South West London

Recovery College

Managing My Health

Session 2 – Mental Wellbeing

Student Pack

Managing My Health – Session 2

Page 2

Introduction

In this second session we will be looking at managing your mental

wellbeing by monitoring, understanding, and taking practical steps to

keep yourself mentally healthy despite difficult circumstances.

Session 2 – Managing My Health (Mental Wellbeing)

• Monitoring and managing your

mental health

• Understanding negative feelings

and reactions to the CoVid-19

situation

• Using mood monitoring tools

• Tips and toolbox tools to boost your

mental health

• How to deal with isolation

• What is self-care and how can I practice it

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How to Deal with Negative Feelings

While we are all at home isolating and social distancing and all the news

is about the current pandemic, there is a good chance that being shut

indoors for lengthy periods of time is going to create negative thoughts

and feelings.

It’s good to first remember that feelings and thoughts are not necessarily

facts and we need to see how we can manage the ones that are

unhelpful.

Some thoughts and feelings we may experience related to this current

situation:

• Angry feelings or thoughts

• Denial – it’s all made up

• Intrusive thoughts about your future

• Being overprotective towards friends or family

• Wanting to hide away and not interact with anyone

What are some of your personal thoughts and feelings you’re

experiencing?

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Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts can easily have a negative impact on our mood.

Cognitive behavioural therapists have developed a framework for

dealing with intrusive thoughts, which is to acknowledge them and then

challenge them; remembering that thoughts are not necessarily facts,

even though it can feel as if they are.

If you are being worried by an intrusive thought try applying some logic

and ask yourself “where is the evidence?” If you struggle to find any

evidence it may be that your thoughts are not entirely accurate. Do not

try and stop the thoughts from happening because by attempting to

block a thought you will actually be focussing on it.

Once you have challenged your thoughts, refocus on something that is a

good distraction - preferably one that uses both your hands and your

mind. This could be:

• playing chess with a computer, friend

or family member

• a craft activity

• a computer game

• mindful colouring

• cooking or housework

In fact, anything that uses hands and occupies the mind.

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What tools have you used in the past to challenge intrusive thoughts and

refocus?

Can you think of some other distractions that use both hands and mind,

and write them below?

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The challenging situation we find ourselves in could also be a trigger for

mental health issues you have experienced in the past. You may find

that you are experiencing:

• Heightened levels of anxiety

• Low mood or depression

• Feelings of paranoia

• Obsessive compulsive symptoms such as excessive hand washing

If you notice these or any other early warning signs, or you notice that

something has acted as a trigger, then think about what is in your

toolbox that might help; what have you done in the past that has helped

reduce these feelings?

You can make a note of anything you think of here:

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Dealing with paranoia, a resource page by MIND

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-

problems/paranoia/helping-

yourself/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvNmOxpDH6AIVC7DtCh1h2gnyEAAYAS

AAEgKpcfD_BwE#collapseb18bd

Understanding and dealing with OCD

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/obssessive-compulsive-

disorder-ocd.htm

Top 10 Tips for dealing with anxiety around CoVid-19

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-

anxiety-tips/

Coping with Corona Virus related depression by Oxford Health

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/OH-

010.20-Coronavirus-and-depression-v3.pdf

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Using Mood Monitoring Tools

Monitoring your Ups and

Downs

To have the best chance of

staying on an even keel it is

important to monitor your ups and

downs. It is only by keeping an

eye on how you are that you can see when things start to go off track

and do something about it.

Monitoring your ups and downs can also help you to spot new ‘triggers’

and evaluate the success of the plans you have developed for getting

back on an even keel.

Keeping a record of your ups and downs can also give you important

information about the effectiveness of different sorts of treatment,

support, medication, therapy, etc.

If you can find a way of incorporating monitoring into your routine it can

help encourage you, warn you, and generally enhance your recovery.

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How Could You Monitor Your

Ups and Downs?

Do you already monitor your

moods? If you don’t, is there a way

of monitoring your moods that you

would like to try?

Here are some links to help find the right mood monitoring tool for you.

Monitoring your mood

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/HealthyLiving/monitoring-

your-mood

5 Reasons to Track Your Mood: James Bishop

https://psychcentral.com/blog/5-good-reasons-to-track-your-mood-an-

interview-with-james-bishop/

The 14 Best Mood Tracker Apps for 2020

https://www.happierhuman.com/best-mood-tracker-apps/

Keeping a Mood Journal (a YouTube video)

https://youtu.be/rHQ3u9TRXP0

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Tools and Tips to Boost Your Mental Health

In the first session we looked at physical activity and how important it is

to maintain good physical and mental health. Here are some more tips to

help keep your mental health on an even keel:

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep is really important for our physical and mental health. Sleep helps

to regulate the chemicals in our brain that transmit information. These

chemicals are important in managing our moods and emotions. If we

don't get enough sleep, we can start to feel depressed or anxious.

BBC Video on what sleep does and why it’s important:

https://youtu.be/2BYJwzwKsRM

The Sleep Foundation is a professional body of scientists and clinicians

that research sleep. This link provides tips on how to sleep well and to

overcome problems with sleeping:

http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/healthy-sleep-tips

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Eat Well

We looked at the value of nutrition in the first session of this course,

however there is a strong connection to eating and drinking, and your

mental health. The old adage that we are what we eat does have a

scientific basis.

• Certain mineral deficiencies, such as iron and vitamin B12, can

cause low mood.

• If you struggle with stress or anxiety, remember that caffeine can

make you feel jittery and anxious.

• Alcohol can lower mood, so it is best avoided if you already

struggle with your mood.

Can you think of any foods or drinks that can either positively or

negatively impact on your mood or mental health?

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Manage Stress

Stress is often unavoidable, but knowing your triggers and how to cope

is key to maintaining good mental health. Try to manage your

responsibilities and worries by making a list or schedule. Often if you

break down your worries and stresses and write them down, you realise

that they are manageable.

NHS Guide to managing stress: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-

anxiety-depression/understanding-stress/

Do Something You Enjoy

Try to make time to do things you enjoy. If you like going for a walk,

painting or a watching a particular TV programme, try to set aside time

to do it and enjoy it. In fact, whenever you create a to-do list or

schedule, make sure you are including treats as well as chores.

Connect with Others and Be Sociable

This is challenging in the current situation but, especially with modern

technology, it is far from impossible. Whether you pick up your telephone

or mobile and talk to someone, or use an app such as Skype, WhatsApp

or Facebook, keeping in touch with others has never been easier. And

now we have a good reason to call friends and family; to check in on

them and make sure everything is OK.

Ask for Help

One of the most important ways to keep yourself mentally healthy is to

recognise when you're not feeling good, and to know when to ask for

help. You can try speaking to your friends or family, or if you think your

mental health is getting on top of you then you can speak to your GP,

care coordinator or other mental health professional who supports you.

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How to Deal with Isolation and Self-Care

• Eat well and stay hydrated

• Keep taking your medication

• Continue accessing treatment and support if possible

• Take care of your immediate environment

• Find ways to work or study at home

Here are some suggestions for ways you can relax at home while

following current guidelines. Can you add anything else to the list?

Drawing Painting Collage

Sewing Craft kits DIY

Colouring Mindfulness Playing musical

instruments

Singing or listening to

music Writing Yoga

Meditation

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Self-care

“Self-care is an attitude toward ourselves and our lives that says I

am responsible for myself” Melody Beattie (2009) Co-dependent No

More. Hazelden Publishing; 2nd Revised Ed.

Practicing self-care means you become your own best friend, self-

manager, personal counsellor and spiritual advisor.

Self-care covers three key areas of our lives: physical, emotional and

psychological. We need to pay attention to each of these areas and

develop ways of attending to them. Checking in with ourselves each day

and using them to assess how we feel is a helpful way of practicing self-

care. Using a journal or some other monitoring tool to record what we

find can be helpful.

List some of the things you can do to practice self-care in each of the

three areas.

Physical

Emotional

Psychological

Here is a YouTube video on Self Care https://youtu.be/w0iVTQS8ftg