Mental Health

Looking after our Mental Health is vitally important. The Public Health Agency have put together their 'Take 5' to help us all to look after our mental health and wellbeing:

Connect

Connect with the people around you: family, friends, colleagues and neighbours at home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these relationships as the cornerstones of your life and spend time developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. Joining your local running or athletics club can help you build relationships and be social while you enjoy your sport.

Be Active

Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Being active helps your well being by boosting those endorphins and giving you that sense of achievement.

Take notice

Be observant, look for something beautiful or remark on something unusual. Savour the moment, whether you are on a bus or in a taxi, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Keep learning

Don’t be afraid to try something new, rediscover an old hobby or sign up for a course. Take on a different responsibility, fix a bike, learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do.

Give

Do something nice for a friend or stranger, thank someone, smile, volunteer your time or consider joining a community group. Look out as well as in. Seeing yourself and your happiness linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you. Volunteering at your local running or athletics club, or becoming an Technical official will help you give back and will help further support the athletics community.

Helpful Resources

Mental Health Charities:

• Mental Health Foundation: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
• Aware NI: https://www.aware-ni.org/
• Action Mental Health: https://www.amh.org.uk/
• Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
• NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

Understanding Mental Health and Mental Ill Health:

• Time to Change: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
• Black Dog video about Depression: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc
• Video about Anxiety: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nCgm1xQa06c&t=15s
• MyTutor- Teen Mental Health Guide for Parents: https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/parents/educational-advice/teen-mental-health-a-guide-for-parents/
• Understanding and Managing Anxiety: A guide for University Students: https://universitycompare.com/guides/students-managing-anxiety/

Training:

• British Athletics Mental Wellbeing in Sport & Physical Activity Module: https://www.athleticshub.co.uk/course-list/eng
• UK Coaching Mental Health Awareness for Sport and Physical Activity Online Course: https://www.ukcoaching.org/mental-health
• Mental Health First Aid Training, St John’s Ambulance: https://www.sja.org.uk/courses/workplace-mental-health-first-aid/
• Believe Perform (Club Welfare Officers can get access to a range of courses through this platform): https://athleticsni.org/News/Athletics-NI-News/PERFORMANCE-SKILLS-AND-MENTAL-HEALTH-SUPPORT-FROM-BELIEVE-PERFORM-AND-ATHLETICS-NI

Support Numbers:

• Here2Help App available on Android or iPhone (provides support contacts for a range of mental health issues)
• Emergency Services: 999
• NHS Direct: Call 111
• Samaritans: 116 123
• YoungMinds: 08088025544 or text 'YM' to 85258
• Childline: 0800 1111
• Lifeline: 0808 808 8000