TV presenter and NHS doctor Ranj Singh reveals his favourite wellness tips…
He became known as the ‘dancing doctor’ thanks to his star turn on Strictly, but Dr Raj Singh (44) has more recently had to cope with the debilitating effects of Long Covid. Here, the TV presenter shares his advice on how to look after your wellbeing, from coping with memory loss to keeping anxious thoughts at bay and taking time out for yourself.
SCHEDULE WORRY O’CLOCK
We live in a fast-paced, pressurised society and we’re always connected via technology, which can make it hard to switch off. This can be a trigger for inducing stress and feelings of anxiety, which are a normal part of life, but when they start getting in the way of day-to-day activities, then you urgently need to address them. If you get anxious a lot throughout the day, setting up daily ‘worry time’ can be really helpful. Box out 30 minutes to sit down and face those feelings fully, so they don’t impact the remainder of your day.
Know what your triggers are, try not to avoid them but face them gradually and attempt to build up your resilience. If you have unhelpful thoughts, it’s important to reframe them, and put them into the bigger context. When we’re worried about something, we often catastrophise the future. Try not to do that, because often the worst-case scenario never ends up happening anyway.
GET DANCING
Taking part in Strictly [in 2018] was one of the most anxiety-inducing experiences I’ve ever had, yet dancing helped me diffuse that stress. Since learning just how effective dancing was for my mental health, I’ve chosen to carry on and practise it daily – I don’t think I could live without it now.
We’re all taught the physical benefits of exercise for our musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system and overall general fitness, yet what many people don’t realise is that activity is massively beneficial for our psychological wellbeing too.
In fact, fewer than half of adults are aware that it’s proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress and distracts from negative thoughts!
It’s really good to instil these healthy behaviours in your children from a young age, to ensure that daily movement becomes a natural way of life. The key is that there isn’t a right way to exercise, as long as it’s fun, enjoyable and doesn’t feel like a chore. Start small, build it up and practise as a family as a way of encouragement. If you can get outside or gain access to a green space, that’s really helpful for soaking up some Vitamin D too.
KEEP A NOTEBOOK
Lots of people experience brain fog for different reasons. Long Covid [Dr Ranj was diagnosed with it in 2021] is one of the big ones, as well
