Professor Gerry Gormley balances his time between being a GP in Carryduff and carrying out his role as Clinical Professor in Simulation and Clinical skills within the Centre for Medical Education at Queen’s. He works closely with the Staff Wellbeing team, providing lunch and learn wellbeing sessions to staff, and has kindly recorded this video on 5 Key Steps to Wellbeing.

Other Useful Links include:

• Get Active with a Disability
• Mindfulness
• Language Learning

Action Mental Health has developed the below toolkit, to help staff working from home, covering the 5 Steps to Wellbeing.

• 5 Steps to Wellbeing

As many staff have adjusted to working from home, you may be finding that the day to day reality can be challenging.

The challenges could come from many different personal reasons, for example being on our own at home during the day or trying to balance caring responsibilities. Each case will be unique, and we know not all days will be the same.

Working from home has as much to do with the work you have planned to complete as well as your mental approach and attitude to the situation. Here are some tips to maintain your wellbeing on the working from home days:

Routine

Try to start and end the day with a routine. Get dressed, go for a walk, prioritise your jobs, get the coffee on! Use the time that you’re normally commuting for doing an online yoga class, getting out for a walk or calling a friend/family member for a catch up.

When working from home, you're your own personal manager. Without things like an in-person meeting schedule to break up your day, you can be quick to lose focus or burn out. To stay productive, set goals for what you'll do and when over the course of the day/week.

We understand that balancing your caring responsibilities with working from home is going to be challenging. If you’re struggling, contact your line manager and let them know about the challenges you are experiencing so that the University can best support you.

Get some fresh air

We’re spending a lot of time indoors at the moment, so open the windows to let in as much natural daylight and fresh air as possible. If possible, get outside and take a walk or go for a run – making sure to wash your hands as soon as you return home.

Stay Connected

It’s important to talk and remain connected to colleagues, and if we can’t be in the same room, then use technology, such as Microsoft Teams, to keep in touch. Use video calls where you can instead of phone calls, as it’s easier to gauge how someone is when you can see them.

Vitamin D

Open your shades when the sun comes up, or step outside. Bringing sunlight into your home will help balance your circadian rhythm for better sleep and energy management. And stepping outside for even just a quick breath of fresh air will make you feel more alive and less isolated.

Food

Think about food prep for the week and maybe batch cook on Sunday. Try and have healthy snacks in the cupboards, otherwise you’ll eat all the chocolate.

Regular breaks and exercise

It's good to have a routine when you're working from home, but work shouldn't become monotonous and you shouldn't stay glued to your screen all day. It's important to take regular screen breaks and get up from your desk and move around just as you would normally.

Every 25 minutes try to get up and stretch, breathe, go outside, go up and down the stairs – anything to move your body! Working out at home can offer some advantages such as convenience and privacy. You can download a yoga app for example or visit a website that offers workouts that are customised and require little or no equipment.

Ask for help

If you’re struggling, remember to reach out to a colleague or your Line Manager and ask for some help.

As we begin a ‘return to campus’ for all, we appreciate that for some of you who have been working  from home for two years, you may be feeling unsettled or anxious. Under these circumstances, that’s perfectly normal but remember that there is support in place if you need it.

Virtual wellbeing events – From physical to mental wellbeing, check out what’s available via our Wellbeing Events Staff Intranet page.

Reconnecting with Colleagues – Working on Campus gives us an opportunity to meet colleagues for coffee/lunch, have ‘Good morning!’ chats with our work friends, and offers us peer support from those around us. As we return to campus, our relationships may look a little different to what they did pre-pandemic, so try to step outside your comfort zone and build these again. Staying connected to our peers is very important to our wellbeing.

Take your breaks – Your day-to-day routine may have changed, and colleagues you would normally meet for a coffee or lunch pre-pandemic may have a different routine now, but it’s still important for you to take your breaks, probably even more so.

Caring responsibilities – You may have family members relying on your support. It’s important to talk to your line manager and let them know about the challenges you are experiencing so that the University can best support you.

Need someone to talk to?

Inspire, our Employee Assistance Programme provider, are available for you to access 24/7 and are free of charge. They can provide advice and guidance on a wide range of worries/issues that you may be dealing with, for example, family issues, health concerns or financial worries. You can call them for a confidential chat on 0800 389 5362.

For those colleagues who have caring responsibilities, either in the home or locally, you will naturally be following all relevant advice from government, health and specialist organisations. Balancing your caring responsibilities may be even more challenging at this time, if you’re struggling, contact your line manager and let them know about the challenges you are experiencing so that the University can best support you.

Carers NI/Carers UK have also developed specific COVID-19 guidance that you may find useful.

Guidance and support is available if you feel unsafe at home:

GOV.UK - Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for victims of domestic abuse

Local help is also available through the following support services:

• PSNI - call ‘101’ for a non-emergency or ‘999’ in an emergency (Silent Solutions Service is also available, which enables a 999 caller who is too scared to make a noise, or speak, to press 55 when prompted).
• The 24 Hour Domestic & Sexual Abuse Helpline: 0808 802 1414 (open to all women & men affected by domestic & sexual violence)

• The Rainbow Project
• Women’s Aid Federation NI
• Men's Advisory Project
• The Rowan Centre
• Victim Support NI

Inspire

Inspire, our Employee Assistance Programme provider, are available for you to access 24/7 and are free of charge. They can provide advice and guidance on a wide range of worries/issues that you may be dealing with, for example, this could be family issues, health concerns or even financial worries. You can call them on 0800 389 5362.

You can also check out their online platform, which provides a wealth of online wellbeing resources.

Action Mental Health has developed the below toolkits, to help staff working from home covering, Steps to relieve pressure and regain control and How to reduce stress when working from home.

• Steps to relieve pressure and regain control
• How to reduce stress when working from home

Queen’s Sport have created an adult physical activity programme for staff to help keep us fit and active. This programme offers in person and virtual classes for to help balance hybrid working.

You can engage with 'Live Classes' or catch up with all content by subscribing to the Queen's Sport YouTube Channel.

Queen’s PEC have also kindly provided the following HIIT workout, which doesn’t require any equipment and can be performed at home – Why not give it a go!

HIIT (Full Body)

Goal: Muscular Endurance, Suitable for All levels

Warm up

1. Raise (Heart Rate)

• Starjumps (30 secs), Jog on the spot (30 secs) – repeat twice
• Shadow boxing (30 secs)

2. Activate

• 10 squats, 10 lunges, 5 bear crawl, 10 press ups (toes or knees) - repeat twiceMobilise

3. Mobilise

• Arm Circles Ankle rotations, Straight/bent knee swings (5 each side)

4. Potentiate

• Jump Squat x 5 (if comfortable)

Circuit:

Work 30 sec, rest 15 sec (repeat 3-4 times)

• Squats
• Press ups (narrow, wide, neutral)
• Russian Twist
• Alternate Lunge
• Bear Crawl (Can replace with Burpees)
• Mountain Climbers (Can replace with Dips)
• Plank (Can replace with Side Plank)
• Lower Ab Crunch

Cool Down:

• 90 sec light jogging
• 5-10mins static stretching 

Remember to start small. If a full workout is too much, then just do a little bit, or even try to get out for a 10 minute walk. Just get moving!

We have a variety of Wellbeing sessions and events available for all Queen’s staff, from physical health to mental health:

• Wellbeing Events (Staff Intranet)

If you would like more information on upcoming sessions, please email wellbeing@qub.ac.uk

Managing Your Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for your health and wellbeing, yet sleep is often not given the priority it deserves. Around a third of the adult population have experienced insomnia. Professor Gerry Gormley, a Clinical Professor in the Centre for Medical Education has developed and delivered a number of lunchtime workshop, to staff that explores why this happens – but more importantly, providing practical steps on how to improve your sleep. Gerry has kindly recorded this video on Managing your Sleep:

Also, please find some guidance from the NHS on How to get to sleep.

Public Health Authority: 

Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19)