This week, we celebrate self-care week, an annual national awareness week that focuses on embedding support for self-care across communities, families and generations. This year. we are focusing on the Healthy Stockport website as a trusted website to find local information about self care and keeping healthy and well and links to local support.
We are focusing on promoting the 5 Ways to Feel Good, have a look at the section of the site for more information HERE We’re going to focus on one of the 5 ways each day of the week so keep an eye out on Facebook or X for more inspiration.
HERE is a guide that Healthy Stockport created a while ago to show you how to use the site.
What has this got to do with being online?
Looking at the five ways above. This week our GUIDE focuses on taking photos and our digital champions are connecting with other people by giving their time to support people to learn how to take photos in their everyday life, to take notice of their surrounding and to get out there and be active.
Access to digital resources and information can empower people to take better care of their physical and mental well-being. Through digital platforms, people can:
- access healthcare information and our recent guide on how to Using Online GP Services HERE
- connect with support communities
- access mental health resources
- and even engage in activities that promote relaxation and stress relief, again our recent guide on how to Using Mindfulness Apps HERE
How do our digital champion support with self-care of those we support?
An learner came to a Starting Point class feeling desperate.
“I was suicidal, I couldn’t sleep, since everything has been computerised, I couldn’t do anything. I had to get this new computer as the old one had Windows7 and I couldn’t use it anymore. I couldn’t do anything. I’d not had emails for a month.”
The email issue had been a real problem as he received information about social events via email and had felt extremely isolated without access to it. During our conversations, technology was a recurring theme. This is something many of our learners have mentioned to us, that it is becoming increasingly difficult to live their everyday lives without smart devices and the skills to use them.
We worked with him to gain access to his emails and begin to get to grips with his new laptop. With the support of our digital champions he returned and continued learning the basics of his new device.
Every time I come to class I learn something new. You are all so kind. I’m getting better and better the more I keep coming.
Just by being online, you can enhance your ability to make informed decisions about you health and well-being. And it is this that drives our team to do what we do.
This work can’t happen without the phenomenal support our of digital champions. If you would like to get involved in our digital champion volunteering hub please contact Clara to find out more.