There is a lot of very useful advice on how to sustain mental health during the COVID-19 emergency; we have compiled a list of high standard articles and resources to help you support yourself and others:
- The following is a comprehensive guide from UK Government on how to cope with isolation and the psychological impact of COVID-19. This contains lots of useful advice and practical tips. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-aspects-of-coronavirus-covid-19
- Information from WHO; this has dedicated sections for specific audiences, e.g. for healthcare workers, people caring for children. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/mental-health-considerations.pdf?sfvrsn=6d3578af_2
- Simple, practical tips from 'The Conversation', a community dedicated to providing an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public. There are also many other relevant articles on their website. https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-keep-human-connections-when-moving-learning-online-due-to-coronavirus-134351
- Advice from UK NHS on managing COVID-19 related anxiety. This webpage also leads to many more pages with resources on sleep, physical fitness, connecting with others etc. https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/
- A website and magazine dedicated to journalism that highlights positive news, including some good news about world-wide efforts to cope with COVID-19. https://www.positive.news/
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The British Psychological Society has also developed guidance to assist in the COVID-19 response; some of the information is for psychologists but there are also useful handouts on how to communicate with children. https://www.bps.org.uk/responding-coronavirus
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NHS reviewed apps to support mental health. https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/
- Working from home can be a unique challenge, but the BPS has produced some helpful tips for both employees and employers alike. Setting boundaries, staying connected and focusing on the positives of the 'new normal' can really boost our resilience. https://www.bps.org.uk/sites/www.bps.org.uk/files/Policy/Policy%20-%20Files/Working%20from%20home.pdf
- Some advice from the Mental Health Foundation about looking after your mental health as lockdown is eased: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/coming-out-of-lockdown
- We would like to draw your attention to an engaging animation by Dr Russ Harris, a leading Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teacher. In a short 5-minute animation, he offers some advice in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, using ACT principles: FACE COVID with ACT
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This free guide from Dr Emma Hepburn contains helpful tips and diagrams on the theme 'How to stay calm in a global pandemic': https://www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/How-to-Stay-Calm-in-a-Global-Pandemic-Free-ebook.pdf