National Stress Awareness Day 2016

The PAVO mental health team’s way of trying to reduce stress in the workplace – 

“Havin’ A Laugh” whilst promoting the elephant in the room recently.

One of the most popular posts on our blog over the past five years is from the very early days and simply called National Stress Awareness Day. In it we highlighted the sad fact that at that time in 2012 stress levels in the UK had doubled in the past four years, and outlined some of the well-known causes of stress. We also listed the Top 10 Tips for addressing stress, and, given the fact this is one of our most popular ever postings, hope these have proved helpful to many readers over the years.

This year the theme for National Stress Awareness Day – Wednesday 2 November – is Workforce Wellness – Your Prime Investment. The International Stress Management Association, the charity which promotes this national day, has drawn up a new list of tips specifically related to the theme:

1. Start to put yourself first
If you eat and drink healthily, schedule regular physical activity that you enjoy, and manage your time effectively, you’ll be in a better position to help others.

2. Start to prioritise tasks
There are only so many things we can do well during each day,so choose your top 3 most urgent tasks each morning and make them your priority. Reschedule, renegotiate your commitments or delegate – you can make it happen!

3. Start to make time to relax and mentally unwind
Relaxation, breathing and meditation exercises have been proven to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety, they are ideal ways to switch off AND they boost your immune system. Just a few minutes a day will pay huge dividends.

4. Start to empathise with others
There are many different behaviour styles that affect how we communicate with each other. Be aware that different people can perceive your words and actions in a way you didn’t always intend. Take time to listen to others and look for solutions.

5. Start to live life to the full
Bring some fun into your life and spend a few minutes each day appreciating the good things you have in your life. This will help you to see opportunities for growth and learning, even from the most challenging situations.

6. Stop ignoring your needs
Know what is expected of you and what is reasonable. Take short breaks throughout the day and know when and how to say ‘No’ both at work and home.

7. Stop getting distracted
If you’re experiencing too much pressure or just have a lot going on in your life, staying focused isn’t easy. It may help to ask for support from colleagues or friends and prioritise urgent, important and non-urgent tasks.

8. Stop allowing others to make you feel inferior
The key to stress-free living is to accept yourself for exactly who you are today, including past mistakes and things you might not be so proud of. Work on your self-belief and confidence and just go for it!

9. Stop being judgemental
Try to adopt a more flexible thinking style which will improve your mental well-being, whilst reducing unnecessary pressure for both you and those around you. Practice being objective and understanding.

10. Stop avoiding the things you least want to do
We often put off tasks that can become a recipe for worry. Take control and promise yourself a reward when you get it done.

The Royal College of Nursing has also produced an excellent guide: Healthy workplace, healthy you. It is aimed at nursing staff, but much of the information about the signs and symptoms of stress, and tips for reducing and managing stress, are relevant to anyone in the workplace.

Finally, if you are reading this in Autumn 2016, feeling stressed and living in Powys, there are other things you can do to help address the situation. Several courses are just about to start up across the county which are looking at stress, anger management, and positive approaches to managing your life including addressing how stress impacts on day-to-day activities and what you can do to reduce it.

Mid Powys Mind
Stress and Anxiety Management course – Llandrindod Wells, Mid Powys
23 & 30 November, 2 December.

Tel: 01597 824411 for further information.

Pain & Fatigue Management Centre
ACTivate Your Life course – Bronllys Hospital, South Powys
28 November, 5, 12 & 19 December.
The 4 week ACTivate Your Life course was developed by Professor Neil Frude, a Clinical Psychologist with over 40 years’ experience of helping people to learn and practice the core principles of Acceptance, Commitment Therapy or ACT. Tel: 01874 712449 for further information.

Ponthafren Association
Anger Management course – North Powys
The charity is currently drawing up a waiting list of people ready to start a new course in the next few months. Please let staff or volunteers know if you are interested by ringing 01686 621586.

Ystradgynlais Mind
Confidence & Assertiveness course – Ystradgynlais

This 4 weekly course will be starting again in the New Year. Please let staff or volunteers know if you are interested by ringing 01639 841345.

These are just a few examples of courses and activities running in Powys this Autumn and Winter. To find out more check out the Powys Mental Health website events calendar.

Do you have experience of stress in the workplace? And do you have some good tips which you could share with us which may help others? Let us know in the comments box below.

National Stress Awareness Day

Here is an informative article on how do deal with stress from Mental Health Today:

People experiencing stress should share their concerns and seek support, a doctor has said ahead of National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) on November 7.

Stress levels have doubled in the UK over the past four years, according to a recent survey by AXA Insurance. 

The theme of this year's 14th annual NSAD is 'Defining outcomes for wellbeing at work' but Dr Steve Eccles, from Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust, said that any area of a person’s life can be a source of stress.

“People experience stress when the demands that life places on them exceeds their ability or perceived ability to cope,” he said. 

“We all experience stress to varying degrees throughout our lives and generally this isn’t a problem. However, it can become a problem and affect our mental and physical health when it is excessive and/or lasts for prolonged periods of time.

"The possible causes of stress can stem from any aspect of life, whether financial difficulties, worries about health, work-related pressures, or relationship problems.

"It is well known that particular life events that involve great change such as bereavements, getting divorced and moving house are associated with high levels of stress. It is also important to recognise that people may also experience stress due to a build-up of lots of smaller contributory factors."

When people are experiencing stress they may exhibit a range of signs and symptoms including poor concentration, changes in sleep pattern and an increase in smoking, drinking and drug use.

"Unfortunately, once stress develops it can become a vicious cycle in which our ability to cope is further undermined," Dr Eccles added.

"For example, stress can lead to tiredness and increased alcohol use which reduces the ability to cope and thus leads to more stress. The fundamental things to remember are to focus on reducing the things that cause you stress, develop skills to manage stress and ensure you have access to activities or situations where you are able to relax."

Dr Eccles has compiled his top 10 tips for managing stress:

* Organise your life - develop a balanced and structured routine to your day or week that allows time for work, sleep and undertaking activities you enjoy.

* Identify your stressors - allocate time to think about which parts of your life are making you feel stressed. It can help to make a list of the key stressors in your life and identify those that you have some control over. The key is to be specific about what it is that you are finding stressful. The more specific you can be, the more likely you can identify them and make changes.

* Learn to say “no” - being able to say “no” to people and have some control over the demands that are placed on you is invaluable in managing stress. So, before you say “yes” to people, ask yourself “do I want to do it?” and “do I have the time/energy to do it?”

* Improve your diet - ensure that you are eating a balanced diet of three meals a day. Also, make sure you are not drinking too much alcohol (21 units for men and 14 units for women per week).

* Maintain a healthy balance - undertake regular physical activity as this can provide a vent for excessive nervous energy and help you to relax. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, as you can incorporate a little more physical activity into your day, such as walking.

* Catch up on your sleep - a common sign that people are stressed is waking during the night or early morning and then lying in bed, worrying about whatever is stressing you. Dealing with your stressors in the daytime should help with this.

* Learn to relax - being able to relax is a skill that requires regular practice. Make space in each day to take regular short breaks. Listening to music, watching TV or reading can be relaxing if you can concentrate. There are many simple relaxation exercises available in books and on the internet that can be used to practice relaxation.

* Get some perspective - when we feel stressed and overwhelmed we tend to underestimate our ability to cope. This leads to feeling even more overwhelmed, meaning more stress. A useful technique can be to take each stressor in turn and think about how a friend might react and deal with the problem.

* Share your concerns - people generally experience less stress if they feel they have the support of other people. An essential buffer against stress is a good support network of family and friends. It can be really helpful to talk to our family and friends about how we are feeling. They may be able to offer practical support and solutions, but their emotional support by offering a friendly ear can be just as valuable.

* Seek professional advice/support - if stress continues for lengthy periods of time it can have a profound effect on a person’s mental and physical health. This can be particularly problematic if a person starts to feel hopeless about their future and feels unable to manage his or her way out of the situation. In these instances, professional help from your GP and wider health services is an essential way forward and the key to managing your recovery.

For more on NSAD visit www.isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day/

Posted 04/11/2012 by richard.hook@pavpub.com

Stress Awareness Week 2019

This week is International Stress Awareness Week which is organised by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA).

Stress is defined by the Mental Health Foundation as “the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable”.

The theme of Stress Awareness Week this year is Resilience, so we decided to ask a few PAVO colleagues what stress looks like to them (be that work-related or personal stress) and the strategies they use to bounce back from a period of stress.

How do you know you are stressed?

• I start organising things and get really “stressy” busy. I tidy in a manic fashion.
• I can’t sleep at night for ruminating. My mind wanders back to the stress. I can’t enjoy any leisure time.
• I start to talk quickly, my speech really speeds up.
• I get anxious. My heartbeat is faster. I’m sometimes short of breath. And my stomach plays up something chronic. At work I’m completely unfocused and rush from one task to another.
• I don’t sleep and I usually find it very easy to sleep.
• I eat more. And some of the stuff that’s not good for me like cake. And I drink more.
• I go into manic mode first and then my sleep’s disturbed. My skin can erupt and I get snappy.
• I can’t think straight. I can’t prioritise.
• I get irritable and snappy.
• I get impatient with people and / or things because I need to get on and deal with whatever’s causing me stress.

What helps you deal with stress?

• Keeping busy. I get more stressed if I overthink things. If I distract myself with busyness I can process things in a more rational fashion.
• I make lists. I can transfer the stress from my head to the paper and it’s parked. I do it for work and home.
• I like to go for a walk by the sea, listen to the waves and feel the sea breeze. I love it.
• I’m mindful that I need to take time out. An alarm bell will ring and I know I need to get out of the stressful situation and deal with it or I know it’s a slippery slope.
• I have a “happiness box” to look through when I’m feeling down. It contains little items that make you happy. It could be anything. A picture of your family. Something in your favourite colour. A poem. A magazine. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it’s very personal to you.
• I like my guided meditation app. It really helps me sleep - it clears your mind.
• Offloading. You should never go home from work with the worries of the day. 99% of the time that gets rid of any stress before I go home.
• Simply looking out of the window for a moment or popping out for a walk in the beautiful Dolerw Park.
• Being outside. Walking. Exercise. Healthy eating. Time to myself. Essential oils. And saying no.
• Cutting off from what I’m doing and distracting myself with something non work-related for a few minutes.
• Time out. Having a rant and then I’m fine after that.
• Exercise. Fresh air. Dogs.
• I make a decision to get up at 6am and into my routine of yoga and meditation followed by breakfast. I also make my lunch which means I’m not skipping meals or snacking. And I feel more in balance before I even get into work.

Look local

There are many sources of support if you are feeling stressed, and here in Powys you can look locally to find some of them.

Invest in Your Health is a free NHS course delivered over 5 sessions which is designed to provide practical tools and techniques to improve your quality of life and wellbeing. It is a modular course, so once you have completed the first one, Building Better Health, you can choose up to four more, such as Mindfulness, Focusing on the Positive and Follow up & Solution finding. The courses take place at venues around Powys or the sessions can be done via Skype.

Brecon and District Mind is running free Mindfulness taster sessions on 7 & 28 November. “It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much. Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing”.

Open Minds is a new Mid & North Powys group meeting in Llandrindod Wells on the 1st and 3rd Mondays for people experiencing stress, depression or anxiety. Socialising is combined with tips and exercises.

Ponthafren Association in North Powys runs regular Stress Management courses. To find out more and sign up to the next course you can ring 01686 621586.

These are just a few examples of courses and activities running in Powys this Autumn and Winter. To find out more check out the Powys Mental Health website events calendar.

Singing has long been recognised as a way of reducing stress. You can find out about local singing groups and choirs on infoengine, the online services directory for Powys.

Surfing online for stress solutions

There are literally thousands of websites / organisations / services out there with ideas to help you deal with your stress. Some of our favourites:

The Mental Health Foundation’s Stress page - in 2018 Stress was the main theme of Mental Health Awareness Week.

ACAS has a useful page on workplace stress with documents you can download.

The Woodland Trust has a page on the benefits of exercising in nature which can help ease stress.

The National Trust has a beginner’s guide to forest bathing - research shows that two hours of mindful exploration in a forest could lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

Read on our blog the Top 10 Tips for Workforce Wellness - the theme of National Stress Awareness Day in 2016.

And if you have any good tips to share with our readers about how to deal with stress, let us know in the comments’ box below.

Stress Awareness Week 2022 & Powys Cost of Living Hub

This week, 7 - 11 November, is International Stress Awareness Week which is organised by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA).

Stress is defined by the Mental Health Foundation as “the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable”.

The theme of Stress Awareness Week this year is “Working Together to Build Resilience & Reduce Stress”. Organisations throughout Powys are currently working very closely together to help support people through the Cost of Living Crisis - there is further information in the second half of this blog post.

Meanwhile, to start us off with some top tips about how to relieve stress, we spoke to one of our Powys Mental Health Individual Representatives*, John Lilley. He told us what has worked for him when dealing with stresses in his day-to-day life.

*The Individual Representatives are people who have either used, or care for somebody who has used, mental health services. These unpaid volunteers sit on regional and national partnership boards, alongside professionals who are involved in the delivery of services. 

The reps are there to make sure user / carer voice is included in the planning of services and they are always on hand to listen to your experiences and issues so that they can feed this back to the partnership groups. You can contact the reps by emailing the Participation Officer Owen Griffkin on owen.griffkin@pavo.org.uk or calling 01597 822191.

John Lilley - Powys Individual Representative Mental Health

I found the 8 week Mindfulness course I took with Mid & North Powys Mind very helpful. There is a new online course currently on offer - An Introduction to Quantum Consciousness Therapy which starts on 14 November and runs for 4 weeks with John Paul.

There is also a half-day session on the Five Ways to Wellbeing - which includes reflection and creating personal goals to put the Five Ways into practice in your own life. You can also find out more about the Five Ways to Wellbeing on the Powys Mental Health website.

Previously I benefited from taking exercise classes in Rhayader as part of the Welsh National Exercise Referral Scheme. Clients of the Community Mental Health team can be referred for safe and effective community-based exercise opportunities. This includes:

• Healthy lifestyle advice as appropriate in partnership with the CMHT.
• Promoting and improving the mental and physical well-being of clients.
• Increasing clients’ physical activity on a long-term basis.

I also want to raise awareness of the excellent work that is being done to support 

children and young people with positive mental health in Powys. 

Here are three initiatives I want to highlight:

Thinking about options for younger age groups, Mindfulness is now offered to children and young people in Powys schools. You can find out more about this from Linda Gutierrez, Emotional Health & Wellbeing Lead in the Powys County Council Pupil Referral Service, by watching this short video.

Ysgol Calon Cymru - the school at the heart of Wales - has two campuses - in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells. Earlier this year the school won a Wellbeing Award for achieving A National Standard for Positive Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing for their wellbeing support and helpful resources for both pupils and parents / carers.

Kooth, the online mental wellbeing community for children and young people, offers a lot of good online support, with a mental wellbeing community.

Children and young people across the whole of Mid and West Wales can now access Kooth’s service as both Powys Teaching Health Board and Hywel Dda University Health Board work with Kooth to provide an online counselling and emotional wellbeing service for this age group. Kooth provides a blended approach of online counselling, support, and advice to young people, which is free, safe, and anonymous by friendly counsellors.

Finally, I also like this edited list of tips from Peter Beresford’s* book "Being a Mental Health Service User”:

• One thing at a time.
• Try to live day by day, one step at a time.
• Don't anticipate troubles and problems (living in the moment).
• Give yourself the same advice you'd give others.
• All things pass - including the bad things.
• No one is less than me. I am not less than them.
• We can get real help and support from others. But the people we can feel closest to, and who offer the most natural understanding and mutual aid, are people who have 'been there' like us.

* Peter Beresford OBE is a long-term user of mental health services and Co-Chair of Shaping our Lives, the national independent service user-controlled organisation and network. He is also Professor Emeritus of Social Policy at Brunel University London and Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University and the University of East Anglia.

Cost of living crisis and your mental health

Here are some links to other services / online resources that could be of help at this difficult time.

Mental Health & Money Advice

Mental Health & Money Advice is a UK-wide online advice service designed to help you understand, manage and improve your financial and mental health. Difficulties in resolving financial matters can exacerbate mental health distress leading to a vicious cycle of increased stress and worry. Find online support, expert advice, tools and calculators, template letters, real life stories and much more on the website.

Mental Health & Money Advice has been developed by Mental Health UK, a UK-wide charity that represents its four member charities; Rethink Mental Illness in England, Adferiad Recovery in Wales, Support in Mind in Scotland and MindWise in Northern Ireland.

Welsh Government

On the Welsh Government website Get help with the cost of living you can find out more about living costs, housing, financial help, benefits entitlement, school and childcare expenses, and health & wellbeing.

Powys County Council - Cost of living hub

Powys County Council has launched a campaign to help support residents and businesses with the rising cost of living.

The council has worked closely with local partner organisations to pull together a wide range of information in one place to ensure people know what help is already available and how to access it.

The online hub, which can be found at www.powys.gov.uk/costofliving, has been created to offer as much advice as possible to those in Powys who may need it during this time.

The #CostOfLiving campaign aims to provide information and advice on:

• Household energy advice.
• Money, benefits and debt advice.
• Powys foodbanks.
• Support with household utility bill.
• Support for businesses.
• Support for families with children.

Powys Family Information Service

The Powys Youth and Family Information Service is a one-stop shop where parents, carers, young people and professionals can obtain a range of information for children and young people aged 0-25 years and their families. The team recently produced an excellent guide to support available to people on a range of issues in relation to the cost of living crisis.

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice, the independent information and advice service, has extensive information on its website relating to the cost of living crisis.

If you have any tips and ideas about how to deal with stress and the current cost of living crisis then please let us know in the comments section below.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2018

Stress, are we coping?

This year the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week (14 – 20 May), hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, is stress. Research has shown that two thirds of us experience a mental health problem in our lifetime, and stress is a key factor in this.

For many people stress is a part of everyday life, but do we really manage our stress effectively? By tackling stress, we can go a long way to tackle mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and, in some instances, self-harm and suicide.

The Powys Mental Health Planning and Development Partnership, in collaboration with other partnerships across the county, is exploring how we can all tackle stress and help to improve our mental health. Stress is not a mental health problem itself but is a survival response to keep us safe. But it should not become a way of life. The Partnership asked its members what stress looks like for them and how they manage it.

How do you recognise stress?

• For me it’s about when the day to day things I usually cope with fine start eliciting a greater than normal response. So, maybe I am rushing around and hit my funny bone really hard on the door frame (never funny) and it makes me really anger or want to cry – when usually an expletive muttered under my breath will suffice. Those moments really stand out for me and I know there is something else going on. 
• Usually when I start to lose patience and things annoy me more than usual, particularly my husband! I know that I have been moaning a lot when he says things like ‘can you not ring your mum?’ which means he has done his best to support me but it I now requires a higher level of management. This ‘intervention’ usually works as I can take a step back and get some great advice from people who know me best however sometimes there are physical signs too.

What does stress look like for you?

• Personally, a sense of frustration, a loss of sense of humour and feeling powerless are symptoms I look out for.
• It’s like my emotional cooking pot is full.  There is no room for anything else.  And when something else does happen my emotions can spill over much more easily with less of a filter than they usually have. If I'm stressed I may feel like I have too many things to do and not enough time, so I don’t seem to stop or get any time to myself.  That makes it hard to unwind which can then affect my sleep, making me feel worse in the morning and on the cycle can go unless I do something about it.
• It usually presents in anger / frustration towards a loved one.

What do you do to combat it?

• The most important technique for me to combat stress is to recognise the early warning signs and to take immediate action.  I generally use ‘Resilience’ as a coping mechanism.  This can be by taking a short break, speaking with friends and colleagues or exercising.  For me, it’s being able to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Exercise – specifically going for a cycle ride.
• Learning how to breathe properly. This sounds weird but if I take a minute to close my eyes, breathe in though my nose for 7 seconds and then slowly out through my mouth for 8 this really helps. Walking the dog in the countryside or at the coast makes me feel good too.
• In the past exercising whilst listening to loud music (on headphones) has also helped – this is a good standby in the winter when severe cold or rain encourage stresses to multiply because I can’t get outside in the garden. There are loads of NHS exercise classes for beginners on YouTube and they don’t all involve balancing on a yoga mat with hardly any clothes on looking like a Downward Dog.

What shouldn’t you do?

• Think it will go away if I don’t do anything about it.
• Bottle up worries / concerns – share with others for discussion / solutions.
• Panic. Life is hard. There will be stress in life, embrace it as a natural thing, accept it as a part of you and don’t see it as a failure to cope with things.
• Buy five large chocolate cakes and eat them all at one sitting!! Buy a one way ticket to El Calafate, however tempting it might seem at the time… Scream at your line manager that you hate your job and you’re leaving right now, never to return. In other words…. Don’t be too impulsive. Take time to step back, assess the situation, seek help if that’s appropriate, and then make a plan of action to address the cause of the stress. Then collect empty plastic bottles to turn into mini cloches to keep the mice off the peas and beans…

Do you do any of the Five Ways to Wellbeing to combat stress? If so, which one works for you and why?

• Connect – unwind with friends and husband – talk things through – doing something nice together. Be active – running and walking. Take notice – being in nature.
• Be active. Being fortunate to live in Powys, the opportunities for exercise throughout our glorious surroundings is endless. Being able to walk the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons or the River Wye footpaths. Being able to get away from things through walking either with our dog or with family is calming and fulfilling. I find exercise an important part of my physical and mental well-being.
• Being creative - More recently I have been getting creative, remembering how much I used to love Art in school I thought I’d give it a go now. Finding the time to paint is good because I’m preparing to make a relaxing bit of space and time. I get everything I want to done and the whole time I’m doing this I’m looking forward to creating something.

What would be your top tips for managing stress?

• Exercise – it’s hard to motivate yourself to start but if you can find a way to build it into your weekly routine it can be hugely effective.  Particularly if you can get out into Nature.  For many people exercise seems to use up excess emotion leaving you feeling calmer and more in control. Nature has been shown to have many beneficial effects, not just on our mental health, but also on our physical health. We evolved in Nature (green trees and soft curved lines) not urban environments, and we relax and feel better when surrounded by it.
• Do something you love and get lost in it – be it football, craft, reading…. You will be totally absorbed by it for a while so you don’t think of anything else.

• As a Police Inspector, I must be accessible to colleagues and a point of contact and support when people are under stress.  I must recognise incidents which could have a negative impact on a person’s well-being and ensure that the correct support intervention is provided.
• I personally rely on making a list of things to do and I then prioritise what must be done first.  This helps me to turn what appear to be unmanageable tasks into something less formidable.
• Try and get away from whatever you are working on for 10 – 15 minutes at lunch time – go for a short walk, run or cycle – whatever takes your mind of what you are currently doing!
• When you wake up in the morning (and go to bed at night) think of 2 – 3 things that you are really grateful for.
• Be as kind to yourself as you possibly can. Imagine you are another person (or animal if that’s easier) you love and care for. You want to do the best you possibly can for that person/animal. So what would you do? I am often guilty of putting myself under further pressure if I’m stressed, as if it’s all my fault and I need to suffer further! But whilst I might sometimes be responsible (I can’t grow 30 of my favourite vegetables successfully and fit everything else in my life, but maybe 10 would work) sometimes the stress has an external source. Pluck up courage and talk to anyone involved in making your life stressful, or, if that’s not possible, try and stay out of that person’s way!

Any other comment?

• Laugh. With colleagues. At that very funny radio comedy. At your own jokes even if nobody else thinks they’re the slightest bit funny. When the cat’s head gets stuck in a margarine pot (but do rescue that cat promptly).  When you all try a new sport and end up on your backsides, your head, in fancy dress or covered in apricot jam…. Be weird and wonderful and wacky sometimes, because you can (only if it’s legal though!) Just because life is hard sometimes, remember to take a breather and HAVE FUN!!

Tell us what you do to relieve stress in the comments box below.

Together for Mental Health is the Welsh Government’s 10 year strategy to improve mental health and well-being in Wales.

In Powys, there is a Mental Health Planning and Development Partnership in place to deliver the strategy locally and prioritise activity to meet the needs of Powys communities. One of its main objectives is to build strength and resilience, promoting mental and emotional health and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the county. 

Thank you to Mary Griffiths (Mid Powys Mind), Inspector Brian Jones (Dyfed Powys Police), Louisa Kerr (Powys Teaching Health Board), Jackie Newey (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations) and Joe Wellard (Powys County Council) for their contributions to this blog post.

Change Step - led by veterans for veterans

Stephen Jones has recently taken on a new role with the charity Kaleidoscope. 

He works to support veterans and their families in Powys, particularly in respect of any problems associated with military service and the transition to civilian life. 

A lot has been written about the mental health of service and ex-service personnel, such as this 2013 report from the Mental Health Foundation.

We asked Stephen to tell us more about his new role and why it is needed in Powys.

You seem to have two separate but linked roles - tell us more

I have recently become the Listen In Project Co-ordinator for Change Step – this role sees me supporting families, friends and carers of veterans to aid in promoting recovery from problems associated with military service and the transition to civilian life.

I am also currently a Change Step peer mentor aiding the veterans themselves, providing a unique peer-led service.

What led you to these particular roles?

As a veteran myself, and a volunteer for Kaleidoscope (the substance misuse service in Powys), my personal journey is and can be seen to be very similar to those who I support.

Steve at Ystradgynlais Welfare Club

How do you define the term “veteran”?

A veteran is anyone who has served one day's service with the Armed Forces, whether it be as a reservist or full time member.

Tell us more about why veterans in Powys need the kind of support you offer?

It can be a very daunting process, leaving the military to joining civilian life, with there being many changes to day to day life. Sometimes it can appear to be a lonely process and there are many new challenges ahead for those leaving the forces. In particular some veterans may be experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), or issues surrounding family life, housing, and also substance/alcohol misuse. I feel that anyone leaving the military may benefit from a quick chat with someone who has been in their shoes and understands these unique issues.

Do you know how many veterans there are in Powys? What barriers might prevent them seeking support and how do you work to overcome those?

I would imagine that there are many veterans in Powys, and we also have a large Gurkha population in the county. Powys is a very rural area, which could present as a barrier within itself. I work Powys-wide, so can travel to see those who cannot travel to see me, helping those in remote areas.

Trust is also a barrier, which is where Change Step and Listen In assist greatly as we are veterans supporting veterans.

Are there particular issues which arise in rural areas for veterans experiencing mental distress?

I think it is hard for anyone suffering mental distress, and I think the main issue is being heard, supported and knowing where to go for that support.

Steve at Dering Lines Army Camp 

Drink Drive Awareness Day

What kinds of activities are available to support veterans in Powys, and in your experience which are found to be the most appreciated and/or useful?

There are various support groups in Wales such as Combat Stress, Veterans Wales, Royal British Legion (RBL), SSAFA (Soldiers Sailors Airmen & Families Association) and many more. I am having meetings with the RBL and hope to open drop in centres in some of the major towns in Powys, where veterans can pop in for a cuppa and a chat.

What support is needed by the families of veterans who struggle to make the transition to civilian life? What is your role here? 

It can be hard for veterans to adjust, however it is also hard for the families to adjust – they may have lived apart for some time and be used to a different lifestyle, maybe in military accommodation in this country or abroad.

They will also potentially see their family member 24/7 for the first time, and also experience issues surrounding witnessing their family member suffering with PTSD. They could feel isolated and not sure where or who to turn to.

What is the most challenging aspect of the job?

I think that the main challenge with my role is making sure that I can reach all those who need our support – there are a lot of veterans and families who may need support however have not yet heard of Change Step or Listen In, something which we are working hard on changing.

Can veterans sign up to volunteer with the project? If so, what are the criteria for people who are interested, and what kind of roles are available?

Yes, and we would like to see veterans signing up as this in itself can help alleviate some issues surrounding isolation or boredom, and also help those who have not yet referred into the service. Contact us for further information.

When you are not working for Kaleidoscope, how do you enjoy spending your time?

I am a keen fisherman and spend a lot of my spare time at the coast. I also enjoy camping in the summer months.
 

Many thanks to Stephen for taking time out to update us about his new role. You can contact him at Kaleidoscope: 9 Castle Street, Brecon, LD3 9DD, tel: 01874 622333, mobile: 07738 320 390, or email stephen.jones@kaleidoscopeproject.org.uk

Mental Health Awareness Week 2017 - in Knighton

Yesterday Phil and I set up an information stand in Knighton Library to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week 8 – 14 May. The annual awareness week has been hosted by the charity the Mental Health Foundation since 2000 and previous themes have included relationships, mindfulness and sleep deprivation. This year’s theme is Surviving or Thriving?

“We all have mental health. Good mental health is an asset that helps us to thrive. This is not just the absence of a mental health problem, but having the ability to think, feel and act in a way that allows us to enjoy life and deal with the challenges it presents. Yet it can be easy to assume that ongoing stress is the price we have to pay to keep our lives on track. It is time to challenge that assumption”.

Following the sad loss late last year of a young man to suicide in the Knighton area, local people have been keen to raise awareness of the support that is available to people experiencing emotional distress of any sort and for any reason. Carla Rosenthal, who was at that time a Participation Officer in our team, and lives in the area, has been working closely with local organisations such as Knighton & District Community Support, Volunteering on Prescription and KINDA (Knighton Initiative for Dementia Action), along with the people of Knighton, to help organise activities:

“Events through MHAW aim to unite the community in Knighton through music, socialising and TALKING! Many local businesses are to host events but are relying on as many people to come and support them and raise awareness for a cause that's affected everybody”.

Carla suggested our team set up an information display in Knighton Library for the week alongside one from the mental health charity Mid Powys Mind. MPM holds Outreach Sessions in Knighton every Friday, 1 – 3pm, at St Edwards Community Room, St Edwards Close, Knighton. Doreen wrote about the group in October last year in Thank goodness it’s Friday in Knighton!

As the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is Surviving or Thriving? we decided to ask visitors to the library to tell us what helps them to thrive. People of all ages engaged in a conversation about emotional wellbeing, describing what helped them feel better, and some common themes soon emerged!

Finding paid work was one person's answer to thriving better emotionally. Another woman told us that her dogs made her happy: "They need us and we need them." She went on to describe the great impact Nature has on her wellbeing and recommended reading a book called "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1854 it documents the American's experience of immersing himself in the natural world whilst living simply in a small cabin for 2 years, 2 months and 2 days in Massachusetts. Thoreau observed: “Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you notice the other things around you, it will gently come and sit on your shoulder.”

In fact, books were a common theme in boosting emotional wellbeing in the people we talked to - perhaps not unsurprising considering we had based ourselves at the local library! More in-depth conversations with people revealed an uneasiness with the way that the language of "illness" is used to describe those experiencing distress. One woman said: "Nothing is black and white. There is a spectrum of greyness." We discussed a recent BBC Horizon programme - "Why did I go mad?" in which Jacqui Dillon speaks about the traumatic incidents in her childhood which led her to experience hearing voices. Our library visitor had found the programme fascinating, particularly the Nature-Nuture debate. She said: "Even if 10% of people are predisposed to experience distress - they still need to be in the right, rather the wrong situation, for it to actually happen." 

Other visitors to the library told us how "mind over matter" - the sheer determination to "keep going" - helped them to maintain high spirits. Life could throw all kinds of obstacles at us. There could be challenges to our physical health, or withdrawal of local services due to cuts, but going out into the community and talking to others - getting on with life - really seemed to help.

Gardening cropped up regularly when we asked people what helped them thrive. But Carla had taken one step further, and celebrated World Naked Gardening Day last Sunday 7 May! She had planted rocket, lettuce, climbing beans and watered tomatoes - lucky for her the weather had been gorgeous that day!

Not naked at Knighton Library however! Carla is actually shown wearing one of the T-shirts funded by Knighton & District Community Support Project which were circulated to help raise awareness.

Two live music events have been organised in Knighton to take place this weekend to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week:

Saturday 13 May

The Barebacks at The Horse & Jockey Inn, 10pm - 12am

Sunday 14 May

Open Mic Night George & Dragon Inn 8pm - 10pm