World Mental Health Day: Looking Inwards

 

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Today is World Mental health Day - an international campaign that highlights the importance of looking after your mental health. With this year’s theme being workplace mental health, today provides an opportunity to reflect on your mental wellbeing as a healthcare professional. Take the time today to actively look inwards, have a candid conversation with your line manager, or seek mental health support.

Take a Moment of Reflection

How often do you check in on yourself? As healthcare professionals, sometimes it feels as if there isn’t enough time in the workday to take a breather, let alone to think about how you’re feeling. With 41.7% of the 2023 NHS staff survey respondents reporting having felt unwell due to work related stress, it’s essential that you factor in quiet moments with yourself.

Reflecting on how you are feeling during your shift can give you a good indicator of your workplace wellbeing. Are you feeling tense, stressed, or overwhelmed? NHS Employers suggest looking back at the last two weeks. Have you had more bad days than good? Taking a quick record of your emotions everyday can help you to paint a picture of the current state of your wellbeing.

Speak to your Line Manager

Having a candid conversation with your line manager about your workplace wellbeing can help you start the journey to receiving the support you need. If your wellbeing is being affected by pressure, workload, or relationships with your colleagues, your line manager can support you in taking the appropriate steps to resolve these issues.

Your line manager can also refer you to wellbeing services available in your organisation, or signpost you to mental health services. Opening up to your line manager or supervisor about your wellbeing creates a line of support that you can return to when you need to.

If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to your manager or supervisor, reach out to another senior colleague, HR, occupational health, or your organisation’s wellbeing lead.

Seek Mental Health Support

After reflecting, you may feel that you would benefit from support from a mental health professional. Mental health support exists many forms to support individuals experiencing varying levels of mental ill health. Below is a variety of routes you can take to seek mental health support:

NHS Talking Therapies

NHS talking therapies is a service that provides talking therapies, counselling, other therapies, and guided self-help.

Guided Self-Help

Guided self-help is where you work through a self-help workbook or computer course with the support of a therapist. This form of therapy can be a useful way to try out a therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy to see if it works for you. Self-help therapies can also be convenient if you are short on time or have prior commitments.

Talking Therapies

Talking therapies, or psychological therapies, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help if you're struggling with things like feelings of depression, excessive worry, social anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

You can self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies without receiving a referral from your GP.

Specialist Mental Health Support for Health and Care Professionals

NHS Practitioner Health

NHS Practitioner Health is a mental health and addiction service with expertise in treating health and care professionals. We provide support for healthcare professionals in England and Scotland who are unable to receive confidential treatment from their local services, as well as psychoeducation services for trainees in London and the South East of England. Register with us today.

Canopi

Canopi is a free and confidential mental health support service for NHS and social care staff in Wales.

Frontline19

Frontline19 provide free and confidential psychological support for people working in the NHS & frontline services in the UK.

Membership Organisations

Membership organisations such as the Royal College of Nursing and the British Medical Association offer a variety of free and member only support services.

BMA, royal colleges,

Charities

Mental health charities offer a variety of resources and support for free. To find your local mental health charities, visit Hub of Hope. There are a variety of charities that support the wellbeing of healthcare professionals in the UK, including

Published: Oct 15, 2024