Support For Staff
Working in a new environment, worrying about your own, or a loved one’s, health and spending a lot of time in one place can all have a detrimental effect. This means that it is more important than ever to look after our mental, physical and social wellbeing.
We have brought together a range of accessible, varied and fun activities that you can do at work or from your own home!
The list below outlines the activities and apps we are currently offering and suggesting, as well as information on how you can access them from home. We are always open to activity suggestions, so if there is an activity you would like to see on this page or if you have any other ideas around health and wellbeing please let us know!
Please do prioritise your wellbeing and make sure to speak to your line manager or our staff advice line and counselling service, Health Assured, if you are struggling.
Useful Links...
Sleep Ritual and Relaxation Exercises
A study of teachers has shown that teachers spend more time than most ruminating about work-related issues and their brains take longer to unwind. Sleep hours suffers as well as sleep quality.
We need sleep to think clearly, react quickly, and create memories. It is during the later hours of sleep (especially between the sixth and eighth hour) when the brain releases the neurochemicals that stimulate the growth of the memory connections. The average teacher is reported to sleep six hours a night, falling short of the most valuable sleep time.
Mindfulness Teacher Support Guide
Mindfulness is a way of living that can help you operate with more intention and meaning in your life. It's more about doing things consciously and intentionally than mindlessly and out of habitual patterns that might not be helping to fulfil your life.
Mindfulness techniques and tools can help you cope with your emotions, understand yourself on a deep level, reduce stress and anxiety, boost confidence, improve your focus and help you live a life that feels more fulfilling and authentic to you.
My Self-Care Plan
https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/resources/my-self-care-plan-secondary/
Self-care is all about what you can do to help yourself feel better or to keep yourself feeling good. It’s a way that we can look after our own mental health and wellbeing.
Everyone’s approach to self-care will look different. What works for you might not work for others. There are lots of different self-care strategies so you can try out different ones until you find something that works for you.
This resource walks young people through a series of steps, helping them create a detailed self-care plan that works for them.
The plan helps young people identify activities that they can use to support their mental health. It’s adaptable on a weekly or monthly basis, so that it can fit differing schedules or priorities.
The suggested activities in the plan are split into different categories, including:
- physical activities
- emotional activities
- social activities
- practical activities
NHS Fitness Studio Exercise Videos
The NHS Fitness Studio has a wide range of online exercise videos, Including sitting exercises for those who would like a less intense workout, postnatal exercises and workouts specifically designed for those with health problems – there is something for everyone.
The Body Coach
Joe Wicks', a.k.a The Body Coach, is running his famous P.E lessons again in this lockdown! These 30 minute workouts are an excellent way to keep kids active and is a good workout for adults too. A great way to start your day!
NHS Mental Health and Wellbeing Audio Guides
These guides by Dr Chris Williams can help boost your mood with tips on issues such as anxiety, sleep problems and low confidence.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/moodzone-mental-wellbeing-audio-guides/
MIND for Better Mental Health
When you are feeling stressed or anxious? Playing games can act as a distraction from what is going on.
MIND have put together a collection of online games and puzzles that have been recommended by their service users.
https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/how-can-i-distract-myself/games-and-puzzles/
Martin Lewis - Money Saving Expert
Action for Happiness
Online Reading for Everyone
It is important not to become to connect whilst we are socially distancing, if you love reading and would like to take part in a virtual book club.
Insight Timer - Free Support for Sleep, Anxiety and Stress
Meditation and Mindfulness have a variety of uses. They can be a great way to relax and de-stress, can increase our awareness and ability to accept and can also be used to improve focus and concentration. This website has thousands of meditation sleep, anxiety or stress. It also helpful for parents with children of all ages.
Homemade Jewellery Crafts
NHS - Couch to 5K
NHS couch to 5K will help you gradually work up towards running 5k in just 9 weeks.
Couch to 5K is a running plan for absolute beginners. The plan involved 3 runs a week, with a day of rest in between, and a different schedule for each of the 9 weeks.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/couch-to-5k-week-by-week/
Yoga at Home
Yoga is an excellent way to relax during a stressful day and can really benefit your mental health, it also has many physical benefits such as strength and flexibility. Yoga may also help to relieve any aches you may be experiencing from working in a different environment!
You will need: A yoga mat or towel
South East Sea Swimming
Pilates
Enjoy this 15 minute Full Body Stretching routine. This short and well balanced sequence provides you with everything you need to get your daily dose of flexibility, mobility and relaxation.
Kent County Council eLibrary
If you like reading but do not want to be part of a reading group. Please register with Kent County Council eLibrary. The eLibrary provides access to thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks, eMagazines and eNewspapers.
https://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/libraries/ebooks-eaudiobooks-emagazines-enewspapers
Coping Calendar
Action for Happiness have created a coping calendar with 30 suggested actions to look after ourselves and each other as we face this global crisis together.
NHS Helplines
The NHS have collated a list of helplines and support groups that can offer expert advice if you are concerned about yourself or a loved one.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/
Kent Resilience Hub
https://kentresiliencehub.org.uk
Here at the Kent Resilience Hub we wanted to create a resource that helps young people, parents and carers, staff and practitioners to understand emotional wellbeing and resilience.
YoungMinds
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/professional/
Working with children and young people can be rewarding and fulfilling, but it can be difficult sometimes too. It's not always easy to know what to do, whether you want to support a young person when they open up about their mental health or want to better involve them in your work. We're here to offer you the resources, training and consultancy you need so you can be there for the young people in your life, and help to amplify their voices in the services and decisions that affect them. Together, we can make a difference.