At Demesne, we want to actively undertake mental health promotion initiatives in our workplace to focus on individual approaches such as stress management, skills training, and support; organisational approaches focusing on the work environment; and targeted interventions focusing on integrating those with mental health conditions back into the workplace.

World Mental Health Day 2023


World Mental Health Day – Tuesday 10th October
“Mental Health is a universal human right”.
World Mental Health Day 2023

The Stress Boat
Moving through life’s stressors can be like navigating a sailing boat across a changeable ocean.
Learn how to navigate rough waters here:
https://layaeap.ie/wellbeing/article/458

"Kindness gives birth to Kindness"


One of the most effective ways of improving mental health is to be kind to others.
Random Acts of Kindness can be small but can have a huge impact on someone.
Check out the previous post below for ideas on this.

Increase Your Happiness!
https://www.layaeap.ie/be-calm/142

Meditation
Enjoy these short meditations to help reduce stress and aid calmness.
7 short sessions in all, you can try this out during lunchtimes or whenever you feel overwhelmed and need to re-set.
https://layaeap.ie/be-calm/141

Positive Thinking


Write down 3 Positive things at the start of each morning.
Do this for a week and see how you feel by Friday!

World Cancer Day


- Friday 4th February 2022 is World Cancer Day.
“Close the Care Gap”
We have all been affected by Cancer at some time in our lives.
Please share the link below to family and friends
https://www.worldcancerday.org/understanding-cancer

5 Minute Meditation
- Link for your 5 minutes meditation is here: 5 minutes anywhere

- Mindful tip suggestion link: Mindful eating tips

The Mood Meter


Try to use The Mood Meter to check in with yourself and see how you feel and what mood you’re in.
Download the Mood Meter app or watch the following video to practice this exercise: Mood Meter intros
If you’re interested in this technique in more detail please read through this article: Boost-emotional-intelligence-with-the-mood-meter

Ride the Wild Horse
And another way to check in with you emotions is the Ride the Wild Horse meditation:
Many of us struggle to manage our emotions. Our feelings can often seem like a wild horse, full of fear and uncontrolled energy. They may cause you to freeze, act out, or shut down—making it difficult to think rationally, causing you to say and do things you later regret.
Or you may go to great lengths to avoid difficult emotions by:
- Distracting yourself with obsessive thoughts, mindless entertainment, and addictive behaviours. Watching television for hours, drinking, gambling, overeating, playing computer games, and compulsively using smartphones or the Internet are common ways to avoid dealing with your feelings.
- Sticking with one emotional response that you feel comfortable with, no matter what the situation requires. For example, constantly joking around to cover up insecurities or getting angry all the time to avoid feeling sad or anxious.
- Shutting down or shutting out intense emotions. If you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, you may cope by numbing yourself. You may feel completely disconnected from your emotions, like you no longer have feelings at all.

Instead of trying to ignore strong emotions, you can accept and tame them by taking up the reins and learning how to ride them. This is where the Ride the Wild Horse mindfulness meditation comes in. As well as helping you to relax, it also teaches you how to harness all of your emotions—even the uncomfortable or overwhelming ones you’ve been trying to avoid. You’ll learn how to ride out intense emotions, remaining in control of the experience and in control of your behaviour.
To access the meditation and more context: Emotional Intelligence Toolkit

Mental Wellbeing


This webinar will be available to Demesne for 30 days.
– Link to follow

Do you need a digital detox ?
https://www.layahealthcare.ie/thrive/lifestyle/digital-detox/

Mindfulness for children
https://www.layahealthcare.ie/thrive/family/maymindfulnesssupertroopers/

Stress Less

Defining Stress and how to cope with it.


Learn more here: https://layaeap.ie/wellbeing/article/460

Live life successfully, one day at a time...



None of us know, or can know what is going to happen in the future!
No one foresaw the situation we would be in over the last year .
Many of us are worried about what will happen?


A person embarking on a day’s hike, would be foolish to carry enough provisions for a lifetime.
Is it not strange that many of us carry around all the worries for the next 10 years and then wonder why life is so difficult?

What we can do is...
Take self-responsibility for living life successfully, one day at a time.
Look after the people close to us.
Treat other people with respect.
Continue to grow and develop our key skills.
We can't predict the future but, we can create it for ourselves one day at a time

Trouble Sleeping?



These articles might help:
https://layaeap.ie/wellbeing/articles

Work life balance
We want to encourage people to ensure that they have a ‘healthy’ balance between their work and home lives.

We understand that the cumulative effect of increased working hours could have an important effect on the lifestyle of our people, which is likely to prove damaging to their mental well-being.

Holidays



Please ensure to book holidays and take time out for your Mental and overall Well Being.
Talk to your manager and plan ahead,
Don’t let your days pile up till the end of they year!

Kids, Smartphones & Sleep



Struggling to get your kids out of bed in the morning?

Do thye go to bed with their phone or other device? This could be the cause.

Taking simple steps like, keeping bedrooms screen free or not allowing screend for at least one hour before bedtime can drastically improve the amount and quality of sleep your little ones get.

To find out more, visit this link.

10 Issues Negatively Impacting Mental Health



Mental health and wellbeing is an important part of our overall health.

But you might be surprised at what exactly affects our mental health the most.

To find out more, visit this link or if you are concerned about your mental health or that of a loved one, take the first steps of support by visiting Laya Healthcares support service here



Coping with Anxiety



Are you feeling anxious, stressed or fearful?

It's normal. And you are not alone.
Fear is a natural and essential reaction in our system that is designed to be lifesaving. But, if we become afraid of the unpleasant sensations that are associated with fear, we develop anxiety which can be life destroying.
Essentially anxiety is the fear of feeling afraid.

Although we can't avoid fear, we can control it. Breathing and being self-aware will help you to get on top of, and control your anxiety and fear. Your breath is an essential tool in doing this, as it will support and guide you. By focusing on your breath you will draw your attention into your body, focusing on the specific areas where your anxiety lives.

To learn more, you can read Jess Hatchetts full article here

Your Mental Health & Covid-19



Social distance. Self-isolate. Stay home.

These are the messages we are constantly hearing by media outlets and medical experts to combat and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although necessary these steps can have major implications for our mental health. Self-isolation and social distancing can cause increased levels of anxiety, stress, irritation, sleeping problems and not to mind the paranoia that comes with every ache, pain, cough or sneeze we experience. But it important to know that scientific and medical professionals are working around the clock to contain and eradicate the virus.

In the meantime, there are a number of simple but effective steps you can take to mind your mental health; Read on here...

Coronvirus & your Mental Health (Part 1)
Karl Henry speaks to clinical psychologist, Dr. Eddie Murphy, about how we can look after our mental health in these times. Eddie tells us how to manage our stress levels and anxiety, why structure and routine are so important and why we can only focus on the things that we can control.
Click the image below to listen.


How napping can help you to detox your mind


7 Ways of making a good first impression


The Hangover Episode


What is causing stress for Irish people?
Top tips for understanding and managing anxiety