Covid-19 worries

The COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous change to all our lives, so it’s perfectly natural to go through a wide range of emotions and there is no right way to feel.

The health and wellbeing of everyone in our community will always be our top priority. Here are some support options and resources available.

Support available for Covid-19 worries:

Spectrum Life

• Spectrum Life is our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) which is a confidential, neutral service provided by an external company to support colleagues at the University. 

Occupational Health

• If you are experiencing worries about Covid-19 it can help to talk to your manager who can refer you to Occupational Health for support. Alternatively, you can make a self-referral direct to the Occupational Health Team. 

 Training and Webinars

• University of Exeter’s Mind Over Natter wellbeing videos include: How not to worry about worrying with Professor Ed Watkins. Minds, bodies, stress and washing machines with Jonny Wilkins from Talkworks and Be your own life coach.

Other University resources

• Advice for colleagues returning to campus
• ‘After Effects of Covid-19’ brochure and Covid-19 guidance from our Occupational Health Team
• “Managing Long COVID in the Workplace” bitesize training
• Free mindfulness sessions available for colleagues
• Taking good care of ourselves can really help us to stay mentally well. Take a look at the ‘Self-care and staying well’ section for resources and advice.

External support

• NHS web pages on Covid recovery.
• It can be helpful to go through one of Mind’s ‘Wellness Action Plans’ (workplace, remote and hybrid) with your manager so you can both explore how they can support you more with your wellbeing.
• The Access to Work Mental Health Support - a confidential service delivered by Remploy funded by the Department of Works and Pensions is available at no charge to any employees with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work.
• NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)- an NHS support you can refer yourself directly to for talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, other therapies and guided self-help. Local IAPT services are listed below:
  • NHS Talkworks (Devon)
  • NHS Outlook South West (Cornwall)
  • Steps2Wellbeing (Dorset)
  • Plymouth Options (Plymouth)
  • Somerset Partnership Talking Therapies (Somerset)
  • VitaMinds (Bristol, N.Somerset, S.Gloucestershire)
  • B&NES Talking Therapies (Bah & N.E. Somerset)
  • If you live outside of these areas, you can find your local service using the NHS IAPT Search Tool.

Infographics

Here are some useful infographics from an organisation called BelievePerform we suscribe to. Once you click on any of the below you can then scroll through all of the images. You can then download these (by right clicking -> 'Save images as'). You can then zoom in for greater clarity.