Sleep: A non-negotiable necessity (Part 4) For the final blog in our series on sleep, we will explore the impact of shift-work and consider what individuals working shifts can do to protect themselves, and what organisations can do to support their shift-working employees.   Shift-work has been defined by the national Sleep Foundation as ‘work [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health   Sleep: A non-negotiable necessity (Part 3) So far in our series of blogs on sleep we have looked at why sleep is important, the factors influencing sleep, and what we as individuals can do to improve our sleep hygiene. At this [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health   Sleep: A non-negotiable necessity (Part 2) It is difficult, given the current circumstances that we face during the COVID-19 pandemic, to think about making sleep a priority. However, now more than ever, good sleep is essential. Sleep offers great protection to [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health Sleep is part of the natural rhythm of life and is an essential part of survival. It is a vital component to supporting good mental and physical health. We know that an average adult should have between 7– 9 hours’ sleep every [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health We want to start this blog by saying a massive ‘thank you’ to everyone who is working hard to keep our country going and to keep us safe. We hope that you will be remembered as heroes of this time. In the [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health   The Looseheadz Foundation is an incredible charity and we’re proud to be their partner because their aim is to ‘tackle the stigma’ associated with mental health. Stigma, in the context of a health-related issue, describes the process of labelling a person [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health When it comes to our physical health, a key public health strategy to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 has been to effectively wash our hands, not touch our face, and engage respiratory hygiene. Often the simplest of approaches are the [...]

Dr Libby Artingstall & Dr Sile McDaid, Co-Founders & Directors Team Mental Health The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the current coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. This reflects a worldwide spread of a new disease and a circumstance which requires us all to respond to a rapidly evolving situation quickly and effectively.1 To date, [...]

Case Study Summary – To provide a holistic approach to the wellbeing of pupils, staff and the academy community by understanding being healthy as strongly encompassing emotional and mental as well as, and with equal importance to physical wellbeing. This case study examines the impact of whole organisation training by Team Mental Health and embedded in […]

This week we were privileged to be included in the Sporting Mind Conference hosted by British Athletics and BBC Get Inspired. The aim of the conference was to engage professionals working across sport in conversations to inspire positive progress in the area of mental health. The event itself provided the opportunity to hear from a […]

When you think of physical health, you think of fitness and wellbeing where all internal and external body parts are working, as they should. The World Health Organisation define Mental Health “as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work […]

The focus of Mental Health Awareness Week this year is stress (Mental Health Foundation, 2018). Whilst stress is not a mental health disorder, research shows that prolonged stress is linked to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression (Khan, 2017). We know that mental ill health can have a serious negative impact on the […]

Watch Professor Vikas Shah MBE deliver his TEDx Manchester Talk here: I’m new to TED talks and watching Professor Vikas Shah MBE deliver his was my first real experience. For me, his words are most definitely an ‘idea worth spreading’ but they also deliver an important message that is so very relevant to all across […]

1) For those of us who’ve watched Educating Greater Manchester, it’s clear to see that you’re a headteacher who’s driven by a real commitment to make a difference and support the young people who attend your school to be their best. What’s great about the TV programme is that it really shines a light on […]

Meeting the mental health needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Understanding the complex needs of our pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is integral to being able to effectively support pupils and provide them with a holistic, personalised plan of support. SEND comes in many different forms, but almost every […]

Why is promoting positive mental health at school important? An imperative part of ensuring that our children are truly happy and in a position to be able to achieve their absolute potential, is giving them regular opportunities to share, explore, question and regulate their own feelings and mental health. As an academy we have built […]

Time to Talk and Time to Act Time to Talk Day reflects a recognition of the vital importance of talking, listening and raising awareness. (Time to Change, 2018) Not only does this occasion support some of the barriers which can be associated with mental health being broken down, it also provides great opportunity for real […]