Category: Help and Advice

During the pandemic, the number of us working from home skyrocketed. For some of us, this change became permanent and the new normal. Whether it’s a couple of days a week or every day, many of us are still working from home and experiencing the isolation that can come with it. Evie, 30, from rural Norfolk, shared her experience of loneliness with us, and what she has found helpful to keep more connected.

Our valued supporter, Darren Drudge, works as Customer Services Assistant for our partner Lloyds Banking Group. Sophia from our Communications team spoke to him about his experiences of the pandemic and how his dad’s mental illness affected his own mental health and led him to feel alone. His recent participation in March Around The World, a work fundraising event, enabled him to expand his network locally and get things back on track.

With recent reports stating that only 51% of people felt a sense of belonging at work, how can we look to create, and re-create a sense of community and belonging within the workplace to tackle loneliness and exclusion?

Clic is an online community of likeminded people where members can speak safely and openly about how they’re feeling. Clic moderators, like Declan, act as a safeguard to people who are struggling – they are there to keep you safe and connected.

With 1 in 3 of all cigarettes smoked by someone living with a mental health condition, we’re on a mission to help communities and make quitting less of a stressful journey.

Stress left unmanaged is bad for our health. Excess stress can present itself in a wide range of emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physical ways, which can negatively affect our day-to-day lives. While stretching ourselves at work is positive as it helps us to grow, too much pressure puts a strain on us and eventually could lead to burnout. Jennifer, Sophia and Shannon tell us about their past experiences of burnout, demonstrating that the self-awareness they developed now helps them to spot the signs of stress and keep mentally healthy.

Quitting smoking can provide benefits to mental health as well as physical health. The journey of quitting can be daunting and bring up feelings of anxiety and fear. We spoke to Kim who explained to us how she quit smoking, and the positive changes the move had on her mental health.

Sophie is a 26-year-old mental health advocate who has lived with OCD for 11 years. She won a Bill Pringle Award with Rethink Mental Illness for her poem on managing OCD in 2019 and has spoken publicly about her experience on radio and on social media. She is open and vocal about mental health and mental illness because she knows first-hand how isolating and scary it can be in the beginning.

24-hour rolling news is designed to hijack our attention and keep us distracted. Being informed is important, but not when it negatively impacts your psychological wellbeing. We explain how to deal with news anxiety to support your mental health, as well as young people’s.