So, although the weather has been freezing, I am now seeing the begins of Spring. My daffodils are well and, and I saw some crocus brightening up the grass verges near my home. I hear we are also getting some warmer weather up from the Canaries which will be very welcome especially as I am spending some much-needed family time at Centre Parcs this school half term. My 6 and 3-year-olds are really looking forward to seeing which lodge we are in and already guessing who will count the most squirrels. For all my teacher friends and associates I know there is a mass count down to a week ‘off’ I am not going to get into the debate around teacher holidays and whether they get their time off or not!!
For many people, however, I realise life doesn’t revolve around school holidays and often are unaware until the annoying pings of out of office come back as replies to important emails. Take a moment to understand both sides of this. Although it can be annoying, it is never fun knowing your inbox is piling up while on annual leave, often when the annual leave time has been decided for you due to school dates. Are you aware of how this might be affecting your stress levels and your mental health?
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New articles
If you haven’t already seen my recent articles then why not check them out? If you like what you are reading then why not subscribe?
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Industry news – Mental Health and Wellbeing
If you are trying to build a business case for mental health first aid training then why not check out this document put together by MHFA England.
Implementing Mental Health First Aiders
NHS England has announced plans to support new fathers or expectant father by introducing mental health checks. What should be or is seen to be an exciting new chapter can actually end up being a very scary and anxious time effecting mental health considerably. Support structures and awareness campaigns are already in place for women but the toll it can take on men supporting their partner through this time often goes unnoticed by the medical profession. Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national mental health director, said any form of mental ill health during pregnancy, labour or early parenthood is a considerable concern. “It doesn’t just disrupt life for mums but also for dads, partners and the wider family. The NHS has made huge strides forward in improving mental health care for new mums, and ensuring their partners are properly supported too is the next logical step,” she said.
Training and testimonials
I have had some fantastic feedback following my first ‘Mental Health and ….’ Webinar. It was great talking to Amy about the impact personality can have on mental health and vice versa. We talked a lot about raising awareness, (you will hear me saying that a lot!!!) Have you watched it, what are your thoughts?
My January Mental Health First Aid course was a huge success, and the feedback was just awesome. The impact it had on everyone in the room was just incredible to see and hear.
As well as receiving many referrals and bookings for my Feb and March courses coming up, I also received terrific verbatim feedback. This is some feedback I received from my course on 26th and 27th January.
“I saw this course advertised by Amanda. It was the best money I’ve ever invested in, not just for my own Mental Health & Wellbeing, but for those around me. I see this course supporting sole traders, employers, HR & HSE consultants and anyone who has a coaching business… Amanda, I can’t rate your delivery highly enough. Thank you.”
Wellness tips
Last month I shared with you how to stick to your goals, how did you get on? Did you stick to them, did my tips help? I would love to know.
This month, I would like you to think about setting work and personal life boundaries. With practically everyone having smartphones there is no escape from work emails, social media notifications etc. Switching off is so difficult. Therefore we end up not absorbing ourselves in just watching our favourite program, experiencing a family mealtime, or playing a game with our children, there are often constant interruptions.
How to change these interruptions
1 – Check your notification settings. Do you need a ‘ding’ every time something changes?
2 – Set time boundaries for you to stop checking work emails. You could even set up out of office notifications to manage peoples expectations on your replies if that helps you
3 – While carrying out an activity, if you can’t trust yourself not to keep turning on your phone to check if anything has changed then either turn it off or at the very least put it in a different room. This will feel really odd to start with but a few evening of doing this will soon help break the habit
4 – Check your screen time stats so you can see what is taking up your time. Awareness is the first part of changing behaviour.
5 – Discuss this with friends and family to ensure you help each other being in the moment and not lost in digital interactions.
Let me know how you feel about this and what the impact has been, remember habits take time to form, and this will feel strange to start with.
What’s coming up?
If you would like to know how to support, approach and structure a conversation around mental health with colleagues, family or friends then this course is for YOU. Likewise, this will give you awareness and insight into your own mental health enabling you to be more productive at home or at work.
My next 2-day Adult Mental Health First Aid open courses are
- 26th and 27th February at the Holiday Inn Express Lichfield
- 14th and 15th March at Leicester Tigers (on behalf of 1st Choice Safety Training & Consultancy)
- 25th and 26th March at the Holiday Inn Express Lichfield
Please contact me if you would like more information or would like to attend.
Webinar series ‘Mental Health and …..’
I am excited to have Wendy Hill joining me for my 3rd webinar in my series to discuss Mental Health and Nutrition. Wendy is a Nutrition, health and wellbeing advisor. She has a wealth of tips and information around ensuring you are putting the right things in your body to enable you to be at your best.
The second in this series is ‘Mental Health and the impact of MHFA in the workplace’ expert interview recording with Phil Gilbert Smith, Fellow MHFA England Instructor and Samaritan. On this webinar, we will be discussing the need for training in the workplace and the positive impact it can have not only personally but on your business too.
This will be available to view on the website or sent out directly if you have subscribed to my mailing list.
Networking events
I know working on my own business will require me to successfully ‘spin a lot of plates’, and although I have a lot of training and facilitation days in March there will be times I need to spend by myself, however for my personal wellbeing, productivity and energy levels, I need to ensure I have time with other like-minded people. Attending networking events is a crucial part of my working weeks where I develop my own skills, share with others and generally enjoy the interaction.
Where I have been or where you will find me in March
12th Feb I attended the Love Ladies Business Group, where not only did I listen to the fantastic Sue Arnold, Police Deputy Chief Commissioner, but I also presented in the business showcase. I shared my story around mental ill health and why buying a pint of milk was the scariest experience I had felt and how that was the catalyst to my recovery. A lot of ladies spoke to me afterwards as they could resonate with my experiences. As busy, successful people, experiencing mental ill health does not define you and that there is no shame in asking for support or help. In fact, it can actually make you stronger.
The 2 LLBG meetings I can attend this month are Sutton Coldfield on 6th and Burton on 18th March. Visit www.loveladiesbusinessgroup.co.uk if you would like to come along to the network as a guest.
1st March I will be attending Trainer Talk Live, if you are a fellow trainer reading this and want to be amongst like-minded successful trainers then look no further than joining Sharon Gaskins Trainer Talk group. The support and knowledge in this group is fantastic. Go to trainer-talk.co.uk for more information.