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What is Mental Health?

Everyone has mental health. Some people have good mental health, others have bad mental health. Some people suffer with chronic mental health conditions whereas others suffer from episodes where their mental health fluctuates. There are various mental health conditions people live with, to name a few:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Psychosis
• Eating disorders
• Obsessive compulsive disorder.

The above are just some of the conditions people may have been diagnosed with but there are many more, and with mental health finally having more attention, more conditions are being discovered. On a more positive note, more therapies and treatments are also being created too. However, there is still a huge stigma surrounding mental health which is why it is so important to continue raising awareness. This is a responsibility all of us have, whether this is as individuals, employers, employees, parents, teachers, or friends.

Mental Health and COVID-19

I’m sure by now we all know what COVID-19 is. Unfortunately, the majority of people have either suffered personally with this virus or know somebody who has. When thinking about COVID-19, the common symptoms of a continuous cough, a high temperature and loss of taste or smell come to mind, but these are just some of the physical effects. COVID-19 has also been a catalyst for mental health conditions worsening or developing.

Yes, mental health has been around long before COVID-19 but with national lockdowns having been implemented it has left many feeling isolated, unable to get support and others developing mental health conditions as a result of COVID.

The Impact:

 As previously mentioned, COVID-19 may have impacted people’s mental health. Here are some examples:

• Anxiety – as a result of the negative media coverage surrounding COVID-19, people may feel more worried to leave the house and come into contact with people in case they catch the coronavirus. Symptoms of anxiety such as panic attacks may worsen due to the lack of support available. Also, the worry that they have COVID-19 may increase too as the symptoms of coronavirus are similar to those of anxiety, e.g. faster heartbeat, faster breathing rate.
• Depression – many people diagnosed with depression find routine helps, but COVID-19 has interrupted this which may make it more difficult for those suffering. COVID has left a lot of people uncertain about their future, increasing their daily stresses, this may have caused their depression to worsen or may have caused others to develop depression. It is easy to feel hopeless during these times too, as it is has had such a great impact on the whole world, it can leave people feeling insignificant. Socially distancing measures can leave people feeling isolated too.
• BPD – COVID has made it difficult to see those outside of your household, this can increase the feelings of abandonment some people who live with BPD experience. Also, paranoia may have increased but it may be more revolved on coronavirus. Urges to self-harm or suicidal feelings may increase or develop as the stresses COVID-19 has caused become overwhelming.
• Psychosis – The stresses and constant media coverage of coronavirus may cause someone who lives with psychosis to start having COVID related delusions or hallucinations. These can be hard to distinguish from reality. Also, if people in your household are not supportive or understanding this can increase stress levels too.
• Eating Disorders – COVID may cause an increase in anxiety or changes in routine which may make a person’s eating disorder worse, especially if food is used as a way of being in control. Additionally, due to coronavirus, worries about food shopping such as “safe” foods being available or contracting COVID may be present.
• OCD – Obsessions and compulsions may increase in severity as stress increases because of COVID-19. Or new obsessions or compulsions may develop about coronavirus. With the government releasing guidance on hand washing this may be a common compulsion to develop/worsen.

How to help:

It is still as important to seek professional help for any mental health concerns than it was before the pandemic began. There are multiple ways to do this such as booking an appointment with your GP or using dedicated call lines where people have had specific training to help in a mental health crisis, for example: Samaritans. It is also important to ensure you have a good support network around you which can be utilised via phone calls/ social media if face-to-face contact with these people is difficult at present due to COVID.

Keeping away from negative media coverage can help decrease levels of anxiety about coronavirus. If it is social media that is increasing anxiety there are settings on the majority of modern phones that allow you to limit the time spent on there.

Establishing a new routine relevant to the restrictions of COVID may help ease any mental health issues. Including a daily walk, mindfulness activities, relaxation techniques and a mood diary in this may be beneficial in keeping you feeling balanced.

If exercise previously helped you feel better but you feel anxious about going back to your gym, try doing a home body weight workout or investing in some at home equipment such as bands/ light weights may be a good alternative. Exercise has been proven to release “feel good” endorphins that decrease stress and increase mood.

How to help as an employer?

Many employers feel the stress of looking after their employee’s wellbeing, whether this being physical or mental. It is a legal requirement to have trained first aiders at work to look after the physical needs of your employees, but this does not provide training for their mental and emotional needs. As a solution, many companies opt to book their employees onto a Mental Health First Aid at Work course. They feel it benefits everyone if people are aware of the signs and symptoms of mental health and feel competent in being able to help.

COVID-19 may have restricted access to certain mental health resources therefore your employees may be unable to get help outside of work. If any positive can come from this awful virus, let it be that your employees feel supported for their mental health whilst at work by investing into a Mental Health at Work course to gain invaluable knowledge. Afterall, on average during their lifetime people spend 3,515 full days at work, making colleagues more likely to pick up on any behaviour changes and be able to intervene right at the start.

Click here to book your course…

The post The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.

We have now been running numerous First Aid at Work, Mental Health at Work, Pediatric First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work courses throughout the UK for a while now, some of the trainers here at Safe Hands Training Services wanted to share some of their favourite things about training so you could get to know us better.

My favourite thing about training:

Meeting new people, I’m a people person so I love the face-to-face training we do, the interaction between people on the courses and how as a group of work colleagues, they involve you in their conversation. All our courses are fun to be apart of, whether it is First Aid at Work, Mental Health First Aid or Pediatric First Aid we find a way to keep it interesting and light. We believe people remember what they have learnt when they remember the fun that they had whilst learning it!

My favourite course to teach:

I love teaching the First Aid at Work course’s because I’m a bit of a ‘how the body works’ geek! The human body is fascinating especially the heart and the brain, this brings me to my other favorite course to teach, Mental Health First Aid. The mind and body work together, we can’t have optimum health and wellbeing without balance of the physical and emotional body. I am all about positive energy and good Mental Health, that is why on my days off from training, you’ll find me either on the yoga mat or outside in my wellies with my dogs and my horse!

My favourite area to train in:

Although I’m an outdoor person, and love to be amongst the trees, and birds, I also love to explore the cities! I love traveling up and down the country, the regional accents changing at every service stop! I have found myself in the capital on several occasions with work and love the diversity of London, I turn into a huge tourist without fail every time I’m there, insisting on seeing the sights before I get back on the road! I’m also a huge fan of ‘up north’ as they say, working regular in Durham, Halifax, Manchester and Wigan … go Wigan Warriors .  Also (my claim to fame), I was lucky enough to sit and have a meal opposite the St Helens Ladies Rugby League team not so long ago, such a dedicated, and talented group of young ladies.

My favourite thing about training:

Having the opportunity to meet so many different people is what I love about this job. It really is great to be able to build a rapport with the people on my courses and listen to their stories. The individuality of everyone is highlighted and I always walk away at the end of the day with a smile on my face. No two courses are the same. I have also learnt something new on every course I have taught, means I’m great to have at pub quiz!

My favourite course to teach:

Although I love teaching the Mental Health First Aid at Works too, as well as Pediatric First Aid at Work, FAW is my favourite. Personally, I am amazed by the human body is, its intricate systems and how it tries to repair itself – I could talk about it all day! I also love hearing about people’s experiences using First Aid at Work and how proud they are to have been able to help another person in their time of need. There is never a course that is not interesting!

My favourite area to train in:

I love teaching courses down London as I love the busy atmosphere there, people always seem to be moving throughout the capital with purpose. I also enjoy being in Manchester as I love the city, especially the northern quarter. Teaching in areas in the West Midlands such as Staffordshire and Birmingham is always lovely too as I’m a bit of a home-body and we do the best chips in the UK!

The post Get To Know Us appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.

• An understanding of resilience, the theories underpinning it, and the positive impact it can have when it’s part of a young person’s daily life.
• Skills needed to put resilience into practice within the young person’s family and school life.
• Skills needed for encouraging Positive self-talk rather than negative.
• Helping the young person with problem solving techniques.
• Developing Emotional literacy within the young person.

The post New Course. Building Resilience in Children… appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.

Ideal for any adult in a young person’s life. This course is aimed to give the adult –

• The knowledge to recognise possible signs of a young person struggling with their mental health.
• The skills needed to listen to the young person without fear they will be judged.
• The confidence to step in, offer help and support the young person in need, whilst guiding them to the appropriate professional help needed.
• The chance to stop issues from developing into a crisis and ultimately save lives.
• An understanding of the most common mental health disorders.

Bookings now being taken for Saturday 5th October at Barons Court Hotel, Walsall Wood, WS9 9AH

please get in touch for further information.

This course will be running monthly. Only twenty spaces per course. Please book early to avoid disappointment.

The post New Course appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.

Britain has one of the lowest numbers of hospital beds in Europe for young people struggling with serious mental health problems, EU-funded research has found.

It is lagging far behind the level of provision in many much poorer countries in eastern Europe, such as Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia, according to a study of care for troubled under-18s across the EU.

Read more here.

The post Child mental health: UK provision ‘worse than in much of eastern Europe’ appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.

More Than Mind

The post More Than Mind appeared first on Safe Hands Training Services.