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.

With 75% of mental illnesses starting before a person’s 18th birthday, evidence shows that providing good, early preventative support in the right place at the right time can help to avoid young people’s mental health deteriorating.

Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place between the 7-13 February and the theme this year is growing together. As we move through the week, we ask you to set time aside with the young people in your life to think about how they have grown – what skills they have developed, what personal qualities they most admire in themselves and others, and what goals they would like to set themselves for the year ahead.

The holiday period is typically a time of joy and celebration, but it’s also natural to find it a difficult time for a whole range of reasons. And this year is no exception with all of the uncertainty and changes happening in the world around us. Many people find this time of year particularly stressful with cooking, parties, spending money, and choosing gifts often on the agenda. If you live with a mental health problem such as anxiety, the feelings of sadness, frustration and pressure during this time can be amplified even more.

A new study cites financial worries, entertaining guests and keeping everyone happy as key factors in peoples’ mental health worsening over the festive period.

Stress Awareness Month falls in April. It’s used to help highlight ways that stress can impact people, and what you can do to help relieve stress for yourself and others.

Heatwaves, droughts and floods have become a regular fixture in the news. In the leadup to 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26) more and more people are talking about ‘climate anxiety’. We share some tips on how you can make a difference environmentally, whilst supporting your own mental health and wellbeing.

Gigi shares her experience of depression, anxiety and suicidal feelings. Her story shows the value of opening up about mental health.

Investing in our mental health is just as important as staying well physically. Talking to someone professionally, or receiving therapeutic support can help improve our thinking, behaviour, emotions and mood. With an abundance of types of therapy out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

As Covid-19 restrictions are being relaxed across the UK in varying degrees, we know it’s a time of excitement and opportunity for some people. For others, these changes can cause stress and worry, with re-adjustment being difficult for our mental health. Regardless of how you view the easing of lockdown, we’re still living through a period of high stress and uncertainty, so building or maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.

We have urged the insurance industry to review the service they provide to people living with mental illness in our new report: Affording protection: mental health and insurance.

After weeks of living under lockdown, our worlds are slowly starting to open up again. With restrictions beginning to ease, many people that were furloughed are now being asked to return to work. But what do you do if you’re feeling anxious about returning to work? Laura Peters, Head of Advice and Information Services at Mental Health UK, provides some useful tips.

Disappointment is natural, but do you feel completely overwhelmed or ‘out of control’ when plans change unexpectedly? Being clear on what is inside and outside our control can help uncover resilience allowing us to adapt, rebuild, recover and recognise that we can also change and develop over time.

The more ‘free time’ we have, the harder it can be to find a balance between productivity, leisure time and rest. How do you choose what to prioritise when the days are rolling into one? Using tools from the Bloom workshop on juggling time, we bust some of the myths and provide some tips on how best to utilise your time during quarantine.

Eighty percent (80%) of people living with mental illness who responded to a survey by charity Rethink Mental Illness said that coronavirus and the measures to contain it have made their mental health worse, including 28% stating that it is “much worse”.

Jemima from the Fundraising Team at Mental Health UK provides her advice for looking after your mental health if you’re experiencing problems for the first time as a result of the pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak has had a huge financial impact on UK businesses. The government have offered a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in order to help businesses retain staff during this difficult time. Those on furlough will also need to adjust to a significant change. We’ve outlined some of the ways you can support furloughed staff with their wellbeing.