The origin of the word ‘blog’ is as an abbreviation for ‘web-log’ – that is, an online diary.
Our blogs are being developed to communicate informally with our audience. These will be regularly updated and written in an informal and conversational style.
See below for our first edition, written by our Trainee Physician, Dr Sam Goodall on men's health!
Prostate cancer awareness in Movember
27 November 2024
You may have recently seen in the media the sad news that six-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy has been diagnosed with palliative prostate cancer. As we are in the month of ‘Movember’, it comes as a stark reminder of the importance of increasing men’s awareness of the condition.
The prostate is a small gland under the bladder which is about the size of a walnut. Cancer of the prostate is the most common type of cancer in men in the UK. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime.
While anyone with a prostate could potentially develop prostate cancer, certain factors increase the risk of it developing. It is more common in men as they get older, in men of black ethnicity, and in men who have family members with prostate cancer.
What are the symptoms?
Some men can go years without noticing any symptoms. Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:
- Blood in your urine or semen
- Needing to pass urine more frequently, straining while you urinate, or feeling your bladder has not fully emptied
- Erectile dysfunction
- Back or bone pain with no identified cause
- Unexplained pain on passing urine, especially if it happens regularly.
These symptoms do not mean you necessarily have prostate cancer, as there are other possible causes which are more common. But it does mean you should get a check-up with your GP.
Where to find more information
For more information on prostate cancer, you can go to the NHS page on prostate cancer at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/, or check out the ‘Movember’ link at https://uk.movember.com/men-s-health/prostate-cancer
Sam Goodall
Trainee Occupational Health Physician
28 November 2024
The short answer, sometimes.
This year, Black Friday falls on 29 November and deals will typically run until Cyber Monday, 2 December. So, it’s worth thinking about what it is you might like to buy.
We’ve all done it, bought something because it was a cracking deal, even though, we don’t really need (or want) it. But considering the cost-of-living crisis we find ourselves in, we really need to consider what it is we are buying, and if we can actually afford it.
Martin Lewis’ number one Black Friday tip is:
Always do price comparisons before clicking the ‘buy now’ button. There are sites that can help you with this - MoneySavingExpert.com recommend price tracking tools, CamelCamelCamel and PriceSpy
There are also discounts available for NHS staff, through Health Service Discounts and Blue Light Card all year round, so don’t forget to check them out!
Katie
Health and Wellbeing Facilitator
As party season rapidly approaches, many people face a considerable amount of pressure to facilitate the “perfect holiday”. Whether this is getting into tricky financial situations trying to buy the “perfect gifts” or offering to host a dinner party for more people than you are comfortable with, our physical and mental health can suffer.
The first step in avoiding festive burnout is to know the warning signs. If we notice early on that the plans we have made are making us feel less than jolly, we can do something about it.
Signs you have taken on too much:
- Feeling overwhelmed or irritable
- Physical Fatigue and trouble sleeping
- A lack of enthusiasm for the plans you have made
- Struggling to focus or make decisions
But of course, once we know we are overwhelmed, we need to act, so it doesn’t get worse. Setting our boundaries with expectations around gift giving, hosting and having time to relax and unwind can prove very effective, as long as you communicate clearly to loved ones what you need (or don’t need) from them, and follow your set boundaries. If you have a house full of family and friends that you are trying your best to keep happy, no one will judge you for wanting a quiet half an hour to yourself, and if they do, I wouldn’t invite them next year!
Delegate, delegate, delegate.
Cooking for 15 people? Ask everyone to bring a side dish, bring their own drinks, get someone to bring dessert or set the table, the more you can get your guests to do, the better. People are often keen to help and get involved, so rather than dismissing their offers of support, lean into the teamwork, and reduce the number of things you have to think about, especially if it involves the clean up afterwards. It will also be less time stuck in the kitchen or walking around with a bin bag continuously, isolated from festivities and joy.
Leave space for rest
While you’re scheduling in catchups with friends, kids’ parties, events, drinks with cousins and office parties, remember to leave some time where you can reconnect with yourself, to have some time to catch up with your own thoughts. I strongly recommend scheduling this into your day, whether it’s the whole of Christmas eve, an hour or two before you need to start cooking the dinner or making sure everyone has left your house before 9pm so you can curl up on the sofa with your favourite movie, hobby or even nothing at all if you fancy!
Your experience is important too
It’s wonderful that you want your loved ones to have the best time, but what about you? What do you want out of the holidays? What are your priorities for yourself? What do you want? These questions are important to.
I’m not saying you have to put yourself on top of the festive priority list throughout the whole season (although if you did, I would applaud you) but to just keep in mind how you’re feeling, checking in on yourself and responding, with kindness, to those feelings. That is how to beat festive burnout.
So, to wrap up (pardon the pun), let’s focus on what to consider:
- Your own feelings
- Getting everyone involved in preparation and cleanup
- Scheduling in rest time
- Boundaries
- Realistic expectations
- Nourish your body and mind
- Accept imperfection and embrace joy
A huge thank you to all of our colleagues that will be working over the festive break, it’s great if you want to fit in social events and excitement between shifts, but if you don’t, and you’d rather relax and unwind, that’s okay too.
Happy Holidays!
Neomi
Health and Wellbeing Facilitator
If you are struggling and would like to have a Wellbeing Conversation with one of our facilitators, please complete a self-referral through our OPAS system, or contact us at wellbeinghub If you need support urgently and at anytime, please call the Samaritans on 116 123 from any phone, for free. |
---|
As we approach January, we start to think about New Year’s resolutions. Before we do, it’s good to ask ourselves the following three questions:
“How often do I make New Year’s resolutions?”
“How long do they last?”
“How do they make me feel?”
There’s nothing wrong with pledging to make positive changes and wanting to live your best life, however, what we set, and how we set them can negatively affect our mental wellbeing.
Research by YouGov.co.uk found that 90% of people do not complete their resolutions, with around 25% ‘quitting’ by the end of the first week.
New Year’s resolutions are often very clear cut – win or lose. But because of this it can lead us to believe if we do not keep to them, we are ‘failures’ and have a negative impact on our self esteem.
There are several reasons why New Year’s resolutions don’t work
1. Shame based motivation
The most common resolutions are based around losing weight and/or quitting habits that are ‘unhealthy’.
If we base our resolutions on shame, we’re more likely to feel bad about ourselves, and this isn’t a good place to start from when we’re looking at making tweaks or changes to our lifestyle
2. Tradition vs motivation
Why are we setting this resolution? Is it because we actually want to achieve it? Or is it because we think we should be seen to make a change?
We can start to take a positive action for our wellbeing at any time during the year, whether that’s in January or July.
3. Setting unrealistic goals
If you want to run next year’s London Marathon, that’s great. But if you’ve not donned a pair of trainers since you left school at 16, is this really an achievable goal?
No resolution is too small, so start there.
4. Not planning for obstacles
When we’re looking to make a change, things will, inevitably, get in the way. So, think about those things. Plan for them. You’re not a robot, you’re human. Therefore, you’re not perfect. Don’t be too hard on yourself when things don’t go according to plan.
So how do we make New Year’s resolutions better?
It takes between 10-12 weeks for a habit to become the norm. So, setting a resolution with a realistic timeframe is key.
The language we use in our resolutions is really important, too. Instead of using phrases such as “This year I want to…” or “I must…”, try reframing to “I would like to…” or “I will try to…”
Some examples of kinder resolutions may be:
-
“I will try to eat healthier foods, but I will try to practice self-compassion when I struggle with this.” 
-
“I will try to listen to my body and give it what it needs to thrive both mentally and physically.
-
“I will try to spend less time on my phone, and embrace being more present in my surroundings.” 
New Year’s resolutions should ultimately be about positivity, where we make positive changes to support our physical and mental wellbeing. Regardless of when we set our goals, self compassion and patience are key to achieving them.
Wishing you all the best for 2025!
Katie
Health & Wellbeing Facilitator
If you would like to have a Wellbeing Conversation with one of our facilitators, please complete a self-referral through our OPAS system, or contact us at wellbeinghub Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, excluding bank holidays. |
---|