Learning My Way L2-4 Skills, Behaviours and Personal Development

Wellbeing

Feelings of wellbeing are fundamental to the overall health of an individual, enabling them to successfully overcome difficulties and achieve what they want out of life.

Introduction

The mental health and wellbeing of our learners and staff are really important to us. As we start to adapt and return to office settings we are all dealing with the challenges of the 'new normal'.

It's useful to think about your overall wellbeing and mental fitness by focusing on these key areas:

Physical and mental well-being
Social and relationship well-being
Economic well-being

Scientists have discovered physiological evidence that suggests spending time in nature reduces stress, such as observed lowered heart rates and less time spent thinking about problems and stresses. Just taking a walk outside will help the brain produce endorphins, the neurotransmitters responsible for regulating mood. Both being outside and walking can work together to create positive changes in our overall state of mind.

Here you will find a range of articles and resources to help you to consider and improve your well-being. If experiences significant stress or concern please contact, please contact our confidential safeguarding email: Safeguarding@kaplan.co.uk. You will also find some useful links to support organisations at the bottom of this page .

It's our ongoing commitment to curate a range of content on wellbeing. As we use some external content, please use your personal devices as some work firewalls may not permit access.

Physical and Mental well-being

Physical wellbeing is the ability to maintain a healthy quality of life that allows us to get the most out of our daily activities without undue fatigue or physical stress. Here you will find a range of resources to help you to improve your physical well-being. Your mental wellbeing is about your thoughts and feelings and how you cope with the ups and downs of everyday life.

How the food you eat affects your brain

When it comes to what you bite, chew and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body: your brain

The Choice

This video shows how small everyday choices make the difference to how you shape your life.

Can Cold Showers Really Improve Your Health?

Some people tout the health and productivity benefits of cold showers, but how much do they really do?

There is no shame in Anxiety

Kristen Bell explains there is no shame in Feelings of Anxiety and Depression from her personal experience

Social Life

Award winning short video on Social Media Depression

Depression Understood

What is it like to have Depression

The Devastating Ways Depression and Anxiety Impact the BodyMind and body form a two-way street.

ieso Online Therapy | 10 great podcasts about wellbeing and mental healthHere are 10 of the best podcasts around, all picked by members of the ieso team. Some take a lighter perspective on mental health, while others tackle difficulties in more depth.

Talk to Us #WeListenOur annual awareness campaign Talk To Us is back this July #WeListen

World Mental Health Day

World Mental health day is 10th October

'Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority'.

women's health: managing menopauseThis course offers a women’s mid-life assessment to help you to understand how female hormones and health change over time, and the positive action you can take to stay healthy. Learn how stress can affect your hormones. Discover how to support your mental health during perimenopause - the transition into menopause - which often starts in your forties.

World Suicide Prevention DayEvery year, on 10 September, organisations around the world get together to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

Self-care for mental health problemsLearn how to help yourself while experiencing a mental health problem. We offer advice on looking after your wellbeing, as well where to find specialist support.

www.instantcounselling.com/well-being-tips

Instant Counselling over the phone or email on a variety of issues.

How breathing can power healthy wellbeing | MHTBreathing is often a bodily function that is taken for granted. At the same time, breath work and breathing techniques are often presented in a vague, abstract way that feels inaccessible when we are distressed. Here we aim to demystify and break down some simple techniques.

Exercise: It’s How Often You Do It, Not How MuchExperts say even small amounts of daily exercise can build up endurance and muscle strength as well as reduce the risk of injuries

Anxiety - Every Mind MattersWe all feel anxious from time to time, but there are steps you take to help ease your anxiety if you feel it is affecting your life.

Social and relationship well-being

Social and relationship wellbeing is a sense of belonging to a community and making a contribution to society. Surrounding yourself with a positive social network increases your self-esteem. Social wellness enables you to create boundaries that encourage communication, trust, and conflict management. Having good social wellness is critical to building emotional resilience.

Daily Calm | 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation | Be Present

Tamara Levitt guides this 10 minute Daily Calm mindfulness meditation to powerfully restore and re-connect with the present.

5 Quick Stress Busters - Stress Buster

How do you react when your plans fall through? Do you roll with the punches? Or does anxiety keep you from enjoying life? To a great extent, our personality determines how we deal with stress in our lives, but here are 5 things to help keep your stress under control:

How's your social health? Let's test it.

We've all heard of physical and mental health, but another important aspect to our overall health and wellbeing is social health.

18 Highly Effective Stress RelieversLearning effective stress relief strategies can help you get a handle on your stress. Discover how to incorporate these stress relief habits into your daily life.

The Best Ways to Relieve Stress So You Can Sleep Soundly | Sleep FoundationStress can be a major barrier to getting to sleep. Get tips and solutions to battle stress so you can get quality rest.

Feeling Stressed Out? Learn How to Relax.Stress isn’t all bad, but too much and for too long can cause health troubles. Learn how to relax with proven techniques.

What is Sexual Consent?

Consent means actively agreeing to be sexual with someone. Any sexual activity without consent is rape or sexual assault. You get the final say over what happens with your body.

Healthy relationships are all about respecting each other. You should feel loved, safe and free to be yourself, however disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour can come in many forms. It isn’t limited to just physical behaviour; it can also go way beyond that.

If someone makes you do something you don’t want to, makes you feel scared, intimidated or tries controlling you, it’s not acceptable and is never OK.

Kaplan are here to help and support you.

What is Consent?

What is consent? Assumptions about consent should never be an option.

Healthy Relationships: 32 Signs, Tips, Red Flags, and MoreMost people want a healthy relationship, but what does that really mean?

What is Spiking? | Commons Home Affairs Committee

Drink spiking has existed in the UK for many years but support for victims and prevention of the crime is lacking.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/staying-safe-while-drinking/drink-spiking-and-date-rape-drugs

Drink spiking is a serious crime. Read this quick guide so you know what to do if you think you or someone else has been spiked.

Revenge Porn

Zara MacDermott explores the grim reality of Revenge Porn.

What is consent in sexual relationships?How to recognise signs of consent in your partner, and how you should respond to this.

DO

If you want to take your learning a bit further we have selected the following short courses provided The Open University. They are all free and self paced.

Exploring issues in women's healthThis free course, Exploring issues in women's health, will introduce social model approaches to health and wellbeing, which take as their starting point not the scientific context of the body, but ...

Exploring the relationship between anxiety and depressionThis free advanced level course, Exploring the relationship between anxiety and depression, serves as an introduction to masters level study in neurosciences and mental health. Focusing on anxiety ...

Exercise and mental healthEach year thousands of pounds are spent on medications to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression. These medications often have negative side effects. Exercise is an alternative treatment ...

Additional articles and resources

Physical well-being

Social well-being

Economic well-being

Sexual Consent

Useful Links & Support

For any learner experiencing significant stress or concern, please contact our confidential safeguarding email: Safeguarding@kaplan.co.uk

For urgent and medical matters, we remind our learners to contact their GP or Dial 111/999 as appropriate.

The following helplines may also be of assistance:

NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000: advice for anyone who has concerns about the welfare of a young person or child
Samaritans: 116123: support with many forms of emotional distress and the line is available 24 hours a day, free of charge.
Or you can email via jo@samaritans.org.uk or text SHOUT to 85258
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/ Mind provide a wide-range of services relating to mental health
https://www.brook.org.uk/ Brook charity offer both clinical sexual health services and education as well as wellbeing services for young people.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/ The NHS offer advise on 5 steps to mental wellbeing
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus How to look after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak
https://giveusashout.org/ Struggling to cope? When you text SHOUT to 85258, you are connected to a trained, empathetic and listening Shout Volunteer.
https://www.whatsupwitheveryone.com/ WUWE Create short mental wellbing videos through animation.
www.cwmt.org.uk a charity established in memory of Charlie Waller: the trust was founded by his family to educate young people about staying mentally well.
www.anxietyuk.org.uk a national charity run by people with lived experience of anxiety
www.addaction.org.uk which supports people to make positive changes around alcohol, drugs, mental health and wellbeing.
www.harmless.org.uk an organisation providing a range of service and coping strategies relating to self-harm
www.actionforhappiness.org a not for profit organisation committed to building a happier and more caring society
www.sleepio.com is an app for sleep management based on cognitive behavioural principles
www.moodpanda.com is an app-based platform allowing people to track their moods
https://thehappynewspaper.com/ The Happy News is a newspaper to celebrate all the good in the world and a platform to share postive and uplifting articles.
https://www.shoutoutuk.org/prevent/ Shout Out UK helps primary/secondary schools and colleges tackle extremism and radicalisation by using modern techniques to unite the classroom and build students’ critical thinking skills and emotional resilience.