Self care resources

Taking better care of ourselves and our colleagues and paying attention to what you need.

The following information and resources have been identified to support you in looking after yourself.

Looking after yourself and others following a trauma

Mental Health Foundation: Tips to look after your mental health during traumatic world events

Understanding and Managing Trauma - a guide from the NHS

Looking after your child following trauma - a guide from the NHS

GM Mental Health & Wellbeing resources: freely accessible resources available for anyone to use, with links to support and information.

Staying Safe amidst Far Right Violence  - a guide

Trauma Responsive Greater Manchester - click here for the Salford page

Emotional and mental wellbeing

Every Mind Matters: information and advice to support mental health, updated with Coronavirus and wellbeing support.

NHS mental wellbeing audio guides:  a series of 10 minute mental wellbeing audio guides to help with feeling of low mood and anxiety.

Silver Cloud: a new online therapy programme, includes stress and resilience modules.

GMMH: self-help resources and information worksheets covering a range of issues including anxiety, resilience and sleep.

NHS Mood Self-Assessment: can help you to better understand how you’re feeling and the support you might need (for anyone aged 16 and over).

Taking Steps: a personal guide to 5 ways to wellbeing (Devon Partnership NHS Trust). The guide has been designed to support people in taking action to have a healthier and more satisfying life.

Relaxation ideas and activities

1. Mindfulness is a technique you can learn which involves making a special effort to notice what's happening in the present moment (in your mind, body and surroundings) – without judging anything.

MIND: provides information on mindfulness, how to practice it and include some simple exercise to try.

NHS: an overview of Mindfulness, how it can help and some ideas on how to be more mindful.

Every Mind Matters have produced this short video that talks you through how to do a mindful breathing exercise. Duration: 2.30 mins.

How to de-stress in 5 simple steps (Happiful): too much stress isn’t good for us. As well as damaging our mental and physical health, it can cause problems at work and in our relationship, these simple steps can help to lower stress.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust: Relaxation Techniques, audio files of relaxation techniques that can help relieve stress and gain a sense of well-being. 

2. Sleep: Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel, so it's important to get enough. Try to maintain regular sleeping patterns and keep up good sleep hygiene practices – like avoiding screens before bed, cutting back on caffeine and creating a restful environment.

The Mental Health Foundation has a range of information on how to help yourself with sleep.

Relax Melodies: Choose your favourite sounds and music from their vast library to create your own soothing mix, you will need to register to access.

3. Feeding our brains: Nutrition and hydration

• Wellbeing and nutrition podcast: an introduction into how a good nutritious diet can help mental health
• NHS Eat Well Guide: shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet
• NHS Hydration Guide: information about which drinks are best for our health
• MIND - Food and mood: information about the relationship between what we eat and how we feel

4. Getting active

• Join the Movement: Sport England’s new national campaign designed to give you the advice and tools you need to help you stay physically active. The website contains a range of resources for both adults and children, including free access to the Nike Training Club, exercises for older adults, home workout routines for disabled people, and Disney dance-alongs!
• Online workouts: the NHS Fitness Studio has a range of videos at different levels to follow
• Couch to 5k: a programme for those new to running to help gradually build up to running 5k

Resilience (COVID-19)

Developing Emotional Resilience and Wellbeing: a practical guide for social workers – community Care have created to help support social workers during this challenging period (published Spring 2020).

Coronavirus Staff Resilience Hub, developed by MindEd, provides advice and tips from our large panel of international experts covering the following:

• Helping each other
• Trauma and distress
• Stress and fear
• Tips for managers and team leaders

GM Mental Health & Wellbeing resources: freely accessible resources available for anyone to use, with links to support and information.

COVID Series: 1 - Patterns of Stress determine Risk & Resilience: 15 min video with Dr. Bruce Perry discusses how the pattern of stress can determine risk or resilience. The importance of structure, predicability and moderation of daily stress is highlighted. The malleability of the capacity to demonstrate resilience is discussed.

Your COVID Recovery: NHS website designed to help people recover from the long-term effects of COVID-19 and support them to manage their recovery. It includes information from rehabilitation experts about how to manage ongoing symptoms and health needs at home, and signposts to sources of support. 

Mental Health Foundation: Tips on looking after our mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus outbreak.