Emotional Health and Wellbeing

North East Community Solutions CIC (NECS CIC) is a social enterprise, which came to being in April 2011. Company registered in England and Wales, registration number: 7601003.

We work to improve the wellbeing of people in the North East of England.

We do it through a range of targeted approaches.

We deliver services, implement projects and organise events.

Our approach is to work with the local community to utilise its assets and address the causes to meet the needs.

In this newsletter we will provide you information and

tips about emotional health and wellbeing.

April 2015

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

5 actions to improve

your wellbeing......... 2

How to feel happier.3

Money and wellbeing

................................. 4

50 ways to feel good

about yourself ......... 6

Relaxation

Techniques .............. 8

Crossword ............... 9

5 actions of your everyday life to improve your weelbeing.

A physical activity is very important for your wellbeing, only 30minutes a day can

improve your health, and your mind. It has been proved that 30 minutes of a moderate

physical activity can reduce the risk of certain cancers, make you more flexible, improves

your cardiovascular fitness and moreGo for a walk or run, step outside, cycle, play a

game, garden or dance - exercising makes you feel good.

TALK

BE ACTIVE

Evidence shows that good relationships –

with family, friends and the wider

community – are important for mental

wellbeing. Building stronger, broader social

connections in your life can increase your

feelings of happiness and self-worth. Talk to

the people around you, at home, work or

school. Keep connected with your friends,

family and colleague will support and

enrich you everyday. Have a chat with a

stranger can also be a good experience.

There are many ways to build stronger and

closer relationships:

Make time each day to spend with

your family. This might include “family

time” that is fixed each day, or time that

you find around other commitments.

Arrange a day out with friends you

haven't seen for a while.

Switch off the TV tonight and play a

game with the children, or just talk.

Speak to someone new today.

Have lunch with a colleague.

Visit a friend or family member who

needs support or company.

DID YOU KNOW?

One in four of us will have a

mental health problem at

some point in our lives and

last year alone nearly 40

m i l l io n a n t i de p r es s a n t

prescriptions were issued in

the UK.

The term, 'mental health

problem' covers a wide range

of issues; some of the more

common ones are sleep

problems, stress, anxiety and

depression. Anxiety and

depression often occur

together.

Mental health issues can affect

anyone, of any age and

background, as well as having

an impact on the people

around them such as their

family, friends and carers.

2

BE CURIOUS

LEARN

Learning new skills can be useful, but it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing.,

evidence shows that continuing to learn throughout life can help improve and maintain it.

Learning can boost self-confidence and self-esteem, help build a sense of purpose, and

help us connect with others. Classes and formal courses are great ways to learn new

things, but there are lots of other ways too. You might visit a gallery or museum, take on a

new responsibility at work, learn to cook a favourite dish that you’ve never eaten at home,

Rediscover an old hobby that challenges you, and more.

GIVE

Helping and supporting other people, and working with others towards a shared goal, is

good for our mental wellbeing. Give is as important as receive, sometimes even more.

Give makes you happy and enjoy your day. You can do something nice for a friend or a

stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time or join a community group. Seeing

yourself and your happiness, as linked to the wider community can be incredibly

rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

Remark on the unusual, notice the changing seasons, savour the moment and be aware

of the world around you and what you are feeling. Just explore your own world and try to

see what is new. Notice the changes in people around you, be attentive to your close

family and friend will also make you happier.

Money and wellbeing

TIPS FOR MANAGING

MONEY

Know how much money you have – check bank account balances and count your cash, before spending. Check you have enough money for essentials like food and toiletries – if you don’t, get urgent advice from your local Citizens Advice or social security office. Collect any money due to you e.g. wages, benefits. Open your post – it isn’t always easy to face bills, but it will help you know where you stand. You could ask someone you trust to do it with you. Get advice – there are many organisations who can help you sort out your finances e.g. Citizen’s Advice or Money Advice Service. Deal with bills – if you can pay, do so. If you can’t, contact those you owe and explain your circumstances. Review your circumstances – if your income, spending or needs have changed, you may need to tell people you owe money to or who pay you benefits. Stay organised – put all important

records and documents, e.g. payslips,

bank statements, bills, receipts etc. in

one place, so that you can find them

easily again.

3

Managing personal finances and good mental health go hand in hand. So if

you are struggling to keep control of your income and expenditure, you may

find that your mental health is affected. Some mental health problems can

result in people making rash or unwise decisions about their finances, such

as spending money they cannot afford, while others make it particularly

difficult to have the energy to keep track of money.

Here are some specific ways that mental health problems may affect your finances:

If your ability to work is affected there may be a sudden or, possibly, dramatic reduction in your income.

If you spend time away from home, for example while you are cared for in hospital, it may be difficult to keep up to date with your financial commitments.

If you have symptoms such as mania your capacity to make financial decisions may be affected as you might act recklessly or unwisely.

If you have symptoms of depression you may lose the motivation or the ability to concentrate to keep control of your finances. If you are unable to make decisions for yourself for any reason could be more

vulnerable to financial exploitation or abuse.

The stress and worry associated with trying to maintain control over your expenditure and keep your household running can result in:

Worsened symptoms of depression such as inadequacy, despair and pessimism about the future.

Increased anxiety due to fear of the consequences of getting into debt

Conflict with, or between, family members that makes you feel worse

Giving up control of your financial affairs

Worrying about whether you should ask for help in case people judge you or make you do things

If you are worried about your own or someone else's debts, it is essential to act sooner rather than

later. Time spent helping people address their debt problems could improve their overall health and

wellbeing and reduce future service use. Follow these four simple steps to help - C.A.R.E

Consider debt as an underlying cause in stress-related illness, both mental and physical

Ask simple questions about debt;

emphasise the value of money advice -

early intervention can prevent a crisis

Refer to an appropriate debt agency

(telephone, online or face-to-face). Use this

guide to find free and independent advice

services

Engage with advisers - a referral to a

money adviser is the first step

HOW TO FEEL HAPPIER (1/2) The 5 things above are very important to improve your wellbeing and mental health,

these little things can aviod a mental disorder such as anxiety, depression and stress.

Other actions can also be very useful to help you be happier, more in control and able to

cope better with life's ups and downs.

ALCOHOL STATISTICS

In England, in 2012 there were

6,490 alcohol-related deaths, a

19% increase compared to 2001

Alcohol is 61% more affordable

than it was in 1980

The NHS estimates that around

9% of men in the UK and 4% of

UK women show signs of

alcohol dependence

A fifth (20%) of all violent

incidents in 2010–11 took place

in or around a pub or club.

34% of men and 28% of women

drank more than recommended

(4 units for men, 3 units for

women) on at least one day in

the last week.

In 2012, 43 per cent of school

pupils (aged 11-15) said that

they had drunk alcohol at least

once

The number of hospital

admissions of 15 to 24 year-old

female patients increased at

faster rate [76%], from 15,233 in

2002 to 26,908 in 2010

Almost half of young people

excluded from school in the UK

are regular drinkers

4

MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVEL

A certain amount of stress is useful to us - it keeps us going, providing us with the

stamina to get through stressful situations. But prolonged exposure to stress can be bad for us. Stress is our body preparing to cope

with a particular situation. Managing your stress can be a gradual process. Look at your

lifestyle. If you have a lot of stress in your life, find ways to reduce it, such as asking your

partner to help with chores in the house, taking a relaxing yoga class, or talking to your

boss about changing your working hours.

REDUCE YOUR ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

You don't have to give up alcohol completely to be emotionally healthy, but avoid drinking more than the recommended limit (3/4 units a day for a man, 2/3 units a day for a woman). That’s right, a night wit hfriends without drink is not as fun, but you can stay on the limits.

There are a lot of benefits of reducing your alcohol consumption, suc has reduce the risk of cancers, stokes, high-blood pressure, heart-related diseases, or damage to the brain.

If you think that your drinking might be becoming a problem, talk to your GP for advice.

STOP SMOKING

There are a lot of benefits of stop smoking, it reduce the risk of cancers, coronary heart

disease, strokes, catarats and more, but there are also financial benefits.

If you smoke five a day you could save £736 per year

If you smoke ten a day you could save £1,472 per year

If you smoke 20 a day you could save £2,944 per year

DID YOU KNOW?

People regularly having

such little sleep were 12%

more likely to die over a 25-

year period than those who

got an "ideal" six to eight

hours.

FOUR GOOD

REASONS TO BE

MORE ACTIVE...

For health - activity

strengthens your heart,

your bones and your

muscles and it helps to

control your weight

For happiness -

exercise improves your

mood and helps combat

depression

For comfort - activity

can reduce stress and calm

your mind For fun - be active with

friends or join a walking

group and discover just

how much fun walking can

be

HOW TO FEEL HAPPIER (2/2)

Around seven to eight hours is the average amount of sleep an adult needs for their body

and mind to fully rest . It's easy to overestimate how much sleep you need, or not to

realise it's normal to wake briefly each night. The occasional bad patch is harmless and

usually rights itself. It is only of concern if it's been going on longer than a month. There

are some tips to help you sleep better:

Establish a regular routine. Go to bed only when you're tired and get up at the same time

each day. Avoid napping during the day.

Check your sleeping arrangements. Think about comfort, temperature, light and noise

levels.

Don't stay in bed. If you can't sleep, get up after 20 minutes and go through your

relaxation routine again.

Try out complementary remedies. Yoga, meditation, homeopathy or herbal remedies,

such as lavender or valerian, may help.

5

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

HAVE A HEALTHY BALANCED DIET Making healthy choices about your diet can make you feel emotionally stronger. You're doing something positive for yourself, which lifts your self-esteem, and a good diet enables your brain and body to work efficiently. For example eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day helps provide you with vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy as well as being a good source of soluble fibre which has been shown to lower cholesterol.

BE ACTIVE Evidence shows that if you are not very active you may have trouble doing the simple tasks of daily life including carrying the shopping, walking up a hill, perhaps getting out of a chair. The links between health and activity are very clear. If you become more active the risk of health problems could be reduced. Even moderate exercise releases chemicals in your brain that lift your mood, it can be gardening, walking the dog or even just walking the children to school, those things that make you feel slightly warmer, breath a little faster than normal and feel your heart beating a little faster. You can make a big difference to your health by simply doing 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day.

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1. Call your mother. For most of us, this is the person who loves us the most and has our

back. Ask her for some positive words. If not mom, then call that someone who is your

support person.

2. Look in the mirror. Instead of finding your physical flaws, look at your best features.

Your eyes? Your hair? Your smile? Focus on that for a minute and be grateful for it.

3. Clear your desk. It clears your brain. It helps you think and opens the creative

channels. Now you’re buzzing. And you have a nice clean desk.

4. Meditate or pray. Go within. Let your ego drop away. Just be and step outside of self-

judgement for a few minutes.

5. Change one thing. If there’s something really bothering you about yourself, then pick

one small action to change it and do that now. Go ahead. Just a little thing.

6. Dance in front of a mirror. How can you feel bad about yourself when you are

dancing in front of the mirror? I mean really, just look at yourself.

7. Phone a friend. What are friends but walking, talking antidepressants? One dose of

friend a day, and you are good to go!

8. Follow through with a promise. If you’ve made a commitment, do it today. Get it off

your plate. It feels good to be reliable.

50 ways to feel good about yourself

9. Compare yourself. Look around you. You have more than most. You have many good

things. Much of the world lives in abject poverty and suffering.

10. Don’t compare yourself. But don’t compare yourself to the 1% of the population (or

less) than might have more or look better or seem smarter. Focus on your full cup.

11. Relive your best memory. Pull up a wonderful, happy memory and take a few

minutes to dwell on it. Go through all of the details and feel the feelings you had then.

12. Feed the birds. Go get a piece of bread and walk outside and feed those birdies. They

will love you. You will be their little birdie god.

13. Make your bed. You have a neat bed. It makes your room look neat.

14. Hug someone. Hugs are magical feel-good potions that infuse us with joy.

15. Smile. Just the act of smiling tells your brain you are happy.

16. Adjust your expectations. You don’t have to be perfect or near perfect. You can screw

up and still be just fine.

17. Let someone else decide. Relinquish responsibility to someone else every now and

then. They can be right or in the spotlight, and you can let them.

18. Offer your seat. Isn’t it nice to see someone do that for a lady, or an elderly person, or a

pregnant woman? Doesn’t it seem gracious and kind? Do it if you have the chance.

19. Plan a party. Parties are fun. People like parties. People like the people who throw

parties. It doesn’t have to be a big one. Just get fun people together.

20. Do something out of the box. Shake things up a bit. Change your routine. Try

something new. It will make you feel like a mover and shaker.

21. Appreciate beauty. It’s all around you. Just look for it.

22. Read something uplifting. Divert your mind from negative thinking. Find a great

book that will inspire and uplift you.

23. Surprise someone. Do something fun and unexpected for someone you care about.

Just planning this will life your spirits.

24. Simplify. A complicated, task-oriented, stuff-filled life will not make you happy or

provide long-lasting self-esteem. Give yourself the time and space to live within your

authentic value system.

25. Have empathy. Go beyond sympathy for someone. Put yourself in their shoes and see

the situation through their eyes.

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26. Find a mentor. Find someone whose life or work you aspire to emulate. Watch and

learn. Then copy.

27. Be a mentor. Be that person for someone in your life — someone who could really use

your guidance and example.

28. Put family first. In the end, what else really matters? Every single day, connect with

them through your time, love, and attention.

29. Put yourself first. Part of putting your family first is treating yourself with loving

kindness. Give enough to yourself so you have energy for them

30. Say no. Don’t allow yourself to be bullied, guilted, or shamed into doing anything. Say

no when you mean no.

31. Say yes. Say yes to life, to new adventures, to new friends, to creativity, to spontaneity.

Don’t say no when you long for yes.

32. Start a new habit. Pick one habit you’ve wanted to accomplish. Start very small. Set up

accountability. Don’t think ahead.

33. Be kind to your spouse. Just be kind. Kindness goes a long way in a relationship.

34. Pay those bills. If you have outstanding bills, do what needs to be done to get them

paid. The energy and stress of them hanging over your head will pull you into a hole.

50 ways to feel good about yourself 2/2

35. Make the appointment. If you need to go to the doctor, the therapist, a coach, a

lawyer, an accountant, whatever — stop stalling and make the appointment. Today.

36. Don’t give up. Whatever it is, hang in there just a little longer. Find the strength, the

emotional or mental reserve. Ask for help if you need it.

37. Bake cookies. Freshly baked cookies are the salve for anything that ails you. Try it,

you’ll see what I mean.

38. Remind yourself, it will be OK. It usually is. In spite of all of your fretting and worry,

most of the time things work out.

39. Watch a funny video. You can’t be laughing and feel bad about yourself at the same

time. Watch something funny.

40. Drink water. Lots and lots of it. Just increasing your water intake is a good habit. Good

habits make you feel good about yourself.

41. Scale back. Spend less. Save. Do without some unnecessary things. Un-complicate your

life.

42. Play with your pet. Your pets love you unconditionally. Bask in that love and attention.

43. Plan your day. Have 2-3 things you know you want to accomplish. Plan those in the

morning or the night before. Not a huge list, but just 2-3.

44. Give yourself gold stars. It’s amazing how satisfying it is to line up gold stars for a

task accomplished or a new habit.

45. Start a pound a day savings jar. Just put one dollar a day in a jar. Throw in some

change for fun every now and then. Watch it grow.

46. Surround yourself with light. Visualize yourself surrounded by a white, peaceful,

loving light.

47. Plan an adventure. Come up with a fun trip or weekend getaway that is new and

exciting. Just planning it makes you feel good.

48. Learn a new word. Improve your vocabulary and impress yourself with your acumen

with the lexicon!

49. Create a sacred space. Create a special place in your home for meditation, prayer,

journaling, reading, and reflection.

50. Know you are loved. You are . . . and sometimes that’s all you need to know to

remember how wonderful you are.

Relaxation techniques

8

Visualisation

Choose whatever setting is most calming to you, whether it’s a tropical beach, a favorite childhood spot, or a quiet

wooded glen. You can do this visualization exercise on your own in silence, while listening to soothing music, or

with a therapist (or an audio recording of a therapist) guiding you through the imagery. To help you employ your

sense of hearing you can use a sound machine or download sounds that match your chosen setting—the sound of

ocean waves if you’ve chosen a beach, for example.

Find a quiet, relaxed place. Beginners sometimes fall asleep during a visualization meditation, so you might try

sitting up or standing.

Close your eyes and let your worries drift away. Imagine your restful place. Picture it as vividly as you can—

everything you can see, hear, smell, and feel. Visualization works best if you incorporate as many sensory details

as possible, using at least three of your senses. When visualizing, choose imagery that appeals to you; don’t select

images because someone else suggests them, or because you think they should be appealing. Let your own images

come up and work for you.

If you are thinking about a dock on a quiet lake, for example:

Walk slowly around the dock and notice the colors and textures around you.

Spend some time exploring each of your senses.

See the sun setting over the water.

Hear the birds singing.

Smell the pine trees.

Feel the cool water on your bare feet.

Taste the fresh, clean air.

Enjoy the feeling of deep relaxation that envelopes you as you slowly explore your restful place. When you

are ready, gently open your eyes and come back to the present.

The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your

lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, rather than shallow breaths from your upper chest, you

inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel.

Sit comfortably with your back straight. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should

move very little.

Exhale through your mouth, pushing out as much air as you can while contracting your abdominal

muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move very

little.

Continue to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to inhale enough so that your

lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale.

If you find it difficult breathing from your abdomen while sitting up, try lying on the floor. Put a small

book on your stomach, and try to breathe so that the book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale.

Deep Breathing

North East Community

Solutions CIC

14 Foyle Street

Arrow Business Center

SR1 1LE

Sunderland

www.necs.org.uk

Wellbeing Crossword

Sources

http://www.nhs.uk/

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/

https://

www.alcoholconcern.org.uk

http://liveboldandbloom.com/

http://www.mind.org.uk/