoom (including my children listening to my dad reading them stories because, they say, "It cheers him up"). Fran Godsal
  • Thank you to those that kindly and willingly move to walk in the road to give us space on the pavement when out with preschooler and baby in pram. Melanie Holland
  • I’m thankful I’ve been able to help the children learn, watching my eldest son step up help his customers and raise money for charity, and of course, family, friends and neighbours. xx Sarah Livingstone
  • My seeds - watching them grow. Beautiful sunrises and my little dog. Xx Sue Angel Miles Calcutt
  • We've been scanning in old photos so we have digital copies. The photos then are not needed. So we are sending a selection of the best to family & friends as relevant. We've had some nice complements back from people who have had a nice surprise in their letter boxes. One was even brough to tears! But it has been a real joy to us to go through the process. Andy Swarbrick
  • Thank you to Mrs Sue Walker for doing my shopping and cooking me meals and to the rest of and the family for other bits they have all done. Mrs Gemma Ferrier and her son for doing to garden out the front and to my son Robert for the bits he has done. Thank you very much, everyone. Sheila Wixey
  • The roses this year are amazing and I have blue tits nesting in the bird box inside a rosy bower for the first time. Beverly Chandler
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