DevelopMental UK

Get ready for techtimeout Tuesday! Tomorrow (3 Dec) is the UK’s biggest workplace digital wellbeing day, and thousands of businesses will be taking part in some offline fun to raise awareness of the importance of digital wellbeing. If you’re a techtimeout newbie, here’s your mission for tomorrow: 🌱 Pick a techtimeout activity and enjoy the benefits of spending a bit of time offline. If you’re feeling stumped, not knowing what to do, there is a nifty Ideas Generator on the website – yes it’s a moment using a bit of tech, but it’ll give you a suggestion and then you can frolic away from the screen with renewed inspo! If you have a business, make sure to share #techtimeout with your team so you can raise awareness of mental wellbeing and digital balance: https://lnkd.in/e_2xUmu #techtimeout #digitalwellbeing #takeascreenbreak #selfcareideas

When it’s time to wave goodbye to my students, I love that I can send them off with supportive tools to boost their confidence and ensure they always have somewhere to turn. As the national authority on mental health first aid, MHFA England is the only organisation that offers ongoing support to MHFAiders as part of their training – and as I’m an MHFA England Instructor, my students get to enjoy all of these supportive benefits for 3 years after their training with me. To find out how you and your team can become MHFAiders® visit: https://lnkd.in/eGkvr-nH

As a man, if you are feeling low, who do you talk to? 💬 Do you have friends you can speak with openly about how you’re feeling? 💬 Do you find yourself more likely to turn to a female partner, or a female friend, when you need to talk about difficult emotions, rather than approaching your male mates? While female friendships often form through more socially-rooted conversations, male friendships often grow from shared activities, such as sports or hobbies. This can forge lasting male bonds which provide much needed support and time out. However, it’s not always the case that these friendships go deeper, or feel safe enough, for more vulnerable thought-sharing. If you are feeling alone in your thoughts, and you don’t feel able to share with those around you, there are groups who will listen and give you the space to open up. 👉 Take a look at Andy’s Man Club, which has over 200 free support groups nationwide. In these groups, men can open up about the storms affecting their lives in a safe, judgement-free and non-clinical environment. The clubs are designed to be free of pressure, and there is no obligation for men to speak, so they can simply listen if they wish. https://lnkd.in/dZk9TKA #mentalhealthresources #mensmentalhealth #mentalhealthcommunity #mentalhealthawareness

“Julia was fantastic, she was so knowledgeable and gave time for questions. The course was very in-depth, but we had time to cover everything in great detail. Thank you, Julia.” When training, it's important to me that we cover all the topics we need to, but also that there is always enough space for us to discuss and question. Mental Health is a complex issue to talk about – and no question is ever wrong to ask. Find out more about Mental Health First Aid and the benefits it brings here: https://lnkd.in/eiYQNNHf #mentalhealthcourses #mentalhealthtraining #mentalhealthfirstaid #mentalhealthatwork #staffwellbeing

Self-Care comes in lots of different forms. Often, when we are feeling down or vulnerable, we withdraw from others, and the reasons for this can range from not wanting to burden or bring others down, to simply needing time to think. If you need space, it’s totally ok to take it – but try not to cut yourself off entirely. Keeping a connection to others, whether it’s a quick chat as you go for a walk or an email to a friend, can provide a sense of perspective and support which could help you feel a little lighter. And remember, reaching out to others, even in these small ways, is not selfish – it’s self-care. It's National Self-Care Week, so put yourself first. What helps your mind will help your body and vice versa – so treat yourself kindly 💛

It's so important that if you have questions about mental health, you can feel safe to ask them! As we’re learning to discuss mental health it’s natural to feel awkward about certain topics and issues. You may not know what’s ok to say, and what’s going to be a trigger. When we’re in training together, you can use me as your personal mental health Google. We’ll find the answers and you’ll leave feeling more confident. Release all your #awks about mental health with me on a course here: https://lnkd.in/eiYQNNHf #feelingawkward #mentalhealthquestions #learntogether

If someone asks you “How are you?” or “Are you feeling ok?”, how likely are you to tell them the truth? As a society we have become masterful at hiding real emotions. We do it because it keeps a balance going. It allows us to get on with our work, get our tasks finished, feel in control. It doesn’t always feel safe or appropriate to tell the truth. “How are you?”, in particular, is often used more as a casual greeting than an actual question – so why would anyone open up more, if it doesn’t feel as if the asker is actually interested? We are all wearing masks, to some degree. YOU know that your own mind has a lot of thoughts and feelings going on inside it, regardless of what you choose to share with others. The main takeaway here is to simply remember that everyone else does too. #mentalwellbeing #mentalhealthsupport #talkinghelps #mentalhealthcommunity #mentalhealthforall #howtolisten

The MHFA Mental Health Refresher course has recently undergone a refresh of its own! 🌱 This new version is what I’m teaching from now on – and a big thank you to my first class who gave me a bit of grace as I found my way through the newer format 😊💚 “Thank you so much for a great session, I don’t think the course being new was a problem because if anything for me it highlighted how much of a good trainer you are in that you identified gaps and added in info!” - Student Review Find out more about the course here: https://lnkd.in/emNDr_8r #MHFAEngland #MentalHealthFirstAid #mentalhealthtraining #mentalhealthcourses #mentalhealthrefresher

It’s #Movember which looks at mental health through a male lens, focusing on prevention, early intervention and health promotion. A world where men take action to be mentally well, and are supported by those around them, needs to become the norm. Find out more about the Order of Mo and how to start more conversations here: https://lnkd.in/ggcy-CY

Not everyone enjoys Halloween – and that’s ok. We all have different experiences which put us in a certain frame of mind when spooky season rolls around. Something which might be taken as light-hearted spookiness by one person may be experienced as anything else on the emotional scale, from feeling upset to terrified, by another. Show empathy this Halloween. Celebrate in a way that brings you joy, without crossing other people’s boundaries.