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 undertake an assessment and obtain the Mindful Employer accreditation. 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 mindful 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 experience 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 wellbeingtaskforce@chwaraeteg.com 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.
Understanding Anxiety “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 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.
busy 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.
Anxiety in Work
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.
When you need help...
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:
You’re not alone & you can achieve
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.
The Signs and Symptoms of Stress 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.
Mental Symptoms
Emotional Symptoms
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 from your normal behaviour
Signs of stress in a group
Disputes and disaffection within the group
Increase in staff turnover
Mood swings effecting your behaviour
Increase in complaints and grievances
Increased sickness absence
Changes in sleep patterns
Increased reports of stress
Twitchy, nervous behaviour
Difficulty in attracting new staff
Changes in attendance such as arriving later or taking more time off.
Poor performance
Customer dissatisfaction or
Changes in eating habits
Increased smoking, drinking or drug taking 'to cope'
complaints
10 Ways to relieve stress Stress Management
Make an edible treat
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?
Take a walk
Meditate Listen to music
Do something nice for somebody
Read a book Get a massage Light a candle
Have a good laugh
What helps you relieve stress? Let us know at wellbeingtaskforce@chwaraeteg.com
Watch a sunrise/sunset
Belly Breathing/Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique Hi there I came across this technique when I was designing a training session for Presentation Skills and how to overcome 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!
How to support someone with mental ill health From a manager/work point of view: 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/
From a colleague/friend point of view:
Show your support
Show trust and respect
Listen
Ask how you can help
Be open minded and ignore myths
Do some homework and find out more about mental health and its effects.
Look after your own Mental Wellbeing
For more information visit: http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-ofmental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-(general)/ what-can-friends-and-family-do-to-help/
It’s good to talk... Feeling anxious, worried, overwhelmed … 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 maria.mallon@chwaraeteg.com 07816 148270 or Debs deborah.dennehy@chwaraeteg.com 029 2047 8907 And finally if you want to chat more about CBT get in touch with Jane jane.nyhan@chwaraeteg.com 07813 683658
Where to get more information? Westfield health www.westfieldhealth.com
Mind
0114 250 2000
http://www.mind.org.uk/
24 Hour Counselling and Advice Line:
Call 0300 123 3393 Or Text 86463
0800 092 0987
NHS Choices http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/ stress-anxiety-depression/ Pages/low-mood-stressanxiety.aspx
Wellbeing Taskforce wellbeingtaskforce@chwaraeteg.com
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 wellbeingtaskforce@chwaraeteg.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter.
The Wellbeing Task Force