TACKLING THE BLUES UNI MENTAL HEALTH DAY - TOOLKIT & RESOURCE 04/03/2021 - Sites
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TACKLING THE BLUES UNI MENTAL HEALTH DAY TOOLKIT & RESOURCE 04/03/2021
CONTENTS
3 CONTRIBUTORS
4 SUPPORT PAGE
5 WELCOME
7 STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH
WITH ELISE RENDELL & ELLIE MACDONALD
10 POSTCARD MAKING
WITH SUMMER CUNNINGHAM
16 MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
IN SPORT
WITH STATE OF MIND
17 CHALLENGING TOXIC POSITIVITY
WITH ALEX ROSIN
19 MINDFULNESS MEDITATION &
DRAWING
WITH OLIVIA IZZO
21 CONNECTIVITY
WITH CHRIS SIU
22 SELF-CARE PLANNER
WI T H CHARL OT T E HAL L & T AI GH WI L S ON
24 SOCIAL MEDIA WORKOUT
CHALLENGE
WI T H MOL L Y HARRI S ON & EL I S E RENDEL L
26 TACKLING SELF-CARE
WI T H EMI L Y MCCURRI E
27 BOOS T I NG MOOD
28 L ONEL I NES S
29 UNCERT AI NT Y & DEAL I NG WI T H I T
30 EMOT I ONS : ANXI ET Y & F RUS T RAT I ON
32 S EL F - CARE & CHECKI NG I N
34 CREATIVE REFLECTION
WI T H EMMA CURD
41 PLATFORMS & TOOLS
42 THANKS
CONTRIBUTORS
The Tackling the Blues team would like to thank
all of the mentors involved in planning and
delivering a variety of sessions that contributed
to a great day.
ELLIE
ALEX ROSIN
MACDONALD
CHARLOTTE MOLLY
HALL HARRISON
CHRISTOPHER OLIVIA IZZO
SIU SUMMER
ELISE CUNNINGHAM
RENDELL TAIGH WILSON
We would also like to thank Chasing the Stigma
and State of Mind Sport for their contribution to
the day.
SUPPORT PAGE
If you find any of the content in this resource
distressing, please seek help. You can contact
your GP or find local support services on
hubofhope.co.uk. If you require immediate
support please call the Samaritans on 116 123,
available 24 hrs a day.
The details of other relevant support services
you may wish to access are:
Papyrus – for people under 35
Call: 0800 068 41 41 – Monday
to Friday 10am to 10pm,
weekends 2pm to 10pm,
bank holidays 2pm to 5pm
Text: 07786 209697
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Togetherall- an online
community offering peer-to-
peer support for with access
24 hours a day, 365 days a
hear.
Student Minds- For students
and members of the
university community.
INTRODUCING UNI MENTAL HEALTH DAY On Thursday 4th March 2021, Tackling the Blues student mentors hosted a range of creative and interactive workshops addressing current issues in mental health and wellbeing. The event gave participants the opportunity to increase their mental health literacy and take away practical tips for supporting their wellbeing. Whether a student, staff or member of our local community, participants were invited to join the day in fighting stigma and promoting support to change the future of student mental health. Tackling the Blues is proud to have supported the mental health and wellbeing of Edge Hill University students on University Mental Health Day. The day is about bringing together the university community to make mental health a university-wide priority and create ongoing year-round change to the future of student mental health.
b y A lex
c r e ated
Poster
s
o d e r a ted
i s e , w ho m
and E l
th e day!
INTRO TO STUDENT
MENTAL HEALTH
WITH ELISE RENDELL & ELLIE
MACDONALD
In the first session of the day, Elise and Ellie
asked the participants how they had been
feeling recently, through Vevox:
They then went on to discuss some of the
distinctions between mental health and
mental illness, as well as the stigmas and
myths that are associated with mental
illness. Here are some key messages:
EVE RYO NE HAS MEN TAL HEA LTH , JUS T LIKE
EVE RYO NE HAS PHY SICA L HEA LTH .
The m
use is
The language we indiv
idual
ajorit
y of
- people s wit
really important illnes
s con
h me
ntal
tal
experience men funct
ion in
tinue
to
ot their
illness, they do n lives. daily
'suffer'
STATS ON STUDENT
MENTAL HEALTH
1 IN 5 STUDENTS EXPERIENCE A
DIAGNOSED MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.
37% OF STUDENTS REPORT THAT THEIR
MENTAL WELLBEING WORSENED AFTER
ENTERING HIGHER EDUCATION.
Anxiety and depression are the most
common mental health conditions
experienced by students.
ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It’s a
feeling of fear or apprehension about what’s to come.
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their
life.
Depression is a low mood that lasts for weeks or months
and affects your daily life. It’s important to realise that
feeling sad and down at times is a normal part of life and
is not the same as depression. Sad and upsetting events
happen to everyone.
If your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last for longer
than six months, and are interfering with your life, or if
you’re feeling down or hopeless on a regular basis, please
seek help by visiting your GP or using Hub of Hope to
find a support service.
CAMPAIGNS
Elise and Ellie then went on to introduce some
of national campaigns challenging the stigmas
of mental illness and promoting mental
wellbeing:
TIme to Change is a
campaign to change the
way people think and act
about mental health
problems.
Chasing the Stigma is a
national mental health
charity that is committed
to normalising mental
health. The charity also
developed the award-
winning Hub of Hope app,
referenced in this
resource.
5 WAYS TO WELLBEING
Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to
improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these
things could help you feel more positive and able to get
the most out of life.POSTCARD-MAKING
WITH SUMMER CUNNINGHAM
So, why postcards? Summer tells us:
IT’S A WAY OF REACHING OUT FROM A
DISTANCE, CHECKING UP ON SOMEONE,
OR LETTING SOMEONE KNOW HOW YOU
ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE UP TO.
I applied this approach to encourage
people to reach out to their fellow
students, and even beyond, to let them
know how you are and to check up on
anyone that you may be worried about
or even lost touch with through the
pandemic. Letting someone know that
they are not alone.
The next page shows a series of postcards that
Summer made as an invitation for participants
of the event to go away and make their own
Please print these and send them to your
friends and family.Summer also referenced a campaign by Mind called ''Postcards from Somewhere', which invited people to create a postcard about their favourite local place, to show how important our homes, communities and local areas are to us. See examples below: The next pages show postcards that were created by the participants of Summer's workshop. Please feel free to print them out, send them to your friends and family, or simply stick them up on a wall. You could also make one (or two) yourself.
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
IN PROFESSIONAL SPORT
STATE OF MIND SPORT
Two ex-professional sportsmen from Rugby League
presented a session to raise awareness about mental
fitness issues in sport. Particularly, they drew on their
personal lived experience of mental health, as well as their
knowledge & experience of life as professional sportsmen.
The session addressed mood, depression, anxiety & suicidal
ideation, & what worked for them in turning their lives
around.
The key objectives of the session were to:
Describe the symptoms of anxiety & depressed mood
Discuss issues of suicide prevention
List the signs of potential alcohol & drug misuse
Share information to improve mental fitness &
wellbeing
Setting goals & measures for overcoming adversity
Encourage looking out for & responding to others who
might be experiencing problems
State of Mind Sport is a charity that harnesses the power of
sport to promote POSITIVE mental health among
sportsmen & women, fans & wider communities, &
ultimately to prevent suicide. The presenters are fully
trained & have undertaken mental health & suicide
prevention courses, including Mental Health First Aid. The
presentations are developed by their Clinical Trustees.
To find out more please visit:
www.stateofmindsport.orgCHALLENGING TOXIC
POSITIVITY
WITH ALEX ROSIN
Alex identified this topic due to his own experiences
of toxic positivity and because it is a lesser-known
issue.
Using the character 'Joy' from the
film, 'Inside Out', he illustrated the
harm of toxic positivity. He explained,
"Positivity can become harmful when
it’s insincere, forceful, or legitimizes
real feelings of anxiety, fear, sadness,
or hardship."
SO WHAT IS TOXIC POSITIVITY?Quoting Millie, aged 19, from Young Minds, Alex explained
what toxic positivity feels like:
"When we ignore all negative feelings or push them away,
they can build up inside us and have a negative effect on
our mental health.
For example, saying things such as “good vibes only” or
“think happy thoughts” ignores the existence of difficult
feelings. Phrases such as “cheer up” or “just don’t worry”
are also examples of toxic positivity."
FOLLOWING DISCUSSION WITH FRIENDS, ALEX PUT
TOGETHER SOME PRACTICAL WAYS TO ADDRESS
TOXIC POSITIVITY:
HELPFUL HAVING A
THERE’S NO
POSITIVITY POSITIVE OUTLOOK
PERFECT SCRIPT
SHOULD TRY AND ON MENTAL
TO FOLLOW, IT IS
HEALTH DOES NOT
LIFT PEOPLE UP MOST
MEAN WE SHOULD
WITHOUT IMPORTANT TO:
IGNORE THAT
DENYING OR LISTEN,
SOMETIMES WE
IGNORING THEIR SUPPORT AND
CAN FEEL SAD OR
STRUGGLE ENCOURAGE
DEPRESSED
To find out more please visit the
Young Minds websiteMINDFULNESS
MEDITATION & DRAWING
WITH OLIVIA IZZO
Stress can strike us all
Stress is the body's reaction to feeling threatened or under
pressure. It's very common, can be motivating to help us
achieve things in our daily life, and can help us meet the
demands of home, work and family life..
But too much stress can affect our mood, our body and our
relationships – especially when it feels out of our control. It can
make us feel anxious and irritable, and affect our self-esteem.
Experiencing a lot of stress over a long period of time can also
lead to a feeling of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion,
often called burnout.
Learning to listen and respond to our needs and to take steps to
manage our stress can be an important step to take in looking
after our mental health and wellbeing.
A journey to wellbeing
Olivia introduced and led the group through a guided
visualisation meditation which, whilst providing a peaceful, safe
mental space for relaxation, also directed participants to
consider their needs.
Participants were then invited to take part in a mindful drawing
exercise which built upon this meditation and encouraged
participants to take notice of and respond to their needs.INTRODUCTION
Get ready for a super relaxing mindful drawing
meditation. This meditation will include visualisation.
For a lot of people this may seem daunting but try not
to worry as while it isn’t essential within meditation.
However, it does help enrich your meditation practice
and it can be a useful tool to help you relax. Be sure to
have your pen and papers nearby while you are
meditating, as the practice will end with drawing. Here
are some further tips for visualising:
Close your eyes and allow yourself to see mental
imagery throughout the meditation.
Try and relax and make sure your surroundings are
safe and comfortable, don’t worry if you don’t get it
at first, it will come!
Have fun with it and if your mind wanders bring
yourself back to the mental imagery of the guided
meditation.
MEDITATION
Please click this link to watch on YoutubeCONNECTIVITY
WITH CHRIS SIU
Connecting and having positive relationships with
others is important for our mental health and
wellbeing.
how can we connect with others?
Chris suggested we can connect with others by:
Checking in with family and friends through phone calls,
video calls & text messages.
Providing emotional support to others to reduce stigma.
Sharing positive experiences.
Doing physical activity together.
Connectivity challenge
Chris spoke about the running
challenge his friendship group are
doing throughout lockdown. Using
online running apps including Strava,
Chris and his friends are each trying to
run 5k under 25 minutes by August.
The group are providing social support when they
complete runs and motivating each other to go out and
run by running with each other or planning to run at the
same time if they are in different locations.SELF-CARE PLANNER
WITH CHARLOTTE HALL &
TAIGH WILSON
Charlotte and Taigh facilitated a session about self-care
by hosting a discussion about how self-care can be
undertaken practically. They described self-care as the
important things we can do to look after our own mental
health and can be an important tool to help cope with
the stress of being a student.
Self-care is all about what you can do to help ourselves
feel better or to keep ourselves feeling good. There are
lots of different self-care strategies so you can try out
different ones until you find something that works for
you. Everyone’s approach to self-care will look different
so what works for you might not work for others.
It is important to make sure you allow for some time for
yourself! Below is a planner that you can use to plan out
your self-care routine for the week.
NOT ALL SELF-CARE PLANS ARE THE SAME, WHAT IS
IMPORTANT IS THAT IT WORKS FOR YOUSELFCARE PLANNER Charlotte and Taigh invited participants on Jamboard to talk about the ways that they plan and do self-care. Below are the responses:
SOCIAL MEDIA
WORKOUT CHALLENGE
WITH MOLLY HARRISON
& ELISE RENDELL
Molly and Elise initiated a
social media workout
challenge and produced a
series of infographics and a
video inviting people to get
involved. To take part in the
challenge follow the
instructions on the next page,
take a selfie and use the
hashtag #UniHigh5Challenge
Please click this link to
watch on YoutubeTACKLING SELF-CARE
WITH EMILY MCCURRIE
Emily previously worked as a Cognitive
Behavioral Therapist with the NHS, and
would like to offer you some of the lesser
known techniques for managing your mood.
The following techniques have been selected
by Emily with the BLUES themes in mind:
Boosting Mood
Loneliness
Uncertainty
Emotions: Anxiety and frustration
Self-care and checking in
Although you may find these techniques
useful for managing your wellbeing, further
help is always available if you need to talk to
someone about your mental health.
Please visit:
https://hubofhope.co.uk/
If you need to talk to someone immediately,
please talk to the Samaritans on:
116 123BOOSTING YOUR MOOD
I'LL JUST...
Low mood and feeling flat reduces our
motivation to want to do the things we
normally enjoy and reduces our sense of
achievement, mastery and pleasure.
To address this, break down the task or
hobby into very small steps. For example, if
you want to go for a run, start with the first
small step and say “I’ll just stand up” and
focus on only achieving this. Once
completed, focus on the next step, “I’ll just
open my wardrobe and take out my running
gear” and then the next step, “I’ll just put on
my running gear”, “I’ll just put on my trainers”
and keep repeating each small step until you
have completed all the steps.
This brings back a sense of achievement,
mastery and pleasure.LONELINESS
EMOTIONAL REGULATION
Dr. Paul Gilbert tells us that we have three
main systems to regulate our emotions.
These are the threat system, the drive
system, and the soothing system. Each
system is associated with different brain
regions and different brain chemistry.
During times of stress and loneliness, we
need to find ways to activate our soothing
system. Particularly right now while we can't
spend time with our loved ones. Practicing
self-compassion is one of the ways that we
can activate our soothing system.
Task: Find a piece of music that
calms and soothes you. This is
personal to you.
To learn how to practise self-
compassion, read “The
Compassionate Mind” by Paul
Gilbert and visit
https://www.compassionatemi
nd.co.uk/UNCERTAINTY AND
DEALING WITH IT
APPLE
When we are anxious, we tend to over-estimate
the danger and under-estimate our ability to cope.
This can result in an "intolerance of uncertainty”,
leading to thoughts like "I must prepare for each
uncertain event“.
We try to reduce the uncertainty by worrying about
it, because we think worry helps us feel more in
control. Learn to tolerate uncertainty using the
acronym: APPLE
A for AWARE – Notice the need for certainty as it
comes up in your mind
P for PAUSE – Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t
react at all. Just pause, and breathe
P for PULL BACK – Tell yourself this is just the worry
talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not
helpful and not necessary
L for LET GO – let go of the thought or feeling
about needing certainty. Tell yourself it is only a
thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you
think!
E for EXPLORE – you can explore the present
moment, because right now, in this moment, we
are ok.
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/APPLE2.pdfEMOTIONS: ANXIETY
& FRUSTRATION
STOPP
Stop and Step Back - Don’t act immediately. Pause.
Take a Breath - Notice your breath as you breathe
in and out.
Observe - What am I thinking and feeling? Is this
fact or opinion? Descriptions or evaluations?
Helpful or unhelpful?
Pull Back - Put in some Perspective. See the
situation as an outside observer. What would a fly
on the wall see?
Practice what works - Do what works, what is most
helpful. What is best for me and most helpful for
this situation?
Or, visit the link below:
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/STOPP.pdf4 2 5
1 EMOTIONS: ANXIETY
4
& FRUSTRATION
3
5-4-3-2-1
When you are feeling frustrated or anxious, use
this technique to help calm you in the moment and
distract you from unpleasant feelings.
5
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you.
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around
you.
1 3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear.
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell.
2
1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.
To find out more about this technique, visit the
5
University of Rochester Medical Centre website:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-
partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-
technique-for-anxiety.aspx
2SELF-CARE AND
CHECKING IN
MORNING PAGES
Morning pages are known as ‘Stream of
Consciousness Writing’ that you can do each
morning and are for your eyes only.
You can destroy them afterward. Use this
technique to write down anything that occurs in
your mind, to help the mind function more clearly
and creatively.
Although called ‘Morning Pages’, you can use this
technique at any time of the day if you like.
Recommended reading: “The Artist’s Way” by Julia
Cameron.WAYS TO CHECK-IN
Headspace is a
meditation app to
be kind to your
mind
Samaritans has a
new web-based
self-help app to
help you stay safe
in a crisis
Living Life To The Full
offers free online
courses covering low
mood, stress and
resilience
The LLTT course above is a life skills course that
aims to provide access to high-quality, practical and
user-friendly training in life skills. The learning
materials aim to teach key skills for tackling and
responding to issues/demands which we all meet in
our everyday lives. It includes:
• Understanding why we feel as we do.
• Practical problem solving skills.
• Using Anxiety Control Training relaxation.
• Overcoming Reduced activity .
• Helpful and Unhelpful behaviours.
• Using Medication effectively.
• Noticing unhelpful thoughts.
• Changing unhelpful thoughts.
• Healthy living – sleep, food, diet and exercise.
• Staying well.CREATIVE REFLECTION
WITH EMMA CURD
To draw the day to a close, Emma hosted a workshop
encouraging creative thinking and reflection on the
day's sessions. The aim of the session was to create a
virtual space where participants could connect with their
creative mind, encourage positive emotions and self
esteem and reflect on their learning. We started by
talking about why reflection is important.By the end of the session, participants had created a
digital collage that represented their interpretation
of reflection and their experience of the day. They
are shown on the following pages. If you would like
to have a go at making your own digital collage
using the steps below:
1. Go to Tate website here:
https://www.tate.org.uk/search
2. Type the word 'reflection' - or a similar word - in
the search bar.
3. Pick one of the artworks that appeals to you most
- don't worry if you have to click through the
catalogue a few times. Find an image that speaks to
you.
4. Use the following link to start creating your
collage: https://tinyurl.com/32hzsmkw
3. Look at the artwork you chose. Think about the
three things you want to include in your collage.
4. Use the bar on the lefthand side of your screen to
find photographs, elements, colour or text to
represent aspects of the artwork, rather than using
the image itself.
6. Now, think about how you are feeling right now.
Find 3 more elements to represent your day.
5. Move the shapes and images around until you are
happy.
6. Feel free to spend as much time adding to or
taking away from the image. Save it as a JPEG or
screenshot it, and upload it to this Jamboard page.PLATFORMS AND TOOLS
THE TACKLING THE BLUES MENTORS USED
THE FOLLOWING TOOLS AND PLATFORMS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. WE HOPE YOU
ALSO FIND THEM USEFUL:
Google Jamboard: Collaborative
Digital Whiteboard
www.canva.com - An online
graphic design platform
www.menti.com - An app for
making presentations with
real-time feedback
www.vevox.com - An app for
live polling and making virtual
meetings participatory
www.kahoot.com - A free
game-based learning platform
that makes it fun to learnThank you to everyone who
took part in our
#unimentalhealthday
ActivitiesTACKLING THE BLUES @TacklingBlues EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION / DEPARTMENT OF SPORT AND PHYSCIAL ACTIVITY St Helens Road, Ormskirk, L39 4QP @Edgehill | @EHUSportandPA | @EHU_FOE EVERTON IN THE COMMUNITY 46 Spellow Lane, Liverpool, L4 4DF @EITC TATE LIVERPOOL Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AB @tateliverpool
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