HAE Mental Health Information and Resources
After the success of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, HAE EHA is continuing to share important information and resources all year round. Find useful information and resources below.
Time to Talk Day 2023 is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with Co-op.
The day aims to create supportive communities by talking to family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. Everyone has mental health, and talking about it can help ourselves and others, and can show the support we have around us.
To help yourself or someone else today, start a conversation about mental health (or anything).
5 Tips To Talk
- Ask questions and listen properly
Ask open and not leading or judgemental questions to allow the person to express how they feel. Try questions like “how does that affect you?” and “what does it feel like?” Make sure you listen properly. - Think about the time and place
Sometimes intense conversations can be hard, perhaps try talking while you are doing something else to make it easier. You could try going on a walk, going for a drink, or even cooking something. - Don’t try and fix their problems
Resist the urge to solve someone's problems, mental health is a long journey, and the individual has probably already considered different tools and strategies. Just talking to someone can be really powerful, so unless they’re asking for your advice directly, it’s probably best to just listen. - Treat them the same
When someone has a mental health problem, they’re still the same person as they were before. If you want to support them, keep it simple. Do the things you’d normally do. - Be patient
No matter how hard you try, some people may not want to talk about their mental health. Don’t worry, the fact you’ve tried to talk to them may make it easier and they may open up another time.
There are also lots of things you can do if you’re not talking:
- Try things in your community you could do together
- Find a hobby together
- Send a text to let them know you’re thinking of them
- Offer to help them with day-to-day tasks
However you do it, start a conversation today.
April was Stress Awareness Month and it highlighted the impact that stress has on the British public. With the pandemic causing such a tumultuous year, mental health has suffered as a result.
Research has shown:
- Lockdown has led to a surge in screen time; UK adults use their phone for up to 40% of the day (declutter devices for a better experience)
- Decluttering your home office can positively impact physical and mental health by reducing stress
- 62% of people find decluttering to be therapeutic and rewarding
- 65% of people in the UK stated they feel more stressed since the first lockdown in March 2020
- 35% of Brits found decluttering their home to be a therapeutic experience
Tips to Declutter Your Digital Devices
With more time on our hands, our screen times will inevitably go up as we attempt to stay entertained. A recent study from Ofcom found that adults in the UK spend an average 45 hours of screen time each week! With all this time spent online, it’s important to curate the ideal space on your devices to reduce stress and improve your experience.
- Delete unused apps and files
Purge the apps that you no longer use. This will help keep your home screen clutter-free, allowing you to access the apps you love faster and find files quicker. Resist the ‘just in case’ mentality and delete the ones you know you won’t use - Create folders
Once you’ve deleted all unnecessary apps and files, create folders for different files to keep your home screen clean and organised. These folders could be clients, finance, contracts, important files or marketing. The options can be tailored to work for you - Turn off push notifications
Push notifications can be a massive distraction when trying to complete a task. Whether it be a text or email notification, or an alert, they constantly draw you in to spend more time doing something that is a distraction more than a priority. Ditch the notifications and see if your productivity levels go up
The Benefits of a Digital Declutter
In any space where you spend a large amount of time, a regular clean can help keep you happy and organised. Your tech is no exception. Here are some of the benefits of decluttering your devices:
- Improves your mindset
Being more mindful of what content you consume on your tech can reduce stress and improve your mentality - Makes your laptop/phone run faster
Having a clear out of old apps, unwanted photos, files and tabs can help speed up your device. The less data you have stored on your device, the faster it will work. This will help improve the experience when using your tech, reducing frustration - Helps you to be more efficient
Minimising digital clutter can help you feel more productive when trying to complete important tasks. Having an organised filing system can help streamline your work, ensuring you don’t get distracted by other projects. And, not having to rummage through endless tabs or sort through mountains of files can help you concentrate and complete jobs on time, reducing daily pressure - Tips to declutter your home office
A cluttered home office can wreak havoc on your mind, and having to navigate piles of clutter can overstimulate your brain. Donate, recycle or sell items that you don’t need any more to make more room at home. Here are some tips on how to declutter your working space: - Use three piles
One way to make it easier to part with junk around your home office is to divide your stuff into three piles: things you’ll keep, things you’ll throw away or recycle, and things to donate to charity or ‘freecycle’. This methodical approach allows you to see exactly where your items are going and make the whole process less stressful - Be brutal
Take the time to ask yourself when was the last time you used a specific item. If you haven’t used it in a while, it may be time to let go of it. A good rule of thumb is; if you haven’t used the item in the last six weeks – and you don’t envision using it in the next six weeks – then you may not need it in your life. You can donate it and give it a new life with someone else - Make it a lifestyle change
Starting can be the hardest part when trying to declutter, so incorporating decluttering into just five minutes of your day can help you establish good habits without losing a full day to it
The Benefits of Cleaning Your Home Office
Organising your desk is about more than just making it aesthetically pleasing. A tidy working space can reduce stress and anxiety, leaving you feeling more energised and positive with increased productivity levels. Here are a few benefits of a tidy home office:
- It’s easier to maintain
One of the major benefits of cleaning your home office is that it makes it easier to maintain. When your desk is clean, you’ll be more likely to keep it that way. Once you’ve done all the hard work of getting rid of stuff you don’t use, keep the momentum going by decluttering as you go. Little and often helps prevent mess (and stress) from building up - Makes you more productive
Clutter can impact anxiety levels and the ability to focus, making you less efficient in the long run. It can even trigger coping and avoidance strategies. Keeping a tidy space can help make you more productive, boost creativity and keep stress levels under control. Keep your work spaces clear and tidy of dirty plates, excess notes and keep-sakes to maximise your productivity - Improves concentration
A tidy, uncluttered desk can help you get better concentration levels. Trying to work in a messy room can impact your capability of focusing and producing quality work. A tidy desk can help ensure you can easily concentrate on your working tasks so you are ready to have a successful day
A cluttered lifestyle can impact you more than you think. By taking the time to incorporate decluttering techniques into your daily life, you can help reduce and release any mental pressure that’s been created over lockdown. It will also set you up to be in a good position as restrictions ease by helping you feel more productive and healthier.
Source: Research carried out by RAJA UK.
References
https://www.stress.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-month-2019/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2711870
https://www.finder.com/uk/mobile-internet-statistics
https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/anxiety-loneliness-and-fear-missing-out-impact-social-media-young-peoples-mental-health
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494416300159
Click below for some other useful information and resources to help deal with mental health at work.
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Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 gave the opportunity to face up to the impact the last 12 months had on our lives, helping us reflect, readjust and reset, while also focusing on all aspects of mental health and provide all important help and advice.
This year, HAE EHA decided to focus on the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’, a set of steps developed by the New Economics Foundation to help improve mental health and wellbeing of the whole population.
Each day throughout the week HAE EHA shared each step, alongside some useful resources, across social media, that could help companies support their employees with mental health at work.
Click below to view the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’.
This year, especially, it is important to connect with people (whilst staying safe) as much as we can. Click the button below to see more information and resources to help you to connect.
Regular physical activity is associated with lower rates of mental health illness and is essential for slowing age-related cognitive decline. Any exercise works, it does not have to be intense.
For more information and resources on how to BE ACTIVE click below.
Heightened awareness also enhances your self-understanding and allows you to make positive choices based on your own values and motivations.
For more information and resources to help you TAKE NOTICE click below.
Setting goals, which is related to adult learning in particular, has been strongly associated with improved wellbeing.
For more information and resources to help you LEARN click below.
Studies have shown that an act of kindness each day for six weeks significantly increases an individual's mental wellbeing.
More information and resources on how to GIVE click below.
Although the focus is on Mental Health Awareness Week, the ‘5 Ways of Wellbeing’ steps and ideas can be used whenever they are needed.
HAE EHA also feels it’s important to share resources that may help those in need. Below are some other resources that could be useful, click each section to expand.
HAE EHA MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS - eLearning Programme
This online programme offers guidance on mental health issues employers have been facing during the Covid-19 crisis. This course is useful for those managing employees working remotely or on furlough. Click here for more information.
LEVEL 1 AWARD IN AWARENESS OF FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH
This ½-Day course is aimed at providing learners with the knowledge to identify suspected mental health conditions and the skills to start a conversation and be able to signpost the person towards professional help.
LEVEL 2 AWARD IN FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH
This 1-Day course covers the content of the Level 1 course but also expands on the effects of drugs and alcohol, incorporates the First Aid for Mental Health Action Plan and covers ways in which a positive mental health culture can be supported within a workplace.
LEVEL 3 AWARD IN SUPERVISING FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH
This 2-Day course goes into detail on a wide range of mental health conditions and the support and help provided by healthcare professionals. It covers the content of both the Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications but is aimed at Trainer/Assessors and/or supervisor level within the workplace.
To find out more about our Mental Health First Aid programmes and to book a course click here.
HAE EHA - Mental Health and Wellbeing for the Hire Industry
This webinar provides guidance on mental health issues employers are facing during Covid-19 and gives guidance to help employees either working remotely or on Furlough.
MHFA England - Mental Health Tips for the virtual Office
MHFA England - Supporting Mental Health in the Construction Sector
Upcoming Webinars
11th May - Understanding Stress and Managing Symptoms
18th May - Mind Fitness Hub: What Can we do to Prevent and Protect Ourselves Against Stress at Work?
20th May - Mental Health UK: Understanding the Link Between Mental and Physical Health
Mental Health Foundation - Manage and Help Reduce Stress
Mental Health Foundation - How to Support Mental Health at Work