We recognise that during a busy workday, it is often a low priority to look after ourselves and our minds. By practicing mindfulness and getting into a healthy routine, we can shift this mindset and learn how to become mindful at work, and at home too.
Our specialist staff psychological wellbeing and mindfulness practitioner, Karen, delivers many different mindfulness sessions which may be helpful to you.
Take a look at our hand picked mindfulness resources filled with amazing apps, books, youtube meditations and more!
Mindfulness Resources PDF 488KB
Why does mindfulness matter?
When we practice mindfulness, we start to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings, and how we are reacting to these. Mindfulness isn’t about trying to change these thoughts, it is about recognising them as what they are, and allowing them to come and go, whilst we can remain calm and focus on our breathing.
Mindfulness can often be difficult for some people, especially if they are experiencing low mood or high levels of stress. However, the more we practice mindfulness, the easier it becomes. Mindfulness can also help improve our mental and physical wellbeing.
Upcoming: Mindfuless Now Course
Have you ever found yourself running on autopilot, not knowing how you got somewhere or who ate that whole bag of crisps? Are you interested in unhooking from those unhelpful thoughts, feelings and behaviours that get in the way of you living your best life?
This 8 week mindfulness course helps us to step back from those automatic, habitual ways of responding to our internal and external worlds and start experiencing new ways of being with our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
This course is run by our clinical psychology and mindfulness staff and runs for 8 consecutive weeks with an optional half day gift retreat at the end.
The course will be running on Microsoft Teams, every Tuesday 8am-10am for 8 weeks from 24th October 2023 to 16th December 2023, with the final session as a retreat day. For more information, and to request a referral form, please email staffwellbeing@nuh.nhs.uk
*All participants will have a brief ‘intake’ session with one of the facilitators prior to the course starting to explain the course and make sure that it meets your requirements.
What mindfulness sessions do we currently offer?
Mindful Life-Well at Work: An opporutnity to participate in research.
What is Mindful Life-Well at Work?
A multi-site trial open for participation to healthcare, social care and teaching staff accessing staff integrated healthcare and wellbeing resources through participating Trusts. You will be randomly assigned to recieve an online mindfulness-based cognitive therapy OR stress-reduction psychoeducation theraputic progamme, both intended to reduce stress and enhance overall wellbeing; your input will help improve staff wellbeing resources offered through UK Trusts.
What is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?
It involves mindfulness practices and cognitive behavioural exercises that can enhance wellbeing and flourishing in everyday life. It is suitable for anyone who wants to enhance their wellbeing . The course introduces participants to mindfulness and meditation and encourages participants to cultivate attitudes of interest and friendliness towards experience whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. The course teaches skills for keeping our balance through life’s up and downs and respond skilfully when difficulties arise, opening more to moments of joy contentment and gratitude.
What would taking part involve besides attending the programme?
Completing an online survey (30-45 mins) about your stress levels and other wellbeing & work related aspects at 4 timepoints across 20 weeks; and an optional online interview (30-45 mins) about your programme experience at 20 weeks post programme completion. Recieving a £15 gift voucher as inconvenience allowance, seperately for completing (a) the survey and (b) the interview.
The next course will be running every Wednesday at 9:30am-11:45am from 11th October 2023 - 13th December 2023 (9 weeks)
To take part in the study, follow the link: https://rb.gy/mfp3g
If you have any questions for the research staff, please email: well-at-work@nottingham.ac.uk
Referral
Referral is through self-referral through the application via the link found above. Staff are asked to fill in a eligibility critiera before participating in the research study.
Staff may not be eligible for the research if they:
- Are attending or have arranged attendance of any other psychological therapy or wellbeing programme within or outside of work in next 3 months.
- Have experienced any significant life events that are causing significant distress to you at the current time (for example, a serious accident, etc.).
- Are not currently mentally well, such as having a diagnoses of a mental health condition and are in an acute to severe state (Such as a mental illness like generalised anxiety or depression, diagnosed by your GP or a mental health specialist). You may still qualify if you have a mental health condition and are currently well.
Managers support to access the study
For staff to access this study, we encourage staff to discuss with their managers, and the managers to support in terms of time to attend and reasonable adjustment with shifts, accessing a room or doing the study from home (and then claiming the time back). We have had many staff sign up to the sessions and then are not released to attend, or cannot find a room to attend the sessions. We also have staff who attend and then are called back into clinical work during the sessions. We hope getting managers support will result in this being considered and problem solved prior to the first session starting.