Self Help Resources

Support your mental wellbeing

Access our mental health support resources using our guidance template for who to contact and how.

Vivup – Podcasts, blogs and self help workbooks

Expert help and support for life’s ups and downs, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Other podcasts

Make Movement Matter: A podcast of the importance of moving (naturally). Watch/listen to the end of 2024 compilation episode.

Mind – Mental Health Charity

Offering help whenever you might need it through information, advice and local services. Bringing together an unstoppable network of individuals and communities, people who care about mental health, to make a difference.

Wellbeing Webinars

NHS elfh Hub

Online Webinars varying from ‘Alcohol’, ‘Homelessness’ and ‘Musculoskeletal Health’ to ‘Speech, Language and Communication’ and ‘Healthy Ageing’. Hosted by NHS elfh Hub under the umbrella of ‘All Our Health’.

Wellbeing e-Books

Access Liggy Webb’s bite-sized eBooks that cover a range of powerful life skills.

Sussex Choirs

Singing with a choir improves your mental wellbeing. Choir singers report better relationships, a higher quality of life, and greater wellness than non-singers. A study of cancer caregivers and patients found choir singing reduced anxiety and boosted the immune system. Choral singers report having stronger relationships, spending more time with friends, and making a bigger effort to get to know others in their communities compared to the general public. Further, nearly three-quarters of singers say participating in a choir boosts their optimism; 80 percent of choir singers expect more good things than bad things to happen to them, compared to only 55 percent of the general public.

• Rainbow Chorus – Brighton and Hove
• Soul of the City Choir – Brighton and Hove
• Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus – Brighton and Hove
• Coro Nuovo – Lewes
• Encore – Bognor Regis, Rustington, Pulborough and Worthing
• Mid Sussex Choir – Haywards Heath

Resources from the British Medical Association (BMA)

The BMA haVE a range of services and information to help support our medical colleagues:

• BMA wellbeing services info: Your wellbeing (bma.org.uk)
• Mentoring page: Mentoring for doctors (bma.org.uk)
• Medical Managers committee work: BMA committee for medical managers overview

Local Council Wellbeing Hubs

The wellbeing hubs can help you to find local wellbeing information and services, and offer free, friendly and impartial advice and support on how to make small changes to improve your health and wellbeing, online, over the phone or in person.

• Adur and Worthing
• Arun
• Chichester
• Crawley
• Horsham
• Mid Sussex
• West Sussex
• Brighton and Hove

Library Services

The UHSussex Library has a huge selection of rich resources to support your mental wellbeing and resilience. See our library services for more information.

You can also access more resources from the Health Sciences Library, Worthing Hospital: [email protected], ext. 85025 and Dunhill Library, St. Richard’s Hospital: [email protected] / 32733.

Wellbeing Apps

Doctors in Mind

Developed by the Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) department at UHSussex, the Doctors in Mind app is designed to track wellbeing and signpost to support available. This confidential service allows you to rate your current mood, log diary entries with your feelings, sleep level, activity and diet health and review the log of your wellness ratings. There are 3 tracked breathing exercises integrated into the app which can also be checked on the log.  The app also contains quick links to a wide range of useful online support tools, resources, contacts and phone numbers.

Headspace

NHS staff can access the Headspace app and all their wellbeing resources until 31 March 2024.  For those who haven’t yet signed up, you can sign up using your NHS email account here:

Stay Alive

The Stay Alive app is a suicide prevention resource in the UK with lots of useful information and tools to help you or a loved one to stay safe in a crisis. You can use it if you’re having thoughts of suicide or if you’re concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.

Unmind

NHS staff can access the Unmind app and all their wellbeing resources for free until 31 December 2024.  For those who haven’t yet signed up, you can sign up using your NHS email account here:

Physical activity to support mental wellbeing

UHSussex offers a variety of physical activities, and recommendations for moving more to support your mental wellbeing. There are many studies which have shown that doing physical activity can improve mental health. Visit the Physical Wellbeing page to learn more.

We also have a wealth of support on the Menopause, including our UHSussex Menopause Cafe.