Personal resilience, Day 21 – 30th of March 2020

Supporting others

You are probably already familiar with the saying that “prevention is better than cure”.  It is useful to think about this in the context of supporting the wellbeing resilience of those people close to us be they family members, work colleagues or friends.

We have an impact upon the habits and behaviours of people close to us.  These can be good and bad.  An example of this is that children born to obese parents are more likely to be obese.  Our parents lead us by example and they also pass on behaviours and habits.  In knowing this, we can explore the impact and influence on those people closest to us.  You might wish to consider the habits that you have that others follow?

• Do they support building resilience?
• Do you encourage others?

According to the mental health charity Mind one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue each year.  As a society, we are generally adopting a healthier attitude to talking about these issues.  However, there is still a stigma attached to mental health issues creating a reluctance, for some of us, to discuss our challenges.  An important part of supporting others is to create an environment where others can openly talk about their emotions.

This can be encouraged by:

• Talking about your own emotions
• Encouraging others to share their views about mental health issues portayed on the television and in other forms of media
• Describing an explicit link between your own actions and your health, for example, I do exercise to improve my physical and mental health
• Listening and showing empathy

We encourage you to identify one thing that you can do, or do more of, to support others.

If any of these emails or exercises have affected you and you feel you would like to speak to someone, support is available through RSABI.  You can call them on 0300 111 4166.  Their helpline is open from 7am to 11pm all year.

These resources have been developed by Kim Walker of Advance Consultancy for the Farm Advisory Service.