The last 3 years has presented many people with challenges and enormous change in their day to day lives, which in turn can impact our wellbeing. To promote positive wellbeing, Care first provide all staff members in your organisation with access to our Lifestyle website – a comprehensive hub of wellbeing resources including articles, webinar content and interactive tools to help you take control of your own wellbeing. Some of the helpful content is outlined in this article…

Online Counselling –

Care first’s Lifestyle site includes an online counselling portal. If you’re unable to
find that private quiet space then this tool will assist you if you are in need of
emotional support. The online counselling portal is available Monday to Friday
8am-10pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm.

Stress Questionnaire –

The Lifestyle Questionnaire Stress test is a quick and easy way of assessing how
well you are currently managing the demands of life and work. The total score
will provide you with a brief analysis and some suggestions about how to manage
your current situation.

Budgeting Calculator –

As well as articles and webinars on topics such as mental health, bereavement and stress, the Lifestyle site also hosts an interactive budgeting calculator. The calculator is very helpful if you are worried about your finances, are planning a new purchase, or simply wish to review your spending to see where you may be able to save money. If you need help using the calculator you can seek the assistance of one of our Telephone Information Specialists, or if you require any emotional support you can speak with a Counsellor in confidence by calling the Care first Freephone number provided by your organisation.

Articles and Information –

The Care first Lifestyle site includes a hub of resources
and information on a wide range of topics covering
issues at Home, at Work, Health and there is also a
Management area providing information for those with
leadership responsibilities as part of their role.

The Lifestyle site is a great starting point if you are
thinking of contacting Care first to learn a bit more
about the support we provide, or to gain some useful
information about the topic or issue you may be calling
with.

If you’re not sure what your organisation’s unique login
details are, please speak with your line manager or
HR department.

For more information you can join our live webinar titled ‘Care First Lifestyle – Your Digital Well-being Solution on Monday 1st August 2022 at 12pm. Please use the following link to register your attendance:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1988136250210102283

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.

Summer is here and the weather is glorious, some might say a little too warm.

Most of us love the warm summer weather, light nights making those evening strolls more likely to happen. Your mental health and wellbeing changes in the summer months, You could feel happier, healthier perhaps more active.

Why is summer better for your mental health?

One of the many benefits of the summer is the positive effect that it has on many people’s mental health. The sun gives us more vitamin D, which raises energy levels and just simply makes us feel happier.

Unfortunately the weather will change as well as our mood, this can be down to Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), more recently known as major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern, mostly affects people in the winter months. However, some people can experience it in the summer.

As days grow shorter and the weather turns colder in winter, many people find themselves feeling a little down and less motivated to be outdoors, enjoying nature.

We have put this article together for information and to prepare you or to give you the knowledge to prepare other for what can happen when the weather does change.

Consider CBT or other forms of talking therapy

NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) recommends CBT in the treatment of SAD. CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is based on the idea that the way you think and behave affects the way you feel. CBT isn’t always effective for everybody with SAD, and it may be that other forms of talking therapy, such as counselling may be more effective for you. In each case it may be a good first step to discuss your concerns with your GP and jointly decide upon the most appropriate form of support for you.

Try to get as much natural light as possible

Symptoms of SAD tend to be worse for most people during the darker, winter months when sunlight is less abundant. Some studies have suggested that people living with SAD may benefit from increased light exposure, so it may be beneficial to maximise time spent in natural light during the winter months. This can include taking a walk outside on your lunch break, making your working environment as light and airy as possible, or even sitting closer to sources or light, such as windows where possible.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet

People living with SAD may find that their diet worsens during times they may be feeling low or depressed. This can lead to vicious circle of negative thoughts, and actions such as eating unhealthily which only serve to intensify feelings of low mood. Striving to eat a healthy, balanced diet can be effective in helping to improve the symptoms of SAD in some people. The NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eatwell/ has lots of helpful content and tips on how to improve your diet.

Exercise regularly, and try to avoid stressful situations

Exercise is shown to be an effective form of treatment for many forms of depression. For people living with SAD, exercising outdoors where possible in natural light can be a particularly effective means of improving symptoms. The NHS also recommends avoiding stressful situations wherever possible, and taking steps to recognise the signs of stress, and how best to manage these.

Information Sources and Useful Links –

This article references information and studies hosted at the following web addresses. If you would like to access this and more information on Seasonal Affective Disorder in more detail please follow the links below:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/treatment/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/
mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/seasonal-affective-disordersad/about-sad/

Please join our live webinar ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ on Friday 29th July 2022 at 12pm. Please use the following link to register your attendance:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7991412563103218959

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.

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 disciplinary.

Care first Lifestyle

Through the Care first lifestyle site you can access a wide range of supportive information, read helpful articles published by our team, view Webinars covering a variety of well-being topics and even speak with a Care first Counsellor in real-time via our online counselling facility.

You can 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 manager 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.

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.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Wednesday 27th July at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6637232052100450063

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.

You Are Not Alone – Support For Managers

Your employer has made an investment in staff wellbeing. Care first provides a confidential service for information, advice and counselling which is available to staff free of charge. As a Manager you may be responsible for compliance with Health & Safety legislation and your ‘duty of care’. Knowing how to make the most of Care first services will help you to help your people.

Services

All staff have access to the following services:
 Freephone advice, information and counselling service
 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year
 Care first Lifestyle site

Managers have access to additional help:
 Support and information service for Managers
 Management consultancy
 Management referral to initiate counselling for an employee

The level of support a Manager is able to give will depend on the nature of the problem and the time available. Help from Care first may also be appropriate.

There are a number of options:

Self-Referral

Encourage the individual to contact Care first on the dedicated Freephone helpline number – a confidential service which is available 24 hours a day. The person who answers will be a Counsellor and the employee only needs to identify the organisation they work for. The caller can maintain contact with one Care first telephone counsellor at a mutually agreed time over a period of weeks or they can be referred for structured telephone or face-to-face counselling if appropriate.

Management Support

If the problem is unfamiliar or complex – or if the employee is denying the problem and resisting the opportunity to seek help – you may find it useful to talk to Care first yourself. We can discuss the wider implications and likely effects, and explore options for appropriate management of the employee. However, in view of confidentiality, we will not confirm or deny whether an employee has called Care first. Informal Management Referral If the situation is unusually sensitive or the employee is extremely distressed, with the consent of the employee, you can make an Informal Management Referral. You will be asked to hand the phone over to the employee who is seeking support, so you will need to be with the employee in person and in a position to do this. You can then leave the area to allow the individual to have their initial call with Care first. Any further support agreed will not be disclosed to the Manager.

Management Consultancy

Care first provides professional management consultancy to deal effectively with a wide range of people problems. If you want to discuss your approach to sickness absence, bullying or harassment, grievances, disciplinary action or any other difficulties you are having with your staff, just call the freephone number for informed advice.

Noticing problems

Both workplace and personal problems can affect the performance of an employee at work. For some, the combination of workplace difficulties with personal concerns can lead to a deterioration of performance at work. Change can be a major source of pressure: even changes that are positive, such as responses to innovation and improvements in efficiency, can provoke negative reactions among employees.

For some individuals it will not be possible to contain their anxiety and work effectively.

As a Manager, you may be the first to identify those who are not coping well. Indicators that somebody may not be coping include:

• •Poor workplace relations
• Poor time-keeping
• Becoming withdrawn
• Increased errors or accidents
• Tensions and conflict in workplace
• Reduced work output
• Loss of motivation and commitment
• Deterioration in personal standards
• Increased sickness absence
• Emotional outbursts

More information and Management support is available by accessing the Manager’s Area on the Care first Lifestyle site.
https://carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk/extranet/managers-area

*Your log-in details will be unique to your organisation and available from you HR department.

MHFA (Mental health First Aider) Support Service

Care first supports the MHFA’s from your customer organisation by making available, the use of the help line to offer immediate support should you have a difficult conversation with someone which has impacted you. A call to Care first is not supervision. It is a one off support call to help you within your role as an MHFA.

More information and MHFA support is available by accessing the below link on the Care first Lifestyle site.

https://carefirst-lifestyle.co.uk/extranet/health/mental-health/mental-health-first-aid

*Your log-in details will be unique to your organisation and available from you HR department.

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Care first Management and MHFA (Mental Health First Aider) Support Service’ this is being delivered live on Monday 25th July 2022 at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2613770460906844688

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.

Over the last few years we have all been forced to take on the challenges of change and have had to learn to adjust and adapt very quickly.

These sudden and “forced” changes have impacted all aspects of our lives and have caused many of us to feel under immense pressure and in some cases, this has led to stress.

Sudden and unplanned change brings pressure in all manner of ways. It is hard to keep up with what is happening sometimes and this can lead to feeling out of control. Too much of a drain on our emotional and physical wellbeing can cause too much added pressure. In order to manage, we need to feel as if we have some control over what is happening to us.

Too much placed on an individual where there is no room for “let up” can cause feelings and emotions to build until, like a pressure cooker, there is a breaking point. This leads from normal every day pressures to something more and to the point we think “just one more thing and I will explode” Dramatic yes, but we all have an idea of what that may feel like. This is stress, and we need to think about and identify the sources of our stress. There are many factors that affect us –

• Physical Stress
• Environmental Stress
• Emotional Stress
• Key life events
• Chronic Stress

Existing mental health issues can also become a source of stress in themselves, for example, those living with an anxiety disorder and/or depression can be more prone to stress as they try to manage their day-to-day conditions.

Those who are perhaps more vulnerable are more likely to develop mental health issues and illnesses when high stress levels are present.

So, given that, how can we help ourselves? The key is by taking time to examine the factors that cause us to feel “stressed” and consider that this “stress” may actually be pressure, but pressure to the point we struggle to manage.

We need to be able to look for positive ways to change the way we view what is happening to us.

Helpful coping strategies

• Make time for yourself for positive experiences
• Get enough rest
• Talk to someone
• Take exercise and get fresh air
• Keep hydrated
• Remember you are not alone
• Think about how resourceful and adaptable you have had to be during the Pandemic
• Be kind to yourself

All these things appear so simple, but when one feels overwhelmed it is difficult to see a clear way forward. There is one, we just need to believe that.

What might stop you from moving forward? Is it fear or uncertainty? Can you give it a name?

The Pandemic has changed things for us all and, those changes for many have been dramatic. It is okay to ask for help, and, it is okay not to be okay!

Pressure is part of our usual everyday lives. We need to release that pressure to prevent it turning to Stress.

Stress is real and should not be ignored. It can however, be managed.

How can Care first help?

If you feel you may need some emotional or practical support, you can contact Care first on the Freephone number. Care first is a leading provider of confidential, professional counselling, information and advice services. Whilst our BACP accredited Counsellors are available 24/7 to provide support with emotional issues, our expertly trained Information Specialists are available 8am-8pm Monday-Friday to provide advice on any practical issues that may be causing you a stress or worry and help you feel more in control of a situation.

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.

If you would like to view the Webinar on ‘Managing stress & Pressure’ this is being delivered live on Friday 22nd July at 12pm, please use the below link to register for this session –
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6594104807862465807

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.

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 disciplinary.

Care first Lifestyle

Through the Care first lifestyle site you can access a wide range of supportive information, read helpful articles published by our team, view Webinars covering a variety of well-being topics and even speak with a Care first Counsellor in real-time via our online counselling facility.

You can 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 manager 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.

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.

If you would like to learn more about ‘How Care first can support you’ then please join our webinar on Wednesday 20^th July at 12pm using the details below –

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/750165321861977104

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.

We are going through a sustained period of very hot weather and the Met Office has issued its first ever red warning for extreme heat next week. Such high temperatures present a challenge to our health and wellbeing. In addition to sun care awareness, it’s important to know the signs of when the heat or sun exposure can affect someone to the extent that they can become ill and to be aware of what one can do to prevent become overheated in the first place.

OH issues advice on sun exposure every year. We refer people to the advice given by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) and the NHS. BAD offers advice based on an easy to remember SOS theme: Save Our Skin:

• Slip On a Shirt
• Seek Out Shade
• Slap On Sunscreen

Accessing their website below provides additional information on sunscreen, skin advice for skin of colour, sun protection advice for children and babies, a Vitamin D factsheet and sun awareness leaflets.

The NHS also offers comprehensive advice on how to keep yourself safe in the sun; the link to their website is also below.

What can you do you do to stay safe in the heat? The UK Health Security Agency have the following advice:

• stay cool indoors by closing curtains on rooms that face the sun – and remember that it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
• never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals
• check that fridges, freezers and fans are working properly
• try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm, when the UV rays are strongest
• walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a wide-brimmed hat, if you have to go out in the heat
• avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day
• make sure you take water with you if you are travelling

When a person does get too hot, it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is the lower level condition which can progress to heat stroke. Both can occur when a person’s body overheats to the extent that its natural temperature control mechanisms fail to cope. When this happens, the affected person feels unwell, lacking in energy, and is usually dizzy and nauseous. They could develop cramp in their limbs or in their stomach. Signs you can observe for heat/sun stroke are a person having clammy, very sweaty, pale skin, and they often have a faster pulse than normal, sometimes exceeding 100 beats per minute.

Some sectors of the community are more susceptible to developing heat exhaustion/stroke: babies and toddlers; the elderly; people who are physically active through work or exercise; people with chronic, debilitating illnesses.

The NHS advice on immediate treatment for helping someone with heat exhaustion is:

1. Move them to a cool place.
2. Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
3. Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
4. Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.
5. Stay with them until they’re better.

They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

They also give advice on when you should consider reaching out for assistance by ringing 999, either because the situation is the same after 30 minutes or because the person’s symptoms are so debilitating that you suspect heat stroke; follow the NHS link below to read more.

For those of us who are able and where it fits in with the demands of our role, the University has said we currently have the flexibility to work from home if this provides us with a cooler work environment. However, not all members of the University workforce are able to do that. Cleaners and maintenance and grounds staff have to work as usual. They and their managers need to be more aware of the possibility of heat/sun stroke.

‘Heatwave: National emergency declared after UK’s first red extreme heat warning’ on bbc.co.uk

British Association of Dermatologists’ Sun Awareness website

‘How to Stay Safe in the Sun’ on the British Skin Foundation website

‘Staying Safe in Extreme Heat’ by Agostinho Moreira Sousa on ukhsa.blog.gov.uk

Heat Exhaustion and Sun Stroke on NHS website

‘Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke’ by Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE on the patient.info website

‘Signs of Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke’ by CBS Los Angeles on YouTube

‘How to Identify and Treat Heat Stroke’ by BBC Earth Lab on YouTube (very good demonstration of simple First Aid treatments for heat exhaustion)

‘How to Treat Heat Stroke – Signs and Symptom’s by St John’s Ambulance on YouTube

Photo by Ishan @seefromthesky on Unsplash