WELLNESS WEEK

Wellness Week 2021. Details here...

Welcome to You Got This Wellness Week. Each day there are links available aligned to a particular theme. If you are working in a department with You Got This there will be additional activities and opportunities (you will also see them listed below).

You can also follow and contribute to the discussion about Wellness Week on Twitter through @yougotthiswellness and #WellnessWeek

MONDAY: Introduction to Wellness

This week, we are focusing on the wellbeing of our staff. We can only look after patients properly when we are looking after ourselves. Working in an emergency department is not always easy and we know that staff all work hard. But do you spend enough time thinking about your physical and mental health?

This week we have designed a programme of links, resources and activities to get you thinking about Wellness and to support you in this. We hope you will find it helpful.

Each day will be themed and we will be linking to articles, videos and other resources that we hope you will enjoy and will help you. For staff at work where the the You Got This programme is up and running there will be additional opportunities and activities each day. The open timetable and links are listed below.

We think this is really important and would honestly urge and encourage you to take just 10-15 minutes during your day either at work or at home to have a look at the links.

What You Can Do Today

1. Please click here to access a short video talk on Wellness to ease you into the week and to get you thinking about Wellness in emergency medicine.

2. Have a good look around www.yougotthiswell.com and see the You Got This programme for yourself

3. If in the department look out free massages (Lucy has kindly donated her time)

4. Read this great blog: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/07/26/peter-brindley-and-matt-morgan-burnout-in-healthcare-workers-are-we-surprised/

TUESDAY: Time to Sleep

Everyone knows that a decent night’s sleep is important. But how much time do you spend thinking about how to improve your sleep? When was the last time you made practical changes to get a better night’s rest? What about practical tips for taking steps to minimise the impact of night shift work on your body and mind? It is so important to look after yourself when you are on night shifts. Eating properly, exercising if you can, sleeping properly when it is time to sleep and thinking really carefully about things like driving when you are tired. Take some time today to think about your sleep and how to improve your wellbeing around night shifts.

What You Can Do Today

1. Have a look at the Sleep Council’s ‘7 steps to a better night’s sleep’: https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/seven-steps-to-a-better-nights-sleep/

There are also recourses here for shift workers and lots of other good sleep stuff.

2. Check out a fantastic article from Michael Farquhar, a Consultant in Sleep Medicine from Evelina Children’s Hospital in London: http://ep.bmj.com/content/102/3/127

It really is worth a read. Perhaps take some time to think about you might be able to implement even just a few of his top tips to improve your sleep hygiene.

3. Check out a sleep App. Pzizz is good free one (https://pzizz.com/) but others are available.

4. Greatix day- it has been busy lately and everyone is doing fabulous job. Pay it forward and let your colleagues know you appreciate them. Greatix also help with learning from good practice and improving patient experience and the way we work.

WEDNESDAY: The Happy Secret to Better Work

Feeling happy is not something we spend much time talking or thinking about in medicine. Also not very ‘British.’ But is it possible that a more positive and a happier outlook might be not just better for your health but also for your training and success at work?

Perhaps spend just a bit of time today thinking about your happiness. In the context of work and in your broader life in general maybe. There’s usually lots more to feel good about than we first think. Being conscious of this can be good for you.

What You Can Do Today

1. Please take some time to watch this fantastic TED talk by Shawn Achor on the ‘Happy Secret to Better Work.’ It is just 12 minutes long and well worth a watch.

2. Check in and cake- two sessions run with help of psychology team to get together a reflect on work, our team ( and I guess pandemics!)

THURSDAY: Mindfulness and Mental Health

Alongside caring for patients nothing is more important to an emergency department than the people who work in it. Our psychological and mental health is so important. All of us need help from time to time. We need to think about our own mental health as well as that of our colleagues and friends. A large number of NHS staff suffer ill-health as a result of stress or anxiety and none of us are immune. So today perhaps take some time just to think it. Do you know what Mindfulness is? Maybe you think it’s nonsense but have never really found out more about it – well today’s your chance. Remember, there is no health without mental health.

What You Can Do Today

1. Visit the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and introduce yourself to Mindfulness. There is a short video exercise that’s worth trying and there are lots of other resources. It’s really good and well worth a try (perhaps consider emailing the link to your personal email address so you can look at it at home): http://oxfordmindfulness.org/for-you/

2. Check out all the different ways you can access mental health and psychological help if you want somebody to talk to through You Got This: https://www.yougotthiswellness.com/talk

3. Great Bristol Bake Off. Make your team and cake and be in for a chance of a prize!

FRIDAY: Wellness in Bristol

Wellness is not just about responding when we are in trouble, physically or mentally. It is about the conscious process of continually thinking about our health and our wellbeing, and importantly about the wellbeing of those around us too. As an emergency department it is hugely important that we enjoy our work and feel safe, comfortable, healthy and happy.

Thinking about your wellbeing is all well and good, but it helps to know what is out there to help. Whether it’s free and confidential psychological support or a recommendation for a good yoga class.

There is a wealth of great resources and options open to you locally to support you and keep you well. So if you are looking for inspiration or just want to know more about what there is for you around the trust and in Bristol then look no further.

What You Can Do Today

1. Have a look at a fantastic range of local, Bristol resources available to support you mentally, physically, spiritually, artistically, socially. Some are based within UHB, some are not.

Just go to: https://www.yougotthiswellness.com/resources

2. Team walk. If not on a shift- get together with kids, pets and colleagues for a walk from Clifton to Ashton court.

3. Pizza time, 21:00 in CED

4. Register with You Got This if you have not yet done so. It’s FREE to register: www.yougotthiswellness.com

It’s simple. Just create a username and password – we would advise using your personal email address – you can look at all of it from home.