Local Blog
Music and Mental Health Benefits
Listening to music is a relatively inexpensive, effective activity which can be used in everyday life to improve our mental wellbeing. Lively up beat music can lift the spirits and improve mood and sometimes encourage us to get moving! Similarly calm and soothing music can help us to relax and ease fear and anxiety. Studies suggest, listening to music releases a chemical in the brain that has a key role in affecting our mood.
Here are some of the psychological benefits of listening to music:
- Helps improve mood and increase positive emotions
- Encourages self-expression
- Improves level of interest
- Improves social interaction
- Increases relaxation and reduces tension and anxiety
- Improves self esteem
Studies also show that music promotes positive overall health and those that listen to music demonstrate:
- A better night’s sleep
- Diminished pain
- Improved memory and recall
- Increased ability to concentrate
- Increased mobility and co-ordination
As mentioned above music is something that can be incorporated into your everyday life and is very versatile. Music can be enjoyed:
- On your own or in a crowd
- While doing housework or in the shower
- While out for a walk or in the car
- At work or relaxing at home in the evening
- Going to sleep or awakening
- While moving/dancing or lying still
- At home or outdoors
The possibilities for incorporating music into our everyday routines are endless and with the use of modern technology e.g. iPod, iPad, playlists, i tunes, Spotify etc. a wide variety of music and genres have become extremely easy to access. 
Eating Well and Mental Wellbeing
All this week, Pillar Kincardine have been telling us about issues important to them. Over the next couple of days, we look at how your diet and what you listen to can effect your mental health…
What does eating well mean? Broadly speaking it means eating in a way that:
- Keeps our weight stable
- Provides all the necessary food groups and vitamins
- Is an enjoyable experience
Why is eating well important?
It helps to prevent many diseases which are linked with being overweight. Diseases include high blood sugar, high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, cancer, joint problems and sleep difficulties. Eating well also nourishes our brain so we feel better emotionally.
Eating is essential for sustaining our lives, keeping healthy and preventing disease but most of us struggle to eat what we need and battle with eating what we want and what makes us feel better emotionally. We tend to eat if we are sad, lonely or hurt but equally if we want to celebrate success or as a reward. Attempting to change our eating habits is much more than just learning the facts it’s about making good choices every day which is easier said than done. Understanding why healthy eating is so important and looking at the benefits of certain foods helps on this journey. Read the rest of this entry »
The Benefits of Arts and Crafts
“Some of us feel bad about [taking] time for creative expression. One would think that we’d view creativity as ‘more productive’ and hence less guilt- producing than leisure, yet we still seem to believe that self-expression is less of a priority than satisfying the needs of others.” Alice Domar, Ph.D.
Unfortunately, many of us push crafting and creativity to the bottom of our To Do List. Maybe we feel guilty for doing something for ourselves—women, of course, are taught that everyone else’s needs should come first—or maybe we feel that even when we’re relaxing, we should be doing something productive. All we need is permission from ourselves to spend time creating and the courage to push beyond our comfort zone so our projects truly express what’s inside and help us to unblock, purge, and transform our feelings. Read the rest of this entry »
Mindfulness Meditation
Continuing our focus on mental health, find out how Pillar are using mindfulness with great results.. 
Another way in which we have been practising mindfulness at Pillar is via meditation. We have discussed how meditation need not be associated with specific religious beliefs or entail difficult body postures. It need not take longer than five minutes and does not involve an ‘emptying’ of the mind, but rather an effort to take some control of our thoughts. Meditation has been shown to increase the grey matter associated with wellbeing and compassion, and decrease areas associated with stress. On a physical level, it has been shown to lower high blood pressure and lessen chronic pain. Read the rest of this entry »
Mindful Colouring
Read on to discover how Pillar have used colouring in to enhance the lives of many…
“Mindfulness” is a bit of a buzzword in mental health nowadays, but is in fact rooted in the ancient traditions of Buddhism. Tried and tested for centuries, the art of mindfulness encourages us to slow down and focus on the present moment. It urges us not to worry about a past that cannot be changed and a future that will not be improved by present anxiety. Experiencing all that the present moment has to offer is, from this point of view, truly living, and will have numerous benefits for both our physical and our mental health. ReachOut.com lists these benefits as including less anxiety, better problem solving and sleep and greater happiness overall. Read the rest of this entry »
Pillar Kincardine
Yesterday we got to know Sara Kamrath, Service Manager Pillar Kincardine. Today, we look at what Pillar does.
Pillar Kincardine was founded in 1989 as a result of the success of “Stepping Stones” and Pillar Aberdeen’s provision of social and leisure activities for people within Aberdeen City (Pillar Aberdeen has since closed on 29th August 2010).
Pillar Kincardine’s objectives then, as now, were to provide support services for people who have experienced or continue to experience challenges in relation to their mental health and to promote mental wellbeing.
We have been providing day services continuously for 25 years. These services were developed in response to service user’s needs and have evolved over the years. New projects and initiatives have grown out of earlier ones. Read the rest of this entry »
Mental Health Awareness Week, 11th – 17th May 2015.
Since the first Mental Health Awareness Week in 2000, mental health groups have pushed topics like loneliness, anger, fear, exercise, alcohol and friendship into the public sphere.
All week, K & M Communities will be focusing on the great work done by in Kincardine & Mearns by Pillar Kincardine, founded in 1989 as a result of the success of “Stepping Stones” and Pillar Aberdeen’s provision of social and leisure activities for people within Aberdeen City (Pillar Aberdeen has since closed on 29th August 2010).
Pillar Kincardine’s objectives then, as now, were to provide support services for people who have experienced or continue to experience challenges in relation to their mental health and to promote mental wellbeing.
We thought it would be good to speak to Sara Kamrath, the smiley face who greets you at Pillar, Kincardine. We persuaded her to tell us and you a little about herself… but not in the conventional way. We wanted to dig deeper… Read the rest of this entry »
When do you expect the next bus will come?
An opportunity for you to have your say about what you expect from your bus service:
The Kincardine & Mearns Bus Forum, made up of bus users, bus operators, Community Councillors and Aberdeenshire Councillors, is a very well attended and lively meeting that always has a lot to discuss when it comes to the needs of bus users.
Kincardineshire Development Partnership (KDP) has just launched a Bus Survey on behalf of the Kincardine & Mearns Bus Forum. The survey aims to seek opinions from residents and wants to hear from you what your requirements are for a modern bus service along the route of the X7 and the various number 7 routes.
The X7 express bus route runs the whole length of the K&M Area, mainly along the coast, while the number 7 routes serve the towns and villages between Aberdeen and Stonehaven.
The Aberdeen – Stonehaven corridor has been designated as a strategic growth area by Aberdeenshire Council’s Planning Department and is experiencing a rapid increase in population. Consequently, the A90 is now a very busy road and presents a range of road safety issues as it is considered no longer safe for pedestrians crossing to catch a bus. Residents attending the Bus Forum have been asking for a circular service that will operate between Portlethen and Stonehaven and serve the intervening villages of Cammachmore, Newtonhill, Chapelton and Muchalls.
One part of this survey seeks to gauge the level of demand for such a service. The survey also seeks to receive responses on how best the bus services can meet the everyday as well as the occasional needs of the community.
The survey may be accessed online at http://www.kincardineshiredp.org/surveys.html.
The Facebook link is:
www.facebook.com/pages/Kincardineshire-Development-Partnership/1493006540951859
Paper copies of the survey are available from KDP, telephone 01569 763246
The survey runs until 31st May 2015.
Michael Morgan
Newtonhill, Muchalls & Cammachmore Community Council
Transport in Kincardine and Mearns – What’s the latest?
An overview of transport in Kincardine and Mearns by Nestrans’ Marketing and Communications Co-ordinator Lucy Johnston.
Access to Laurencekirk
What is it?
In December 2013, Nestrans commissioned an ‘Access to Laurencekirk’ study in partnership with Transport Scotland, Aberdeenshire Council and Tactran. The study is being undertaken in the form of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) assessment, which will consistently explore potential options to address the Laurencekirk transport problems through a detailed consultation process.
Local Transport Initiatives in Kincardine & Mearns
Mearns Community Transport (MCT) runs a variety of different transport schemes, available to the residents of the Kincardine and Mearns area.
MCT believe community transport is more than getting folk from A to B. It is about social inclusion, tackling isolation, providing independence and opening opportunities.
The primary service run by MCT is the Community Minibus, which is a fully accessible minibus available for hire to all community groups and organisations in the Mearns. The vehicle is a Mercedes Sprinter minibus which can carry 15 passengers and is available for hire to all community groups and organisations in the Mearns and can be used by these groups for outings or events etc.
Get active this summer with the Ranger Service
The nights are getting shorter, the days are getting warmer and summer is just around the corner. This year get out and about, explore a bit more and improve your health and well-being at the same time, by going along to some of the Ranger Service events. The Rangers’ 2015 Summer Programme launches at Easter, with a mix of family favourites and new events for you to try across Aberdeenshire. ![ranger_logo[1]](https://kandmcommunities.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ranger_logo1.gif){kind=logo}
Ranger Service Coordinator, Fiona Banks explains: “This year we will take you along parts of our coastal path where you’ll hear tales of smugglers and shipwrecks to a background chorus of kittiwakes and guillemots. We’ll be climbing the high peaks of Bennachie with rewarding views as far as the eye can see. If you prefer a shorter walk you can discover a different side to our countryside with our ‘Wild Food Walk’ or explore the local area’s prehistoric past on our ‘Stones, Great and Small’ walk.
“For our younger visitors we’ll be delving into the depths of ponds, rummaging in rockpools and, for the brave, we’ll be venturing out after dark to discover some of our night hunters.”
For those who are keen to be hands on with supporting the Rangers programme, the Service is also looking for volunteers to help with the James Ramsay wildlife garden. All volunteers will be rewarded with a tea party and if you can’t help at this time but would like to put your name forward for other projects please email bennachie.warden@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
The full 2015 Summer Programme is available to view on the council’s website under Rangers at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/rangerservice
Is your child’s car seat correctly fitted?
At the end of last year, a Road Safety Education Report revealed the findings of children’s car seat clinics carried out across Aberdeenshire between June and September 2014.
Out of 244 car seats checked, 78% were incorrectly fitted and 40 of the seats had major faults.
The checks were carried out as part of the Good Egg Safety campaign which provides information and advice on in-car child safety.
We spoke to Transport Safety Education Officer Lucy Cramb about the car seat clinics and asked her advice on how to fit your child’s car seat correctly.
K&M Communities 