Dopamine Enriching Activities to Help Beat the January Blues
Let’s face it January can be a bit cold, grey and depressing at the best of times so to help you beat the blues we’ve put together a list of dopamine boosting activities. Let’s get those happy hormones soaring!
Get The Retro Glow At One Hundred Shoreditch
This January, One Hundred Shoreditch has partnered up with Retroglow Studios to bring a choice of two fitness classes followed by brunch at The Rooftop of One Hundred Shoreditch. There are two signature 55-minute classes on offer this month; a 90s LIIT & Stretch or 80s Power Ballad Pilates in the One Hundred Room, featuring panoramic views of the city and floor to ceiling windows . Or there’s a 90s Smash LIIT & Stretch class which includes 40 minutes of low impact interval training, followed by 15 minutes of glorious singalong stretch to 90s bangers.
Following your class, you can head to The Rooftop with its pink colour scheme, and California vibe and enjoy dishes like Smashed Avocado on Sourdough with Poached Eggs and Harissa, Potato Rosti with Smoked Salmon, Keta and Chives or French Toast with Roasted Peaches and Mascarpone. If that doesn’t release some happy hormones we don’t know what will!
image credit: Retroglow Studios
Climb Yourself Happy at Substation
Substation In Brixton are offering ½ price climbing + studio classes all day on Monday the 16th. as well as10% off all new memberships. This activity is also ideal for families who are looking for a little extra introduction to the world of climbing, with private lesson available for booking to help get your kids confident enough to conquer the walls. After your lesson, you are free to explore the centre and climb all day, plus there’s free hot drinks, snacks and a feel-good DJ on the decks from 5pm –
Substation Climbing/Brixton10% off new memberships & family fun climbling available
Discover Your Inner Child at Wonderland: Adult Soft Play
On various Fridays throughout January you can treat your inner child to an endorphine-enriched experience at a nostalgic soft play adventure in North London. Think ball pits, three storeys of soft play, retro arcade games and a photo booth strategically placed to catch your Cheshire Cat grin! As it gets later into the night your epically immature playtime will metamorphose into more of a nightclub vibe with DJs spinning old school anthems in the early hours.
Immerse Yourself At Experience Platform
This little known gem in Finsbury EC2 will have gamers grinning from ear to ear. You can book your own semi-private playing booth complete with your own screen, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation then choose your game to suit your mood. There’s such an extensive video game library for every expertise and every occasion. Plus there’s cocktails, craft beer, wood-fired pizzas, excellent soft drinks as well as low and no alcohol drinks.
Walk The Wandle Trail
The Wandle Trail mostly follows the Wandle River, and runs for about 20km from East Croydon Station to the Thames Path in Wandsworth near Wandsworth Town train station. More than ten parks and green spaces lie on the route, providing a great opportunity to see local wildlife and escape the hustle and bustle of south west London. Numerous cafes, pubs, restaurants and local attractions such as Merton Abbey Mills, Deen City Farm and Wandsworth Museum mean there is plenty to see and do. You can also spot Andrew Sabin's fantastic artworks along the route. He created a series of entrances, gateways and bridges which can be found on the Wandle Trail.
Book here
Experience A Candlelit Sound Bath and Meditation Experience in South Kensington
This one-of-a-kind candlelit sound bath on Old Brompton Road is held on various Saturdays & Sundays in January and offers Tibetan and crystal bowls to relax and heal the mind, tuning forks to release tension and open blocked energy channels, shamanic drumming to clear stuck energies and generate new vibrancy, along with other percussion tools and the voice.
Sound baths are immersive sound healing sessions and meditations. They are called 'baths' because they use sound waves to 'wash' over you to relax, reset and rejuvenate your body and mind. In this experience a practitioner will guide you through your transformational journey under the calming light of hundreds of candles. It’s an opportunity to release that which no longer serves you, cultivate new energies and vibrations, and become infused with positivity and serenity.
Go Foraging
Join this fascinating experience exploring the edible delights of one of South East London’s most interesting parks. The walk will be led by foraging teacher, James Grant, and will last for about three hours, involving safely picking and eating various leaves, berries etc as we go along with various new foods and drinks to try (made from different wild previously picked ingredients that have been cooked, fermented, pickled etc), learning to identify plenty of edible plants and discussion touching on numerous topics including, nutrition, medicine, herbalism, botany, cookery, horticulture and history.
Stretch & Breathe with Lululemon
Soak up the sun in Covent Garden at these free yoga classes on Thursday morning hosted by Lululemon. Every week, their stores and showrooms push their products aside, unroll yoga mats and turn their spaces into instant yoga studios. Classes are complimentary and lead by instructors from local studios in your community.
Walk The Line
This is London’s first dedicated modern and contemporary art walk. It encourages people to discover amazing landscapes, fascinating history and encounter outstanding works of modern and contemporary art. Connecting three boroughs, The Line runs between Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2. It offers a journey through a dynamic urban landscape where everyone can explore art, nature and heritage for free. You do need to use public transport to complete the whole trail, but it does include a lovely stroll along London’s waterways, starting in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Along the way, you’ll spot nine different artworks, including pieces by Damien Hirst and Anthony Gormley.
More info
Check Out Gods Own Junkyard
If you’ve been searching for something to brighten up your day or your home, look no further. God’s Own Junkyard is a psychedelic paradise of neon lights and vintage signs, all hidden inside an unassuming warehouse in deepest darkest Walthamstow. You can spend hours peeking and prying at the range on offer- there is something to see in every nook and cranny of this weird and wonderful warehouse. As well as selling and renting signs, Gods Own Junkyard is an art gallery and neon museum with a shop and cafe inside, called The Rolling Scones.
Take A Trip To The Tropics at Barbican Conservatory
Nothing blasts the winter blues away like an afternoon in the tropics. Unfortunately the technology to get you there and back in time for dinner doesn’t exist yet. A nice alternative could be a stroll through the lush conservatory at the Barbican Centre, where it’s always sunny! This is such a happy place, even in winter, with people relaxing, sketching, practicing watercolours or just having a wander about with coffee. You’ll get to experience tropical climates and the wonderful greenery crawling up the walls and hanging from the brutalist terraces of one of London’s most iconic buildings. Admission is free, but you’ll need to book online in advance and pick a timed entry slot. Bookings are released one week in advance
Book Here
Wrestle Women At Eve Academy
Get ready to kick some serious ass at London’s first feminist wrestling academy. Going for a run or learning to knit helps calm some people down, but for others drop-kicking and body-slamming is all it takes. The Eve Academy turns the male-dominated world of wrestling on its head (sometimes literally). Classes are split into 3 parts: a warm-up, a wrestling skill session, and character building where women learn how to make an effective entrance into an arena.
Book Here
Get High with Flying Fantastic
If you’ve ever dreamed of running away and joining the circus, this is the next best thing. Flying Fantastic will teach you gasp-inducing aerial skills – from the trapeze to slings, straps and hula-hooping. Any physical activity stimulates our body to release endorphins and make us feel good and gives us a positive outlook on life, however this is elevated to new heights as you work with gravity and are literally ‘high up’ flying through air.
Potter about with Turning Earth
There are few things more satisfying than slamming a lump of clay down and pounding it into the smooth start of a new piece of crockery. Turning Earth in Hoxton runs open access pottery studios where members can do their own thing independently and beginners can learn the ropes in their classes. Finally, you can replace all those chipped Ikea plates with your own creations.
Book Here
Build Your Own Mini Eden Project
Everyone knows about the health-giving properties of plants, but getting your horticultural hit can be hard when you live 13 concrete floors above ground. Thankfully, London Terrariums have the solution. Build your own mini Eden Project with them and learn about the history of the terrarium. The workshop lasts approximately 60-90 minutes and the next one is on the 28th January, at 139 Bethnal Green Road.
