Thursday the 10th of October is Mental Health Awareness Day! This is an annual event that sheds light on the importance of good mental health for everyone in the UK. The aim is to help the public to learn more about mental health, address stigmas surrounding it, and understand how we can all contribute to preventing mental health issues from arising. It emphasizes taking proactive steps to stay mentally healthy and encourages openness in discussing and seeking help for mental health problems.
Many organisations can provide valuable resources to their communities that promote mental wellbeing and offer support for those who need it, covering various aspects of mental health such as stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Mental health is just as crucial as physical health, and everyone can take small steps to improve their mental wellbeing and the mental health of those in their lives. Let’s all come together to create a society that values mental wellbeing.
Please take a look at some of the options below to find out more about organisations from within and from outside of our PCN that can help facilitate the journey towards good mental health.
- MIND
- The Mental Health Foundation
- Better Health – Every Mind Matters
- NHS Talking Therapies – Help Us Help You
- PCN ARRS Roles
MIND
This year, for Mental Health Awareness Week, MIND are focusing on the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on our mental health.
The uncertainty of watching as our costs spiral can be difficult to bear. The worry of how we’ll get by and support our families is piling on the pressure. But for so many of us, looking after our mental health is often last on our list. MIND seeks to address this issue and whilst they can’t fix the cost of living crisis they can help you and people you know feel more able to cope.
As individuals, as families, as communities – we can’t afford to ignore the impact on our mental health.
Please visit the website below for practical hints and tips for managing money and information regarding its impact on your mental health.
MIND Website
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Who's got time to worry about mental health, when you're worried about paying the bills
Having so much to deal with can affect your mental healt . Mind can't fix the cost of living crisis, but we can help you feel more able to cope.
If this speaks to you, speak to us.
Visit www.mind.org.uk/cost-of-living
The Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation is focusing on anxiety for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. They’re hope is to increase people’s awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem.
Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.
Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food. But anxiety can be made easier to manage.
To find out more about their campaign and how they can help please visit their website below:
Mental Health Foundation Website
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Anxiety is a common feeling that sometimes gets out of control. For advice on how to manage feelings of anxiety visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk/mhaw
Better Health – Every Mind Matters
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Good for your body, good for your mind. It's the perfect time to get active. When you move more you not only give your body a boost but you give your mood a lift too. Make the first move for your mental health seach every mind matters.
Better Health – Every Mind Matters are focusing over the next couple of weeks, on how regular physical activity can have a significant impact on reducing the symptoms of anxiety and improving mental wellbeing.
It is a campaign designed to empower people to look after their mental wellbeing and support that of others. It focuses on promoting mental wellbeing as well as addressing the four most commonly reported, subclinical mental health concerns: anxiety, low mood, stress, and trouble sleeping. The campaign is aimed at all adults but weighted towards vulnerable groups and those most at risk of mental health problems. It’s supported by the NHS, local authorities and mental health charities, health organisations, along with those charities and commercial partners that can deliver huge reach to their target audiences. Their shared goals are to help encourage, enable and motivate preventative mental health behaviours.
Better Health have enlisted celebrities NHS Dr Ranj Singh, comedian Tom Davis, and DJ Reece Parkinson to encourage people to ‘make the first move for their mental health’ using NHS-approved Couch to 5k or Active 10 apps to help make starting physical activity a little less challenging.
As part of their wider Every Mind Matters campaign the programme offers a range of evidence-based self-care actions and free resources designed to help people take care of their own mental health and prevent common concerns from escalating into mental health disorders.
Available on their website is a free, NHS-approved Mind Plan. By answering five short questions people get a personalised mental health action plan, providing practical tips to help them deal with stress and anxiety, boost their mood, sleep better, and feel more in control. People can also join a 4-week email programme where they can get reminders, swap in new tips and are encouraged to make looking after their mental wellbeing part of their everyday routine. In addition they have an 8-week email programme focused specifically on easing your anxiety.
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Feeling anxious? Simple breathing exercises could help. Get a free personalised mind plan and disciver simple steps to look after your mental wellbeing. Search every mind matters.
One of the best things we can do for our mental health and wellbeing is to be active No matter how much you do, physical activity can make a big difference to how you feel – increasing feel-good hormones and helping reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress.
For top tips from Better Health on dealing with mental wellbeing please visit their website here.
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Small steps to left your mood. This summer let's get moving. You don't have to be an athlete a simple brisk walk is enough to help you feel good in body and in mind. Make the first move for your mental health search every mind matters.
Now is the perfect time to get active and make the first move for your mental health. Find out more on the link below with Every Mind Matters.
Better Health – Every Mind Matters
Every mind matters also launched a “Find Your Little Big Thing Campaign” focused on highlighting that ‘doing the little things can make a big difference to your mental health.’
This campaign encourages and helps you to ‘find your little big thing’ hero-ing the little things you can do, which can make a big difference to your mental health. Making time for your mental wellbeing is important – and embedding these little things as part of your routine can help you feel better and more in control.
To read more about this campaign and see how it can help you please take a look at the below news article on our website.
NHS Talking Therapies – Help Us Help You
The NHS is encouraging anyone struggling with feelings of depression, or anxiety such as excessive worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or obsessions and compulsions, to seek help through NHS Talking Therapies services. These are effective, confidential, and free treatments delivered by trained clinicians, online, on the phone, or in person.
For more information regarding Talking Therapies please follow the link below to view the on our website. Talking Therapies information.
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Feeling anxious or depressed?
NHS Talking Therapies can help Struggling with feelings of depression, excessive worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress or obsessions and compulsions? A trained clinician can help.
The service is effective, confidential and free.
Talking therapies are also available in your chosen language through multi-lingual therapists or confidential interpreters, and in British Sign Language, through SignHealth's Therapies for Deaf people service.
Your GP can refer you or refer yourself at www.nhs.uk/talk
Help Us Help You - Mental Health Matters Mental
ARRS Roles Services
As part of the PCN our constituent surgeries have access to a selection of (ARRS) Additional Roles clinicians from Mental Health Practitioners to Health and Wellbeing coaches that can help with a range of mental and emotional difficulties or simply help you on your way to living your best life. For more information on the services available please take a look at the links below.