More results...

Mental Health Awareness Week: Self-Care Support

Mental Health Awareness Week: Self-Care Support

by | May 13, 2024 | Health and Wellbeing

 

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week this week.

In the same way we monitor our physical wellbeing with regular checks (e.g. weight, cholesterol, eye tests etc), we should be equally aware of our mental health.

Did you know that there is a direct correlation between physical and mental health and that movement is important for your mental health?

Mental health affects how we think, feel and act. Self-care and protecting our mental health can help us cultivate resilience, cope with life’s challenges, and enjoy healthier relationships. We can lower stress, increase energy and lower our risk of illness simply by paying attention to our mental wellbeing. Movement can help support and improve our mental health. Additionally, looking after our mental health can prevent more serious health conditions developing later in life and also promotes long-term happiness and fulfilment. Embracing mental health as a lifelong commitment empowers us to lead richer and more meaningful lives.

This article explains the indicators and warning signs of possible mental illness and takes an in-depth look at the ways you can support your own mental health and includes the benefits of movement, sleep and many other factors.

If you’d like more resources or support in promoting the benefits of mental health awareness to your employees, take a look at our Mental Health Awareness online training course. Developed with mental health specialists, it delivers all the information you need to support and care for mental health, both at work and at home and it is packed full of hints, tips, strategies and practical solutions that focus on improving and maintaining good mental health and building resilience.

 

Indicators and Warning Signs of Possible Mental Illness

All humans are different. The way we each experience life, the way we handle challenges and our thoughts, moods and behaviours are all influenced by multiple factors (some genetic, some to do with individual life experiences). While it’s important not to generalise or diagnose ourselves or others, there are some important changes to look out for that could indicate possible mental illness. These span across every aspect of day to day life and include behavioural changes, emotional changes, bodily changes and psychological changes. Before we can fully explore the different ways to prioritise self-care and support and improve our health, let’s take a look at some of the changes you may notice in yourself or those around you that could be early indicators of mental illness.

 

Behavioural Changes

Behavioural changes that may indicate possible mental illness include (but are not limited to):

  • Snapping and sniping more than usual without reasons why
  • Being tearful or angry
  • Hyper-vigilance
  • Avoidance
  • Reduced engagement and enjoyment of activities
  • Withdrawing from physical contact and affection
  • Unhealthy lifestyle habits
  • Neglecting physical appearance

There are many other reasons why someone may experience some or all of these behavioural changes but they can often be an indicator of mental illness when accompanied by some or all of the following emotional changes.

Emotional Changes

  • Feeling more frequently irritated
  • Feeling fearful or agitated
  • Feeling demoralised and unmotivated
  • Feeling exhausted with or without sleep
  • Feeling emotionally numb

We can also experience emotional changes for many other reasons including perimenopause and menopause, bereavement, stress at work or from the effects of drugs or alcohol. It’s important to speak to a Doctor if you’re regularly experiencing emotional changes without suspecting the underlying cause.

Changes in your Body

Mental health is inherently linked with physical health and although this list is by no means exhaustive, some changes to be aware of can include:

  • Muscle tension
  • Increased breathing rate (hyperventilating)
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Unexplained physical aches and pains
  • Unpleasant feeling in your chest or stomach that won’t go away
  • Perspiration
  • Digestive changes
  • Sleep difficulties – can’t get to sleep / sudden waking
  • Lack of libido
  • New medical conditions – e.g. skin problems, unexplained hair loss etc

(Please seek medical advice if any of these changes are concerning you and always dial 999 if you’re experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing.)

Psychological Changes

Some changes may include:

  • An increased focus on the negative and irrational
  • Increased worry
  • Physical hypervigilance (disproportionate awareness of a potential threat) and obsessive thought patterns e.g. fixating on body temperature, heart rate and any physical symptoms.
  • External hypervigilance and catastrophising (expecting the worst possible outcome)

As with the other possible symptoms of mental illness, these changes can also be experienced for many other reasons. Always contact your GP or a Mental Health professional (see Resources) if you’re worried about yourself or someone you know.

 

Looking After our Mental Health – How to Self-Care

Just as we can exercise, sleep, and eat well to maintain and improve our physical health and wellbeing, there are things we can do to help our mental health too.

Body

There are lots of steps we can take to look after our which will also help to protect our mental health.

Exercise

Physical movement is great for your mind as well as your body and there is a well-established link between exercise and good mental health. Exercise reduces the levels of the body’s stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and stimulates the production of natural ‘feel good’ endorphins in the brain. Movement can help us sleep better, reduce anxiety and also increase self-esteem. Longer term, movement can help reduce depression and anxiety as well as reducing your risk of longer term cognitive decline such as dementia.

Even moderate exercise such as a daily 30-minute walk can have a positive impact on your physical health and wellbeing. And if you’re short on time, even a 10 minute burst of exercise has been shown to increase mental alertness, positive mood and energy levels.

And if you can’t get outside for any reason how about trying a walking workout from YouTube or putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room. For people with reduced mobility there are numerous chair-based exercises available online and even your children and teens can join in with dance-based video games!

The beauty of physical movement is that is available to everyone. The right amount of exercise will vary by age and ability, and it should be something you enjoy doing.

The Mental Health Foundation has put together some information on getting started with movement and has some great hints and tips and points to consider before starting. They report that moving your body can promote the following positive outcomes which can all boost mental health:

  • less tension, stress, and mental fatigue
  • a natural energy boost
  • a sense of achievement
  • more focus and motivation
  • feeling less angry or frustrated
  • having fun
  • an opportunity to connect with others

 

The next (and often the most overlooked) way of self-caring is to practice good sleep hygiene.

Sleep

Good sleep is an important aspect of mental health and leads to increased energy, better memory, sharper concentration and allows you to manage stress better.

Try to maintain a good sleeping and waking pattern and make your bedroom sleep friendly. Experts recommend a temperature of around 18 degrees and a dark room if possible as this encourages the brain to associate the bedroom with sleep.

Spending time outside regulates your circadian rhythm, helping your body to produce more melatonin which also aids sleep.

Try to wind down towards bedtime – avoid caffeine and screen time before bed and maybe take a warm bath or do some gentle stretching. Preparing the body and brain for bedtime can help with better quality and quantity of sleep.

 

Nutrients, vitamins, and minerals

Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and gut-friendly nutrients is associated with feelings of well-being. The food you eat fuels your body and a healthy body can help maintain a healthy mind. There are lots of resources online to support healthy eating, the NHS Eatwell Guide is a great place to start.

 

Mind

Increased or persistent worry can be both a symptom and a cause of mental health issues. Here are some tips to help you manage worry:

Stay in the present

Learning to focus your attention on the present can be helpful. We often spend a lot of time thinking about actions we’ve taken and often wishing we had done things differently. We can also spend time fretting or worrying about the future. A key skill in maintaining your mental health is to remain in the present moment, this is one of the underpinning principles of mindfulness.

Write it down

Keeping a diary or journal and writing things down is often seen to be of benefit to support mental health. Writing about what is happening and how you are feeling can help you to gain a sense of perspective. Sometimes people like to pretend to write a letter to someone that they don’t intend to send, whatever works for you, give it a try!

Mentor modelling

Think about what your hero would do! When you are anxious or worried, think about someone you admire. What would they feel, think, and do in this situation?

Assume nothing

Nobody is a mind reader. When you think you know what someone is thinking, try to remember this fact. It’s helpful to remember that what other people think of you is up to them and that the only person whose opinion really matters is your own.

Acceptance

Sometimes life will bring problems and difficulties. Accepting that this is the way of the world and that not everything is under our control can sometimes be helpful. An often-used phrase is ‘it is what it is’, and although it might not feel as easy as just dismissing worries, reducing the impact they have can be helpful. Limit the time you spend worrying, maybe just allow yourself a certain amount of time each day to think about your worry and then leave it behind.

Look at past events

Consider how things turned out with similar events in the past – what can you learn from this? If previous events went well what’s particularly worrying you on this occasion? What would you do differently? Remembering the bad times you’ve successfully got through can help you find the strength of spirit to tackle your current worries.

Monitor your self-talk

Using positive self-talk can create a supportive internal environment, challenging negative or overwhelming thoughts can help you to gain a sense of perspective and come to more positive conclusions.

Spirit

Mindfulness and relaxation

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques such as meditation, breathwork and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings, so that instead of becoming overwhelmed by them, we’re better able to manage them.

While research is still growing around mindfulness, evidence has suggested it has many benefits to health and wellbeing, and may also help your relationships with others as well as in the management of mental health issues such as stress, depression, and anxiety.

Breathwork

Deep breathing is one of the best ways of lowering stress in the body. There are several different breathing techniques that you can try. One example is square breathing:

Square breathing is a powerful stress reliever and involves taking slow, deep breaths. Do this exercise while seated and breathe deeply into the diaphragm.

The technique is as follows:

  1. Begin by slowly exhaling all of your air out
  2. Then, gently inhale through your nose to a count of three
  3. Hold at the top of the breath for a count of three
  4. Then gently exhale though your mouth for a count of three
  5. At the bottom of the breath, pause and hold for the count of three

As you improve, you can extend the timings to four seconds, then 5 seconds etc. Picture each line of an imaginary square being drawn in your mind as you inhale and count and then exhale and count.

Support network

 They say ‘no man is an island’ and this is very true about human beings who tend to be social creatures, benefiting from support and advice from those around them. Studies have shown that those who are isolated or feel lonely are at greater risk of experiencing mental health problems. Building a support network of different people who can provide both practical and emotional support during difficult times is an important element of wellbeing. In fact, psychologists often refer to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which lists a sense of belonging in the five-tier model of human needs. This emphasises just how important it is.

Your support network can consist of family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and acquaintances, support groups, social media groups and your local community. Different people can offer different types of support so the more people you have in your network, the more opportunities you have for friendship and feeling a sense of belonging.

Talking therapies

Talking therapy i(also referred to as counselling or psychological therapy) s for anyone who’s having a difficult time or has emotional problems they need help with. According to the NHS, ‘for many adults talking therapy can be as effective as medicine’. Sometimes it can be easier to talk to a stranger than to your friends or family and they will listen without judgement and give you the time and space you need to talk. To find out more about the different types of talking therapy and how it could benefit you, take a look at the NHS Website or the Counselling Directory.

 Work/life balance

For many people, the distinction between work and home has become blurred over recent years. More people now work from home or in a hybrid role and technological advances can mean we are more ‘available’ to customers both in and out of the office. Although this can have its advantages, it can also make it difficult to fully switch off and maintain the right balance between working to live and living to work.

 

Tips for Maintaining a Work/Life Balance:

Set manageable goals – prioritise essential tasks, write a ‘to do’ list, take care of important tasks and eliminate unessential ones.

Be efficient with your time – make sure that when you are working, you’re being productive and avoid procrastinating.

Ask for flexibility if you need it – research shows that employees who work flexible schedules that allow them to balance all areas of their life are more productive and loyal to their employers.

Take regular breaks – Small breaks at work – or on any project – will help you to clear your head, stop you feeling overwhelmed and therefore improve your ability to deal with stress and make good balanced decisions.

Communicate – be honest with colleagues or your boss. If you feel ‘stuck’, overwhelmed, or unable to cope, get help. Clarity, direction, and support will help you to manage and complete tasks which in turn will give you a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Be kind to yourself – allow yourself to be human and just do the best you can

End your working day on time – wherever possible, end your working day at the end of the working day! Allow yourself time to switch off and step away.

 

 

If you’re working at home or in hybrid role:

Unplug your devices – recognise the need for personal time outside of your working hours, make sure you have some time every day where your work devices are turned off and you can focus on your home life.

Don’t over commit – you cannot be all things to everyone, all the time. If you’re over-scheduled with activities, learn to say ‘no’.

Be supported – contact with friends and family can be important to your wellbeing and can even improve your health.

Stay active – regular exercise can reduce stress, depression and anxiety and enable you to better cope with adversity.

Look after your health – being in good physical shape can increase your tolerance to stress and improve your immune system. Eat well, exercise and make sure you get enough rest.

Prioritise your own wellbeing – allow yourself some ‘me time’. We all have busy lives and work, family and home commitments can soon overwhelm us. Make sure you allow yourself some time to prioritise your own wellbeing.

 

Links and Resources

For training courses that can benefit individuals and workplace teams, take a look at Mental Health Awareness Online Training, Stress Awareness Training or our range of other Health and Wellbeing courses including our popular Menopause Awareness Training. If you think you need a more bespoke solution, tailored specifically to your team, we’re experts in this too. You can also try any of our courses for free just by getting in touch at either hello@real-sense.com or talking to us directly on 01332 208500.

For more information about prioritising self-care and supporting mental health, or if you need additional advice and support, the following resources can help.

NHS Mental Health Services

Samaritans

Mind

Counselling Directory

Calm

For training courses that can benefit individuals and workplace teams, take a look at Mental Health Awareness Online Training, Stress Awareness Training or our range of other Health and Wellbeing courses including our popular Menopause Awareness Training.

 

Supporting your Wellbeing this Christmas

Supporting your Wellbeing this Christmas

by | Dec 19, 2023 | Health and Wellbeing, News

Have you taken a minute to stop and consider your wellbeing this Christmas?

For many people, ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ can actually feel like the exact opposite. With lots of extra tasks to do, increased social commitments, and obligations to buy and send cards and presents, many people can often feel exhausted by the time December 25th actually arrives. In fact, according to the Mental Health Foundation, “Christmas can be a joyful time of year for some people, through connecting to people they love and joining in with celebrations. And it can be a hard time of year for others, through feelings of obligation and over-commitment to social plans, disruption in routine or an increase in feelings of loneliness and isolation”.

With this in mind, we’ve put together some simple tips that can help you feel more in control, reduce stress levels, and help you take care of your mental health over the next few weeks.

Tips for Coping During the Festive Season

Plan Ahead

Writing a ‘to do’ list helps many people to cope because it helps you to plan your time more efficiently. There’s a lot of expectation at this time of year for things to be ‘perfect’, and many people find Christmas incredibly stressful with not enough time to get everything done. We can find ourselves juggling numerous tasks on top of an already busy work, home, and social calendar. Evaluate the essential tasks, prioritise the things that really need doing, delegate jobs where possible, and give yourself permission to say no to the rest and cross them off the list. Most importantly, make sure your planning allows time for you to relax, rest and enjoy the season.

Remember that it’s not worth sacrificing your mental health in the pursuit of perfection.

Prioritise your own self-care by putting time aside for a hot bath, a nice walk, some exercise, or to watch your favourite movie. Do whatever you can that you enjoy that helps you feel relaxed and content, remember this is your Christmas too.

 

Set Boundaries

For many people, Christmas can be a time when difficult relationships are revisited and old tensions can resurface. As well as worrying about preparing and providing food and buying the best gifts, it can be a challenging time for people who have strained relationships with their wider family, those who suffer anxiety, or people with financial worries.

Put a baseline in place that feels comfortable for you – whether that’s setting a budget to spend on presents or letting colleagues know that you won’t be sending Christmas cards this year. Anything that you can do to manage people’s expectations and avoid confusion is beneficial to reducing your stress levels. Keep the lines of communication open with the people you do (and don’t!) want to spend the holidays with,

Think in advance about how you might handle difficult conversations and practice how to ask someone to change the subject if there’s a topic you don’t feel comfortable with. Why not think about some answers you could give if there are questions you know might be asked that make you feel uncomfortable?

Give some thought to potential easy group activities that everyone can get involved in. This will help to reduce tension and provide a distraction from any controversial topics. And remember that it’s OK to let people know if you’re struggling and need help, whether that’s physically or emotionally. And it’s perfectly alright to say ‘No’.

 

Make Time For Fresh Air and Exercise

Exercise can help combat stress by releasing endorphins (the body’s feel good hormone). Regularly exercising over the festive period can help improve your mental health and ensure you’re less stressed and more able to cope with pressures and demands.

Find an activity you enjoy doing – walking the dog, raking leaves in the garden, a family walk in a frosty forest, anything that gets you up and off the sofa and outside – even half an hour of fresh air and exercise is really beneficial.

And don’t let the weather be a barrier to exercise, there are plenty of free online workout videos available for every ability level – or why not get the whole family playing Twister? If you fancy yourself as a mover, you could even learn a dance routine or have a go at a music and dance game on the kid’s consoles!

 

Working from Home at Christmastime

For a number of our customers, working from home is now a permanent fixture of their lives and it works well. For many, hybrid working between home and the office is also a normal feature of their working lives. Juggling multiple tasks, in different locations, whilst commuting during bad weather can quickly become overwhelming. We developed our Homeworking Online Training to support employees working from home and to help employers maintain their duty of care to all staff.

The following hints and tips are aimed more specifically at supporting home or hybrid workers, although all of them are beneficial for anyone, wherever you may be working at this time of year:

Stay in Touch

Keeping in touch with the rest of your team, whether that’s by email, phone or video call is really important. By nature, we are social creatures and home working can feel especially isolating at this time of year. Why not suggest a team Christmas quiz or drinks on video call if you can’t all get together, or even meet a local colleague face to face if you can. Wrap up warm and go for a walk in the fresh air with a hot drink and have a catch up.

Keep in touch with friends and family too, but on your terms. Decide what works for you and make contact, whether that’s by phone, text, or a face to face Christmas meal or get together.

Make sure you speak to someone outside your home at least once per day. Talking to other people can help support your mood and wellbeing, and the old saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ is well worth remembering.

Take Yourself for a Walk

If you can’t meet someone for a walk, what’s stopping you from getting out there by yourself and having a quick walk around the block before work or during your lunch break? (Apart from the great British weather – although that’s what umbrellas and waterproofs are for). This tip is personally advocated by me. As a homeworker, I make time for a walk around the block before I start work whatever the weather. It’s become a highlight of my day as I cross paths with dog walkers and people walking to their place of work and as regular morning walkers we all now greet each other with a smile and cheery ‘Good Morning!’

You can also use the time mindfully to notice your surroundings and focus on your breathing, or listen to a funny podcast or some uplifting music while you walk. Even 20 minutes per day can make a big difference, with a brisk walk proven to reduce stress and increase concentration levels.

Keep Home and Work Separate

The boundaries between home and work have become very blurred over the last couple of years, with research by Aviva finding that more than 50% of home workers struggle to switch off from work or keep their home life separate from work. ‘Finishing work’ for the day has become a grey area and home and work life can quickly merge into one.

Building boundaries is an important behavioural aspect of mental health self-care. Some people set an alarm to signify the end of the working day and then ‘closing the door’ on the home office once you finish work. And if like many people, your work space is in your dining room or bedroom, even the act of putting a blanket over your desk at the end of the day can help signal the transition to your brain and help you to switch off from work. Making sure you maintain work-free zones throughout your home during the festive season helps you switch off and unwind from the daily grind.

Consider a Digital Detox

After work, disconnect from your devices and enjoy a screen-free home environment. Consider dedicating specific evenings or weekends to step away from digital distractions, fostering connections with yourself and those around you. During holiday times such as Christmas, resist the pressure to stay constantly connected on social media. Instead, allocate time for screen-free activities with family, such as playing games, baking, or enjoying a quiz. If you prefer solitude, use a digital detox to read a book or take time to indulge in some self-care

 

 

The Benefits of a Digital Detox

1.Reduces stress.

2. Allows for a more positive perspective on life without the constant bombardment of social media.

3. Better sleep – anxiety, insomnia and increased stress have all been linked to scrolling social media in bed at night. The blue light emitted by devices can also affect serotonin levels and disrupt your sleep pattern.

4. Helps you avoid comparing your life to other people’s. Constantly checking your phone to make sure you haven’t missed a text, email, or notification can increase stress levels (and waste a lot of time!). Checking your social media newsfeed and constantly seeing pictures of other people having ‘the best Christmas ever’ can create anxiety, lower self esteem, and distract us from focusing on the present moment. Knowing your device is off and you’re not contactable by the outside world can bring peace of mind and a feeling of calm. Allowing yourself to be more mindful and enjoy the present moment is incredibly beneficial for mental wellbeing.

Don’t Forget to Treat Yourself

You don’t have to spend a fortune, in fact there’s plenty you can do for free – run a deep bubble bath, make your favourite meal, put your feet up in front of the TV – do whatever makes you feel good. Taking time out for ourselves is proven to reduce stress and anxiety, increase self esteem, protect mental health and lead to better relationships in the long run.Constantly focusing on giving and doing can leave us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. So don’t hesitate to be a bit selfish so you can care for your own physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

 

Further Help and Resources

If you need more in depth help and support, remember that the following organisations are available over the Christmas period and beyond, should you need them.

Mind (0300 123 3393)

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247)

NHS (111 for general advice or 999 in an emergency)

Samaritans (116123)

The Trussell Trust (01722 580180)

 

If you feel that your organisation could benefit from help and support with wellbeing training, contact us on 01332 208500. We’ve got online training covering everything from Domestic Abuse to Menopause, Mental Health First Aid to Drug and Alcohol Awareness . As well as being experts in bespoke wellbeing elearning, we’ve also got lots of courses aimed at helping you to understand and prevent Stress.

 

Why does your organisation need a Mental Health First Aider?

Why does your organisation need a Mental Health First Aider?

by | Dec 4, 2023 | Health and Wellbeing

What is Mental Health First Aid?

1 in 4 people in UK experience mental illness each year. The Office for National Statistics report that 15.8 million UK work days were lost due to mental illness in 2016, and this number is thought to have increased drastically since the Covid-19 Pandemic. In fact, mental health charity Mind have found that ‘poor mental health is now the number 1 reason we miss work’.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), “workplaces should consider appropriate ways to manage mental ill health such as providing information or training for managers and employees, employing occupational health professionals, appointing mental health trained first aiders, and implementing employee support programmes”.

Mental health first aid is the help you give to an individual who may be developing a mental health problem or experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or condition. This first aid can be given until the person has been given access to, or received the appropriate professional treatment or support.

Mental Health First Aider

What is the Purpose of a Workplace Mental Health First Aider?

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require you to ‘provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities and people so your employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken ill at work’ and most workplaces will have one or more First Aiders (depending on the amount of employees they have and other risk factors).  However, there is currently no legal requirement for an organisation to have a Mental Health First Aider – although many organisations are starting to realise the importance of supporting mental health alongside supporting physical health.

Mental Health First Aiders usually undertake the role alongside their current role in the workplace. They can be members of staff, managers, or HR representatives and they are the first point of contact for any employees or staff members who may be struggling with their mental health. This could include (but is not limited to) those experiencing stress, bereavement, anxiety or depression. Often an employee might approach a Mental Health First Aider because they’re having a tough time and just need someone to talk to. Through undertaking training, a Mental Health First Aider is taught how to listen without judgement and to be able to identify the warning signs of mental ill health. Their training will also ensure that they are able to support mental health emergency situations – although they are not a replacement or substitute for a trained therapist or counsellor.

A Mental Health First Aider can direct employees in the direction of appropriate support options such as their GP, the Samaritans, or other mental health charities or therapists either via the NHs or privately. Some workplaces offer Employee Assistance Programmes which provide a limited number of free therapy sessions and a Mental Health First Aider can help support an employee to arrange this.

Mental Health First Aiders are:

  • Able to act in a confidential manner
  • Someone who can remain calm under pressure
  • Individuals who want to learn more about mental health and support others
  • Good communicators who can open and support mental health conversations
  • Able to self-care and protect their own mental health whilst caring for the mental health of others

Mental Health First Aid Training in the Workplace

Many organisations now provide Mental Health Awareness Training to their employees either as a part of their induction, or during their ongoing employment training. This can help employees understand the different factors that can affect mental health and let them obtain the knowledge and support they need for dealing with mental health issues should they arise.

Some organisations also provide First Aid Training courses that also cover mental health and teach people how to recognise and deal with warning signs of mental ill health as well as physical health.

Mental Health First Aid Training takes that next step by specifically teaching individuals how to notice and support others who may be experiencing mental health issues, and helps them to develop the skills and confidence to approach and support someone without putting themselves at risk. Mental Health First Aiders are also often taught to deal with more serious mental health emergencies such as a mental health breakdown or attempted suicide. Many organisations now appoint a staff member to undertake this role in the same way in which they may have a First Aider to deal with injury and illness.

The aims of Mental Health First Aid Training are:

  • To develop a greater understanding of workplace mental health and be able to work towards reducing stigma
  • To help you understand the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees in achieving better mental health in the workplace
  • To highlight the issue of stress in the workplace
  • To give you an increased confidence around mental health issues
  • To demonstrate the importance of early intervention
  • To help you be able to develop and understand a wellness strategy in the workplace

If you’d like to find out more about Mental Health First Aid Training or the other training courses available to support employee mental health then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. RealSense work in collaboration with industry experts to ensure our training is accredited, relevant, engaging and informative. We can also provide bespoke training tailored exactly for the needs of you and your workforce alongside our off-the-shelf course library of over 120 training courses.