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Activity - Instant Mental Health and Wellbeing Breaks

Take time out for five minutes - try a quiet classroom or just sit at your desk. Close your eyes if you wish, clear your mind, breathe deeply and visualise your favourite place for relaxation. Take the time to develop the picture. Keep breathing deeply.
Think about these other ideas.

  • On the way home, take a break somewhere quiet for five minutes and have a drink of water.
  • Have lunch with positive and supportive colleagues.
  • Arrange to leave work on a Friday for a weekend retreat booked from Friday night - drive responsibly with breaks or share the driving to reach your destination. This ensures you wake up in the morning at the retreat and enables you to leave a little earlier Sunday to make sure you have time for home tasks and preparing for work.
  • Think about being in the car to and from work. What do you have on the radio? Consider switching it off or switching stations to a new and interesting program or playing the sort of CD that will inspire you. Go a different way that may be less frazzling and/or more scenic. Use public transport when you are able to and read or simply relax while not driving. Take one day a week away from the car pool or go in the car pool for one day a week. Pool the school drop or pick up with another parent at least one day a week. Have a scribble pad to take care of any sudden work ideas (if you are not driving). Then let the ideas stay there on the pad while you travel.