This article was published on 31 Mar 2022. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

World Health Day is an awareness day organised by the World Health Organisation. This year they have chosen the campaign ‘Our planet, our health’ For more details click here.

World Health Day is celebrated annually, and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.

It is an ideal time to think about your own health and of those close to you.

Your overall wellbeing is fundamental to how fulfilled you feel and comprises of all aspects of life, including, financial, social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Positive wellbeing improves your resilience and will help you overcome difficulties and life’s challenges.

Physical Health

Research shows that being sedentary is bad for your health, so ensure you keep active. Exercise helps both your physical and mental health, so it’s important to stay active.

A few hours of gentle exercise a week will release endorphins that make you feel energised. This could be as simple as a walk, a run, a cycle ride, dancing or even some gardening. In simple terms exercising makes you feel good.

For more details on looking after your physical health read our physical health guide here and our wellbeing guide here.

Sleep

When you’re well rested, you think more clearly, feel better, and have more stamina and energy. But many people don’t get the 7-9 hours of sleep that doctors recommend. Lack of sleep, even for a few days, can leave you feeling irritable, frustrated, and forgetful. Regular poor sleep can put you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes and it may shorten your life expectancy.

We spend about a third of our lives asleep. Sleep is essential, it is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking, and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health. Sleeping helps us to recover from mental as well as physical exertion.

For more details, read our sleep guide here. 

Stress Awareness

We all know what it’s like to feel stressed, being under pressure is a normal part of life. But becoming overwhelmed by stress can lead to mental and physical health problems or make existing problems worse.

It’s important to put measures in place to reduce any stress you are feeling and to take a moment to think about your own wellbeing and find out more on how to manage stress. For more details, read our stress awareness guide here.

Dealing with change is hard for everyone and can be extremely stressful, for more information on handling change and improving your resilience read our guide here.

Nutrition

Being overweight can cause various health concerns and according to Cancer Research UK, overweight and obesity is the 2nd biggest cause of cancer. Keeping a healthy weight reduces the risk of 13 different types of cancer. Diabetes and heart disease are also other conditions that you have a higher chance of developing if you are obese.

It is therefore important to ensure you are eating a balanced diet. For more details, read our nutrition guide here.

Mental Health

It’s important that you take care of your mind as well as your body.

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.

1. Connect with other people – Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. This may be more difficult at the moment, but still try to connect with others by video call or on a social distanced walk.
2. Be active – this is great for both your physical and mental wellbeing.
3. Take notice – paying more attention to the present can improve your mental wellbeing. Click here to try mindfulness.
4. Learn new skills – continued learning though life enhances self-esteem and encourages social interactions and a more active lifestyle.
5. Give to others – research suggests that acts of giving and kindness and being part of community life can improve your mental wellbeing.

For more details on the 5 steps to wellbeing click here.

It’s as important to look after your mental health as it is your physical health. For more details, read our mental health guide here.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help if your mental health is starting to deteriorate or you’re struggling to cope.

Financial health

Money worries are not just a financial problem they can cause relationships problems, people to lose homes and families to break down. People from all walks of life can end up in debt for many different reasons, like divorce, redundancy, ill health, or bereavement.  It’s not always easy to talk about money worries but if you’re struggling financially, it’s important to take action.

For more details, read our debt awareness guide here.

Financial problems is one of the biggest worries that can negatively affect your mental health. According to the Police Federation’s annual Pay & Morale survey results published in November 2020 just under a third of respondents said that their household was worse off financially now than before the COVID-19 crisis.

It’s important to start talking about money worries before your situation gets worse. Talking about money will give you the confidence to get help and find out who can best advise you on any problems.

It can give you a great sense of relief to share your problems, so you’re not facing them alone. It’s important to seek professional advice as soon as possible and not wait until it’s more difficult to find a solution. 

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan*, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt. 

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan* on 0800 197 8433.

*PayPlan is a trading name of Totemic Limited. Totemic Limited is a limited company registered in England, Company Number: 2789854. Registered Office: Kempton House, Dysart Road, PO Box 9562, Grantham, NG31 0EA. Totemic Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Conduct Authority Number: 681263.

This article was published on 27 Jan 2022. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Children’s mental health week is run through Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity that provides counselling, support, and training in UK schools.

The first Children’s mental health week was held in 2015 and was set up to highlight the importance of children and young people’s mental health.

This year’s theme is Growing Together and will be running during 7 to 13 February. This week is about growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other’s grow. For more details of Children’s mental health week, click here.

According to Place2Be around one in six children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem, which may continue into adulthood. 50% of adults with lifetime mental health problems first experienced symptoms by the age of 14.

Like adults, the emotional wellbeing of children and young people is just as important as their physical health.  Good mental health will allow them to develop the resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs and to grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Growing up is not easy, and sometimes it’s hard for children to cope with what is going on in their life.

Most children grow up mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago. It’s suspected that this is probably because of changes in the way we live now and how that affects the experience of growing up.

Some of the mental health problems that can affect children and young people are:

Depression is more common in teenagers than younger children but affects more young people today than it did a few decades ago.

Self-harm is where somebody intentionally damages or injures themselves. It is a common problem amongst young people.

Anxiety can be triggered when changes happen in children’s lives, for example, changing schools. If anxious thoughts affect a child’s everyday thoughts and behaviour, they may need professional help.

Eating disorders is when you have an unhealthy attitude to food, types include anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The condition is most common in young women aged between 13 and 17.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects your behaviour and those with it tend to be restless and struggle to concentrate.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder caused by an extremely frightening or stressful event or situation, for example, physical abuse, witnessing or being the victim of violence or extreme bullying.

Things that can help keep children and young people to stay mentally well include:

• being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise
• having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
• being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
• going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
• taking part in local activities for young people
• feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
• being able to enjoy themselves
• being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed
• accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at
• having a sense of belonging in their family, school, and community
• feeling they have some control over their own life
• having the strength to cope when something goes wrong and the ability to solve problems

How to help your child

As a parent you can help your child by having an open relationship, which encourages your child to talk to you if they are troubled.  Listening and taking their feelings seriously is the most important way you can help. They may just want you to listen or to have a hug, or they may want more practical help.

If you child’s negative feelings don’t pass over time, you may want to consider obtaining some professional help, initially talk to you GP and see what they suggest.

It’s also a good idea to talk to your child’s teacher at school, to establish if how they are feeling is affecting their schoolwork or friendships. They may have a school counsellor that your child can talk to. Different professionals often work together in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) run through the NHS.

During the pandemic children and young people may need more emotional support. 

It’s important to minimize the negative impact the pandemic is having on your children. You can do this by explaining the facts to them, answering their questions truthfully and being there to support them.

Like adults, children will respond to the current situations differently, they may be more clingy, anxious, withdrawn, angry or agitated. Remember to listen to your children and re-assure them.  Keep routines where possible or create new ones, building in time for learning, play and relaxation. The best way to communicate to your children is by talking about worrying news with open, confident, clear, and truthful facts.

Here are some helpful tips:

News – the important thing about seeing or hearing the news is balance. Don’t force children news or shield them from. Discourage overexposure, small doses of real-life news are helpful, whereas large doses may have a negative impact on children.

Questions – answer you children’s questions truthfully and let them know the facts about the situation. It is common for children to have misunderstandings about traumatic events so encourage them to ask lots of questions, so you can correct any confusion. If you don’t know the answer to a question they ask you, explain you don’t know and then find out the answer and let them know.

Support – make sure you are there to support your children and let them know they are safe and loved.

Worry – let them know that it is normal to be concerned. Let them know that bad things can happen, but they don’t happen very often, so they do not need to be scared.

Time – ensure you find the right time to talk about what is worrying your child. If your child starts asking questions at an inconvenient time explain to them that you would like to talk to them about it later and invite them to remind you, so they know you really are interested.

Repetition – remember that children tend to repeat themselves when they are feeling uncertain or worried. They may need to ask the same question a number of times until they are feeling more reassured.

Truthful – be as truthful as possible. It can be tempting, when children ask a direct or tricky question, to avoid it by bending the truth. This can be unhelpful when they are talking to others about what happened. It is often more helpful to be as honest as possible.

Age appropriate – tailor the conversation to their age. All children have different temperaments and sensitivities. Their ability to understand the world, take in and react to bad news will depend on their age.

If you have more than one child, you might want to talk about the news with them individually and tailor what you say to their needs and level.

At the end of each day talk about the things in the day that you have been grateful for, it will very quickly become a habit and help children to find the positive, no matter how small, in even the worst of days.

This article was published on 27 Jan 2022. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Time to Talk Day is on 3 February. It’s run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, in partnership with the Co-op.

The day is about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. We all have mental health. By talking about it, we can support ourselves and others.

The more conversations we have about mental health the more barriers we can break down and the closer we’ll come to ending mental health stigma and discrimination.

Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet many people can feel isolated, ashamed, and worthless because of this.

Time to Talk Day encourages everyone to be more open about mental health, to talk, to listen, to improve lives. Every conversation brings us a step closer to ending the feelings that too many of us experience.  Poor mental health can affect anyone, of any age, gender, or background.

Starting a conversation with someone around their or your own mental health can feel uncomfortable. You may be worried that you will say the wrong thing but remember saying nothing is far worse. You may have concerns about how others are coping with the current situation.

Here are some tips on helping others:

• Ask others how they are feeling.
• Ask someone twice how they are feeling, this will give them the opportunity to be honest and to realise that you genuinely want to know.
• Listen and don’t judge, it’s great that people are happy to talk to you about how they are feeling, so ensure you really listen to them.
• Ask how long they have felt this way.
• Ask if there is anything you can do to help.
• Ask what support they need. Provide them with details of professional organisation’s, who may be able to help.
• Treat them in the same way, don’t change the way you act towards someone once you are aware of their poor mental health.
• Little gestures can have a big impact, this maybe just having a virtual cuppa or watching a film together.

Like adults, the emotional wellbeing of children and young people is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health will allow them to develop the resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs and to grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Like adults, children will respond to situations in different ways, such as being more clingy, anxious, withdrawn, or angry. Try to respond to your child’s reactions in a supportive way, listen to their concerns and give them extra care and attention. Remember to listen to your children and re-assure them.

For more details on supporting your children’s mental health click here.

Time to Talk Day isn’t just about helping others, it’s also about thinking about your own wellbeing.

According to the Police Federation, research has shown that emergency services workers are twice as likely as the public to identify problems at work as the main cause of their mental health problems, but they are also significantly less likely to seek help. So, during the pandemic it’s even more important to look after your own mental health when working on the frontline.

Here are some tips:

Think about your purpose: be clear about why you are doing this job.

Be clear on expectations: make sure you know what is expected of you and whether it is realistic.

Keep your boundaries: establish clear boundaries between work and personal life, don’t take work home with you.

Talk to colleagues: make time to talk to your colleagues about your experiences and share fears and concerns.

Value your own family and relationships: while work is important, your family and

relationships need to be valued.

Keep active: regular exercise can boost your self-esteem, can help you concentrate, relax, and increase your overall wellbeing. This can be as simple as a regular walk, being outside in nature can also help improve your mental health.

Get plenty of sleep: sleep helps regulate the chemicals in our brain that transmit information. These chemicals are important in managing our moods and emotions and an imbalance in those chemicals can result in us becoming depressed or anxious. Read our sleep guide here.

Eat well: A balanced diet that is good for your physical wellbeing is also good for your mental wellbeing. Your brain needs a mix of nutrients to stay healthy and function well.

Avoid alcohol: The numbing effects of drinking are only temporary and can often lead

to mental health issues. Alcohol can also damage the immune system. Try to adopt positive

coping strategies such as talking, going for a walk, or listening to music instead. If you do drink, try to stay within the recommended unit guidelines.

Keep in touch: it’s good for you to catch up with friends and family.

Take a break: a change of scenery or pace is good for you. Make sure you take time to relax and re-charge.

Do something you’re good at: doing something you enjoy, and you are good at can give you the ‘feel good’ boost that everyone needs. Enjoying yourself can help beat stress.

Care for others: supporting others uplifts you as well as them.

Ask for help: sometimes you need help from others, so don’t be afraid to ask for help, from a family member or friend, your GP, or a professional organisation, see the list at the end of this guide for more details.

Mental health conversations have the power to make a big difference, but sometimes these conversations can bring up some difficult things that people may not have spoken about before. This might mean that they need some support.

Financial problems are one of the biggest worries that can negatively affect your mental health. According to the Police Federation’s annual Pay & Morale survey results published in November 2020 just under a third of respondents said that their household was worse off financially now than before the COVID-19 crisis.

It’s important to start talking about money worries before your situation gets worse. Talking about money will give you the confidence to get help and find out who can best advise you on any problems. It can give you a great sense of relief to share your problems, so you’re not facing them alone. It’s important to seek professional advice as soon as possible and not wait until it’s more difficult to find a solution.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan*, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.  They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt. Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan* on 0800 197 8433

*PayPlan is a trading name of Totemic Limited. Totemic Limited is a limited company registered in England, Company Number: 2789854. Registered Office: Kempton House, Dysart Road, PO Box 9562, Grantham, NG31 0EA. Totemic Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Conduct Authority Number: 681263

This article was published on 30 Sep 2021. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

The menopause is a natural stage of life that millions of women experience. It is marked by changes in hormones and the ending of menstruation. It can also bring many other physical and emotional changes. The good news is, you’re not alone. Millions of women go through the menopause and there is now great support available, along with a lot more knowledge and understanding about this.

In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51, but the menopause commonly happens any time between the ages of 42 and 56 as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. But around 1 in 100 women experience the menopause before 40 years of age. This is known as premature menopause and may be caused by hormonal imbalances, chemotherapy, radiation or a hysterectomy.

The menopause is a natural turning point in a woman’s life that marks the end of the menstrual cycle.

Please note this guide is not intended to replace professional consultation. Please see your doctor for all medical concerns.

Stages of the menopause

The menopause usually happens over a few years and occurs in three stages:

Peri-menopause. The ovaries gradually produce less oestrogen in the four to five years leading up to menopause. In the last two years of peri-menopause, oestrogen levels drop significantly. This is usually the stage where the most severe menopausal symptoms are experienced.

Menopause. Twelve months after the last period marks the official stage of the menopause. At this point, the ovaries produce no progesterone, low levels of oestrogen and stop releasing eggs.

Post-menopause. In the years after the menopause, symptoms like hot flushes usually ease while health risks caused by decreased oestrogen levels typically increase.

Symptoms

There are many possible symptoms of the menopause and each woman feels them differently but most women will experience some menopausal symptoms. The duration and severity of these symptoms varies from woman to woman. About 8 in every 10 women will have additional symptoms for some time before and after their periods stop. Some of these can be quite severe and can have a significant impact on everyday activities for some women.

Common symptoms include:

Physical changes:

• Hot flushes
• night sweats
• Vaginal dryness
• Insomnia
• Bloating and weight gain
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches
• Nausea and dizziness
• Hair thinning & loss
• Dry eyes
• Itchy skin
• Urinary tract infections
• Breast pain
• Fatigue
• Joint stiffness, aches and pains

Emotional Changes:

• Low mood and Depression
• Anxiety
• Reduced libido
• Poor concentration
• Low self-esteem
• Irritability
• Forgetfulness
• Panic attacks
• Loss of control
• In some rare cases – suicidal thoughts

Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before your periods stop and last around 4 years after your last period, although some women experience them for much longer.

Low levels of oestrogen are linked to a number of health problems common in older women. Postmenopausal women are more likely to suffer from:

• osteoporosis
• cardiac disease
• bladder and bowel difficulties
• vision problems
• poor muscle power and tone

When to see a GP

It’s worth talking to a GP if you have menopausal symptoms that are troubling you or if you’re experiencing symptoms of the menopause before 45 years of age.

They can usually confirm whether you’re menopausal based on your symptoms, but a blood test to measure your hormone levels may be carried out if you’re under 45.

If you’re experiencing severe depression or anxiety, bleeding after menopause, or your symptoms are interfering with daily life, you should seek medical attention straight away.

Your GP can offer treatments and suggest lifestyle changes if you have severe menopausal symptoms that interfere with your day-to-day life.

These include:

• hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – tablets, skin patches, gels and implants that relieve menopausal symptoms by replacing oestrogen
• vaginal oestrogen creams, lubricants or moisturisers for vaginal dryness
• cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) – a type of talking therapy that can help with low mood and anxiety

If your symptoms are giving you discomfort, your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which provides almost instant relief from many symptoms by replacing the hormones that you are losing.

Different HRTs contain different levels of oestrogen and progesterone, obtained from different sources. Your doctor will recommend the best type for you. Some women are not suitable candidates for HRT. Your doctor will discuss this with you. Unsuitable candidates for HRT may include women with a personal or family history of breast cancer, or women with unexplained vaginal bleeding or active liver disease.

Your GP may refer you to a menopause specialist if your symptoms do not improve after trying treatment or if you’re unable to take HRT.

It’s crucial that you see your doctor regularly in the years leading up to and following menopause. Get regularly screened and checked to keep an eye on these conditions. Stopping smoking, reducing your blood pressure, regular exercise and a healthy diet will all help lower the risks for the concerns above.

Self-care

There are many ways to help relieve your symptoms yourself and make the transition as comfortable as possible. Here are some things you could try:

Make some time for yourself: It’s extremely important that you look after your own wellbeing and this includes finding time for yourself.  This may be regularly meeting friends, doing exercise, yoga, meditation, going for a walk, having a bath or just sitting reading a book. 

Hot Flushes:  Your hot flushes may be triggered by something, so try documenting what you’re doing when they start. It could be things like spicy food, alcohol, weather changes and hot beverages. Once you know the cause, you can try and avoid the trigger and reduce their effects.  Another tip is always to dress in layers, it’s then much easier to take off an item of clothing.  Confined spaces can increase hot flushes for some people, if this is the case for you, then try to avoid them.

Sleep: You may be struggling to sleep, if this is the case try to avoid caffeine and instead exercise in the morning. Use relaxation techniques before going to bed and stick to a regular schedule. If hot flushes are disrupting your sleep, adjust the temperature in the room and always sleep with layers.

Weight: It’s common to gain weight during the menopause. It’s thought that this may be due to hormonal changes, ageing or lifestyle. During the menopause your metabolism starts to slow down, which leads to weight gain unless you change your lifestyle.   Eating more healthily and exercising regularly will not only help you lose weight but it may also help you avoid heart disease and other health problems. Losing weight has also been found to help reduce hot flushes and night sweats.

Exercise: Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, this will help you feel good, improve your sleep and help you remain at a healthy weight, which is likely to increase during the menopause, as well as keeping your heart healthy and bones strong. Other forms of exercise like yoga have also been proven to help reduce hot flushes and help you to relax.

Your diet: Ensure you are eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s low in saturated fats, sugars and oils and high in fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Make sure you’re getting enough calcium and vitamin D or take a supplement. Some women find that soya products (soya milk, tofu, etc.) and whole-grain foods bring relief. This may be due to the oestrogen-like effects of the phytoestrogens contained in these foods.

Drink water: During menopause, women often experience dryness. This is likely caused by the decrease in oestrogen levels. Therefore, keeping hydrated is essential. Drinking at least 2 litres of water a day can help with these symptoms. Drinking water can also reduce the bloating that can occur with hormonal imbalance.

Vitamins: It is commonly known that changes in hormones can cause bones to weaken, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium and vitamin D are linked to good bone health, so it’s vital to get enough of these nutrients in your diet. There is a wide range of foods that are calcium-rich, for example dairy products (yogurt, milk and cheese), green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach), tofu, beans, sardines are also worth considering.

For vitamin D, sunlight is your main source, since your skin produces it when exposed to the sun. However, as you get older, your skin gets less efficient at making it. The main foods sources are oily fish, eggs, cod liver oil and foods fortified with vitamin D.

If you struggle to eat the vitamin rich foods, then take a general vitamin tablet every day.

Smoking: As well as all the health problem associated with smoking, it’s also linked to early menopause and may increase hot flushes. For help quitting smoking click here.

Alternative therapies:  Acupuncture, meditation and relaxation techniques may be able to reduce the stress of menopause.

Natural remedies: Try evening primrose oil, liquorice, ginseng or wild yam. There is limited scientific evidence on their safety or effectiveness so talk to your doctor before trying alternative treatments.

Before selecting a type of treatment or making a dramatic change to your lifestyle, though, you should always talk to your doctor.

Menopause brings many changes, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s important that during this time, you make your health a priority.

Further help and support

• NHS
• Manage my Menopause
• Daisy Network
• My Second Spring
• Menopause Support
• My Menopause Doctor
• Menopause in the Workplace