Northern Ireland businesses coping with employee stress during the ongoing pandemic have been supported by Action Mental Health’s specialist employer service, AMH Works.

Throughout the past year, AMH Works has been tireless in its effort to meet growing demand for its various training programmes, which help employers support healthy, resilient workplaces – even if they’ve moved to employees’ kitchens.

In ‘normal’ times, AMH Works develops the skills and learning required to effectively manage employee mental well-being in the workplace. Courses available help workplace managers address mental ill-health in the workplace, offer mental health awareness training, stress awareness, personal resilience programmes and mental health first aid, as well as specialist guidance on spotting those at risk of suicidal thoughts – Safetalk.

AMH Works delivers mental health training and consultancy services to some of the Top 100 companies in Northern Ireland and the UK, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Allstate NI and Schrader Electronics.

When lockdown happened last April and the AMH Works team found themselves working from home, like so many other teams and employees across the UK, it was recognised that COVID-19 and the subsequent changes introduced as a result, would have an impact on the well-being of so many.

In a short space of time AMH Works was able to adapt its well-being courses to online delivery to ensure continuity of support to clients, to help keep their employees’ well-being prioritising during this difficult time.

The team from AMH Works created new courses that looked specifically at how people could manage their stress and build resilience whilst working from home. They also produced free tool kits that were shared with clients, and on social media, to try and ensure that people could access support of some kind.

AMH Works Project Manager Rachael Power offered words of assurance:

“As we come out of lockdown and some work places are opening up, we hope that organisations will recognise that this may be a difficult transition for some employees and they will continue to offer them well-being support.

“This period of transition may involve difficult conversations taking place between managers and staff, but we can provide your staff with training to ensure they feel prepared and confident to manage these conversations in a positive and empathetic manner through our Mindful Manager programme,” she said.

“We also offer a course that looks specifically at Covid, Stress and returning to work/campus which would be beneficial for all staff during this period of transition,” she added.

As Northern Ireland moves forward, the AMH Works team is looking forward to being able to offer its full range of our training courses in person, as well as continuing to deliver online.

“We want to be able to deliver our courses in whichever way is best for our client and their employees.”

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Find out more about our AMH Works’ programmes click here or email Rachael Power – [email protected]

We all experience stress in different ways throughout our daily lives. Recognised as a significant factor affecting our mental health, it can exacerbate anxiety and depression. Stress is also known to impact our physical health, either as a causal or additional factor, through conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, insomnia and digestive problems.    

The current pandemic has understandably increased our stress levels. In particular, an escalation has been evident in the three known, key causes of stress – disconnection, uncertainty and a loss of control.

The great news is that once we can identify our own sources of stress, we are in a better place to tackle it. Looking after yourself and making time for self-care, exercise, eating well and relaxation, are all crucial in minimising your stress levels.

We experience stress at home and of course, stress at work, and just as Action Mental Health supports and promotes positive mental health across society in Northern Ireland, it also boasts a dedicated service for the workplace – AMH Works.

In ‘normal’ times, AMH Works provides quality mental health training programmes for employers to support healthy, resilient workplaces. It helps employers to develops the skills and learning required to effectively manage employee mental well-being in the workplace and also delivers mental health training and consultancy services to some of the Top 100 companies in Northern Ireland and the UK. These include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Allstate NI and Schrader Electronics among others.

Responding to these unprecedented times of lockdown, AMH Works has continued to respond to employee well-being needs in innovative and effective ways. It has undoubtedly been a bit different for employers to navigate this year, but AMH Works has here to help.  With a suite of evidence based mental health and well-being training programmes and a wealth of expertise in workplace well-being, AMH Works can support employers to promote positive mental health for employees and create a healthy and more resilient workplace. 

Whatever your source of stress, be it work or another aspect of life, talking about your feelings of stress with your family, friends and colleagues can help reduce the burden of facing it alone. It can also help reduce the stigma, and by sharing your own experience, and your own individual coping mechanisms, you might just help someone else facing a similar situation. Showing compassion and empathy for others going through stressful situations is also so important, as we all need a little help from time to time.

This year’s Stress Awareness Month theme has focused on ‘Regaining Connectivity, Certainty and Control’, three aspects of life that have largely been victims of the pandemic. But as we ease out of lockdown, you can help to de-stress your life, at home or at work, by participating in Stress Awareness Month’s 30-Day Challenge, which has encouraged people to choose a daily action for each of our physical, mental and emotional well-being. As it takes 30 days to turn actions into habits, the challenge has been helping us maximise our chances of turning useful knowledge and techniques into positive behavioural change.

Why not start your own 30-day challenge to tackle the sources of stress in your life? Choose a date to suit you and set aside time to begin good habits to last a lifetime.

For more information simply visit https://www.stress.org.uk/30daychallenge/ and download your 30-Day Challenge Calendar from the resource page.

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Find out more about our AMH Works’ programmes click here or email Rachael Power – [email protected]

Stress can affect us all everyday. We get stressed from the norms of everyday life – relationships, school, work and in more recent times, the pandemic, isolation, and uncertainty have also been added to that list. For individuals living with an eating disorder, such environmental and social factors may heighten stress levels and cause destructive mental and behavioral patterns. This month is Stress Awareness Month, and this week we have joined up with our partners – Covid Wellbeing NI Hub to share some advice from our Eating Disorder service – AMH everyBODY on coping with stress if you or a loved one is living with an eating disorder.

Mindfulness and Grounding techniques – During lockdown we have all had to cope with more time on our own and for a person with an eating disorder, more time in their head with their thoughts can be a source of stress if these thoughts are negative and critical. One way to deal with this is by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness takes us out of our head and into the here and now, not stressing about things that have happened, or worrying about things in the future. We focus on the things we know for sure in the moment we are in. A simple grounding technique that EVERYBODY can use anywhere to help practice this is 5,4,3,2,1. Take a deep breath and look for 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can feel, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. This technique soothes your nervous system and brings you back into the now. One of our service users who regularly uses this technique says “I love this as a coping tool because I can literally use it anywhere and nobody even needs to know I’m doing it, it’s quick, easy and stops me from becoming overwhelmed or caught up in a train of negative thinking.”

We made this video for Children’s Mental Health Week in February, about Grounding Techniques:-

Connect and Communicate – Eating disorders thrive in silence and isolation. When we feel stress in relation to our eating disorder, an automatic response is to want to withdraw, but this only allows eating disorder thoughts and to become louder and more amplified. When we take the brave and valuable step to ask for support we have an ally to fight any eating disorder difficulties together. Connection can give us an outside perspective to challenge negative thinking and unhelpful behaviours. Choosing to speak up and ask for support is a sign of strength. You deserve support at the earliest point. It is never too early, or too late to seek support. It can be helpful to agree, regular check-ins with your trusted supporters. Staying connected reminds us we don’t have to face the difficult days alone.

Create space for Self Care – Sometimes stress can be the result of negating our needs, perhaps from being on auto-pilot or taking on additional responsibilities. Creating time for self care is about prioritising time to meet your own needs. This could be a need for comfort, support, rest, learning, setting boundaries etc. Self care isn’t all bubble baths and manicures, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Often the most effective self care is simple and accessible. It could be making time to check in with yourself throughout the day and ask “What am I feeling, what do I need, what can I do?”. Another way we can practice self care is by creating a comfort list, a list of things we can go to, to self soothe – creating mood playlists, having a list of kind coping statements we can use on difficult days, a list of activities that help bring us comfort like realistic to do lists, or decluttering spaces. Self care is doing the simple things that look at our physical and emotional needs so that we can function well.

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If you live in the Southern Health Trust Area you can contact the AMH everyBODY Team – T: 028 3839 2314 or E: [email protected]

Gail Calwell, Assistant Team Leader – Adult team in AMH New Life Counselling, has received the coveted Chairman’s ICE Award – which was launched in 2016 and now boasts a host of recepients from across our services and throughout N Ireland.

The Chairman’s ICE award recognises individuals’ contribution to Innovation, Creativity and Excellence within the organisation and are presented twice a year to celebrate individual achievement. Recipients are presented with an ICE award and also win an extra day’s leave.

The awards were conceived in recognition that AMH’s people are “the organisation’s most important resource in achieving its mission and advancing its vision”, according to chairman Peter Fitzsimmons.

“The commitment, enthusiasm and skills of staff are vital to the success of AMH and to the quality of the service experienced by clients and customers. As such, AMH is committed to recognising and rewarding the achievements of its staff, “ he said.

Action Mental Health Chief Executive David Babington congratulated Gail on her achievement.

Gail embodies the ethos that ‘people are the organisation’s most important resource’ and this is evidenced in her leadership of the volunteers and students within the Adult Project, NLC. She leads this team with enthusiasm and inspiration. Gail is committed to the emotional and mental health and well-being of our clients through ensuring that the volunteers and students are supported, encouraged and nurtured to provide ‘best practice’.

She has worked tirelessly especially during the pandemic to create a team which is supportive of one another, mutually encouraging and open to learning.

Gail is also a creative art therapist has been ‘creative’ in the way she has developed this team within the adult project. She places a high value on communication and connection. She set up a WhatsApp group for counsellors to support one another practically and mentally/emotionally, she meets with team members regularly on an individual basis for case management meetings and collectively through regular Saturday support meetings. She is passionate about her practice as a therapist and is generous in giving of herself, her knowledge and her time to the development of the volunteers and students. 

Gail is an ambassador for the profession and AMH New Life Counselling. Students and volunteers want to have placements with us. They willing give of their time freely to our clients because they know of our reputation for providing excellent support and opportunities.

There were a number of really strong submissions and the Chairman would like to thank all those who took the time to submit an application.

Grainne Close, Interim Director of Therapeutic Services added,

Gail always goes the extra mile…meeting volunteers on a Saturday morning, to provide support and personal development training, because most of them have other jobs and  work during the week. That’s real dedication and commitment!

A newly launched motivational accessory company has celebrated its launch by entering an exciting partnership with Action Mental Health.

Ozz Bands of County Down produce gorgeous, colourful positivity-focused wristbands which carry messages aimed at promoting better well-being and mental health.

As part of the new partnership with Action Mental Health, the Bangor based company is making a donation to the charity for every one of its new array of wristbands sold.

Ozz Bands has launched a total of 11 new well-being designs and plans are in the pipeline to complement the new range with even more in the coming months.

Since the launch of the new products, the company has been bowled over by the positive feedback of people who have purchased them.

Ozz Bands owner, Jarrett Truscott, explained: ““In our first month, we have already received very positive, encouraging and humbling messages from our customers. Our bands are helping children and adults deal with anxiety and day to day worries which in itself is very rewarding.”

Jarrett commented further on Ozz Bands’ motivation to choose a mental health charity as the new charity partner: “Mental health is very important to Ozz Bands and we are determined to make sure that we contribute to mental health in Northern Ireland, long-term. 

“Action Mental Health covers an amazing amount of areas in mental health and our current and future wristband designs touch on many of these areas as well. We are based in Bangor, so with AMH providing support in our local area and indeed across Northern Ireland, it was a perfect fit!” he said.

“Your wrist is looked at so many times a day and our bands carry different positive messages giving people a positive trigger and constant reminder throughout the day. They are extremely high quality and fully reversible so you can keep the message close or flip it to show it off,” he added.

Every wristband purchased automatically sends a donation to AMH through Ozz Bands’ website (www.ozzbands.com) and it is hoped the donations will mark the start of further contributions in future.

“Our relationship with AMH is very exciting and motivating at the same time. Knowing that every sale helps someone’s mental health is such a drive and we will be hoping to deliver on that as much as possible over the coming years,” Jarrett concluded.

Action Mental Health’s Head of Communications & Fundraising, Jonathan Smyth said the charity was delighted to welcome Ozz Bands as one of its generous supporters.

“Action Mental Health is so grateful to have the support of Ozz Bands. As a charity, we depend a great deal on the support of the Northern Ireland community and local businesses, to help fund our vital array of services which are designed to support the well-being and mental health of everyone, of all ages. We are really looking forward to working with Jarrett with his exciting new business.”

Action Mental Health’s counselling service, AMH New Life Counselling delivers vital and life-changing counselling services in some of the most disadvantaged areas across Belfast, providing support at this time of need to communities and clients hardest hit by COVID-19.

Over the last 12 months of the lockdown, many clients have experienced an increase in psychological stress due to the negative impact of the pandemic. It’s recognised that the gaps in health inequalities have grown, and many of our clients, who are unemployed or in low paid work, have faced considerable financial struggles to make ends meet.

As a result of funding from Department of Health, Belfast Protect Life Implementation Group (BPLIG) has enabled a city wide response via a number of agencies including AMH/New Life Counselling, to support clients at their time of need.

Clients in receipt of counselling or bereavement services who have been struggling financially during the pandemic have been given a practical boost with the gift of emergency food hampers and helpful mental health resource pack.

AMH New Life Counselling will help lift the burden of COVID-19 a little and stay connected with clients providing access to services remotely while they wait for face-to-face counselling to resume.

Team leader with AMH New Life Counselling, Sarah Grant-Jones, explains: “For many of our clients already struggling financially, COVID-19 has brought additional challenges. The food hampers have provided not only practical help but also the offer of mental and emotional support through the resource leaflet that accompanied it. At a time when connection is challenged we have been able to show that we care and that we are still listening!”

Frances Dowds Emotional Health & Wellbeing Manager, Public Health Agency said: “This is one of three initiatives BPLIG have supported to address the needs of our community, city wide. A leaflet targeting  GPs will also raise awareness of bereavement services available across the city and joint work on improving access to services for families bereaved as a result of drugs and alcohol, is also moving forward. Working through local agencies such as Action Mental Health enables practical supports to be targeted to those in receipt of services who need them most.”

AMH New Life Counselling, is committed more than ever, to supporting the emotional health and well-being needs of clients. Services are provided through a caring, compassionate and non-judgemental counselling support service, at a time when people need it most.

For further information on the services AMH New Life Counselling provides, please check out our website: www.amh.org, which continues to work in communities hardest hit by the pandemic.

Children transitioning from primary to secondary school have been learning how to support their own well-being through an initiative delivered through a collaboration of local partner agencies, including Action Mental Health.

The move to ‘big school’ can often present many challenges for children, and in response, the Larne and Carrickfergus Locality Planning Group (LPG), part of the Children & Young People’s Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT), offered the mental health promotion project to P7 pupils in the Larne and Carrickfergus areas.

The project, ‘Growing a Healthy, Positive Me,’ is based on Action Mental Health’s Healthy Me programme, which promotes well-being across Northern Ireland’s primary schools and raises awareness of mental health issues among children, their teachers, parents and key contacts.

The initiative aims to improve outcomes for children, young people and families in the area, with mental and emotional well-being identified as a priority.

Action Mental Health’s MensSana teams delivered 30 minute, bitesize ‘Healthy Me’ sessions to P7 classes, online, while they were homeschooling. The sessions led children through the principles of the Five Ways to Well-Being, which are key steps designed to promote overall well-being, and reached almost 200 pupils in nine schools.

The sessions were followed up with an arts and crafts project, in which pupils were asked to design a ‘Tree of Strength’. The Tree of Strength helped to reinforce the positive messages of the online sessions and prompted children to reflect on their own, individual strengths. It also helped to illustrate positive strategies children can use to cope with the challenges they may face in future.

The completed pieces of art were then entered into a competition for a chance to win a monetary prize sponsored by the Larne and Carrickfergus LPG which could be used to purchase Health and Well-Being resources for their schools.

The ‘Growing a Healthy Positive Me’ programme was evaluated as making a very positive impact on the children, who rated it as ‘very good’. One pupil said: “I loved taking time to think about all of the things I can do and the people I can talk to, to help me feel positive about myself and reduce my anxiety.’

A teacher also commented: “The webinar was interactive and very well thought out. Children really loved discussing and drawing the Tree of Strength. It is so relevant during these difficult times of lockdown.’

Kate McDermott, Health and Wellbeing Manager, Northern Health & Social Care Trust commented: “This is a very positive and welcoming initiative aimed at children transitioning from primary to secondary school during these challenging times. It reflects the responses from the Northern Area Parents, Children and Young People Survey 2020 which highlighted the need to address emotional health and resilience of children and young people at a local level”.

Karen Hillis, Service Manager with AMH MensSana commented: “The Growing a Healthy, Positive Me’ was a great initiative for Action Mental Health to be a part of, and it was an excellent example of collaborative working between the partner agencies of the Larne and Carrickfergus Locality Planning Group, Action Mental Health as well as all the schools and children involved.”