6. Moving Forward

Here you'll find all the worksheets and information you'll need to accompany your learning for Session 6 of our Managing Moods webinars.

What we learned this week

How to sleep better

We looked at three tips on how to sleep well: 

1. Only try to sleep when you're tired: So that your body learns to link going to bed with feeling sleepy - and not with lying awake feeling frustrated!

2. Work with your natural sleep cycle as much as possible: Learn how much sleep you need personally by keeping a sleep diary.

3. Get into a good routine, and wind down for the evening: Do something boring for 15 minutes before bed each night, to help wind down. 

We suggst using some of the goal-setting techniques from Session 2, to help you to pace yourself and gradually work towards this new sleep routine. 

Resources: 

• Sleep Hygiene Tips in downloads below
• Sleep Diary in downloads below
• Solent Mind's Sleep Toolkit
• The Recovery College's video on Understanding Sleep

 

Our Stress Bathtub

We like to imagine our capacity for coping with stress like a bathtub - because stressful situations turn on the tap, and we can only cope with so much before things start to overflow and we feel overwhelmed.

Although large events can overwhelm us quickly, it's important to recognise that even the smallest drip will eventually fill up the tub if we don't let the water out occasionally. 

We talked about how to let the stress out of our bathtub through relaxation. Regularly taking time for ourselves can keep the water levels manageable. 

Three relaxation skills we suggest are:

1. Deep breathing: Where adrenaline makes our heart race and our breathing shallow, deep breathing helps us to slow down again and feel more in control.
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Helps us to let go of tension and stiffness that we've been holding in our muscles, and feel more at ease.  
3. Mindfulness: Stress often brings our focus to the past or the future, so mindfulness helps clear our mind of those worries and enjoy the present moment. 

We like these three skills because they don't need any equipment, they don't cost anything and you can use them almost anywhere. 

Resources: 

• A deep breathing guide from the NHS
• A progressive muscle relaxation audio guide from the NHS
• An introduction to mindfulness through mindful breathing from the NHS
• Calm - An app for guided mindfulness and meditation 
• Headspace - An app teaching mindfulness and meditation
• Reachout Worry Time - An app to help you use the Worry Time technique  

 

How caffeine, alcohol and nicotine affect our mood

We learned that in addition to the physical affects, caffiene, alcohol and nicotine can also affect our stress levels and our sleep, and feed into our vicious cycles.

For more information, or tips on cutting down, these resources could help:

• Drinkaware - A national charity on alcohol, offering resources such as a unit calculator to measure how much you're drinking.
• Smoke Free Hampshire - The local service giving information and support on reducing or quitting smoking. 

 

The Recovery College

If you've enjoyed our Managing Moods course, you may also find the Recovery College helpful. They teach a wide range of courses to help you understand your mental wellbeing, continue your recovery and stay well. 

NHS Talking Therapies Hampshire patients can access Recovery College courses for free until 2 years after your treatment, and if there's a friend or family member that has been supporting you, they can access courses for free in their own right too.  

• The Recovery College

 

How was your experience of Managing Moods?

We're keen to hear what your experience of Managing Moods was like, and if there's anything we could do to improve our course. We have just three quick questions to ask, so please click here to answer our quick survey to help us ensure we're providing the best possible service.

 

Downloads