Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, an important national campaign that is led by the Mental Health Foundation.

It is celebrated every year in May to increase public understanding of mental health and how mental health problems can be prevented. The week aims to tackle stigma and help people understand and prioritise their and others' mental health.

This year’s theme is Anxiety.

Anxiety is a natural human response when we feel that we are under threat. It can be experienced through our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. Most people feel anxious at times. It's particularly common to experience some anxiety while coping with stressful events or changes, especially if they could have a big impact on your life. Anxiety can become a mental health problem if it impacts your ability to live your life as fully as you want to.

 

 

 Headspace, the mindfulness and meditation app, is available for employees across EEAST to download free of charge. Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, it is about learning to be more at ease with your thoughts and more compassionate with yourself and others. In this way, mindful meditation can reduce stress, and help improve our sleep. Headspace also offers hundreds of guided exercises for focus, movement, meditation, and more topics for any moment. The app can help you reduce stress, sleep soundly, and boost mental wellness.

All EEAST employees can access Headspace app resources for free by logging in here. Headspace resources are also available for all to access from their YouTube. 

 

Our Health and Wellbeing Team continue to develop wellbeing offering and are working to extend the services and provisions available for all of our staff and volunteers:

• Mental Health Awareness training will be offered to our managers. Dates for the training will be on Evolve from the end of June. If you have questions or are interested in mental health training, please contact Wellbeing Team.

• A Wellbeing Champion plays a key role in supporting and developing a culture that contributes not only to improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of their colleagues, but also themselves. There are currently 63 Wellbeing Champions across the Trust and the Wellbeing Team are looking to increase the numbers. If you would like to find out more about becoming a Wellbeing Champion, please contact the Wellbeing Team.

• The Welfare Wagons initiative has been very well received by staff and the team are working to extend the service. The Welfare Wagons provide staff with complimentary hot and cold drinks, sweet and savoury snacks, and also generic information on how to access staff services and support. If you would like to know more about the Welfare Wagons in your area or how you can get involved/help to deliver this service, please contact the  Wellbeing Team.

• TRiM service continues to develop to provide better support for our staff. TRiM is a process to manage traumatic stress within workplaces such as ours where everyday life brings us all in touch with some difficult and emotionally charged situations. Find out more on our dedicated TRiM section of East24

• We are redeveloping a Chaplaincy model which is more diverse and recognises multi faiths and beliefs. This is an exciting opportunity to create an exemplar service which better represents and supports our people.

• Training has been developed to improve the resilience of our EOC staff. Following evaluation this will be delivered to more staff groups as we recognise the importance of supporting our people with their personal resilience in challenging circumstances.

 

Useful support and information

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
You, or your immediate family, can contact the EAP to discuss all types of personal issues (financial, parenting, caring and so on), on a confidential basis. Call the Employee Assistance Programme on 0808 196 2374.

24 hour 'In-Crisis' Support Line
When life gets too tough: you don’t know what to do or who to turn to, call the 24 hour 'In-Crisis' Line on 0300 373 0898.

Headspace
Headspace is the mindfulness and meditation app is available for staff across EEAST to download for free and provides unique tools and resources to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Mind
The mental health charity has a number of resources which you can access on the link above. 

Anxiety UK
Advice and support for people living with anxiety. Call the helpline on 03444 775 774.

 

 Published 20th May 2023