Emotional Well-Being at Wyke

During lockdown 3.0 it is important that we prioritise our wellbeing and mental health. You are all working extremely hard to make sure you stay on track and compete all your work. You are accessing your lessons remotely and you are engaged with your learning. Well done to you all.Now you also need to make sure you are structuring your days to include wellbeing time. Think of all the things you like to do, reading, walking, running, cycling, watch movies, yoga, arts and crafts, baking, cooking, mindfulness, talk to friends….. the list can be endless. Look at the December blog for setting goals. Tips for Keeping Yourself Well: Stay Active Eat Well Sleep Well Enjoy your Hobbies (choose from the list above) Talk to Friends and Families Organise a Virtual Quiz Access Togetherall and Kooth Try mindfullness, for example: How to Relax and 10 Minute Sleep Meditation . Structure your day, see the below example; 8am-9am Wakeup, have breakfast and get showered and dressed 9:10a...

As we approach the New Year, there’s lots of discussions about setting New Year’s resolutions, but they can be hard to keep up with. How about a new way of thinking about the year ahead? Instead of focusing on what you won’t do anymore, why not set an achievable goal, something positive to focus on. Think about something you want to achieve and think of the things you can do each day to achieve that goal. Decide what matters to you- What is important? What would help you to move forward? Think it through- how would you feel if you achieved your goal? What could change for you? Will the changes be positive? Prioritise your goals- if you have more than one list them in order of importance. Small steps- Write down small steps you need to achieve to reach each goal. Be specific- Write what you are going to do to reach your goal, for example, instead of saying, ‘I want to exercise more’, say, ‘I’m going to walk twice a week to college’. Be realistic- goals can be challenging, es...

It’s normal to feel worried when we face uncertainty around our health and lifestyles with COVID19. Togetherall is an online community where members can share how they're feeling in a safe environment. Formerly called The Big White Wall, the new name Togetherall represents a community which is open and inclusive to all people. Their aim is to provide a place of safety without judgement for people to get together to support each other, whilst also recognising mental health does not discriminate; we all have to look after it. Sign up today using your College email address at: https://bit.ly/3kF1o8H

This week marks Transgender Awareness Week and our blog post hopes to take a step in helping to raise awareness amongst our student and staff population and beyond. So, what does Transgender mean? A person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex. Gender is different from sex. Sex is the biological term for determining whether someone was born with X or Y chromosomes. Gender is a social construct to which traits are ascribed as either ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’. Someone’s gender does not define their sexual orientation – often these two are distinct.Gender is a spectrum across which many people identify in many ways. What can I do to help? Approaching transgender people with respect, awareness, and a desire to learn about gender is an important step in making sure you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Take some time to research more about gender identities and langauge. The following websites provide a great place to start. https://www.glaad.o...

Covid-19 has brought uncertainty for us all, face to face services have been reduced and lots of interactions are now taking place via Teams or Zoom calls. Remote working will affect everyone differently, some may find it useful, for some it may alleviate anxieties, for others it may cause anxieties. There are lots of things you can do to keep yourself feeling well, here are 4 suggestions you can try to promote better emotional wellbeing; Sleep - if we do not sleep well, this affects our concentration, mood and how our bodies function. Having a good sleep routine is very important as it will help you to relax and ensure you are fit and well. Sleep suggestions: Take a bath or shower before you go to bed Read a book or listen to calming mindfulness music Switch off devices an hour before you go to bed Try to keep your phone out of your room at bedtime Have a set sleep time, for example, 10:30pm to 7:30am Try not to sleep during the day Don’t focus on having to get to sleep,...

Lockdown lows or a chance to set new goals? As the country heads into a second lockdown have a think about things you can do to keep yourself feeling well both physically and mentally. The good news is support is available. Think about your daily maintenance plan – what keeps you feeling good and functioning well? This could be as simple as having a good sleep routine, eating well, and getting regular exercise. This doesn’t have to be anything specific and you may find that your normal exercise plan changes as things stop for the lockdown. Getting out for a walk can really help to clear your head and make you feel great. You could set yourself a goal during lockdown to try a new hobby or complete something you have wanted to but have not had chance. Don’t forget you can use online resources if you need: www.togetherall.com - a safe online community for mental health support 24/7. You can access this for free using your college email address. www.kooth.com - free, safe and confide...

World Smile Day and World Mental Health Day are both important dates in October. At Wyke we are marking both days on Friday 9th and Monday 12th October. Please join us in wearing yellow on both dates. You can join in discussions around mental health and wellbeing with your friends, family and your Wyke community. Pop along to the wellbeing desk in the atrium on both dates and join in the activities. You can also collect a yellow ribbon from the desk to wear to acknowledge world mental health day. What happens every day to make you smile? Here are a few of ours; Chatting with friends Chocolate, need we saw more! Watching films A smile from someone Sunny autumn days A lovely message from a friend Receiving Flowers Spending time with pets A great song Praise Think about what makes you smile. Take care everyone!