Mental wellbeing

Mental wellbeing is how we think and feel about ourselves and others, and how well we are able to cope with life: our resilience.

To achieve and maintain mental wellbeing we need to believe in ourselves and maintain our dignity and self worth. This can be through some sort of meaningful activity or purpose, either through paid employment or voluntary work.

It is also important to connect with others to maintain positive relationships and to receive respect from those around us.

Physical activity and health are important factors to maintain a good balance. Endorphins are released during exercise, they make us feel upbeat and improve our mood.

Did you know that mental health issues including stress, anxiety and depression are the reason for one in five visits to GPs?

In 2010/11 around 10.8 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to stress.

Overall, depression occurs in one out of 10 adults in Britain at any one time, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Find out more about the following mental health issues:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Other mental health conditions
• Severe distress

Stress

Pressure is part of everyday life, and can be a positive motivator for us to achieve, however when pressure becomes excessive or continues for a long period it can turn to stress.

‘A state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances’ – Oxford English Dictionary.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines stress as ‘The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands placed on them at work.’

One in four people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. (Source: Mind)

Signs and symptoms of stress are defined by four categories

• Physical signs
• Mental signs
• Emotional signs
• Behavioural signs

Managers should be familiar with the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards for Stress as described at www.hse.gov.uk/stress/standards/index.htm. The standards will assist in checking whether a poor working design has the potential to contribute to stress related illness.

More information on dealing with personal stress is available at www.hse.gov.uk/stress/mystress.htm.

Anxiety

It is normal to feel anxious occasionally as a response to stressful situations or uncertainty. We must seek help, however, if anxiety begins to impair how we function in our everyday lives or we experience any physical symptoms.

Anxiety can take the form of phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks and generalised anxiety. It may be useful to seek assistance from the University’s Occupational Health Service in the first instance, who may recommend referral onto your GP if appropriate

Depression

Depression in simple terms means low mood but there is a scale which ranges from low spirits to a severe issue which interferes with normal everyday life.

Depression is relatively common and can be treated quickly, often without recurrence. It can become a significant problem if the feelings don’t disappear after a few weeks of if they return again and again. It is important to seek help if this is the case.

University of Portsmouth Occupational Health Physician advice

Dr Deborah Kerr, one of the University’s Occupational Health physicians, recommends the following actions to improve your mood:

Reduce the following:

• caffeine (stimulant)
• nicotine (stimulant)
• alcohol (depressant) – see www.nhs.uk/Livewell/alcohol/Pages/Effectsofalcohol.aspx

Increase the following:

• regular meals (low sugar preferably)
• relaxation (warm bath, yoga, deep breathing, hobbies, music)
• exercise (serotonin releasing)
• sleep hygiene
• problem solving/sharing (stress diary)
• positive thoughts (NHS Counselling, CCBT, EAP)

This downloadable document by Dr Deborah Kerr, Occupational Health Physician, gives further information on stress busting techniques

Other mental health conditions

For more information about other mental health conditions such as psychoses, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and so on, visit the Mind website at www.mind.org.uk/help.

Severe distress

In very severe bouts of mental distress, a person may feel that they cannot carry on. In this case it can be hard for the person to understand that they are not alone and that there is someone for them to talk through who will listen and understand.

The University Chaplaincy operates an out of hours, on-call service for staff or students in times of major distress. To contact them for support, please phone the Security Lodge on 023 9284 3418.

Other sources of help and support

The Samaritans are a charity that offers independent advice and guidance for those struggling or who know someone that is struggling. They are available 24 hours a day. You can contact them on 08457 90 90 90 or visit www.samaritans.org.

If you or someone you know has thoughts about suicide, please read the Royal College of Psychiatrists comprehensive information at www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/feelingontheedge.aspx.

Self-management and referral

Members of staff and Line Managers should refer to the Occupational Health Service where it appears that health is being affected by stress or other mental health conditions, whether or not work related.

Referral should also be made where health is impacting on an individual’s ability to do their job. This can be either formal management referral or self-referral as described at www.port.ac.uk/departments/services/humanresources/occupationalhealthservice/referral/

Contact Occupational Health Service by phone on ext. 3187 or email occupationalhealth@port.ac.uk.

More information

• Management Referral leaflet for staff who have been referred to the Occupational Health Service (download).
• Management Referral form (download).

Resilience

‘Resilience is the ability to bounce back from tough times, or even to triumph in the face of adversity; to display tenacity but not at the expense of reason. Resilient people know that they will sometimes experience failure – but they see it not as something to dwell on, but as an opportunity to move forward, accepting that failure is a part of life. Inextricably linked with accepting responsibility resilience is about not reacting too emotionally, but keeping your head.’ Nicholson McBride.

The five key elements of resilience

• optimism
• solution orientation
• individual accountability
• openness and flexibility
• managing Stress and anxiety

Download a short questionnaire and a report exploring personal resilience (Nicholson McBride's Resilience Quotient Questionnaire) at https://www.testyourrq.com.

To explore your resilience in relation to work, visit www.robertsoncooper.com.

‘Resilient individuals are able to sustain successful performance and positive wellbeing in the face of adverse conditions, and to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.’ Robertson Cooper

Building resilience

The Magnificent Seven or ways to balance the stresses over which you have no control:

• increase the amount of enjoyment in your life
• change an aspect of your routine which is becoming part of your stress
• define your ‘corridor’ which separates work from home
• exercise
• do something kind every day
• avoid thinking of the past as a ‘golden era’
• avoid the short-term fixes

‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’ Nelson Mandela.

‘Stress the Positive’ event for University staff

Stress the Positive is a monthly workshop run by Occupational Health Service nurses and open to staff looking to explore personal wellbeing and reduce stress in their lives. The workshop includes group discussion and practical activities plus a relaxation session using breathing techniques.

However much you may feel that stress has become feature in your life, there are ways to build your personal resilience and deal with negative stress positively.

Stress the Positive aims to improve participants' understanding of stress - common causes and symptoms - as well as how they personally react to it. It is based upon recognition of how undue stress in our personal and working lives impacts on how we feel and how our health can be affected.

Stress the Positive will explore some behaviours such as poor lifestyle and sleep hygiene which may contribute to our feelings of stress. It looks at the role of counseling and other sources of help and support as well as finding realistic coping strategies.

A relaxation session using breathing techniques concludes the workshop.

What participants said about their reasons to attend Stress the Positive

• To find the strength to use my voice and not be drowned out by others.
• As I have little control over life, how can I cope with daily ups and downs without cracking up?
• Perspective.
• To recognise stress in self and others.

What participants said about the changes they made after attending Stress the Positive

• I’m working on making sure work does not get the better of me and being more assertive with my manager.
• I have attempted to not let things bother me as much, a key thing I learnt was you can’t change other people, you need to learn to manage the feeling and reaction you get from that person and channel the outcome differently.
• Being more aware of how my actions are taken as well as being more mindful to others.
• Trying to think more positively about myself, in both work and home. To actively build more self-confidence in myself.

What participants said about Stress the Positive

• A very engaging day, lots of variety in terms of presentations with good opportunities to work with others. In some ways I thought this might be quite daunting, but it felt like a totally safe environment for discussion.
• Very good session. Use of short, sharp sessions kept people interested. I will be recommending in PDRs that my team attend this session.
• The quality, quantity and usefulness of the supporting material provided was very, very good.
• An excellent session that I have already recommended to a number of people, irrespective of whether you feel you have an immediate need. It has raised awareness of issues that could

Booking

For more information about Stress the Positive, dates, and how to book a place go to www.port.ac.uk/departments/services/humanresources/occupationalhealthservice/stress%20the%20positive/title,151076,en.html.

Other sources of information

Download the University’s Management and Staff Development Top tips for personal resilience

Goal setting

One of the key elements of mental wellbeing is to have meaning and purpose within our lives.

One way to achieve this in a work capacity is to know and act on the many opportunities available to us as members of staff of the University. It is important to feel fulfilled in our work.

The following links may give you some ideas about areas open to staff:

• Management and staff development opportunities
• Personal Development Review (PDR) information
• Continuing Professional Development information
• Support for leaders and managers
• University vacancies

University Chaplaincy

The University Chaplains are on hand to offer confidential support, information and advice to staff and students of all faiths and none, and to explore with them issues that relate to values, meaning and purpose in Higher Education.

To find out more about the work of the University Chaplaincy and if they could help you, please visit www.port.ac.uk/departments/studentsupport/chaplaincy.

The Chaplaincy Suite at Nuffield Centre can be used for events or simply as a space for quiet time or reflection. The Chaplains will always be happy to see you. The suite is open on weekdays 9.00am-5.00pm (4.00pm on Fridays).

Meditation information

‘The secret is this: to grow quiet and listen.’ Alan McGlashan. As University members of staff we live and work within a very energetic, demanding academic setting where there is human striving for knowledge, skills, qualifications and results.

On the good days there may be a sense of achievement, pride and wonder; on difficult days there may be a sense of fatigue, frustration and stress.

How do we achieve a balance between the highs and the lows? How do we stay grounded within ourselves and connected to what is really life-giving and meaningful?

As a Chaplaincy team we hope to offer within the next year a Quiet Day(s) for staff. It seems that more and more people are valuing silence as a way to lay down the daily stresses, catch up with themselves and connect with their inner life.

We also hope to offer some sessions of morning meditation here in the Centre. We would be delighted to see or hear from you!

(Source: Chaplaincy Newsletter (September 2011)

Sleep

Sleep is one of the ways that our body refuels ready for the next day. It is important to relax, unwind, rest and benefit from good quality sleep.

Download the Mental Health Foundation - pocket guide, a comprehensive booklet on the factors which affect sleep, the benefits of it and top tips on how to sleep better.

Self help information

• Online wellbeing self-assessment by NHS Choices. This resources focuses on the five areas which impact upon our wellbeing; physical activity, connecting with others, learning, awareness and giving to others. Complete the self-assessment to find out which areas of your life could do with some work at ww.nhs.uk/LiveWell/mental-wellbeing/Pages/mental-wellbeing.aspx.
• Mind the Gap – Mindfulness Training: http://hampshirepsychologist.co.uk.
• Living Life to the Full - dealing with low self-esteem: www.llttf.com.
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Skills and to prevent and cope with depression: http://moodgym.anu.edu.au.

Recommended reading

• How to Have a Brilliant Life by Michael Heppell, ISBN 978-0-273-76122-8. You can preview the content of the book online at Amazon

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

University staff can access an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by Right Management.

• RightManagement stress and pressure (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement personal resilience (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement sleep (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement work-life balance (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement personal relationships/feelings (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement diet and nutrition (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement weight management (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement physical activity (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement money and debt (Use username UPuser)
• RightManagement change (Use username UPuser)

For more information go to Employee Assistance Programme.

More sources of guidance and advice

• Directgov - Workplace Stress
• www.mind.org.uk
• www.solentmind.org.uk
• www.time-to-change.org.uk
• www.mentalhealth.org.uk
• www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth/Pages/Mentalhealthhome.aspx
• www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/mental-wellbeing/Pages/mental-wellbeing.aspx
• NICE - Promoting Mental Wellbeing at Work
• The Royal College of Psychiatrists - Work and Mental Health
• University of Portsmouth - Management and staff development top tips
• ACAS - Promoting Positive Mental Health in the workplace