02 July 2020
The coronavirus is affecting the way many of us live our lives every day and continues to cut many people off from others. It’s normal that this affects people’s mental health. There are some things that we can all do to help ourselves and others during this difficult time. As well as this support page, you may want to look at our other guidance 'looking after your mental health during the winter months'.
You may be feeling more worried or unsettled by what’s going on in the world. It might feel like things are changing, and there’s a lot that’s outside of your control. Because of coronavirus, there are so many more unknowns around us and our futures, and the way that we live our day-to-day lives is changing. This uncertainty does naturally impact our mental wellbeing, and it’s important that we talk about the things we’re struggling with and find ways together to help each other. It’s likely your mood has been affected by the pandemic, and it’s something we’d really encourage you to talk about. Whether that’s via video messaging, over the phone, texting or over the garden fence. Whilst we’re physically isolated, it’s more important than ever for us to feel socially connected, so try and reach out to people to talk, and try to be there to listen to others. In case it’s helpful, we’ve gathered together some information to help you look after your wellbeing at this time.
The Samartians have put together some practical guidance for you to help yourself cope if you’re finding things tough right now.
The Bank Workers Charity have a number of guides and action plans that you can use to help you too and have created a guide on how to access support during the pandemic.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call the police on 999. If you're unable to speak, press 55.
If you need help urgently, call the 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline for free advice on 0808 200 0247.
The TUC Education team have created handy guidance (aimed at union reps) to assist those who may be dealing with issues of domestic abuse in their lives.
The pandemic is changing the way we keep in touch with one another and has been restricting our access to family and friends. If you’re worried about someone who may already be struggling, there are things you can do to let them know that you’re thinking about them.
It could be a simple text message, an online message or a video call. The important thing is to start a conversation. It shows you care which can be the first step to helping someone feel less isolated.
The Samaritans have put together some helpful information that you can use to strike up a conversation.
There’s also plenty of other information out there, so let’s get talking…