Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Mental Health and Wellbeing Newsletter
Citation preview
Mental Health &
Wellbeing Newsletter
Mental Health Awareness Week
May 12– 18
Editor’s Welcome Welcome to the Mental Health & Wellbeing Newsletter.
The Wellbeing Taskforce was recently formed to support Chwarae
Teg to become an accredited Mindful Employer. We plan to review
our internal policies throughout the coming months in order to un-
dertake an assessment and obtain the Mindful Employer accredita-
tion. The Taskforce members will be in regular contact with you all,
at each local office, to enable you to have the opportunity to give
your opinion as part of this.
To kick off our journey to become a Mindful Employer the group
thought it would be a good idea to run an internal campaign to raise
awareness during Mental Health Week 12 – 18 May. The theme for
this year’s mental health week is Anxiety. The aim to be more mind-
ful and aware of our own mental health, recognise the signs of
stress in ourselves and others and to know what to do if we do ex-
perience stress.
We hope you find the information in this newsletter informative and
useful, should you have any feedback, suggestions or want to know
more please feel free to email the group
The Wellbeing Taskforce
A word from our
Chief Exec
"Unless you or people you know have experienced serious
mental health it’s easy to think of it as something that affects
other people. But all of us have ups and downs and face
situations that can impact on our health, mental and physical
and it’s easier than we think for this to tip into something
more serious.
It’s great that we're using Mental Health week in Chwarae
Teg to stress the importance of working together to prevent
this so with the organisation supporting staff to think about
and make sure we look after ourselves. As a charity we
have an important mission, and we need to be at our best to
deliver for women in Wales.
I read recently that to give of your best, you need to know
yourself, be yourself and look after yourself. I agree and
think that developing techniques and tools - like mindfulness
- to help us do this is a great way to stay mentally healthy. I
look forward to hearing everyone's experiences and hope it
helps us all continue to flourish as individuals and
consequently, as an organisation."
Anxiety Anxiety is one of the leading causes of mental
health in the world. One in four people will suffer from
mental health this year and many will suffer from
anxiety. The WHO estimates that by 2020 depression
will become the second most important cause of
Disability. It is already the second most important
cause of disability between the ages of 15-44 years.
Closer to home the annual cost of mental health in
Wales is estimated to be £7.2bn.
“A person cannot just simply decide not to be anxious any more” Anxiety UK
Being stressed or too busy over a prolonged period of time can affect your mental
health and lead to an anxiety disorder. This can be brief or can be much longer lasting.
Anxiety can come in many forms; Agoraphobia, Panic, Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder, Phobias, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
Anxiety often triggers a fundamental instinct in our body. This is the fight or flight
response. You either freeze or your body thinks it needs to run from something; your
heart will race, you sweat and can feel faint. While these can be useful responses; it is
when you have these reactions in response to being in a busy
busy shopping centre or while giving a presentation
that your body and mind does not know how to
deal with them. The physiological impact of
anxiety can be a lack of concentration, lack of
sleep, increased irritability and loss of confidence.
Understanding Anxiety
Be aware of the signs and
symptoms of stress and look
at ways to help relieve stress.
See our guide on Signs and
Symptoms of Stress and 10
ways to relieve stress .
Creating a positive working environment is
something that we can all take responsibility for.
We will work with someone who has had or is
currently experiencing mental health over the
course of our working lives.
As managers and colleagues we can help by
looking out for changes in behaviour, reduction in performance and periods of absence.
As an organisation we may want to look at what are the causes of stress in our work-life.
Having the right policies in place to help support people in work and back to work if they
experience mental health and take a look at our recruitment policies to ensure that they
don’t discriminate against people with mental health problems.
Sometimes further help is needed.
You may wish to speak to your GP, this can feel
like a huge step but can often be a good place to
start, they will see many people in a week about
mental health. Not every GP will have the same experience of dealing with mental health
and you have the right to request to see a different doctor if you feel you need to. There are
different talking therapies, support groups and medications available.
You can use Westfield health counselling advice line, see the details in this newsletter for
further information. You can contact Mind, or one of the other mental health charities who
can set up an appointment for you to speak with one of their counsellors.
You may find the support of your colleagues useful, many people have experienced this or
will know someone else who has and it can be a huge relief to discuss the fact that you are
struggling at the moment, speak to a colleague or you can contact a member of the
Wellbeing Taskforce in confidence.
People can work through and with their
difficulties and still achieve great things look at
this list of celebs who have done just this:
Emily Dickinson: Most experts agree that
Dickinson suffered from some type of an anxiety disorder, possibly agoraphobia. She
conversed with many people only though letters and refused to meet many people in
person.
Kim Basinger: Suffers from social anxiety, panic disorder, and agoraphobia. She appeared
in a documentary called “Panic: A Film about Coping” produced HBO, hoping to raise
awareness for the spectrum of these disorders.
Donny Osmond: His anxiety results in severe panic attacks. This was triggered by the
pressure to be successful. He sought professional help and his treatment includes
medication to control and fight the symptoms of the anxiety and panic attacks.
Anxiety in
Work
When you
need help...
You’re not
alone & you can
achieve
According to the HSE the following are Signs of stress in individuals.
If you are suffering from some of the following symptoms it may indicate
that you are feeling the effects of stress. It may be that some action taken
at an early stage will ease the stress and reduce or stop the symptoms.
The Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Negative or depressive feeling
Disappointment with yourself
Increased emotional reactions -
more tearful or sensitive or
aggressive
Loneliness, withdrawn
Loss of motivation commitment
and confidence
Mood swings (not behavioural)
Confusion, indecision
Can’t concentrate
Poor memory
Changes in eating habits
Increased smoking, drinking or
drug taking 'to cope'
Mood swings effecting your
behaviour
Changes in sleep patterns
Twitchy, nervous behaviour
Changes in attendance such as
arriving later or taking more time
off.
Changes from your normal
behaviour Signs of stress in a group
Disputes and disaffection within the
group
Increase in staff turnover
Increase in complaints and grievances
Increased sickness absence
Increased reports of stress
Difficulty in attracting new staff
Poor performance
Customer dissatisfaction or
complaints
Mental Symptoms Emotional Symptoms
10 Ways to relieve stress
Meditate
Watch a
sunrise/sunset
Make an edible treat
Read a
book
Get a massage
Have a good laugh
Take a walk
Listen to music
Light a candle
What helps you relieve stress?
Let us know at
Do something
nice for
somebody
Stress Management
We can take steps to safeguard
ourselves, discuss workload with
managers. Look at our own time
management; are we working
smartly? We now have quiet areas in
the Chwarae Teg offices, are you
making use of them?
Hi there
I came across this tech-
nique when I was de-
signing a training ses-
sion for Presentation
Skills and how to over-
come nerves.
How it has helped me
I begin to notice I am taking short breaths (usually when I am a bit stressed!) – if I don’t do something about
this, I can get a headache – this technique works like a treat – the knack is noticing when you’re feeling
stressed!
Do you ever:
Get stressed before doing something e.g. a presentation, interview?
Feel anxious before doing something new or challenging?
Find yourself unable to think straight because your mind is ‘busy’?
Overcome by nerves before certain situations?
If yes, to either of these, this technique could work for you!
This is breathing from your belly. It releases tension from your upper body. It is also called belly breathing
because, as you inhale, your belly expands (and your chest and shoulders don’t move). This is the opposite of
what you might do on a beach, where many people suck in their bellies (!) and puff out their chests.
Place one hand over your belly button. Slowly inhale one long breath through your mouth while
silently counting ‘one..two..three..four’. Your stomach should expand, pushing your hand forward
(your shoulders and chest should be still). Feel your hand move out as you pull the breath deep into
your lungs. Now, hold that breath and count silently, ‘one..two..three..four’.
Next exhale the breath through your mouth while counting silently ‘one..two..three..four’.
Do this until you are comfortable and breathing easily. Now, your body should feel in balance and you
are ready to go.
For those of you who like to see things being done – the link below is for you:
Mindful Belly Breathing with Di Philippi, MA, LPC - YouTube
Good Luck!
Belly Breathing/Diaphragmatic
Breathing Technique
How to support someone with
mental ill health
First thing, remember you’re not a medical expert.
It’s good to talk, take a look at this link for a check list on how to conduct a conversation in an appropriate way: Key Points to Remember in Conversations
Remember, you don’t have to tackle this alone, there are organisations that can help
you: Supporting Staff
Please don’t diagnose somebody’s condition but here is some information on different types of mental health conditions: Different Conditions
Does your company have a policy on mental health? If it does familiarise yourself
with it.
Please find much more detailed information at:
http://www.tacklementalhealth.org.uk/how-do-i/supporting-staff/
Show your support
Listen
Ask how you can help
Be open minded and ignore myths
Show trust and respect
Do some homework and find out
more about mental health and its
effects.
Look after your own Mental Wellbeing
From a manager/work point of view:
From a colleague/friend point of view:
For more information visit:
http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-(general)/what-can-friends-and-family-do-to-help/
It’s good to talk...
Feeling anxious, worried, over-
whelmed … it can be difficult to
speak to people we know about
these feelings. Speaking to a
stranger can often be easier!
If you are a member of Westfield Health it’s useful to know you can do just that
… speak to a stranger. The difference is that a Westfield Health ‘stranger’ will
listen, really listen and help you decide what you want to do next. The other
difference is that we call this type of stranger a counsellor.
Westfield Health members have access to their 24 Hour Counselling and
Advice Line. To access this confidential service from within the UK, Channel
Islands or Isle of Man simply call 0800 092 0987, alternatively from anywhere
else in the world call 44 (0) 1455 255 123. Speaking to your telephone
counsellor may be enough or they may refer you for up to 6 face to face or
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy counselling sessions. The good news is that
whatever level of Westfield Health plan (1, 2, 3 or 4) you’ve signed up to you
get access to the same service.
What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
This is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing
the way you think and behave. CBT cannot remove your problems, but can
help you manage them in a more positive way. It encourages you to examine
how your actions can affect how you think and feel. Talking and changing your
behaviour can change how you think (cognitive) and what you do (behaviour).
For more information checkout the Westfield Health website www.westfieldhealth.com
Not a member of Westfield Health and want to join? Please contact Maria ma-
[email protected] 07816 148270 or Debs [email protected] 029 2047
8907
And finally if you want to chat more about CBT get in touch with Jane [email protected]
07813 683658
Where to get more information?
Your Feedback... We would value any feedback you may have on whether you found
this newsletter helpful. Please follow the link to answer a short poll,
this will help us decide if future issues are published:
http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=53709c08e4b057d3ffde117d
or feel free to email us at [email protected].
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.
The Wellbeing Task Force
Westfield health
www.westfieldhealth.com
0114 250 2000
24 Hour Counselling and Advice
Line:
0800 092 0987
Mind
http://www.mind.org.uk/
Call 0300 123 3393
Or Text 86463
NHS Choices
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/
stress-anxiety-depression/
Pages/low-mood-stress-
anxiety.aspx
Wellbeing Taskforce
wellbeingtask-
