Mental health and wellbeing resources and training

As well as our physical health, it’s really important that we look after our mental health and wellbeing. How we think and feel about ourselves and the world, influences our lives daily and it changes from day to day, week to week and month to month.

Positive mental health allows us to fulfil our potential, help us cope with stresses, work productively and contribute to our community.

• Every Mind Matters (external link) - Expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing, especially during this difficult time
• Looking after your wellbeing - How to boost your mental and physical wellbeing, protect yourself and stay connected with others
• 5 Ways to Wellbeing (external link) - Find out more about the small, simple steps you can take every day to improve your mood and overall wellbeing
• Keeping active - This doesn't have to be rigorous exercise just an increase in daily activity (external link) can help you, even if it's just pottering around your garden or walking in the park
• Mindfulness (external link) - Learn how to live with the here and now, with more appreciation and less anxiety
• How to look after your mental health (external link) - 10 practical tips
• Reading books on boosting your mood (external link) - Free in libraries
• NHS 10 stress busters (external link) - Top 10 suggestions for managing stress.

Mental wellbeing awareness training

There are lots of different training sessions and programmes available across Wigan Borough to help you learn more about mental health and wellbeing.

Healthy Minds Greater Manchester (in partnership with RSPH)

Available for anyone over the age of 18 to learn more about:

• The difference between mental health and poor mental health
• The things we can do to help us cope with our negative thoughts and feelings
• The benefit of talking and sharing our thoughts and feelings with someone we trust.

You can complete the Healthy Minds Greater Manchester course online (external link). 

Connect 5

Suitable for health and social care staff, volunteers and community members in a public facing role. Connect 5 is a 3- tiered, evidence- based training package which builds knowledge on how to have kinder conversations about mental wellbeing, and:

• Improving mental wellbeing, using positive, preventative approaches and conversations
• Providing the workforce with an evidence-based tool kit, empowering individuals to remain well for longer, and to return to wellness sooner
• Builds a culture of self-management through life skills and cognitive behaviour techniques.

For more information about the Connect 5 sessions, you can contact the Public Health team.

Suicide prevention

It can be hard to know how to support someone who you think might be feeling suicidal. Zero Suicide Alliance have free online training that will give you the skills you need to help someone who has suicidal thoughts.

• Learn to Save a Life - Zero Suicide Alliance (external link) (approx. 30 minutes to complete).

For more information on further training on suicide prevention, visit our padlet (external link).

You can also visit shining a light on suicide (external link) to learn more about their work across Greater Manchester to bring suicide out of the dark and help people find the advice and support they need.