Mental Health Matters
Adapting to lifestyle changes and the new realities since the pandemic began can take its toll – lack of physical contact with other family members and friends, home-schooling of children, working from home, temporary unemployment all take time to get used to.
As well as managing the fear of contracting the virus and worry about people close to us who are particularly vulnerable, is challenging for all of us. They can be particularly difficult for people with mental health conditions.
Fortunately, there are lots of organisations providing useful advice and resources.
Bereavement Advice & Support
COVID-19 has impacted everyone, but some much more than others.
Support If You’re Grieving
Healthwatch Sunderland has prepared a page gathering information about bereavement support services which may be helpful for both staff and service users at this time.
Please see: www.healthwatch.co.uk
Our frontline: Support for Social Care Workers
Care workers are under pressure like never before. It can be hard to prioritise your own mental health when you’re caring for others in such a difficult situation – but your wellbeing matters.
Our Frontline offers round-the-clock one-to-one support, along with a collection of resources, tips and ideas chosen to support your mental health as you do your work to protect us all and keep the country going.
To talk by text, text FRONTLINE to 85258 any time. To talk by phone, call 0300 131 7000 from 7am to 11pm if you’re in England, or call 116 123 any time if you’re elsewhere in the UK.
NENC Suicide Prevention Network
As the North East and North Cumbria Suicide Prevention Network we are working to ensure everything possible is done to get support and information to help people stay safe and well and to manage their mental health and wellbeing.
This is especially important during this incredibly difficult and stressful time.
The need to focus on the general mental health and wellbeing of the wider population, following the national Public Health England Every Mind Matters programme, is already recognised as a public health priority. The aim of the North East and North Cumbria Suicide Prevention Network – ‘Every Life Matters’ – is to do everything possible to stop us losing any life to suicide and complements the wider public health approach.
The Suicide Prevention Network is especially focused on people in our communities who are more at risk and already struggling, and for whom the current situation poses a potential increased risk. People who are vulnerable and finding social isolation even more difficult may be feeling there is less support available, so we are working together to make sure people are aware of and can easily access the support they need to stay mentally safe and well. Making good information easily accessible to people is a key objective of the Network and is especially important during this current crisis.
As part of our varied approach to this, today we are launching our new Suicide Prevention Network website, covering the whole North East and North Cumbria area. The website will provide a new community resource for people seeking help and advice about suicide and mental wellbeing, guidance for those who have sadly been bereaved by suicide, and signposting to a library of professional resources for those working in suicide prevention.
The website content will be expanded by Network members over the coming weeks and months and we will discuss and agree on the update and monitoring process in the next steering group.
Please can you share widely and add the link www.stopsuicidenenc.org to other relevant websites.
Our online presence is supported by our social media accounts, sharing key messages, and making new connections on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Every Life Matters – Suicide Prevention is everyone’s business
Mental Health Awareness
COVID-19 has changed our daily lives significantly and this can impact on our mental health and wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundations topic for Mental Health Awareness Week this year is kindness.
More than ever before acts of kindness are making a huge difference to people across our organisation and the city. From people delivering food and other essential items to vulnerable residents and contacting isolated friends and family through virtual platforms, to making donations and joining in with social media movements, people are coming together and sharing small acts of kindness.
Helping others can improve your own mental health by improving your sense of worthwhile, boosting confidence and reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness by connecting with others. However, it’s important not to neglect yourself and remember that only by taking steps to look after yourself, can you help to support other people.
Pass the message on and spread a little kindness this Mental Health Awareness Week and remember to be kind to yourself. You can also follow what other organisations are doing this week on Twitter through #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.
In addition to this Sunderland Recovery College is also providing useful advice and tips on their Facebook page.
Sport England
We’re all now spending a lot more time at home than we might like, which is why staying as physically active as possible is more important than ever.
‘Join the Movement’
is our brand-new campaign, funded by The National Lottery, giving you advice and tools to help you do this while the country deals with the coronavirus outbreak.
Every Mind Matters
Every Mind Matters is the national platform for good mental health, from Public Health England.
It aims to make it easier for everyone to look after their own wellbeing and improve their mental health, by providing a digital hub full of advice, tips and resources and a new online tool to help everyone create their own action plan.
Visit Every Mind Matters
WHO Tips & Advice
The World Health Organisation suggests:
• Keep informed. Listen to advice and recommendations from your national and local authorities. Follow trusted news channels, such as local and national TV and radio, and keep up-to-date with the latest news from @WHO on social media.
• Have a routine. Keep up with daily routines as far as possible or make new ones.
• Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.
• Keep up with personal hygiene.
• Eat healthy meals at regular times.
• Exercise regularly.
• Allocate time for working and time for resting.
• Make time for doing the things you enjoy.
Stay updated and stay in the know. Join our newsletter today!
Sunderland Care and Support 2021 All rights Reserved. Website By RGB Media