Emotional Intelligence: understanding and managing our emotions
Isn’t it fascinating to see how differently we’ve all dealt with living in a pandemic? I know many people who still choose to avoid meeting anyone indoors, and then there are others who are happily dining out and attending a variety of events. The real challenge in this is managing not to judge others who […]
First time ever I saw your face: notes from our first ‘real life’ team meeting
We held our first face to face meeting since substantially growing our training team. We normally meet once a month virtually, but we thought we’d take advantage of eased restrictions and a beautiful venue in the heart of the city to munch on bacon rolls and for some of us, to meet each other in […]
Suicide prevention and mental health awareness: why we should encourage men to talk
*Trigger warning – suicide* My story By Joanna Alexjuk, Dementia Trainer In 1994, I went to the cinema with my husband to see the film adaptation of the John Grisham novel, The Firm. I don’t remember too much about the starring cast and the premise of the entire storyline or maybe I have just chosen […]
Resilience as we return to education
Many students of all ages are returning to education over the next few weeks across the UK. Talking to both school-age children and university students in the course of writing this blog, as a mother of a thirteen-year-old who is going into year two of High School as well as being an adult student myself […]
Through the work we do, we teach people they aren’t alone
This July we are supporting Samaritan’s annual awareness campaign, Talk to Us #WeListen. At Digital Bricks, we constantly develop and teach a full suite of courses that help people learn the communication skills to respond to signs of poor mental health in themselves and others, both at home and at work. These courses include certified […]
Helping men find easy ways to support their mental health
The 22nd of June marks International Father’s Mental Health Week. For any of us, the first steps in seeking help for our mental health can be daunting. For men especially, there can be a reluctance to talk about their problems, having likely been told at various stages of their life to “man up” and deal with […]
The Older Generation and COVID-19
Preparing for the journey out of lockdown could be seen as an adventure. This is creating a feeling of excitement and anticipation for many, but not for all. As we move through the early stages of our journey out of lockdown, my thoughts have turned to the older generation and the changes that have occurred […]
Take me to the river
A year before the pandemic we moved to a flat directly overlooking a river. Initially we worried that it could flood (it had done in the past) but it was so picturesque and mesmerising that we took a chance and, despite some freak weather when the flood gates got locked and we lost a beautiful […]
Living alone during lockdown or other periods of isolation.
Some of us get along fine with our own company, others feel isolated and lonely, and the last couple of years have exacerbated those feelings. For a person looking for a relationship, the challenges of physically meeting someone have been barriers. For others not looking for relationships, missing meeting up with friends is a challenge […]
Getting on with your partner during lockdown
In our sessions, we often hear from people who are worried about the mental health of their partners. And if you are both struggling with your mental health it can be hard to have the time or energy to be supportive to each other. If you are in the middle of your working day and […]