Category: Well-Being

Reflecting on COVID

Alone, surrounded

Fever came
And with it a sledgehammer
To my life
My life that still had
Time to run
But now there is no time to run
Instead I lie here alone,
Surrounded by an army
Of hospital staff who see me
Only through glass windows
Or the shield of PPE
Three thousand people
They say work here
But they won’t see me
Until I run once more
In the news
No longer alone,
Surrounded by other
Elderly with underlying conditions

A poem written by Shane O’Hanlon, who is a geriatrician in Dublin, Ireland.
He has a strong interest in the humanities in healthcare, and previously taught humanities at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick. He now lectures on art in medicine and curates a humanities library for students and staff at University College Dublin.

Working from home

Balancing productivity and well being

With more people than ever working from home, it’s important we consider the benefits and challenges that come with this. Some may relish in their new way of working life, yet others may struggle to juggle family life around work or feel isolated. Communication is key – we need to cultivate a sense of belonging.

Mind tools offer some top tips to help us keep our minds healthy whilst staying productive:

  • Design your workspace – make it somewhere you will enjoy working, have all your equipment ready and inform the rest of your household that this is your ‘office’ space
  • Establish good routines – keep to regular start and finish times and eat at regular times. Remember to take short breaks (5 to 10 minutes) to keep energised and focused.
  • Work securely- use only secure networks, maintain strong password protocols, don’t save sensitive data and remember to lock your computer when unattended
  • Make a to-do list – this could help to manage your workload and build structure to your day
  • Avoid backache with frequent movements away from your office chair
  • Ask for help when you need it – your manager may not know if you are struggling
  • Continue to celebrate success – whether this is on a personal level or as a team. Small acts of kindness can go a long way.

To read the whole article click here.

Exercise to your ability NOT your age

Don’t let age be a factor when determining what exercise you do

We all know exercise is good for us but research has shown that exercise in older adults is linked to lower disease risk, reduced risks of falls and better overall health. Our bodies change as we age, but this shouldn’t change our attitudes towards exercise. We simply need to choose the type of exercise that is suitable for our ability. Whether it’s low intensity activities (walking, jogging, cycling), HITT (high intensity interval training) or resistance training- don’t let age be a limiting factor.

Exercise is also shown to improve mental health, well being, cognitive function and improve life expectancy. We should all aim to be physically active daily and get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week . Simple things like reducing the amount of time sitting or lying down can make a difference.

So not matter your age- let your ability be the factor that determines your physical health.

To read more about this topic click here.

Empowering the future

What can we learn from Natalia Cohen?

For those of you who attended the LiA conference last Tuesday, I’m sure you too will have been inspired by their guest speaker – Natalia Cohen. She was part of a 6 women team who were the first team to row from California to Australia on an ocean rowing boat to raise money and promote their 2 charities. She highlighted what she learnt while living in the ocean for 9 months and how life really is ‘like a wave’, which we have to ride one wave at a time.

So what can we learn from her? She highlighted tips for a great team, to be thankful for the life we have and highlighted the importance of focusing on the positives – something we probably need to do now more than ever.Some of her top tips, which are applicable both in our home and work lives;

  1. To believe in yourself
  2. Accept challenges that come your way
  3. Support each other and connect
  4. We can only control the controllable
  5. Enjoy the journey!

An inspirational story from an inspirational woman! To watch her speech click here.

Listening into Action (LiA)

Influencing our future at the NHS

The team want your input, opinions and ideas to identify ways we can improve as a Trust, to enhance not only your experience, but fellow colleagues, service users and patients. Their aim is to make the Trust a great place to work in, which in turn will only have a positive impact on the quality of care provided to our patients.

The LiA team held an event on Tuesday to celebrate the achievements already made. from 1st July 2019, 6,489 ideas for change were identified by staff within the trust. From that 15 teams were created to improve staff experience, from digital teams to equality and diversity, all staff from all stages in their career were listened to. Take a look at the different teams and their accomplishments here.

To complete the survey and voice your opinions, complete this survey by Friday, 4th September.

Reflecting on COVID

Using time wisely during COVID

I am crying at my desk, writing poetry
Between tasks, remembering my afternoon
Collage of patients’ faces,
Wondering what’s ahead for them. For all of us.
No one would pay me to cry, or write poetry.
They would deem it nonbillable hours.
But it is one of those times
I don’t know what else to do.
We are living in dangerous times.
No one can escape it.
We can only try to
avoid- avoid- avoid
And I feel very small, like a field mouse.
It is all I can do to
Blend in and hope the great
Horned owl will pass me over,
Not realizing his target is close and
Those otherworldly yellow eyes
Will focus somewhere else
And I will sleep
safe- safe- safe
Wrapped in a merciful sky one more night.

A poem written by Marianne A. Broyles, who has been a nurse for 16 years, mostly in the field of inpatient behavioral health. She is also a writer and has published two books of poetry, The Red Window (West End Press, 2008) and Liquid Mercury Girl (Mongrel Empire Press, 2018). She is interested
in how the process of writing benefits mental health and an overall sense of well-being and was able to research this further while working at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital in Nashville, TN, as a recipient of its nurse scholar grant.

Reducing stress

A science based app for meditation and mindfulness

Headspace aims to support people to reduce stress, build resilience and aid better sleep.

Even better… they are offering free access to their app to all NHS staff until the 31st December. Simply sign up here with your NHS email account.

Greenspaces

Compelling evidence shows that access to greenspaces really matters for our health

Now more than ever we are becoming more dependent on outdoor spaces to improve our health and wellbeing. Green environments are associated with reduced levels of depression, anxiety and fatigue and can enhance quality of life for both children and adults.

Access to good quality greenspaces, such as parks, allotments, woodlands and fields varies greatly on where we live. However, evidence suggests that the most economically deprived areas often have less available public greenspace, meaning people in those communities have fewer opportunities to reap the rewards.

The new report from PHE offers policy, practice and research recommendations. Click here to find out more.

COVID-19

People are missing their daily commute in lockdown – here’s why

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a unique experiment in mass homeworking. It’s the first time since before the industrial revolution that most people are working in the same space that they live. As lockdown begins to ease, the debate is shifting to how and when people will return to the office – if at all. A major obstacle seems to be fears of commuting. The thought of getting on a crowded train in the middle of a pandemic doesn’t sound very appealing. And yet one of the intriguing findings from a new research project into how people have coped with the experience of homeworking has been the number of people who say they miss their commute.

Read more here

Health Information Week

This week is Health Information Week, a national, multi-sector campaign promoting high-quality information for patients and the public.

Health Information Week 2020 runs from 6th to 12th July and focuses on the themes of:

• Finding information you can trust

• Wellbeing

During this week the library has been promoting both themes via the library blog and in the Gosall Library. 

In our final post in this series we would like to introduce you to the Library Evidence Hub; a resource bank of carefully selected material that has been collected together with the aim of being a one-stop shop for staff and students who work and study at LSCFT.

Read here for more details and a user guide to get you started.