Mental Health Awareness Week starts today and runs until the 19th May. This is a time to encourage people to think about their mental health. Each day this week we will post helpful tips for you that will support your mental health.
There is a free service available across Scotland which offers psychological support and talking therapies to all patients with inherited bleeding disorders, young and older, and their families. You can learn more about the service here.
Day 1: Support for those affected by contaminated blood
It is also one week until the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry report. Understandably, a wide array of emotions will be felt at this time. We would like to highlight a couple of free psychological support services available to you.
In Scotland, we would like to remind you that the Scottish Infected Blood Psychology service is available to people who have been infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV through NHS blood transfusions and blood products received in Scotland. The psychology service also supports family members, bereaved family members, and other loved ones who have been affected. Find out more about the service.
We have also been made aware of The Haemophilia Bleeding Disorders Counselling Association (HBDCA) who will be available for you in London on 20th May.
So, if you need somewhere to process what the Final Report will mean for you and for your loved ones, or to de-compress and just be with others in the Infected Blood community, in an informal peer support group setting, please join them at:
The Westminster Room, Church House, Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3NZ.
Click here for more information about this service.
Day 2: Breathing
Breathing is something we all do every day and most of us pay little attention to it. However, we know that certain types of breathing can be used as a very helpful stress management tool. Deep breathing, which is also known as belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, helps us by slowing our breathing rate, slowing our heartbeat, lowering blood pressure, and releasing tension from the body. Breathing could be described as a superpower we all have!
What do we mean by deep breathing? Ideally, we inhale (breathe in) through our nose until we fully fill our lungs and the belly expands, hold, and then exhale (breathe out) through our mouth, fully emptying the air from our lungs. Pursing our lips, as though blowing out candles, can help with this. Breathing out for a little longer than we breathe in can help with relaxation. Good examples of full belly breathing can be seen when we observe babies or dogs breathing.
For many of us, deep breathing can feel a little strange and unnatural. Shorter breaths into our chest can seem normal, but we know that it can increase tension and anxiety. Belly breathing is a new skill, which requires practice. It is better to practice for a few breaths a few times during the day, rather than for longer periods. You may feel a little dizzy if you practice for too long – it is a new skill that your body may not be used to.
When you are a complete beginner, it is good to find a quiet, comfortable place to practice. With some practice, we can use this skill everywhere, e.g., on a bus or in a waiting area while waiting for an appointment or a job interview.
Introducing belly breathing into your daily routine will help manage stress, release tension, and help your overall well-being. Give it a try – what have you got to lose?
If you have any respiratory health issues, e.g., COPD, it may be better to focus on ‘slow breathing’ rather than ‘deep breathing’. If you have any questions or worries, please discuss them with a healthcare professional.
There are many examples available online. Some examples of belly breathing can be found at: https://youtu.be/9jpchJcKivk?si=iTiCUt1QxOM1ZO_f and an example of how long to aim to breathe for at https://youtu.be/aNXKjGFUlMs?si=YSj4HTxvuI26tpMZ
NHS Inform have also produced a helpful breathing exercise video: https://youtu.be/IYTZwBzjNC0
Day 3: Sleep Advice
Most of us have trouble sleeping at some point in our lives, particularly when life is more stressful. The average amount of sleep needed by each person can vary. On average, people sleep between 7-9 hours a night, while some people can function well with only 5-6 hours of sleep a night. The most common sleep problems are trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, waking too early, or having poor quality sleep. Poor sleep can impact on our mood causing increased irritability and lead to poorer concentration affecting our ability to manage our daily tasks.
Some basic sleep advice:
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. Try to avoid doing work or stressful activities in the bedroom. It is important to associate the bedroom with a relaxing atmosphere
- Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom and limit your access to them at least an hour before bed
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, smoking and alcohol before bedtime
- Increase your activity and exercise during the day and have a ‘wind-down’ relaxation time before bed
- Try to avoid naps during the day (unless you are unwell)
Sleepio is a 6 week evidence-based sleep improvement programme, based on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) strategies. This has many useful tips and ideas on how to improve our sleep quality. If someone’s sleep problems have been more long-standing, it is useful to consider all contributing factors and it may be helpful to discuss with a health care professional. Sleepio is freely available to all people living in Scotland – Onboarding Sleep Test – Sleepio
Day 4: Tension in the body
When we experience stress and anxiety our body often holds onto a lot of tension. People might describe it as being tied up in knots or like a rubber band being stretched too tight. This will be a common feeling for many people as we all experience stress. Stress can be caused by work, school, health, relationships and even exciting new challenges such as getting married. Stress can cause the muscles in our body to feel tight and tense, with many people describing sore shoulders or tension headaches. This tension can lead to increased pain and increased difficulty getting comfortable when trying to fall asleep.
There are lots of things that people can do to help to release tension and stress from the body including stretching, exercise and relaxation exercises such as progressive muscle relaxation. This is sometimes also known as Tense & Release. Having a few tools to let go of tension is important to help manage stress, pain and discomfort in the body.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation is an exercise which was created in the 1920s and continues to be used around the world as a short and effective stress management technique. To begin the exercise, you must first find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for at least 15 minutes. Once in a comfortable position, you move your attention to the different muscles of the body and then tense each muscle individually and release it. It is a helpful exercise to learn the difference between a tense muscle and a more relaxed muscle. You can start at your feet and move slowly through the muscle groups until you reach the head or move the opposite way. It can be a very useful exercise to do at nighttime when trying to fall asleep.
Some examples of Progressive Muscle Relaxation can be found below:
Deep relaxation by Public Health Scotland on https://on.soundcloud.com/hfJkZ
Day 5: Psychological Support Service
Today marks day 5 of Mental Health Awareness Week
We hope you have found our daily posts this week useful and that it has encouraged you to invest in your mental health, moving away from the perception that it is a luxury when in fact it is a necessity.
This is a reminder that in Scotland that is a free service available across Scotland which offers psychological support and talking therapies to all patients with inherited bleeding disorders, young and older, and their families. You can learn more about the service here.