THE DEPRESSED CAKE SHOP - LEEDS POP UP CHARITY EVENT

Earlier this month, Leeds witnessed an array of grey cakes taking over the Corn Exchange in the form of a pop up shop devoted to raising mental health awareness.

The Depressed Cake Shop, as mentioned in my previous post HERE, was part of a global network of shops, founded by Miss Cakehead, aiming to sell grey coloured cakes to raise awareness of mental health issues and provide a platform for discussion.

I played event organiser for the Leeds pop up and could not have even predicted that it would have been successful as it was. With over fifteen bakers donating cakes throughout the day there was a fantastic range and variety of cakes to keep the public happy and intrigued.

We raised £536.74 from selling grey cakes, a silent auction for a picture and from external donations with all funds going to two very worth local mental health charities, Inkwell and Dial House.

I would just like to say a massive thank you to all those who participated with the event, whether it be through baking cakes, promoting the event, eating our delicious grey baked goods or through kind and generous external donations.

Photos: Mark Murphy

THE DEPRESSED CAKE SHOP

I've been super busy with any spare time organising The Depressed Cake Shop pop up event for Leeds which will take place this Sunday 4th August from 10.30-4pm at the Leeds Corn Exchange.

The Depressed Cake Shop is part of a global network of shops, founded by Miss Cakehead, selling grey coloured cakes and cakes which represent mood to raise awareness of mental health issues and provide a platform for discussion.

One in four people will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives, a key theme will be also be reflected in many of the cakes designs.

The symptoms of depression can be complex – and vary widely – and so will the cakes on sale, many aiming to visually represent mental illness. This will be a cake shop like nothing else seen before, the grey sad looking but delicious tasting cakes powerfully demonstrating the effects of depression.

Cakes on sale at the Leeds Corn Exchange will include cakes and baked goods fitting within the theme, baked by over fifteen local bakers, both professional and non-professional taking part in the event. 100% of sales from each and every cake will be donated to Inkwell and Dial House, two very important and worthy mental health charities within Leeds.

Many of our cakes will also be made by those with personal experiences of depression, using baking as a way of expressing their struggles with, and experiences of, the illness. 

For more information on the event please see below:

Facebook Event Page

Leeds Inspired Listing

Culture Vulture Interview

It would be great to have your support - See you Sunday!

WELL BEING | TOP 5 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXAM STRESS

So for most of us university students, exams are already underway or will be upon us by the end of the month.

This time of year can get a bit crazy for us, the pressure of exams approaches and creeps up on you out of nowhere and all of a sudden your mind is awashed with an anxiety that just won't let you be. As a result, we end up living in the library, fueling ourselves off endless coffees and energy drinks, working til 4 or 5 in the morning and forgetting what it looks like to live a normal daily schedule.

It's not too late to get on top of things. For those of you in need... I give you my last minute and exam-week guide for getting by without having a breakdown...

MY TOP 5 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXAM STRESS

#1   Organise what you have left of your revision time.  A timetable is great for this and can help you to track and monitor your progress. You should aim to do at least 5 to 6 hours per day of revision during the exam period, and if possible to do more. Try to figure out when you are at your most productive peak and slot in to revise around those times. 

#2   Avoid distractions - procrastination is inevitable but it's always best if you 'allow' for procrastination time within your day. Disconnect yourself from the internet for the time limit of your work, don't work in the library if you know it's just a social hub where all your friends will be, etc.

#3   Believe in yourself. This is key. If you know you have done the work to get the mark you deserve then you should have all faith in yourself. No one is perfect and you can only do the best that you can do.

#4   Avoid panic and placing exams out of perspective. A great tip for this is to practice mindfulness (you can view my previous blog post on this HERE) and to give yourself 'time out' where you can relax and rebuild your energy. Make sure you allow enough time for sleep too, eight hours as a minimum is essential for productive functioning.

#5   Eat well and avoid overloading on caffeine - Coffee, tea and energy drinks are all helpful in some respect but they should not become the staples of your diet. Incorporate healthy complex carbohydrates with iron-rich vegetables and good sources of protein in each meal. Eat reguarly and healthily to maintain motivation and brain power and to keep your physical and mental health working at its optimum. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated by drinking water throughout the day and if possible try to get 20 minutes of physical activity (it doesn't have to be a gym workout... a brisk walk home is fine!) into your day as well.

WELL BEING | MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is an invaluable tool to have at your disposal for keeping in the present and being aware of your own being, your existence. It's more like a journey rather than a lesson as you are continually discovering new things and learning more about yourself each time you practice.

It is particularly helpful if you are subject to becoming stressed easily by overwhelming thoughts and emotions. If you focus too much on the past or think too much about the future then it can help to ground you and to manage these thoughts and feelings in a more rational way.

It will aid an understanding of your emotions, surroundings and actions.

I like how the Action for Happiness website sums it up:

"Ever felt there must be more to life? Well good news, there is! And it's right here in front of us. We just need to stop and take notice. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like our walk to work, the way we eat or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. "

There are plenty of Mindfulness courses available, but there is also a multitude of resources available online.

To get started with practicing Mindfulness, try the three minute breathing space exercise HERE.

Useful links for more information and resources on Mindfulness are listed below:

1.  Be Mindful - The official Mindfulness website for the UK's Mental Health Foundation.

2.  Action for Happiness - A guide on how to bring Mindfulness into your everyday life.

3.  Headspace - Meditation podcasts for you to download.

4. Mindful - A collection of articles and online resources. Grasp the basics.

5.  MindfulnessInfo - A guide to Mindfulness meditation with nine exercises.

WELL BEING | TOP 10 TIPS FOR KEEPING MIND HEALTHY AT UNIVERSITY

As a student at university it can be an extremely exciting and world-opening experience!

However, the increased pressure and expectations, alongside the massive change, can for some people at some point or another in their degree appear to be all too much to cope with...

...have no fear - you are not on your own!

Whether you have a mental health diagnosis or not, there is a lot of help out there for YOU as a student which is available at your disposal. Sometimes you might have to dig around for it but once you are able to engage with help it can help you to feel more grounded and balanced with your studies and social life.

I will talk about the help on offer for you in a post next week, but for now I'd like to share my TOP 10 tips on how to keep "mind healthy" at university. If you have any tips you feel are important and not mentioned then please get in touch! It would be great to know what works for different people :)

TOP 10 TIPS FOR KEEPING MIND HEALTHY AT UNIVERSITY!

1.  It is important to figure out what triggers your stress levels to run sky high (e.g. nearing deadlines, lack of social support, money issues, relationships, disrupted routine) and to be able to identify these and create yourself a network of support to help you from these situations becoming too intense for you to.

2.  Establish a good routine and structure - regularity can help to settle your mind and aid your work/life balance. Stick to a timetable or figure out your plans for the week ahead.

3.  Establish a group of close friends who you feel able to talk to and can turn to when life is particularly stressful. Try to avoid isolating yourself and hibernating away in your room (as appealing as it is at times) - TOO MUCH alone time is NOT good for anyone.

4.  Keep on top of your finances - figure out how much money you realistically have to spend each week as a student and use that as a guideline to work around - you're more likely to stay out of your overdraft this way and avoid any nasty end-of-term single figure surprises!

5.  Eat well and eat regularly - lots of whole grains and energy-fueling food.

Make sure you eat enough protein, whether meat or a vegetarian option and Omega 3 is extremely important for keeping your mind healthy.

6.  Get involved with extra-curricular activities.

It can be a university society, a community group, part-time job, volunteering, etc...

7.  Getting enough sleep is VITAL - this can also help you with regulating a routine. Eight hours sleep minimum if you can. It's really not that big a deal going to bed before 1am as a student (unless you're out partying EVERY NIGHT) and you'll feel much better for it anyway.

8.  Exercise is also essential for maintaining a healthy mind. Try to do 20 minutes of brisk exercise at least five days a week, even if it's just walking to or from uni instead of taking the bus on some days or biking down to the supermarket for your shopping. You don't necessarily need a gym - if anything, being out in the fresh air will be much better for you.

9. How much are you drinking? Are you partying too much? Too much drink or too much party can cause anyone a slight moment of madness. You end up in that situation of asking yourself "What is my life?" (we've all been there!) - if you know this is going to upset your "balance" then recognise this and take action. It's ok to party, it's good for you(!), but try to understand your limits and use it as a treat. Your mind and your bank-balance will thank you...

10.  If you feel that your problems are severely affecting your ability to live and study then PLEASE contact external help. There are many options available for you as a student out there which can help you to manage your issues whilst at university (MORE ON THIS NEXT WEEK!).

However - If you ever feel in a point of crisis then please contact Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90.

LIFESTYLE | MORE BAKING AT INKWELL...

I had another afternoon of fun and baking at Inkwell last Friday, this time with my baking buddy David! We bake on the Friday afternoon so that there are cakes to sell in the Cafe the next day. Last week's cakes were a MAJOR success so I was asked back to bake this week!

To learn more about Inkwell visit my previous post HERE.

We made some nut and seed flapjacks...

Some peanut butter and banana muffins...

...and some smaller versions with cinnamon buttercream frosting.

(This was our first attempt at using a piping bag - please forgive us!).

Also in the kitchen was some delicious home made roasted red pepper soup...

...and some carrot and chickpea veggie burgers!

I love being able to experiment and get creative in the kitchen and it's great to know that we can do it for a good cause too. I'll be back again next week with some vegan cakes and a few more wonders.

Do you like my hat (and my flapjacks)?