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​Prioritising your mental wellbeing

January is widely considered the most unhappy month of the year.

Between the post-Christmas blues and the dark cold nights, it's normal to feel down. The nature of your work comes with a unique set of challenges that, if left unchecked, can negatively affect your mental wellbeing.

During challenging times, it's important to remember the high-quality support platforms available to help you in all aspects of your life. We offer members a comprehensive counselling and emotional support system through Health Assured.

This complete support network is designed to help you deal with both personal and professional issues that affect your work life as well as your general mental wellbeing. Offering 24/7 guidance, it's designed not only to provide reactive support but also proactive and preventative measures.

This partnership allows members to receive complimentary access to an enhanced EAP covering:

  • Life support: access to unlimited counselling to support your emotional needs (and those of your dependants) both over the phone and face-to-face, depending on your needs
  • Legal information: advice on any legal issue that might be causing you anxiety, ranging from debt management to lawsuits and more
  • Bereavement support: offering specialised support to help you through the grieving process and access to a legal team to help with any legal issues that can arise
  • Medical information: while not allowed to provide any diagnosis, a team of qualified nurses is available to offer advice and practical information on a range of health-related issues
  • Online CBT: qualified doctors created advice videos, informative factsheets, and CBT self-help modules.

In addition to these services, you also have access to the My Healthy Advantage app full of self-help guides, support for physical and mental health though fitness and lifestyle advice, plus a weekly mood tracker.

In England, the NHS Practitioner Health Mental Wellbeing App is also available to support you. It's an entirely customisable app, tailored to monitor and track your wellbeing. It's designed to help you identify the areas in which you might need additional support and provides information to advise you through it. The advice includes general self-care information, links to useful resources, relevant organisations for weekly fitness reports and podcasts.

During difficult times it's important to remember that you're not alone. We are here to provide you with support and offer you the tools you need on your mental health journey. If you ever feel overwhelmed please contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 for free 24/7 support in NI or the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123.