Welcome to Bristol Mind
From Friday 27th March 2020 the MindLine opening hours will change to Wed-Sun, 7pm to 11pm.
Our Information and Signposting line is operating as normal, between 9:30am and 3:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). You can reach us on 0117 980 0370.
What we’re doing
The Bristol Mind building is currently closed to the public. We are aiming to provide as comprehensive a service as possible through telephone and email. No drop-ins, groups, or face-to-face appointments are taking place. Please see here for more information.
We appreciate that this is a very challenging and anxious time for many, many people and we have put some advice, contact numbers and websites below which we hope are helpful.
We are actively working on putting short videos together around ways to support ourselves during this difficult time and as soon as these are ready we will put them on our website.
For more information on looking after your mental health during this uncertain time, please click here.
If you wish to donate to Bristol Mind, please send electronic payments to Bristol Mind, Account No: 65050011 & Sort Code: 08-92-99
Please include the word “Donation” and your name or your organisation name as a reference.
Service and Organisation Guide:
This really helpful guide from Independent Mental Health Network (IMHN) brings together information about mental health support services and organisations local to the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire areas, and how they are responding to measures being taken to tackle to the spread of Coronavirus. National support services, and some other useful service information, is also included.
New information is being continually added and updated daily. If you see something missing, please get in touch with engagement@imhn.org to let them know, thank you.
Coronavirus, social distancing and their impacts on our wellbeing and mental health: advice and contact numbers
Positive social support improves our ability to cope with stress, but right now, as a result of COVID-19, many of us are facing periods of enforced isolation.
Such isolation may lead to anxiety, depression and loneliness and these in turn affect our resilience and physical health.
Particularly vulnerable groups are the elderly, those living on their own, those with existing mental health problems and those who are not connected with family via the internet.
Enforced isolation with family members may also increase relationship pressures and parent-child and partner conflicts which can impact on mental health.
Anxiety about health, financial consequences and uncertainty may also increase vulnerability during this time.
Good ways to maintain our wellbeing are:
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Staying connected with other people – make sure everyone in our neighbourhood is getting twice-daily contact with friends, neighbours or family. Facial contact is more real than texts/calls, so if the person is on-line use facetime/skype/zoom (which allows larger group calls), or wave as you pass their house.
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Avoid constant checks on the news – perhaps check in with a regular, trusted news programme twice a day. Public health advice and case numbers only get updated daily. The rest of the media is flooded with worry-inducing stories of the latest theories and incidence rates from around the world.
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Establish a routine – plan your day. This can help us fell more in control and retain some predictability
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Do something that helps others – an act of kindness – it helps them and makes you feel good too.
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Keep physically active – there are several good on-line exercise routines e.g. this from the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-51924305. Also yoga (helps with relaxation as well) – many places are doing on-line classes. See e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–jhKVdZOJM
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Get enough rest and sleep. Avoid watching news just before bedtime + anything with bright lights (e.g. social media); avoid caffeine after mid-day. Have a regular get up time.
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Breathing exercises are a good way to keep feelings of anxiety and stress at bay
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Treat yourself – cake, box sets, a new book – whatever works for you.
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Avoid / reduce alcohol intake: during this period of low socialising and additional stress it may be tempting to drink more than usual, but this can be counter-productive. Keeping alcohol consumption to low levels improves sleep quality (alcohol stops you sleeping deeply), helps you feel better in the mornings, and makes you less tired during the day.
FACE COVID – How To Respond Effectively To The Corona Crisis
In this brief animation, Dr Russ Harris, author of the international best-seller The Happiness Trap, illustrates how to use ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to deal with the Corona crisis and the fear, anxiety and worry that goes with it.
Sources of help and advice
Helpline Numbers:
please note these are likely to be very busy currently, with surges in caller numbers and reductions in volunteer capacity.
Call: 116123 email: jo@samaritans.org (you may need to wait 24 hours for a response)
SHOUT operate a text/SMS based service for people who are in a crisis, anxious, worried or stressed. Text: 85258 https://www.giveusashout.org/
YoungMinds: If you have parenting concerns or difficulties, or concerns for a young person YoungMinds provides a helpline for parents: 0808 802 5544
https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/for-parents/parents-helpline/
Off The Record Bristol also provides support (including online help) for young people (11-25) https://www.otrbristol.org.uk/
Apps
Remember we can only control what is in our control…
KEEP SAFE EVERYONE
MindLine and MindLine Trans+ are running during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. 
