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Taking care of mental health during the pandemic

Infectious disease outbreaks like coronavirus (COVID-19), can cause anxiety and affect our mental health. While it is important to stay informed, there are also many things we should do to support and manage our wellbeing.

You may feel worried or stressed at the thought of being asked to stay at home or avoid contact with other people and it might seem more difficult than usual to take care of your mental health and wellbeing.

Here are some links to websites which we hope will help you, your friends and your family to look after your mental health at a time when there is so much discussion of potential threats to our physical health.

Here is a handy checklist to prepare yourself for self isolation

Chit-Chat - a new not-for-profit organisation creating a place for everyone to have a conversation in a way that suits them best 

Time To Talk from Living Options - telephone and webcam service, provided by a team of staff and volunteers, offering a listening ear, peer support, information, advice and signposting. The webcam service for Deaf people who use British Sign Language (BSL) is provided by people who are fluent in BSL. 

Get Psychological First Aid training to support children and young people’s mental health during emergencies and crisis situations with a free course from Future Learn. On this course, learners will explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what they can do to help people cope.

If you are concerned about someone else's mental health the following link may be useful:

How to help someone safely

Counselling

Kim Bennett is offering counselling services for those struggling with isolation, you can reach her by email: kim16b@gmail.com