breathe - June/July 2022

JUN/JUL 22 #5

Get your new AXA Health app page 2 Our People, Our Community pages 8-9 Men’s Health MOT pages 13-15

Let’s Talk About Mental Health page 3

hello from the wellbeing team!

Are you looking for ways to improve your health and wellbeing? Would you like to find out what services are available to you as a Government of Jersey employee?

Look no further... we'll be bringing you this every month in your wellbeing magazine.

You’ll also hear from colleagues across the organisation on what wellbeing means to them.

AXA Health App The AXA Health app is designed to help you take small steps to making bigger changes to your health. It provides a single access point for all the services available to you as employees of Jersey’s public service.

The app brings together the services AXA provide, such as: • access to the Employee Assistance Programme, including Be Supported and Health at Hand • health age and mental health assessments • coaching programmes • quick access to Thrive, the mental health app with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes • line-manager support services and more.

There’s more to come from the AXA health app We’re currently working on new services which will be available in due course. These include: • online booking tool for Know Your Number health assessments • access to group wellbeing challenges with colleagues across the organisation You have free access to the app, which you can download from the App Store, Google Play or by scanning one of these QR codes.

Sign up using your work email address and access code A494958.

Contact us Rob Dimsdale, Interim OD Business Partner for Wellbeing E: r.dimsdale@gov.je Olivia Gill, Wellbeing Consultant E: o.gill2@gov.je T: 01534 440248 Luana Esteves, Wellbeing Assistant E: l.esteves@gov.je T: 01534 440410 Ben Williams, AXA Physiologist E: ben.williams@axahealth.co.uk

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Talk

Let’s About Mental Health This Is Me, Podcast by

Stephen Coleman

DIGITAL PRODUCER MARKETING, DESIGN AND DIGITAL OFFICE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Alan Falle

HEAD OF SIXTH FORM AT VICTORIA COLLEGE

This podcast came about due to Stephen's wish to ensure people's stories are heard. Having been involved in a Government initiative through which 6 islanders, including Stephen himself, shared their experiences with mental health, he wanted to provide an opportunity for others to share their stories in a safe and unfiltered environment. Stephen is joined by Alan, a fellow local footballer. Stephen and Alan co-host the series of episodes which will cover a range of mental health conditions, described by those who have experienced them, as well as episodes with mental health practitioners who share their knowledge and advice.

The podcast aims to open up the conversation about mental health. Why should we not talk about it the same way that people would talk about physical health? In doing so, we can support those who are struggling and learn from those who have experienced similar things before. In Stephen's episode he speaks openly about his journey with mental health and the tribulations that came with it, whereas Alan's episode represents a starting point of sorts as he comes to terms with his mental health struggles and explores ways to talk about and cope with them.

Stephen and Alan both say they have already learnt a huge amount as a result of the conversations they have had with others since starting the podcast, not only about how some cope with their conditions, the symptoms and triggers that exist, but also about how many people are coping with such conditions on a day-to-day basis, without anybody else being aware.

It's time to talk. Knowledge and awareness can only help those who need support to better understand and cope with things, whilst those who haven't experienced a mental health condition can also engage and learn how to look out for friends and family members who may be struggling.

"That night was brutal. I lay on that couch and I accepted that I was probably going to die. I didn't go and seek help."

Stephen Coleman, Episode 1

You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcast and Spotify, and can watch on YouTube. For updates about upcoming episodes, follow podcast.this.is.me on Instagram.

Wellbeing…

What this means to us

Kate Briden

DIRECTOR GENERAL JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

Wellbeing is so important to us all, and never more so as we begin to really digest what the past two years of living with Covid has meant to us all individually, and collectively. We’ve been forced to live, work, travel, exercise, cope and grieve in ways that are different to what we knew before or ever envisaged would occur. I’m proud that the Government of Jersey is taking such a positive and proactive approach to staff wellbeing.

Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) has formed an active Wellbeing Committee, with hard working and dedicated representatives from each Service. They’ve been really focused on putting support in place for colleagues - ranging from Mental Health Awareness sessions and organising TRiM training, to exploring new counselling and support pathways for colleagues to access. This will build strong foundations for the department to be able to better support colleagues, and for us to support each other.

Bringing out the core GoJ value of ‘Better Together’ is a theme for us. We’ve had great cross-service engagement in sporting and social events, including the Jersey Marathon Relay 2021 (with the Fire Service’s White Watch winning the Government cup for the fastest Government team!), Swimarathon 2021 and 2022 with multi-service teams clocking up the laps, and the excellent amount of money raised from the MacMillan bake sale in aid of World Cancer Awareness Day in March.

Looking to the future, we’re planning a JHA Wellbeing week which will focus on all aspects of wellbeing, from nutrition to mindfulness. We’re looking to create interactive and informative sessions across a wide range of subjects which will be accessible to all colleagues. To top the week off, a ladder climb and cycling challenge (on exercise bikes) will take place in the Royal Square this summer (Date TBC) to raise money for two nominated charities. I’ve already warned the team they won’t be getting me up a ladder!

Building and maintaining our personal resilience - and noticing when it slips and knowing what to do about it - is more important now than ever before, and we need to make sure we pay attention to ourselves, and each other, in order to stay healthy and productive in the workplace. I have no doubt JHA colleagues are looking out for each other (and me!), and I really appreciate that.

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Stuart Penn

ACTING HEAD OF SERVICE SKILLS JERSEY, CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, EDUCATION AND SKILLS

For me wellbeing is a state of mind, not the tasks you do...

In this day and age, I believe we’re all leading incredibly busy lives, often trying to balance careers, families, social life, hobbies and time for ourselves. To me, wellbeing is about focusing and enjoying each of these moments in our life guilt free. Whether that’s not feeling guilty for having to work long hours close to a deadline, or not feeling guilty for taking time to yourself to go for a walk or sit in the sun and read a book. It’s more about my own personal thought process rather than a thing I do.

For example, I compete in jiujitsu and para jiujitsu competitions and promote the benefits of this sport to those with limb loss or limb deficiencies, which means I like to train consistently hard to maintain a sufficient level. However, being a father of three and working long hours made this hard to do guilt free - I would always be thinking surely I should be at home, or surely I should have gone in early to complete that report. This made the thing I enjoyed a counterproductive measure.

The solution took me a while to discover but the answer was simple… do a lunch time training session instead!

This made it easy to quieten the guilt and by setting my training in the middle of the day, it felt like a reset after a hard morning and refreshed for the afternoon ahead.

This led to me looking at the way I thought about other tasks / moments in my life. For example, I enjoy a quiet walk on the beach but found myself thinking of my todo list, or what the next day at work would look like. I wanted to be more present so I needed to change how I spoke to myself about these moments or framed these tasks. Firstly, instead of saying I needed to, I said to myself that I wanted to. Instead of saying I need to train hard at jiujitsu, I want to train hard at jiujitsu. Instead of I need to spend time with my children, I want to spend time with my children.

So, for me this is the secret of wellbeing. Its changing how you think about what you’re doing so you don't feel guilty and can give your full focus to that moment, staying present as much as possible and enjoying it. The rest can wait until later!

Georgia Sharp

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PRACTITIONER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE TEAM, CUSTOMER AND LOCAL SERVICES

Wellbeing for me means feeling good. I do a number of things to ensure I feel good daily. One of the greatest things I do for my mental wellbeing is socialising. I get a lot of joy from going to my usual café every morning (sometimes even on my days off). Over the years I’ve met all kinds of strangers who’ve become my friends, all from different backgrounds and circumstances. I feel a great sense of community from sharing stories and laughter with one another. It gives me a feeling of being connected and in touch with what’s going on around me, along with the lovely environment we live in. Within my role in Customer and Local Services, I’m also a member of the wellbeing committee. I tend to play to my strengths in this role and help organise fun social activities and competitions. The latest one is the annual carrot growing competition which seems to get bigger and better every year. This may have something to do with me being a continuous improvement practitioner in my primary role and always seeking how we can do things better. The initiatives the wellbeing committee put on for CLS always tend to create a strong sense of community and connection around us.

When the pandemic hit, I was redeployed to help set up and run the Coronavirus Helpline. I felt very grateful to have my colleagues around me in this worrying time.

We supported each other by making sure we checked in with everyone whether that was by the side of your desk, a Teams call or a cup of coffee and a walk. There was a lot of uncertainty around that time, and it was good to have something consistent in my routine. I now feel very grateful that we can all be together without restrictions again, appreciating what a difference connection and togetherness can do for your wellbeing.

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Wellbeing in Strategic Policy, Planning and Performance (SPPP) Director General for SPPP, Tom Walker, talks about taking action on employee feedback and their dedicated ‘Wellbeing Fortnight’ Wellbeing in SPPP has been something high on our agenda over the past year. Our Be Heard survey results suggested many of our colleagues had found 2020 a very stressful and difficult year, unsurprisingly, as the Covid pandemic has resulted in serious work and personal pressures for them. As well as speaking to colleagues in small groups to identify what action we could take to address this, we also carried out a debriefing exercise moderated online by a skilled facilitator, which enabled employees to talk frankly about the effects of the previous months had on them.

It was clear that as the demands of being the department responsible for public health eased, along with the pressures on those colleagues who’d been ‘keeping the lights on’, the pre-election period would be upon us, and Ministers were keen to catch up on policies left undeveloped during the Covid period. So, we resolved to prioritise wellbeing in our People and Culture Plan, and Martin Knight in our Public Health Team set up the WorkWell team, which is a group of colleagues discussing the issues the department faces, making suggestions for improvements and events.

One initiative is our forthcoming ‘Wellbeing Fortnight’.

Over the end of May and start of June, we won’t be having any internal ‘work’ meetings, and our directors will ensure that external demands are minimal. We’ll also be encouraging our people to take as much of their outstanding leave as they like without worrying about what might be happening without them. Anyone who doesn’t want to take leave will have time to catch up on

the tasks that we tend to worry about but never quite get to, and the WorkWell team have organised a series of group wellbeing events that colleagues can choose to participate in (I’m looking forward to the mindfulness sessions).

We hope this provides us all with a valuable reset before the new Council of Ministers is elected, and we plunge afresh into the world of new policies and priorities.

We’ll let you know how we get on!

We recently launched the ‘Our People, Our Community’ programme, which enables colleagues to have up to 22 hours per year paid during work to give back to our island community through volunteering.

The programme is a result of the 2020 BeHeard Survey, which asked questions based on how employees felt about the way the Public Service as an employer ‘gives back’ and enables its employees to give back.

The occasion was marked with a launch summit which showcased why volunteering is important, the aim being to inspire colleagues to engage in the programme and partner with the third sector to make a bigger difference in our community. Speakers at the event ranged from the Chief Executive of St John Ambulance UK to a UN Goodwill Ambassador.

Olivia Gill, Wellbeing Consultant who attended the summit said: “We had the pleasure of hearing from some inspirational guest speakers, which shone a light on the link between volunteering and wellbeing. Volunteering can give us the opportunity to learn new skills and build confidence whilst meeting others and becoming part of a community,

providing a sense of purpose, and belonging. I’m excited to see how this grows, how we connect and work with the voluntary sector, and the experiences colleagues get from this new initiative”.

We’ve partnered with local tech company, Uniti, to be our corporate giving platform for the programme, matching employees’ skillsets with specific volunteering activities. The platform comes in the form of an app available to download on the relevant app store, and this is where employees can sign up to volunteer. Following this, employees must request leave on MyView and after approval from their line manager, are then set to go. You can sign up via www.opoc.uniti.life Tom Martin Hughes, the ‘Our People, Our Community’ programme lead said: “The service of others is at the heart of being human. Giving back is crucial to the functioning of our society and we all have the power to make a difference to the lives of others. Our Island continuously needs more volunteers to support our schools, our charities and other community sector organisations. The ‘Our People, Our Community’ programme enables all of us to have paid time to volunteer. I’m truly excited to see what impact we’ll make.”

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Volunteering is such a beneficial thing for colleagues to engage in and it’s proven benefits to an individual’s personal and professional development. It’s also something that’s very personal to individuals, and most of us have either volunteered before or knows someone who has.

Suzanne Wylie, CEO, referred to her own volunteering saying: “Volunteering is such a rewarding activity. I volunteered as a board member of a homeless charity for many years and was able to bring some of my governance experience to help the charity in their important work. I’ve always encouraged others to get involved, including my children who volunteered overseas, as I believe that you really understand your own values when you’ve helped others. You always learn a lot in the process.”

Click here to listen to the episode of the ‘Our People’ podcast series, where Tom Martin Hughes, shares his amazing story of how community giving has led him to where he is now. Tom also catches up with Paul McGinnety, Director for Local Services, to discuss the launch of ‘Our People, Our Community’.

We Recommend…

Brought to you by Elsa Roberts, Senior Counsellor for Culture, Engagement and Wellbeing, Health and Community Services.

In this issue, Elsa takes us through some useful mindfulness exercises that could help when we need to take some time out to breathe.

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

Eckhart Tolle Sometimes, with the pressures of our fast-paced lives, we may have the tendency to avoid distressing emotions or suffering which can increase our distress.

Mindfulness is a kind of awareness that helps us notice our experiences by paying attention to our emotions, behaviours, thoughts and sensations, moment by moment, in a non-judgemental way.

Increasingly, there’s evidence that practiced daily, mindfulness can reduce stress and prevent depression relapse, as well as providing a way of living well with chronic pain.

Mindfulness Practices: 1. Calm breathing – paying attention to direct sensations of the breath in the body in the inhale and the exhale; just noticing, as we breathe in and breathe out; following the flow of the breath as it unfolds.

2. Spending time in nature – taking it all in with your senses – what can you see, hear, smell, taste or touch?

Really noticing. Over time, by adding these moments of practice to your day, you’ll feel more like a whole person, more connected with yourself, others, and the world.

3. Hand on the heart – this practice can bring a sense of calmness, and feelings of safety and love by allowing the experience to register in the body and in the brain.

1 Start the practice by placing your hand on your heart, breathing gently into your heart centre.

Breathing in a sense of calm, love and trust.

2 Bring into mind someone who loves you and with whom you feel safe with; see if you can sense in the body the positive feelings and sensations that arise with that memory.

3 Savour the feelings of love, safety and trust and allow them to be steady in the body. Let the experience really soak in.

Staying with these sensations for 30 seconds, each time we practice, is sufficient to encode them in our neural circuitry.

If you’d like to practice mindfulness further, you can read “The Little Mindfulness Workbook” by Gary Hennessey, where you’ll find everyday techniques to help you combat stress and enhance your life. I also like the book “Just One Thing” by Dr Rick Hanson as this helps you to slow down, stop and be present by doing one simple practice at a time.

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Pride Month 2022 June is known as Pride Month, where LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and other gender identities and sexualities) celebrate and honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan – a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the USA.

Some countries and cities will celebrate with Pride Parades. We also do this in Jersey but ours will be held on 10 September instead, as part of CI Pride.

There will be an opportunity for you to join in the Parade with your colleagues so watch out for further communications on this.

As part of our celebrations, the LGBTQ+ Network have organised some events and all Teams Live Events will be recorded to allow you to watch them later if you can’t attend:

Date

Time

Event

Location

9 June

12 – 2pm

Drop-in Session with LGBTQ+ Quiz

Eagle Lab, Jersey Library

14 June

5.30 – 8pm

Drop-in Session with LGBTQ+ Quiz

Eagle Lab, Jersey Library

15 June

12 – 1pm

LGBTQ+ 101 Session with Hugo

Teams Live Event

15 June

4 – 5pm

MyGWork: Neurodiversity & the LGBTQ+ Community

Teams Live Event

20 June

1 – 2pm

MyGWork: LGBTQ+ Black Ethnicity Panel*

Teams Live Event

20 June

3 – 4pm

MyGWork: How to be inclusive of Trans Peers at work

Teams Live Event

20 June

6 – 7pm

MyGWork: LGBTQ+ Focus Panel on Bi-Inclusion

Teams Live Event

20 June

8 – 9pm

MyGWork: LGBTQ+ Focus Panel on Disability

Teams Live Event

23 June

6 – 7pm

MyGWork: Amplifying our strengths as Queer Leaders

Teams Live Event

23 June

7 – 8pm

MyGWork: Being Non-Binary in the Workplace

Teams Live Event

7 July

12 – 2pm

Drop-in Session

Eagle Lab, Jersey Library

12 July

5.30 – 8pm

Drop-in Session

Eagle Lab, Jersey Library

*Other LGBTQ+ Ethnicity panel events (South Asian, LatinX, Asian, MENA) will be available as recordings later in June.

The LGBTQ+ Employee Network is open to all employees, regardless of gender identity or sexuality as we welcome our allies. If you would like to join us, please email DEI@Gov.je.

Your Financial Wellbeing All employees and their families can access financial wellbeing support through Lloyds Community Bank.

Maria Sutcliffe from Lloyds Community Bank can provide group financial wellbeing sessions at team meetings and during the session Maria can explain a bit more about a financial wellbeing review.

If you would like to arrange a 1:1 financial review, one of the team at Lloyds can sit down with you at a time and place of your choice and provide tailored support. This can be a work visit, virtual or face to face.

Please contact Maria on: maria.sutcliffe@lloydsbankinternational.com directly to arrange a group session or an individual financial wellbeing review.

Lloyds Community Bank provide a service, at no cost or commitment; called ‘Bringing Banking To You’ and is a financial review service.

A financial review covers such things as:

Understanding money help with budgeting so you can stay in control of your money.

Savings whether that’s saving for a one off event, a rainy day or more long term savings plans.

Mortgages help for first time buyers or those wanting to downsize or climb the property ladder.

Lending help choosing the right way to borrow.

Men’s Health MOT Under the bonnet time for your heart’s MOT, written by Dr Andrew Mitchell, Consultant Cardiologist Heart disease is one of the commonest causes of early death. But did you know that over 90% of premature heart disease is avoidable? By following a few simple lifestyle changes, you can significantly reduce your risk of suffering from heart conditions like angina, heart attacks, heart rhythm conditions and sudden cardiac death.

The heart is a complex motor which beats 100,000 a day with a pump, fluids, plumbing and electrics.

It needs to be serviced and fuelled to keep it ticking along to allow you to enjoy your life to the maximum. The earlier you start making changes for a healthier heart, the longer you’ll have to enjoy the benefits. These changes often require you to start forming new habits, so that the changes become part of your normal routine and not a chore.

Risk - I would suggest starting with a visit to your general practitioner (GP) and asking for an assessment of your cardiac risk. This is done with an online calculator called QRISK and brings in data about your family history, cholesterol and blood sugar level. People who fall into a higher risk group can be offered medicines called statins which are extremely effective at reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes with minimal (if any) side effects. You could also at this point get more detailed checks on your heart with a an electrocardiogram (or ECG) which measures the electrical activity of the heart. This will pick up heart rhythm changes and help identify underlying

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Men’s Health Week, 13-19 June

heart conditions. More comprehensive heart screening checks can be performed in Jersey using services such as Heart for Life (www. heartscreening.co.uk).

Blood pressure - Your GP will also measure your blood pressure and if elevated, may suggest lifestyle and diet changes, as well as medicines to lower it.

One in three of the adult population will have high blood pressure and left untreated, this increases the chances of developing heart conditions.

Smoking - Cigarette smoking remains one of the deadliest habits that humans adopt. Giving up smoking could instantly reduce your risk of heart attacks. People never regret quitting, but they frequently regret it if they don’t.

Fuel - Have a look at your nutrition and how you fuel your body and your heart. Where possible, you should minimise or avoid refined sugars. You could even consider a plant-based diet. Try to limit alcohol consumption and give yourself at least two or three consecutive days each week without.

Having a healthy weight can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease.

Sleep - Sleep is important for many of our body’s systems and minimising screen time in the evenings and turning the lights off earlier can help. Aim for at least seven hours of natural sleep a night.

Exercise - Exercise is important for your heart as well as your general and mental health. Thirty minutes of exercise once or twice a day is the current recommendation. You don’t have to run miles to experience the benefits but a brisk walk at enough pace to make you slightly out of breath will help. Short duration, high impact training is an alternative for those who are more time-pressured.

Men’s Health MOT Continued

Turning 50? Time for your prostate MOT, written by Benjamin Hughes, Consultant Urological Surgeon

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men.

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and whilst the average age for a man to be diagnosed is between 65 and 69, we do see men in their 50’s with significant prostate cancer.

and if a man carries a mutation in the BRCA2 gene, his risk of getting prostate cancer is seven times higher and the cancer is likely to be more aggressive.

Research suggests that being overweight or obese can increase the risk of being diagnosed with aggressive cancer.

Prostate cancer is often described as a silent disease as it rarely causes symptoms, especially in the early stages, and so taking time out to consider your risk of developing prostate cancer is crucial.

Unfortunately, no one knows how to prevent prostate cancer, but as obesity could be a risk factor for aggressive disease, a healthy lifestyle is important. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and keeping physically active can help maintain a healthy weight, and so may help to lower your risk.

We can’t change our age, ethnicity or family history, but we can take control of our diet and weight.

Your risk is twice as high if a first degree relative (father or brother) has / had prostate cancer. This risk is higher if they were under 60 when diagnosed, or if you have more than one first degree relative with prostate cancer. Black men have a one in four chance of developing prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Your risk of getting prostate cancer could be significantly higher if your mother or sister has / had a specific cancer such as breast or ovarian cancer.

These can be due to a mutation in the BRCA gene,

Diagnosing prostate cancer starts with a simple blood test (PSA). So if you’re over 45 and have any of the higher risk factors, you should discuss further investigation with your GP. Regardless of your risk, when you turn 50 don’t forget it’s time for your prostate MOT so ask your GP for a PSA test.

1515 Let’s talk more, your mental health MOT – written by Ronan Mulhern, Consultant Mental Health Nurse for Adult Mental Health

Mental health generally is a complex and at times misunderstood subject. Despite the high prevalence of mental health problems, it has been much less researched than physical health conditions, though this is slowly changing. It can be viewed as being a continuum with one end being healthy and able to adapt to life’s challenges, through to serious illnesses which can be disabling. People can move up and down this continuum. Whilst people can maintain lifelong good mental health, others will have episodes of ill health from which they will recover. What makes us mentally healthy or unwell tends to be based on a range of psychological, social, physical and environmental factors.

Men are routinely prompted to look for signs of physical ill health, attend age specific health screenings and informed as how to best manage their physical health. These alerts and campaigns have resulted in much greater awareness of, and treatment for, conditions such as testicular and prostate cancers. Men’s mental health has as yet not had the same profile or benefits.

Men and woman have differences and similarities in their physical and mental health. There’s evidence that men and women will experience emotions, stress and mental health problems in a similar way but manage them differently. Living up to stereotypical gender expectations and social conditioning have a significant part to play in this.

Men are expected to ‘man up’, not show emotion, put their big boy trousers on and get on with it; be a real man. It’s believed that these social factors play a significant part in why men are three times less likely to talk about their problems and three times more likely to develop alcohol/substance use problems, die from suicide and struggle with bereavement.

The increasing awareness of men’s mental health needs provides an opportunity for communities to adapt and implement gender sensitive interventions.

One of the big challenges is to enable men to speak openly and confidently about their emotional and psychological health. We need to be able to ask and

respond to questions about our own mental health, as well as that of others. Put simply, men need to talk to men about their mental wellbeing without fear or embarrassment.

Through reducing the stigma, we can reduce the barriers to men accessing help. Research indicates that many men find it easier to access and engage in online discussions about their emotional health.

This can be a vital first step. There are a wide range of resources available online, such as the Campaign Against Living Miserably, which provide information and support specifically for men.

As well as talking, there are also a number of habits that men can develop in order to attain or maintain good mental health. These include: • exercise, eat a healthy diet and hydrate • being socially connected and having a sense of belonging which increases our sense of value and self-worth • taking time out from a busy brain, e.g., through simple 10 minute mindfulness exercises (Jon Kabat-Zinn on YouTube is a very helpful introduction) • standing back from a stressful situation, using breathing exercises such as box breathing (www. webmd.com/balance/what-is-box-breathing) until reaching a sense of calm, then putting the situation in context and accessing the problem solving part of the brain • spending at least 30 minutes per day outdoors, if possible in one of Jersey’s many natural spaces.

• doing something kind such as helping a friend or colleague, paying a compliment or thanking someone • take up something new - the brain likes a mix between the familiar and the novel • reflecting upon what you’ve done each day and recognising one thing that provided a sense of pleasure or achievement.

Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Week 20-26 JUNE

Women are being urged to take up their invitation for a routine cervical screening appointment.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35, although it can occur at any age.

Regular cervical screening between the ages of 25 and 64 could prevent around 75% of cervical cancers developing. Women aged 25-49 should be screened once every three years and women aged 50-64 should be screened once every five years. You won't automatically be invited for screening when you reach 25 or when you move to the Island. Women aged over 25 can book their first cervical screening test through their GP or through the Le Bas Centre. Appointments are free of charge and can be conducted by a female GP. The screening test is designed to detect high risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV).

The majority of women (85%) will receive a negative HPV screening result. However, if high-risk types of HPV are present, the sample will also be screened for abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix. If abnormal cervical cells are detected, you’ll be referred to a gynaecologist for a colposcopy examination which is carried out in the outpatient clinic at the Gynaecology department. This examination can detect cervical abnormalities at an early stage and allow necessary treatment which can prevent cervical cancer developing.

Find out more about the cervical cancer screening programme here.

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Dates for the Diary AXA Webinars Men’s Health Friday 17 June – 12pm ADD TO CALENDAR

Topics covered include: • what makes men healthy • the most common conditions that affect men – from heart disease to certain types of cancer • signs and symptoms to look out for • the changes you can make to stay healthy and help prevent disease.

Summer: Start of new beginnings Friday 22 July – 12pm ADD TO CALENDAR

Topics covered include: • • • •

Pillars of self-care and how we can optimise them Physical activity and nutrition in the summer months Safe sun care The power of nature

THRIVE Webinars

BOOK YOUR PLACE

Each webinar is led by one of the experienced team with an open Q&A at the end to give you the opportunity to ask them anything. They’ve got amazing guest expert speakers lined up who cover a range of exciting topics.

Wednesday 1 June – 11am: Supporting a Child with a Mental Health Problem Wednesday 29 June – 5pm: Switching Off for Summer Friday 29 July – 12pm: What is therapy and do I need it?

Missed a webinar? Watch all previous recordings here.

Try out the THRIVE app! The app provides you with the tools to manage your mental wellbeing, empowering you to understand your emotions, differentiate between helpful and unhelpful thoughts and be the best you can be.

To access the app, download it from App Store, Google Play or the website and use your work email address as the username. The access code is T21201.

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Team Jersey

Team Jersey (TJ), which started as a three-year programme to improve workplace culture across the organisation, has now become part of what we offer every day and now sits within the Organisation Development team. This means that all our sessions, the TJ Lead community, and the TJ toolkits will continue to thrive.

Sessions

Team Jersey Toolkits

After the success of our virtual sessions during lockdown, we’re now offering a blended approach.

Usually, face-to-face sessions will be in the morning and virtual sessions in the afternoon.

We’re carefully reviewing the content and the best approach, we’re always open to your suggestions.

Our “Building High Performing Teams” and “Our Values” toolkits have now been distributed amongst nearly all departments, and we have toolkit co-ordinators in place to oversee them.

We’re offering facilitation assistance for larger sessions, and advice on how to use the toolkits.

Location

Value me, include me, focus me, inspire me…. (VIFI) The Team Jersey ethos is reflected in our four cornerstones: value me; include me; focus me; and, inspire me. If we feel positive in these areas, it will come across in our interactions with stakeholders and will help create a positive workplace culture.

Team Jersey is all about a way of being, and we all have a part to play, so we look forward to welcoming to our sessions so you can find out more about being TEAM JERSEY…

We’ve now said goodbye to our Learning Centre at the Parade, and from now on, all Team Jersey sessions will be held in our Learning Centre at Bermuda House, Green Street. Bright, spacious and comfortable, with tea and biscuits on tap, the Team Jersey Learning Centre is a great location for taking time away from your busy schedules to learn, grow, reflect, share and meet with your colleagues from across the organisation.

Team Jersey Lead Community Team Jersey Leads (TJL) are a growing community.

The four main points of their role are: • integrity - upholding our values • commitment to TJL events to share learning • providing feedback, staying informed and being the voice of colleagues • collaborating, building trust and supporting People and Culture Plans linking to My Conversations, My Goals.

Get in Touch Email: teamjersey@gov.je or odteam@gov.je

breathe breathe

As the days are getting longer, it is now a great time to start increasing your physical activity.

It has never been easier for you to spring to action with a host of free outdoor activities.

Visit gov.je/SpringToAction

See previous issues of breathe here: BREATHE

breathe

Get the most out of your Employee Assistance Programme, page 2

DEC 21 FIRST EDITION

Bounce Back and Thrive

by Cheryl Power, page 3 How to Look after your financial wellbeing with Lloyds Bank, page 8

Dec 21

breathe

E: wellbeing@gov.je AXA Portal Technical Support: 01323 436727 Employee Assistance Programme: 0800 072 7 072 (24/7 support)

JAN 22 #2

Our Community, Our Island: My experience as a RNLI volunteer by Paul Martin, page 3 Concerned about your health? Expert help, anytime of the day from AXA Health, page 2

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, “It could save your life… like it saved mine”, pages 7-8

Jan 22

Wellbeing Contact Details

Feb/Mar 22 Apr/May 22

Please get in touch if you would like to share your stories, or have any ideas on what could feature in future issues of Breathe.