First issue of the FHSW Newsletter. Looking at how we are coping with the ever changing Coronavirus pandemic and what we can do to ease the anxiety around the topic. 

Second issue of newsletter looking into how we are coping with having to work from home, with hints and tips to help both employees and employers.

This issue focuses on helping line management manage their teams remotely. 

18- 24th May 2020 is Mental Health Awareness week. In response to the COVID -19 pandemic the theme switched from sleep to kindness. COVID -19 has ment pretty radical changes for all of us in a very short amount of time. We have had to adapt quickly  adapt to a whole new way of life.

This issues looks at the impact of stress on our lives, specifically looking at how the pandemic has affected our normality. 

As lockdown begins to ease, we may be faced with challenges and opportunties. However many of us may find these longed for changes difficult for our mental health.

Right now many workers are dealing with mental health problems such as anxiety, depression or stress. This can stop people performing at their best. Organisations perform better when their staff are healthy, motivated and focused. 

Suicide Prevention Day 10th September 2020. Every year organisations and communities around the world come together on 10th September to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide. 

World mental Health Day is celebrated on 10th October every year. In 2020 the theme was "Mental Health for All".

The Mental Health Continuum is a way of looking at how our mental health is fluid and changes over time. 

Christmas is know for happiness and joy, but not everyone feels the festive joy during this season. 

A reflection on the year we have just lived through. 

Childrens Mental Health week, aims to shine a spotlight of the mental health issues of children and young people. 

Eating Disorder Awareness week is a national campaign to highlight the issues around eating disorders and body image. 

Raising Awareness of the causes and cures of our modern stress epidemic.

When we feel distressed, we need a compassionate, human response. The earlier we are able to recognise when something isn’t quite right, the earlier we can get support.

Pride Month is celebrated each year in June. It is a time to reflect on the impact lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer or questioning (LGBTIQ+) people have had in the world. When it comes to the health and well being of the LGBTIQ+ population, Research suggests individuals who identify as LGBTIQ+ face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people has specifically been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide.

Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid – particularly about things that are about to happen, or which we think could happen in the future. Anxiety is a natural human response when we feel that we are under threat. It can be experienced through our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations.

Most people feel anxious at times. It's particularly common to experience some anxiety while coping with stressful events or changes, especially if they could have a big impact on your life.

Every year organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

Each year has a different theme and focus, to bring to light a specific aspect of suicide prevention. World Suicide Prevention Suicide Day is always on 10 September. This year’s theme, which will be the theme until 2023, is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’, which aims to empower people with the confidence to engage with the complexity of ‘hope’.

This years theme is a continuation of last years. Mental health care for all: let's make it a reality and takes place as normal on 10th October.

We live in a biased system that disadvantages People of Colour and Black people. The impact of racial inequity on mental health is both devastating and profound.

Christmas is known for happiness and joy, but not everyone feels the festive cheer during the season. It’s normal to have ups and downs at Christmas, just like any other time of the year. With stresses like money and gift buying, to deciding who to spend your time with, or if this is even possible – it can be a

time of struggles.

It appears we have all started to accept that the world has changed and we now have a new normal, however that normal, is different for everyone. Depending on your 'Frame of Reference' and the factors that influence your experience and lifestyle, you will view this new normal in different ways to others.

Time to Talk Day is the nation’s biggest mental health conversation and it takes place on Thursday 3 February 2022, it’s the day that friends, families, communities, and workplaces come together to talk, listen and change lives. This issue will help you "have those conversations"

Throughout an exceptionally volatile few years, it can sometimes seem as though the bad news pours relentlessly into your head. This has caused even the most avid news-watchers to become daunted and anxious. The constant stream of negative and demoralising information has the power to play a major role in your mental health.

There's a close relationship between sleep and mental health. Living with a mental health problem can affect how well you sleep, and poor sleep can have a negative impact on your mental health.

The Mental Health Foundation has announced the dates and theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. It will run from Monday 9 May until Sunday 15 May 2022. The week will explore the experience of loneliness, its effect on our mental health and how we can all play a part in reducing loneliness in our communities.

Pride Month is celebrated each year in June. It is  a time to reflect on the impact lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer or questioning (LGBTIQ+) people have had in the world. When it comes to the health and well being of the LGBTIQ+ population, Research suggests individuals who identify as LGBTIQ+ face health disparities linked to societal stigma, discrimination, and denial of their civil and human rights. Discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people has specifically been associated with high rates of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic life-threatening event or serious injury. Traumatic events can make us feel that our lives are unpredictable, that we are out of control, find it difficult to feel safe and trust other people, ourselves and our judgements. Our experiences often feel unfair, unjust, inhumane and cruel and can make us question our assumptions about the world and others. We can lose faith and become disconnected from others.

World Suicide Prevention Day is always on 10 September. Every year, organisations and communities around the world come together to raise awareness of how we can create a world where fewer people die by suicide.

Stress and poor mental health are one of the biggest public health challenges that we're facing. Sadly, even though that is the case, we are still not taking its impact seriously enough. We continue to separate mental health from physical health and vice versa. The reality is they cannot be separate - they are two sides of the same coin.

Focusing on anxiety for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people's awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem. At the same time, it will keep up the pressure to demand change - making sure that improving mental health is a key priority for the government and society as a whole.