April is Stress Awareness Month so we chatted to the experts who help Londoners de-stress about how they relax… if you missed 'part 1' you can read it here.
Scarlet Crawley, Founder of Masaj
Masaj is a beautiful, calming and contemporary massage boutique that combats the negative effects of city living with bespoke treatments and curated products that genuinely work. Based in Bethnal Green.
Do you think London is a particularly stressful city?
It is in that it’s fast-moving and full of humans, but I think people can get a bit too focused on that. There are a lot of ways to make it work for you; whether it’s finding a job that’s a little closer to home or making use of places to escape, like free talks, art galleries and the many green spaces, particularly in spring and winter (as they get a bit crowded in the summer). Having a dog is the best excuse ever for getting out and also staying in.
How can massage help people in the city feel less stressed?
It helps get them back into their bodies if they’ve had a stressful week; giving them the time to switch off and, of course, also to relieve the patterns of muscle tension that build up from the daily London grind. Whether you’re being realigned or working on an ache from sitting at a desk for too long, massage releases all sorts of built-up stress that you often don’t even know is there.
What do you do when you feel stressed?
I go on a nice long walk with my dog and girlfriend in somewhere like Epping Forest. Also, I am the queen of baths and I love reading. I love going swimming too. Hampstead Ponds is truly glorious but, more locally, London Fields Lido is really great too. Obviously I also regularly have a massage.
Where do you go to relax in the city?
Parks, lidos or, if I need to during a working day, I just take a time-out with a breathing app exercise.
Where do you go to feel inspired?
I have to find inspiration all over the place; mostly it has to happen at my kitchen table, so it’s more important to be surrounded by inspiring people.
What makes you happy in London?
The buildings, friends and family, dogs, parks, no two roads are the same, the amazing feeling you get when crossing the Thames, the canals, the like-minded local businesses supporting each other, the co-working space community which encourages the sharing of ideas and supporting of other brands. There are so many things!
Where do you go for quiet time?
I mostly try to get out of London for real quiet time but, if I’m in the city, I’d go to the Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green or just to my bed.
Wayne Leal, Trainer & Author of Lone Wolf
Wayne Leal is the creator of The Super Ager Fitness program. A program that is designed for people who want to future proof their body to combat age-related changes.
Do you think London is a particularly stressful city?
No – work-related stress is the problem. When people feel under pressure at work, they tend to work harder to try to close the gap between what they are achieving and what they think they should be achieving. Paralysing their ability to get on with life - it can make them feel that there is no hope, and no point, in carrying on.
How can you easily become a Super-Ager in the City?
You will only achieve something if you really want it. This is the reason why I wrote my book ‘Lone WOLF’ – Becoming a Super-Ager to give people the tools for a successful life fitness outcome.
How can becoming a Super-Ager make you feel less stressed?
Super-Agers set a behavioral expectation through regular exercise as it is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain today.
What do you do when you feel stressed?
Take a time-out for self-reflection. To give myself a moment to understand my emotions, then I focus on the things that make me happy.
What is your idea of self-care?
Self-care is not a treat – it is a way of life
Where do you go to relax in the city?
David Lloyds top floor swimming pool with its view along the Fulham Road far from the maddening crowd, where I do my Tai-Chi in the water.
Where do you go to feel inspired?
River Thames overlooking Barnes
Where do you go to treat yourself?
Wholefoods
What makes you happy in London?
London’s diversity
Interviewed by Sonya Barber, author of 'East London: an Opinionated Guide' by Hoxton Mini Press, former News & Events editor at Time Out London and general woman about town.
