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A curated LinkedIn Learning course, provided by the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The course can be accessed here.

Workshop 4: Behaviour

Delivered by Kathrin Hicks from the University Counselling Centre

The most common behavioural consequences of long term health conditions are avoidance and doing too much. These often go together in a “boom or bust” cycle. We will look at what this means in the context of living a life in line with our values and how we can work towards achieving a balance of rest and activity, and of different types of activity.

Concepts to be covered include:

• How the boom/bust cycle operates and its long term consequences
• The idea of behavioural activation: the positive impact of gradually increasing activity on mood
• The idea of activity scheduling, with a particular emphasis on balancing activities we “have” to get done and activities that bring us pleasure, meaning and social connection
• The concept of our core values and how we can use this to influence the way we plan our activities

There will also be time to pull the ideas from all 4 sessions together, considering them within the original conceptual framework.

Joining instructions will be provided on your booking confirmation email.

Take a break from looking at your screen and join us for a walk around Madingley Park.

The tour will give you the opportunity to get out into nature and explore more of the University estate including the Capability Brown designed parkland.

How we view ourselves and the world around us impacts our ability to dream and achieve.

This session thinks about how an entrepreneurial mind set can help you identify new opportunities, solve problems and make change in your working and personal life.

Our mental health is likely to be impacted in some way by the pandemic and lockdown conditions. Dr Olivia Remes, a researcher at the Institute of Public Health, will explore the nature of depression and anxiety and will suggest practical ways to cope during this challenging time.

Details on how to join this session will be on your booking confirmation email.

Stress and its partner anxiety are part of life for us all. In fact, without them, we would not achieve nearly as much as we do. However, too much stress can become problematic. In these times of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to prioritise our mental health, to recognise when we and others are struggling, and to find strategies to help us manage its impact. This talk will put stress and anxiety in context and offer ways in which to think about and manage their effect on us both physiologically and mentally.

Presenter: Ashley Meggitt MSc Ashley is an associate lecturer and research psychologist working at Anglia Ruskin University. He holds a master's degree in psychology and is studying for his PhD. He spent 25 years of his first career working within the Cambridge University and College environment and is well versed with many of the challenges this brings. He has also spent the last 5 years volunteering for a mental health charity.

In this interactive session, Jonathan Taylor, a Chartered Psychologist from Pearn Kandola https://pearnkandola.com/ will discuss how inclusion contributes to our self-esteem, well-being and our ability to perform at our best.

The session will explore how we can maintain our social well-being whilst physical distancing through inclusive practices and leadership with our colleagues.

Highly recommended for anyone who manages people, or with an interest in Leadership, Inclusion, or Well-being.

Joining instructions will be provided on your booking confirmation email.

Menopause Cafés exist to increase awareness of the impact of the menopause on those experiencing it, their friends, colleagues, and families.

Anybody interested in sharing stories, experiences, and questions about menopause is welcome!

A mentoring relationship could help you to progress in your professional life/career and build your networks. It can also support your mental health by increasing confidence and reducing anxiety.

If you are interested in hearing about mentoring and its effects on mental health, join the ourcambridge Self-Match Mentoring Scheme' team for an informal session and discussion.

“(Mentoring) supported my mental health through a period of work-related anxiety/stress”.

Professor Tamsin Ford CBE, will explore the evidence impacts of the upheavals of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions on children and young people – is there a Tsunami of mental health conditions or are the kids alright?

Tamsin is Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. She is an internationally renowned Child Psychiatric Epidemiologist who researches the organisation, delivery, and effectiveness of services and interventions for children and young people’s mental health.

There are many aspects of the current research culture that negatively impact on the mental health of researchers. At Cambridge, we have set out our ambitions for creating a better research culture in an institutional action plan.

Liz Simmonds (Postdoc Academy) and Yi Ting Chua (president of the PdOC Society) from the University's research culture working group, talk about how the plan aims to improve different aspects of research culture, and following from that help to improve researchers' mental health.

A webinar run by Jenny Swain, CPSL Mind to consider the emotional impact of lockdown and tips for dealing with emerging out of lockdown.

Our ways of working and living online have changed a great deal during the past year.

What kinds of habits and routines have we created in our digital lives?

In this session we’ll talk how we might balance digital productivity and wellbeing, how to cope with digital fatigue and distraction, and more.

A mentoring relationship could help you to progress in your professional life/career and build your networks. It can also support your mental health by increasing confidence and reducing anxiety.

If you are interested in hearing about mentoring and its effects on mental health, join the ourcambridge Self-Match Mentoring Scheme' team for an informal session and discussion.

“(Mentoring) supported my mental health through a period of work-related anxiety/stress”.

An hour-long session in which Sabina and Kate from the Staff Counselling Centre guide you through gentle breathing and mindfulness exercises to help you relax and self-soothe.

Why is the suicide rate so much higher in men than women?

What are the barriers that stop men speaking openly about their emotions and seeking professional help?

Come and watch an engaging conversation between two male staff counsellors as they deliberate these issues. There will be plenty of time for questions at the end.

In the role of parents and carers, we may be concerned about how those around us are coping in these challenging times, especially our children as we start to come out of lockdown.

In this panel session Dr Fiona Peacock, Faculty of Education, and Dr James Biddulph, Headteacher of the University Primary School, will discuss the main issues our children face as they return to school and lockdown rules gradually relax.

Participants will discover how to contextualise the difference between an appropriate anxiety or stress reaction to what is going on in the world, how attachment theory and positive relationships between people support resilience, and how parents could support their children in their journey out of lockdown.

Float into the clouds for this relaxing session discovering the world of the artist John Constable.

Join one of the educators from the Fitzwilliam Museum as they guide you first through a slow looking activity, before four short drawing exercises to try your own 'skying' at home.

Mental Health Awareness Week

Join Claire Thompson, NHS Psychological Well-Being practitioner and author of Mindfulness and the Natural World and The Art of Mindful Birdwatching to hear about her journey into mindfulness, the natural world, well-being and mental health.

The session will explore what it means to develop a mindful relationship with ourselves and the rest of the natural world and why it is vital for our well-being and that of our planet that we do so.

Claire will present some of the current evidence supporting the benefits of mindful nature connection for well-being and mental health and share practical tips on how to connect with the natural world in our daily lives.

The session will end with a Q&A.

Led by Sarah-Cate Blake, Education Officer at the Fitzwilliam Museum, this session will include ideas and resources for those working with or caring for young people.

A set of ideas and techniques for Young People to put into practice and facilitate their own self-regulated wellbeing resilience. Some of these are creative and practical activities, others are from trauma informed yoga and mindfulness.

University Sports Centre

Dr Elizabeth English, the University Mindfulness Practitioner, will explore components of mindful communication, and how we can create calm and satisfying connections with other people, even under pressure.

Life can at times feel relentless, overwhelming and draining. We can become so caught up in our thoughts and feelings that they entangle us in ways that are harmful. Mindfulness is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as clinical trials show that it works to halve the risk of depression in those who have experienced illness (Professor Mark Williams). Mindfulness practice can help us become more present in the moment, increase our awareness of feelings and help us notice signs of stress, low mood and anxiety so we can take steps to address them. These sessions are offered to help staff experience the benefits of Mindfulness practice as a way of supporting health and wellbeing.

Join Esther Hunt, for a series of six standalone weekly sessions. Book into as many or as few as you wish. No materials necessary, although you may wish to be seated in an upright chair with a blanket around you to maximise the benefits.

Esther Hunt trained as a Mindfulness Teacher with the British Mindfulness Institute and was taught by Dr Patrizia Collard. She is a Registered and Accredited Psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Affiliated Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling in the Faculty of Education.

Zoom joining instructions will be provided in your booking confirmation email.

This interactive 30 minute session will be led by Dr Elizabeth English, the University’s Mindfulness Practitioner.

Elizabeth will start by exploring self-kindness through an understanding of human needs and the concept of inner relationship. Drawing on the work of clinical psychologist Marshall B. Rosenberg, and philosopher, Eugene Gendlin, she will include experiential reflections on the theme, and a guided mindfulness practice. The sessions will end with a brief opportunity for questions.

Further reading: Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: A language of Life, 2nd Ed (Encinitas CA, 2003). Focusing Gendlin, Eugene T., Focusing, 3rd edn (New York, 2007).

A Mindfulness session – “May our heart's garden of awakening bloom with hundreds of flowers.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh

Mindfulness is recommend by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as it can help improve mental health.

Esther Hunt trained as a Mindfulness Teacher with the British Mindfulness Institute and was taught by Dr Patrizia Collard. She is a Registered and Accredited Psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an Affiliated Lecturer in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling in the Faculty of Education.

For more information on the benefits of Mindfulness please visit the NHS website

Come along to this session for an hour of gentle and inclusive yoga practice, accessible to all body shapes, ages and backgrounds. Don't worry if you have never practiced yoga or are coming back to the mat after some time - everyone is welcome.

Although this session will be held in the gardens, a room will be available in case of inclement weather.

Please wear suitable clothing and bring a mat.

Meeting instructions will be shown on your booking confirmation email.