If you need help with a range of wellbeing issues including financial wellbeing, bereavement support, managing stress and team resilience, there are plenty of helpful and practical guides on NHS People here. The site includes information on how to sleep better and free wellbeing apps for NHS staff.

The NHS People Wellbeing Support leaflet is also a useful guide to help manage your health and wellbeing while looking after others. Download it here.

Below are some ideas for how to care for yourself or your colleagues, a friend or as a line manager, with everything from mindfulness techniques to spiritual care and tips for working from home.

If you're feeling anxious at work

Try mindfulness or distraction techniques

• Read a guide on how to use mindfulness to look after your mental health here.
• Mindful colouring can help take your mind off things for 5 minutes, helping you recharge. Download this colouring in sheet here.
• Thinking about unpleasant things will tend to make them worse. One way of stopping this downward cycle is to distract yourself. Download the poster here for ideas on how.

Self-care by breathing and exercising well

• When we're feeling anxious, our breathing can shallow and we can take short, rapid breaths, which could eventually make us feel light-headed among other symptoms. To help yourself, try doing some diaphragmatic breathing. Download this poster here to find out how. Alternatively you could try doing some hand breathing, which will help calm and centre you. Download this poster to find out how to do it.
• Exercise can help manage stress and anxiety. Read more here.

Managing your anxiety long term

• Further tips on how to cope with anxiety here.
• Guide on how to overcome fear and anxiety here.
• Guide on how to manage stress here.

If you're working from home

• Steps to Wellbeing have put together some useful information for those working from home. Tips include ideas around environment, scheduling, routine, diet and exercise. Find out more here.
• As an employer, we still have the same health and safety responsibilities for you when you are working from home. The official HR guidance on homeworking is here. The HSE website also has a video about creating a workspace at home, which is useful. Watch it here. This video covers working on a laptop.
• Remote working guide: NHS People have put together some top tips to stay connected, feel productive and maintain your wellbeing if you and your team find yourselves having to work remotely during Covid. There are five parts to this guide: Why prolonged remote working takes adjustment, tips for everyone when getting started working remotely, tips for teams, tips for team leaders and using technology to stay connected. Read the guide here.

If you'd like to support your colleagues

• Actively listen to your team mates so you can offer some useful support. Read this poster to find out how.
• Make someone's day by doing a random act of kindness. Here's how.
• Psychological first aid in emergencies training for frontline staff and volunteers.

 

If your colleagues are working from home or self-isolating

Staff working remotely may be feeling distant and removed from their teams and normal working lives.

Many staff will find being away from the hospital at such an important time difficult and, from comments we have received and heard, we know this can lead to feelings of anxiety and guilt.

Please use every opportunity to keep in touch with colleagues as they remain key members of your team.

Tell them they're missed and make time to connect - whether by phone or email - and make sure they're updated on what's happening.

Or, why not send them a card to cheer them up?

Financial wellbeing support

Click here to view, download and share our confidential staff financial wellbeing poster.

Confidential spiritual and pastoral care

Our chaplaincy team are offering spiritual guidance to staff.

Our confidential service is available for patients, relatives, friends and carers, irrespective of whether or not you have a religious faith. Chaplains are people with time to listen, offer support and journey alongside you.If your request is urgent, please ask the ward staff to bleep the on-call chaplain.

Poole

A chaplain is normally available 24 hours a day in an emergency. Our chaplaincy services covers Poole Hospital, St Mary's Maternity Unit, Forest Holme Hospice and the Harbour Hospital.

• Asking a member of the ward staff to contact us on your behalf.
• Calling: 0300 019 2167 (chaplains' office)
  0300 019 8153 (chapel)
  Or via switchboard on 0300 019 5511 and ask them to contact the on-call chaplain.

Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals

Chaplains are available through the day, and an 'On Call' Chaplain is also available out of hours and at weekend /bank holidays. Chaplains are available for spiritual support in strictest confidence. You do not have to be religious to speak to the Chaplain who will not try to 'convert' you, but will listen to your concerns.

The Duty Chaplain may be contacted via Switchboard: 0300 019 3626.

Please Note: For non-urgent matters, ring the Switchboard and ask for Ext 4221. A messaging service will take your call if the Chaplain is not available.

 

 

 

Dedicated helpline - together we can

The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) initiative 'together we can' now includes a prescription collection service. The helpline is open 8am-8pm seven days a week and gives access to volunteers and council staff who are able to help deliver food and essential items. Call 0300 123 7052.

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse poster