Health and Wellbeing News

With the festive period upon us many have been or will be starting to buy gifts for our loved ones and people in our lives. However, do you ever get the feeling that you have too many people to buy for? or do you feel obliged to buy a gift for someone because they will buy for you? Do you feel that your budget for Christmas presents is getting thinner every year because of how many people you have to buy for? If so, perhaps you have been caught up in a “retail festival” (as named by The Money Saving Expert – Martin Lewis) and have unknowingly lost sight of what the festive period is all about.

For many of us Christmas has become a time of spending and getting into debt, rather than celebrating with the people in our lives. Whilst for many Christmas should be a time of celebration and a joyous occasion, the festive period can cause unhappiness, debt, anxiety and worry due to the pressure of buying for others that we don’t need to buy for. It is now the time to put a stop to these unnecessary worries and buying by saying “NO, this year I am not buying gifts for everyone”.

But why should we do this*?

A poll of more than 2,000 British adults conducted for the Money Advice Trust by YouGov showed an increase in the proportion of people turning to credit to cover the costs of Christmas presents and even food.

Borrowing more – More than a third of people surveyed have already borrowed or plan to borrow to pay for Christmas presents this year. This equates to an estimated 17.3 million people – up 0.4 million on the same time last Christmas. The number of Britons turning to credit to pay for food at Christmas has risen even more steeply to nearly a quarter (23 percent), equating to an estimated 11.5 million people. This represents an increase of 1.1 million on last year.

Pressure to spend – The research also reveals the pressure that people are facing to spend more than they originally planned this Christmas. Almost a quarter of people surveyed said they felt under pressure to spend more, with pressure from children, Black Friday and similar promotions and partners and other relatives mentioned as common factors.

For those of you familiar with Martin Lewis the Money Saving Expert, he sums up the concept perfectly: “”We often buy things we know recipients won’t want, just to tick the box. This tit-for-tat giving means most people end up with tat – cluttering houses, costing money, and filling landfills. It does no one any good. Imagine that I know my mate Noella is hard up. To be generous, I buy her a nice £20 smelly bath bubbles and salts set. Then… she feels obliged to buy me something back. The net financial effect is Noella has spent her money to receive the bath bubbles I gave her. Sometimes the best gift is releasing others from the obligation of having to give to you. It’s time for us to get off this gift-giving treadmill.”

Martin said we should still buy for our spouses and children – but should all agree to cut out ‘the ever extending list of friends, cousins, neighbours and teachers we feel obliged to buy for’.

We will discuss this topic in more detail during the ‘Financial Wellbeing: The pressure of buying at Christmas’ webinar. To view the webinar please use the following link –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2932526565530908940

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support.

Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and
you can speak to a professional in confidence.

*http://www.moneyadvicetrust.org/media/news/Pages/Borrowing-up-this-Christmas-as-one-infour-feel-pressure-to-overspend.aspx

Winter of course comes around every year, yet many people have very different opinions and feelings about it. Some love winter, the crisp mornings the cold air and even possibly snow! However, for a lot of people winter is the worst month as it is often also cold and wet with not a lot of sunshine.

Whether you enjoy winter or not, we usually make the most of the winter months by spending time with friends and family. However, this year we have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has meant our usual activities throughout winter are a no go. At least in the summer we were able to walk in the sunshine, but with restrictions over winter it makes it a bit harder to make the most of this time.

This may have a knock on affect to our mental health if we don’t adapt and be mindful of it. This article will run through some things to consider which can help you through this very odd winter.

Ways to help protect and support your mental health

Do

Reach out for help early

Try not to let stresses build up and fester as this will only cause you more anxiety moving forwards. Reach out for help, or speak to someone else about it sooner rather than later. This will help avoid any long lasting and growing anxieties around those issues.

Stay in a routine and stay productive

Don’t slip out of your normal routine. Having routine helps bring structure to our lives, although it is easy to slip out of it when our way of life has been disrupted as much as it has. Try to keep yourself productive, set yourself some goals, things to do around the house, allow yourself to create a sense of success, this will help you maintain motivation.

Take a break and get some exercise

Having down time to relax and gather yourself is important, being swept up in the day to day can leave you stressed with not much time to wind down. Make sure you factor down time into your routine. Exercise can help too, whether it be light or intense exercise, it can help ease anxiety and give you a sense of productivity too.

Try and find the positives

It may be hard to see the positives in spending the winter in lockdown and having your social and family life restricted, but by trying to find some positives in it all will help it seem a bit easier to deal with. For example, most people have managed to spend less money, or pick up a hobby from home, or learnt to appreciate what is on their doorstep more, try and find the positives for you.

Stay connected with others

When in lockdown it is important to keep in touch with others for your wellbeing, otherwise you may begin to feel more isolated and lonely. Use different ways to have video calls, message and generally catch up or play games with others.

DON’T

Get caught up worrying

Sometimes easier said than done but try to not get caught up worrying about things that are out of your control. Accept it for what it is and make plans to make the most of the situation, rather than letting yourself get into a spiral of worry, thinking and talking about the ‘what if’.

Limit news and social media

Both the news and social media can be good sources of information, but they can also cause a lot of anxiety around issues. By restricting your intake of these will help you focus more on yourself and the positives, rather than becoming worrisome based on what you have seen.

Judge other people’s behaviours

Don’t get worked up over other people’s behaviours during restrictions, you can’t do anything about them so don’t concern yourself, otherwise you’ll leave yourself open to getting worked up over someone else’s actions which you can’t control.

Lose your work/life balance

If your home life is restricted you need to keep a balance. If you feel you need more home time, make some fun plans, think outside the box to mix it up during restrictions. If you’re working from home try not to let yourself start working more and more just because it is there, maintain a healthy balance.

More information

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Protecting and supporting mental health this winter’ please use the following link –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4421838155079259151

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

As the COVID-19 situation is progressing and the Government guidance continues to change, individuals may be feeling anxious. Many employees are facing uncertain times as some organisations announce redundancies. Mental Health support during times like these are paramount, which is why Care first have worked tirelessly to ensure our services remain available 24/7 throughout the pandemic to provide emotional and practical support and ensure we have every aspect of your overall wellbeing covered. Where clinically appropriate Care first are continuing to offer structured counselling through phone and virtual software. At Care first the health and safety of both you the employee and our counselling team are absolutely paramount, any changes to our structured counselling process will be made in line with government guidance.

These services include:

Counselling support

Our team of professionally trained, qualified and BACP Accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to offer support for personal or workplace related issues. As well as the headline issues surrounding mental health, our Care first counsellors are also trained in dealing with both work and home grievances, bullying & harassment issues, domestic violence, relationships at both home and at work and much more. No matter how big or small the problem may be, our counsellors are here for you to provide you with unbiased support away from the situation. Everyone has very individual needs for support, Care first provides short term focussed counselling, so the Care first Counsellor will assess your circumstances when you call to establish what the most appropriate form of support will be for you. It might be that you just need a brief conversation with the Counsellor that day, or you may benefit from a few more sessions.

Information Specialists

As control, or the lack of it, can be an influencing factor on the impact of stress. Many individuals identify stress as emotional, however, a lack of control around practical issues can be just as impactful. We have expert advisors that have been trained by Citizens Advice who can provide you with comprehensive answers and assistance on a wide range of practical issues which can affect our daily life, these include but are not limited to; redundancy, advice on funerals and probate, legal information, housing and tenancy issues, childcare, eldercare, health, consumer issues, employment, travel and education. Our Information Specialists are also money trained experts and can provide support with a variety of financial queries such as help with budgeting finances and advice with benefits. You can speak with one of our Information Specialists confidentially Monday-Friday between 8am-8pm.

Management Support

If you are a manager, have leadership responsibilities, or look after a team within your organisation, it is as important as ever that your colleagues are made aware of the range of support available from Care first. As well as supporting you to signpost your colleagues to the Care first service effectively to maintain your managerial boundaries, Care first can also provide you with support within your role as a manager. Care first Counsellors are all management trained and can provide support with issues such as if the organisation is going through a period of redundancy, managing change and difficult conversations, workplace performance, remote working, absence management and disciplinaries.

Care First Lifestyle Site

Through the Care first lifestyle you can access a wide range of supportive information, read helpful articles published by our team, view Webinars covering a variety of wellCounsellor in real lifestyle.co.uktime via our online counselling facility. You can being topics and even speak with a Care first log into your account by visiting www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk and logging in using your organisation’s unique log in details. If you are unsure what these details are then please contact your line man ager or HR department. The Care first Lifestyle website is great place to go to learn more about Care first and the different areas that we can support in.

Care first Zest

With clinically proven intrinsic links between our physical and mental health, Care first Zest provides an interactive health and wellbeing management tool that can help individuals manage and improve all aspects of their mental and physical health. Care first Zest is also an effective means of proactively supporting the wellbeing of yo ur team. You can complete the Care first Zest wellbeing assessment which looks at factors including exercise, healthy eating, sleep, smoking, caffeine intake and the amount of water you drink to name a few. The assessment then gives you a score on the diff erent areas and you can see which areas you need to improve on. The idea is that if you can improve the areas you did not score well on then this will have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.

To find out more about Care first Zest ple ase view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2558790467075481100

Care First Woebot

For some people, picking up the tele phone to talk with a counsellor is a terrifying experience. Sometimes, when we most need it, we find it the most difficult time to talk with another human. Finding support earlier rather than later is often the best way to manage issues of low mood. Woebot is an AI tool which provides a truly unique way to help identify issues and learn new strategies to cope and reduce the possibilities of those issues escalating into something bigger, without the need to pick up the phone. Woebot works by programmatically impactful content at the m ost impactful time to optimise positive c learning how to deliver the most linical outcomes for its user.

To find out more about Care first Woebot please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://youtu.be/3oFyFclUEWU



How all of these above services link together

As you can see from the above table, all the services that we offer complement each other to ultimately encompass an individual’s overall mental and physical wellbeing, which enables individuals to access professional and clinically proven support.

Our counselling support is available 24/7 to help individuals with any emotional issues that they may have. Our Information Specialists can help individuals with practical information and advice. This practical support is so important because if an individual is concerned about a practical issue, then this can cause detrimental effects to their emotional wellbeing. By getting some support from an Information Specialist this will provide the individual with some clarity on that particular issue, which may help them to feel more in control of a situation and relieve some anxiety.

The Care first Lifestyle site can help individuals who are concerned about an issue. The individual may not know where to start and they can have a look at the resources on our Lifestyle website which may be enough to help them. The Lifestyle website is a great starting place to learn about the types of issues that Care first can support with. The individual can also access our online counselling tool through the Lifestyle website which is an alternative way to access support from a counsellor. By an individual looking through all the resources on our Lifestyle website this can help them to get answers about an issue they may be having. Again by getting some clarity on their issue this may have a positive effect on their mental wellbeing.

The Care first Zest platform is great for improving physical as well as emotional wellbeing. So if an individual takes the wellbeing assessment and then works on the areas that may need some focus. This can then improve their overall wellbeing. Many studies show a link between physical and mental wellbeing, so giving individuals access to this platform enables them to make positive changes.

The Care first AI tool Woebot is a great way for individuals to get support around low mood and anxiety. If Woebot does not detect a positive clinical outcome then Woebot will suggest that the individual speaks to a Care first counsellor if they would like to. Not every individual will feel confident enough to pick up the phone and speak to a counsellor so it is an alternative option for individuals to access support.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Monday 21st December at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7492243067186853390

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you wish to contact the Care first telephone counselling and information line then please don’t hesitate to call the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

Winter of course comes around every year, yet many people have very different opinions and feelings about it. Some love winter, the crisp mornings the cold air and even possibly snow! However, for a lot of people winter is the worst month as it is often also cold and wet with not a lot of sunshine.

Whether you enjoy winter or not, we usually make the most of the winter months by spending time with friends and family. However, this year we have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has meant our usual activities throughout winter are a no go. At least in the summer we were able to walk in the sunshine, but with restrictions over winter it makes it a bit harder to make the most of this time.

This may have a knock on affect to our mental health if we don’t adapt and be mindful of it. This article will run through some things to consider which can help you through this very odd winter.

Ways to help protect and support your mental health

Do:

Reach out for help early – Try not to let stresses build up and fester as this will only cause you more anxiety moving forwards. Reach out for help, or speak to someone else about it sooner rather than later. This will help avoid any long lasting and growing anxieties around those issues.

Stay in a routine and stay productive – Don’t slip out of your normal routine. Having routine helps bring structure to our lives, although it is easy to slip out of it when our way of life has been disrupted as much as it has. Try to keep yourself productive, set yourself some goals, things to do around the house, allow yourself to create a sense of success, this will help you maintain motivation.

Take a break and get some exercise – Having down time to relax and gather yourself is important, being swept up in the day to day can leave you stressed with not much time to wind down. Make sure you factor down time into your routine. Exercise can help too, whether it be light or intense exercise, it can help ease anxiety and give you a sense of productivity too.

Try and find the positives – It may be hard to see the positives in spending the winter in lockdown and having your social and family life restricted, but by trying to find some positives in it all will help it seem a bit easier to deal with. For example, most people have managed to spend less money, or pick up a hobby from home, or learnt to appreciate what is on their doorstep more, try and find the positives for you.

Stay connected with others – When in lockdown it is important to keep in touch with others for your wellbeing, otherwise you may begin to feel more isolated and lonely. Use different ways to have video calls, message and generally catch up or play games with others.

Don’t:

Get caught up worrying – Sometimes easier said than done but try to not get caught up worrying about things that are out of your control. Accept it for what it is and make plans to make the most of the situation, rather than letting yourself get into a spiral of worry, thinking and talking about the ‘what if’.

Limit news and social media – Both the news and social media can be good sources of information, but they can also cause a lot of anxiety around issues. By restricting your intake of these will help you focus more on yourself and the positives, rather than becoming worrisome based on what you have seen.

Judge other people’s behaviours – Don’t get worked up over other people’s behaviours during restrictions, you can’t do anything about them so don’t concern yourself, otherwise you’ll leave yourself open to getting worked up over someone else’s actions which you can’t control.

Lose your work/life balance – If your home life is restricted you need to keep a balance. If you feel you need more home time, make some fun plans, think outside the box to mix it up during restrictions. If you’re working from home try not to let yourself start working more and more just because it is there, maintain a healthy balance.

More information

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Protecting and supporting mental health this winter’ this is being delivered live on Friday 18th December at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4421838155079259151

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

With the festive period upon us many have been or will be starting to buy gifts for our loved ones and people in our lives. However, do you ever get the feeling that you have too many people to buy for? or do you feel obliged to buy a gift for someone because they will buy for you? Do you feel that your budget for Christmas presents is getting thinner every year because of how many people you have to buy for? If so, perhaps you have been caught up in a “retail festival” (as named by The Money Saving Expert – Martin Lewis) and have unknowingly lost sight of what the festive period is all about.

For many of us Christmas has become a time of spending and getting into debt, rather than celebrating with the people in our lives. Whilst for many Christmas should be a time of celebration and a joyous occasion, the festive period can cause unhappiness, debt, anxiety and worry due to the pressure of buying for others that we don’t need to buy for. It is now the time to put a stop to these unnecessary worries and buying by saying “NO, this year I am not buying gifts for everyone”. But why should we do this*?

A poll of more than 2,000 British adults conducted for the Money Advice Trust by YouGov showed an increase in the proportion of people turning to credit to cover the costs of Christmas presents and even food.

Borrowing more – More than a third of people surveyed have already borrowed or plan to borrow to pay for Christmas presents this year. This equates to an estimated 17.3 million people – up 0.4 million on the same time last Christmas. The number of Britons turning to credit to pay for food at Christmas has risen even more steeply to nearly a quarter (23 percent), equating to an estimated 11.5 million people. This represents an increase of 1.1 million on last year.

Pressure to spend – The research also reveals the pressure that people are facing to spend more than they originally planned this Christmas. Almost a quarter of people surveyed said they felt under pressure to spend more, with pressure from children, Black Friday and similar promotions and partners and other relatives mentioned as common factors.

For those of you familiar with Martin Lewis the Money Saving Expert, he sums up the concept perfectly:

“We often buy things we know recipients won’t want, just to tick the box. This tit-for-tat giving means most people end up with tat – cluttering houses, costing money, and filling landfills. It does no one any good. Imagine that I know my mate Noella is hard up. To be generous, I buy her a nice £20 smelly bath bubbles and salts set. Then… she feels obliged to buy me something back. The net financial effect is Noella has spent her money to receive the bath bubbles I gave her. Sometimes the best gift is releasing others from the obligation of having to give to you. It’s time for us to get off this gift-giving treadmill.”

Martin said we should still buy for our spouses and children – but should all agree to cut out ‘the everextending list of friends, cousins, neighbours and teachers we feel obliged to buy for’.

We will discuss this topic in more detail during the ‘Financial Wellbeing: The pressure of buying at Christmas’ webinar on Thursday 17th December 2020 at 12pm. You can register to join the webinar at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2932526565530908940

If you are unable to attend the live webinar it will be available to watch afterwards, using the same link.

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

*http://www.moneyadvicetrust.org/media/news/Pages/Borrowing-up-this-Christmas-as-one-infour-feel-pressure-to-overspend.aspx

Monday Dec 21st 2020 ‘How Care first can support you’ at 12pm-12.30pm. To register please use the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7492243067186853390

Tuesday Dec 22nd 2020 ‘Staying connected & celebrating festivities differently’ at 12pm-12.30pm. To register please use the following link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2409549357164742413

Wednesday Dec 23rd 2020 ‘Isolation & loneliness at Christmas’ at 12pm-12.30pm. To register please use the following link : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5157352060279187725

Thurs Dec 24th 2020 ‘Reflecting on 2020’ at 12pm-12.30pm. To register please use the following link : https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2415100791352585232

Most of us are aware of the risks posed to lone/remote workers with regards to physical safety, but what about Mental Health? How can we support employees and help ourselves? Lone and remote working has always been a talking point with regards to mental health. Is it good for us? How much of an affect does it have on our mental health? Does it really have a negative impact on the work force?

When you are working from home, rather than an office, the most common problems can be summarised as follows:

• Blurred boundaries between your work and home life
• Feelings of isolation
• Lack of collaboration
• Difficulty creating cultures in remote team

It is common to be aware of people who work alone e.g., domiciliary/home care workers, personal assistants (PAs), live-in carers, supported living workers, drivers, staff that work remotely on the same site as their team members e.g., residential/nursing homes, overnight workers (sleep-in and awake), social workers, community care assessors. However, now more than ever as a nation we have all become somewhat lone workers through the pandemic. Whether that be from wearing copious amounts of PPE, or up routing your daily lives and starting to work from home. With many staff experiencing new routines, e.g., working from home for the first time or perhaps if you are a frontline worker you were not even able to go home, with all of that comes a multitude of feelings including; anxiety and stress perhaps due to the building feelings of uncertainty, lack of motivation, loneliness and/or fear.

It is also extremely common for lone/remote workers to find challenges in everyday communications. Many say that it can be more difficult to discuss issues or challenges that they are experiencing, and to catch up with colleagues. They can experience increased stress levels through feeling the burden of decision making and not having other colleagues present to seek advice and discuss different options. For live-in carers, there could be a sense of feeling ‘penned in’ within a person’s home, and finding it difficult to relax, particularly if living in rural areas or somewhere with few socialising opportunities. Lone workers also said that they can feel more pressure to work when they are unwell because it can be harder to cover absences. This can also lead to lone workers taking on more work if no-one else is available, especially at short notice. It is important that employers understand how employees feel, so that you can address any issues or concerns early and avoid them escalating to a point that affects someone’s mental health and wellbeing. Lone workers can have less opportunity to share pressures and can feel they carry sole responsibility for everything they do. Staff who work alone are more likely to continue working when they should rest, due to the responsibility that they shoulder for their roles.

Whether you work alone on a regular basis (pre-pandemic and post-pandemic) or whether you have been thrust into the working way due to lockdowns. It is important to remember that every day you will be building positives through the tasks and roles you complete. It will naturally build your Resilience, Accountability, Responsibility, Self-reliance, Reliability, Humility, Resourcefulness, Independence, Timeliness and more. It will show your employers how brilliantly calm and honest you are in difficult situations. So, remember it is not all negative.

Employers can help by building confidence with employees to help with making decisions independently, employers should be checking on employee’s resilience and mental wellbeing as a lone worker, ensuring personal safety and making sure staff have the correct training e.g., conflict resolution and managing challenging situations alone, when needed.

There are also ways we can support each other, make sure you are keeping in touch with colleagues, management and even people you would not normally communicate with, make sure you are making the most of resources available to you e.g., your EAP. Ensure regular communication between lone working colleagues via phone calls, text messages and social media, (virtual) Coffee mornings, Group training, Team meetings, Social media, Online chats/forums, Team development days or lunches, sharing learning with each other. Keep safe by following your organisation’s lone worker policies and training, if you have this within your organisation.

And finally remember it is important to understand your feelings and always look after your mental health and wellbeing.

If you are feeling lonely due to remote or lone working remember human beings are naturally social, so being lonely is not good for us. It can contribute to feelings of anxiety, stress and depression, and have a negative impact on our mental health. Feeling lonely and isolated affects our self-esteem, and we can think that people will not want to talk to us or be friends. Often these feelings can spill over into our work or home lives. Remember you will not feel like this forever – it is just the loneliness talking.

How can I stop feeling lonely?

Think about what you would like more of. Time with friends or family?

• Skype with friends and family to still stay connected
• Enjoy regular exercise or walks, please be aware of the government guidance around COVID-19.
• Drink plenty of water and eat well, a health body will support your immune system and ensure you mind is healthy
• Spend time reading and enjoying
• Chat and community forums

If lone or remote working is getting you down, talking to someone can really help. You may want to consider counselling support to explore how you are feeling. You can access EAP services provided by Care first 24/7 via the Freephone number.

Some of the information sourced for this article was originally published by skillsforcare.org. If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the link below –

https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Documents/Leadership-and-management/Lone-working/Supporting-staffthat-regularly-work-alone.pdf

For more information and discussion on this topic please join us for a live webinar on Wednesday 16th December at 12pm https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3433844494150689549

At times like this, people are continuously looking for ways to boot their immune system, there are a number of things you can do to benefit your health.

The best way to boost your immune system is to choose to adopt a healthy lifestyle. If you follow general good health guidelines that is without a doubt the best single step you can take towards keeping up your immunity naturally.

The body is built up of a number of different systems e.g. respiratory system, digestive system etc. and one of those systems is your immune system. Just like the rest of your body it functions at peak when you look after it as best as you can. You can do this by using basic health strategies on a daily basis such as:

• Not smoking.
• Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables. (A balanced diet) restrict fat and sugar intake.
• Exercising regularly.
• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• If you drink alcohol, drinking only in moderation.
• Getting a good night’s sleep.
• Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly. (Even more important under the circumstances we are currently in).
• Get regular health checks.
• And try to minimize stress where you can.

The best part about adopting the above is it will boost every system in your body and not just your immune system.

Improving  your  immune  system  with  herbs  and  supplements

In today’s world you can walk into almost any shop or browsing online and be greeted with numerous different types of supplements and health miracles. We are bombarded on a daily basis on what we should and shouldn’t be taking to keep us healthy. This is inclusive of supplements/herbs to boost our immune system, they claim to boost your immune system to stop you getting ill and thus far some have been found to alter some components of immune function, however, there is no evidence to suggest that they actually bolster immunity to the point you are better protected against infection and disease. It is a highly complex matter when talking about enhancing immunity.

However, if you suspect that your diet is not allowing you to gain all of the nutrients needed, perhaps you are on a special diet or you don’t like certain food types then taking a daily multivitamin may bring health benefits. Overdosing or taking a big dose of vitamins could have negative side effects so always be sure what you are taking, always check with your doctor or pharmacist and never take anything that you are unsure about. Remember to follow NHS guidance NHS guidance and a very interesting read by the NHS: Supliments, who needs them?

Myth buster

Having a more active immune system means you will be healthier – Ever heard the saying too much of a good thing is a bad thing? The same goes for your immune system. A hyperactive immune system is responsible for allergic reactions to ordinary non-toxic substances.

More than your recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals will improve your immune system – As discussed earlier if your body does not need the supplements then there is no evidence that extra would be of benefit to you. However this should always be discussed with a health professional.

Many vaccinations carry health risks – In life there is always an element of risk connected to the things we do but the risk of a serious reaction to a vaccine is very small in comparison. Please see the NHS pages for more information on vaccinations vaccination video.

For further information and some great tools and articles on boosting your healthy lifestyle please visit www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk and ask your organisation for you username and password if you are not already registered.

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Tips to boost your immunity this winter’ this is being delivered live on Tuesday 15th December at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3071611487908505360

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support.

Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

As the COVID-19 situation is progressing and the Government guidance continues to change, individuals may be feeling anxious. Many employees are facing uncertain times as some organisations announce redundancies. Mental Health support during times like these are paramount, which is why Care first have worked tirelessly to ensure our services remain available 24/7 throughout the pandemic to provide emotional and practical support and ensure we have every aspect of your overall wellbeing covered. Where clinically appropriate Care first are continuing to offer structured counselling through phone and virtual software. At Care first the health and safety of both you the employee and our counselling team are absolutely paramount, any changes to our structured counselling process will be made in line with government guidance.

These services include:

Counselling support

Our team of professionally trained, qualified and BACP Accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to offer support for personal or workplace related issues. As well as the headline issues surrounding mental health, our Care first counsellors are also trained in dealing with both work and home grievances, bullying & harassment issues, domestic violence, relationships at both home and at work and much more. No matter how big or small the problem may be, our counsellors are here for you to provide you with unbiased support away from the situation. Everyone has very individual needs for support, Care first provides short term focussed counselling, so the Care first Counsellor will assess your circumstances when you call to establish what the most appropriate form of support will be for you. It might be that you just need a brief conversation with the Counsellor that day, or you may benefit from a few more sessions.

Information Specialists

As control, or the lack of it, can be an influencing factor on the impact of stress. Many individuals identify stress as emotional, however, a lack of control around practical issues can be just as impactful. We have expert advisors that have been trained by Citizens Advice who can provide you with comprehensive answers and assistance on a wide range of practical issues which can affect our daily life, these include but are not limited to; redundancy, advice on funerals and probate, legal information, housing and tenancy issues, childcare, eldercare, health, consumer issues, employment, travel and education. Our Information Specialists are also money trained experts and can provide support with a variety of financial queries such as help with budgeting finances and advice with benefits. You can speak with one of our Information Specialists confidentially Monday-Friday between 8am-8pm.

Management Support

If you are a manager, have leadership responsibilities, or look after a team within your organisation, it is as important as ever that your colleagues are made aware of the range of support available from Care first. As well as supporting you to signpost your colleagues to the Care first service effectively to maintain your managerial boundaries, Care first can also provide you with support within your role as a manager. Care first Counsellors are all management trained and can provide support with issues such as if the organisation is going through a period of redundancy, managing change and difficult conversations, workplace performance, remote working, absence management and disciplinaries.

Care First Lifestyle Site

Through the Care first lifestyle you can access a wide range of supportive information, read helpful articles published by our team, view Webinars covering a variety of wellCounsellor in real lifestyle.co.uktime via our online counselling facility. You can being topics and even speak with a Care first log into your account by visiting www.carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk and logging in using your organisation’s unique log in details. If you are unsure what these details are then please contact your line man ager or HR department. The Care first Lifestyle website is great place to go to learn more about Care first and the different areas that we can support in.

Care first Zest

With clinically proven intrinsic links between our physical and mental health, Care first Zest provides an interactive health and wellbeing management tool that can help individuals manage and improve all aspects of their mental and physical health. Care first Zest is also an effective means of proactively supporting the wellbeing of yo ur team. You can complete the Care first Zest wellbeing assessment which looks at factors including exercise, healthy eating, sleep, smoking, caffeine intake and the amount of water you drink to name a few. The assessment then gives you a score on the diff erent areas and you can see which areas you need to improve on. The idea is that if you can improve the areas you did not score well on then this will have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing.

To find out more about Care first Zest ple ase view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2558790467075481100

Care First Woebot

For some people, picking up the tele phone to talk with a counsellor is a terrifying experience. Sometimes, when we most need it, we find it the most difficult time to talk with another human. Finding support earlier rather than later is often the best way to manage issues of low mood. Woebot is an AI tool which provides a truly unique way to help identify issues and learn new strategies to cope and reduce the possibilities of those issues escalating into something bigger, without the need to pick up the phone. Woebot works by programmatically impactful content at the m ost impactful time to optimise positive c learning how to deliver the most linical outcomes for its user.

To find out more about Care first Woebot please view the webinar which can be found via the link below:

https://youtu.be/3oFyFclUEWU



How all of these above services link together

As you can see from the above table, all the services that we offer complement each other to ultimately encompass an individual’s overall mental and physical wellbeing, which enables individuals to access professional and clinically proven support.

Our counselling support is available 24/7 to help individuals with any emotional issues that they may have. Our Information Specialists can help individuals with practical information and advice. This practical support is so important because if an individual is concerned about a practical issue, then this can cause detrimental effects to their emotional wellbeing. By getting some support from an Information Specialist this will provide the individual with some clarity on that particular issue, which may help them to feel more in control of a situation and relieve some anxiety.

The Care first Lifestyle site can help individuals who are concerned about an issue. The individual may not know where to start and they can have a look at the resources on our Lifestyle website which may be enough to help them. The Lifestyle website is a great starting place to learn about the types of issues that Care first can support with. The individual can also access our online counselling tool through the Lifestyle website which is an alternative way to access support from a counsellor. By an individual looking through all the resources on our Lifestyle website this can help them to get answers about an issue they may be having. Again by getting some clarity on their issue this may have a positive effect on their mental wellbeing.

The Care first Zest platform is great for improving physical as well as emotional wellbeing. So if an individual takes the wellbeing assessment and then works on the areas that may need some focus. This can then improve their overall wellbeing. Many studies show a link between physical and mental wellbeing, so giving individuals access to this platform enables them to make positive changes.

The Care first AI tool Woebot is a great way for individuals to get support around low mood and anxiety. If Woebot does not detect a positive clinical outcome then Woebot will suggest that the individual speaks to a Care first counsellor if they would like to. Not every individual will feel confident enough to pick up the phone and speak to a counsellor so it is an alternative option for individuals to access support.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Monday 14th December at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/500310087869378572

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you wish to contact the Care first telephone counselling and information line then please don’t hesitate to call the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.

The Importance Maintaining Structure & Routine

Some people love to have a solid daily routine, while others shudder at the thought of having a predictable schedule. During times of great stress, however, maintaining structure and routine can help you feel more organised and in control.

Having a routine can be helpful at any time, particularly if you are trying to establish healthy habits, but these routines can be particularly important when aspects of your life feel uncertain. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have dramatically altered many people’s normal routines, which makes it that much harder to cope with the stress that people are feeling.

A sudden lack of structure

Many people are either working from home or faced with the prospect of an unknown period of unemployment. Those working at home may quickly discover that the constant isolation and lack of a normal schedule can be mentally taxing.

A lack of structure and routine can actually exacerbate feelings of distress and make you pay more attention to the source of your problems. As Goldman, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine, explains: “If people don’t have structure and are sitting around with less to focus on, then they also probably will find themselves thinking about the stressful situation more, which can also lead to additional stress and anxiety.”

One way to get out of this cycle that promotes ruminating over the source of your stress is to maintain some structure and routine throughout your day.

The benefits of having a routine

Research has consistently shown that routines can play an important role in mental health. One study, for example, found that routines could help people better manage stress and anxiety.

Having a regular routine can help you:

• Lower stress levels
• Form good daily habits
• Take better care of your health
• Help you feel more productive
• Help you feel more focused

Getting necessary tasks out of the way can also help you find more time for healthy behaviours like exercise and leave you more time to enjoy fun activities and hobbies.

Some things that you can do that will help you maintain a routine when you’re stressed:

Focus on things you can control

Managing your own behaviours can help you feel more in control of the situation. Goldman recommends focusing on the things that are within your power to control. The key is to create a routine that adds structure and a sense of predictability to your day. Of course, your schedule may change somewhat depending on the day of the week, but sticking to a basic structure for when you wake, eat, work, do activities and sleep can help you feel less stressed out and more organised. Structuring your day also ensures that you accomplish those basic tasks that must be done, which will leave you with the time to schedule in other things that you want or need to accomplish.

Follow a routine that supports your health

There are some things that you can make a part of your daily routine to help manage stress levels. These include:

• Staying active and getting regular daily exercise
• Making sure that you are well-rested
• Eating healthy meals on a regular schedule
• Setting realistic goals
• Trying to stay positive
• Preparing for challenges but not ruminating on things you can’t control
• Staying in touch with friends and family members
• Setting aside time for activities that you enjoy

Of course, the situation you personally are coping with can also affect how easy or hard it is to stick to a daily routine. Stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 have left many people with blank schedules, which can be a daunting prospect for many people. It’s important to find things to fill your time so you don’t end up engaging in unhelpful or unhealthy behaviours

Make Your List

One helpful activity is to make a list of the things that you normally do during the day. Include everything from work to meal preparation to household chores. Once you have an idea of the basic tasks you need to accomplish, you can start creating a general outline for what you might need to accomplish each day to stay on track.

While it’s important to get the essentials done, be sure to find things that you can look forward to, whether it’s watching a favourite television show or calling up a friend. Making these little rewards a part of your routine can help you stay upbeat and focused when you are working on a task that you might not enjoy as much.

Find What Works for You

Is it better to have a structured daily schedule or just a general to-do list for the day? Some people might thrive with a highly structured daily schedule that outlines activities in specific blocks of time, while others might do well with a loose list of things they need to get done in the day.

How do you decide which approach is right for you? Consider your motivations as well as what you need to get done. “If it is something that is of high importance and needs to get done on a specific day, then scheduling it into your routine and carving out that time may be necessary to make sure it gets accomplished,” Goldman recommends.

In other words, deliberately schedule a specific time to take care of those high priority tasks. Knowing that you have that time set aside for those tasks will leave you free to focus on using the rest of your time effectively. Goldman also suggests that it may be helpful to schedule things that you may not be motivated to do.

Knowing that you need to do those tasks at a certain time on a certain day will help keep you on track and hopefully overcome the urge to just keep putting them off.

Remember it takes time and practice

Just like trying to create a new habit, starting and sticking to a new routine takes some time and effort. You know yourself best, so if something doesn’t seem to be working, try tweaking your schedule to make it work for your needs.

Useful Sources & Information

Information sourced for this article was originally published by verywellmind.com. If you would like to access this and further information in more detail please follow the links below –

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-keeping-a-routine-during-stressful-times-4802638

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-to-do-when-you-have-no-motivation-4796954

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘The Importance of Maintaining Structure & Routine’ it is being delivered live on Friday 11th December at 12pm, please use the following link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6437686071824008720

If you are unable to join the webinar live, a recording of the session can be accessed using the same link above after the webinar has taken place.

If you feel you may need some support, you can contact Care first. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. All employees are eligible to use Care first, our services include; telephone counselling, information services and online support. Call Care first on the Freephone number provided by your organisation and you can speak to a professional in confidence.