The world can feel like a pretty scary place right now.

We spoke to a psychologist and a counsellor to find some practical ways to banish your gloom and clear your mind

🧠👇

timeout.com/london/news/se…
🧠Be aware of ‘all or nothing’ thinking

‘In any kind of anxiety, we always go to the worst-case scenario – it’s called negativity bias. We have to pull ourselves back and say no, what’s the reality here? What’s actually happening, versus what we’re predicting might happen?’
❌Switch off from the news

‘We have to remember that the news is designed to hone in on that negativity bias, because it’s much more gripping for people. So you might make a decision that you’re going to watch one TV news programme once a day'
🤗Remember, it’s okay not to feel okay

‘Acknowledge that life right now isn’t normal. We are depleted mentally and maybe even physically. So we might have to take some things out of our social lives; we might have to have lower expectations of ourselves and others right now’
📅Make healthy routines

‘Our body loves routine and structure, so it could be about scheduling a walk at a certain time each day, or planning in a tea break. We might not have control over the bigger picture, but we can create our own little micro routines’
🌳Embrace nature

‘Being out in nature helps prime our neural pathways to fire more happy hormones. Looking out into the vastness of nature does remind us how small we are, and maybe some of those problems that have been feeling really big don’t seem quite so big anymore'
💃🏻Get creative in a low-pressure way

‘It’s a good time to take a bit of creative rest, where you engage in something you’re passionate about while taking the back seat. So if you’re a dance teacher, go and learn choreography that someone else is teaching you’
💖Prioritise pleasure

‘Finding joy is something that can really create a buffer to the stressors that we’re going through. It can just give us that little bit of extra energy to handle something or to tell ourselves it’s okay'

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More from @TimeOutLondon

17 Dec
London has one of the highest numbers of unvaccinated people in the country.

But that's not the full story

👇💉

timeout.com/london/news/wh…
🎄Omicron is running amok in London, putting extreme pressure on the hospitality and entertainment sectors, just as businesses were expecting a bumper Christmas season.

📈Southwark and Hackney have been hit hardest, with cases increasing by more than 70% last week
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Hospitality businesses fear restrictions tightening as the Omicron variant spreads.

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timeout.com/london/news/we…
❌Since Boris Johnson announced England’s move to Plan B restrictions, bookings have plummeted, Christmas parties have been postponed and some restaurants are closing early for Christmas due to fears around the rising cases of Omicron. Everything feels very March 2020
😷While hospitality venues are currently allowed to continue to operate as normal – without the reinstatement of social distancing rules, table service or mask mandating – many are taking it upon themselves to protect the health of staff and customers
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16 Dec
Author and feminist bell hooks has passed away aged 69.

We remember the writer through her powerful words on love, community, friendship and empowerment

💖👇

timeout.com/news/7-amazing…
The intersectional feminist, theorist, poet and critic bell hooks published the groundbreaking ‘Ain’t I A Woman? in 1981 – radically redefined our ideas of love and community.

Here are some of her most illuminating quotes:
⭐‘Satisfying friendships in which we share mutual love provides a guide for behaviour in other relationships, including romantic ones.’

📍Life lesson: We all sort of know it, but it’s important to remember that our friends are as important as our lovers
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16 Dec
As Omicron ravages the capital, the risk of another lockdown is at the forefront of a lot of people's minds.

Here's what we know about what could happen next

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timeout.com/news/is-the-uk…
🎄Thankfully, it looks increasingly unlikely that the UK will be locked down again over Christmas.

🥼Yesterday England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty recommended people scale back on social interactions over the next week in order to avoid having to isolate over Christmas
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2021 has brought with it unique quirks that humankind has never endured before: seeing a man shove a flare up his butt to celebrate England’s football success, for a start.

It’s time to look back on the year-defining experiences of the last 12 months👇

timeout.com/news/the-2021-…
Having an 11am pint for the pub reopening because all the pubs had been booked weeks in advance
Not knowing what to do when spotting a group of seven having a picnic
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9 Dec
The British government has hinted at further measures.

Here's how it could affect your Christmas

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timeout.com/news/so-what-i…
📈The UK has moved into a new tier of ‘Plan B’ restrictions.

Faced with rising infection rates and the more transmissible Omicron variant, the country has announced new measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 and keep the virus from overwhelming the health system
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🔴Working from home is now strongly encouraged

🔴Face masks are now compulsory on public transport and in most indoor public spaces (but not in hospitality)

🔴The NHS health pass has been made compulsory in specific settings like clubs and large venues
Read 9 tweets

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