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Pembrokeshire residents are exercising their way to happiness during Pandemic  

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PEMBROKESHIRE residents are turning to exercise to help them improve their mental health during the Covid19 Pandemic.

According to a YouGov survey carried out in December, a third of those living in mid and west Wales said exercise has helped sustain or improve their mental health since the start of the pandemic.

It comes as the Welsh Government is encouraging people to ‘help us, help you’ by practicing self-care and adopting small changes to help improve mental well-being, particularly at a time when levels of anxiety are higher than usual.

The traditional benefits of exercise have been to improve and maintain physical fitness but, more recently, the benefit of exercise to improve mental health has come to the fore. Exercise decreases the stress hormones such as cortisol and increases endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemicals, and when they are released through exercise, your mood is boosted naturally.  As well endorphins, exercise also releases adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine.  These chemicals work together to make you feel good.

Professor Jon Bisson, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and Director of Traumatic Stress Wales, said: “There are several important ways to help reduce the risk of developing mental health consequences due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eating healthily, taking exercise on a regular basis, keeping regular sleeping patterns, establishing a good structure for our days, and engaging in relaxing activities are always important to promote health and wellbeing.

“I would like to stress that if you are experiencing a mental health crisis or feel the need for additional support, please do ask for help. Some of us will need more formal input and services remain available and are keen to provide this.”

With more than £700m invested annually, The Welsh Government spends more on mental health than on any other aspect of the NHS.

If you are concerned about your mental health and would like confidential help and advice then you can call the mental health listening and emotional support line which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 0800132737. Alternatively, you can text ‘help’ to 81066.

One rural mental health charity, the DPJ Foundation, based in Pembrokeshire, is encouraging farmers and those living rurally across Wales to run during the month of January to help with their mental health.

Emma Picton-Jones, founder of the DPJ Foundation, helped create the @_run1000 challenge which is happening throughout January 2021. The challenge is between England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the rest of the world to see whose team could run 1000 miles first. All countries have now reached the 1000-mile mark and are now competing to see who can run the most miles throughout the month whilst raising awareness of the importance of rural mental health, and raising money for rural mental health charities including the DPJ Foundation.

Emma Picton-Jones said, “January can be quite a tough month for farmers and those of us living rurally and this year we have lockdown to contend with as well. We wanted to create something positive for everyone to take part in that gets them out and active. It is not too late to get involved – just find @_run1000 on social media and there’ll be a link for more details. It might be the only way Wales beat England if the six nations doesn’t go ahead!”

The DPJ Foundation was set up in July 2016 following the death of Daniel Picton-Jones. Daniel’s suicide rocked the community and his wife Emma realised very quickly a lack of support available for those suffering with poor mental health in rural communities. It was announced at Daniel’s funeral that a fund would be set up to provide support to those, like Daniel, who were suffering from poor mental health. It also became clear that the agricultural industry carried the highest rate of suicide, yet little was being done to help this.

Sarah Jones, a self-employed mother of two boys who lives in Carmarthenshire took up running less than a year ago and signed up to the @_run1000 challenge to help her mental health and keep her running motivation going during lockdown. She said, “Perhaps homeschooling has hit a groove, you’re comfortably working from home, you have time for you, and you feel supported and in control. For many of us, though, the opposite of all those things is true. Just as with the first lockdown, never has my running been more important. I go for a run to have a bit of time to myself to manage my thoughts and then the rest of my day feels a bit more manageable.”

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Health

Hay fever warning – Tree pollen on the rise across Wales

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POLLEN experts are warning that the next few days could be significant for those who suffer from hay-fever.

“The first medium pollen counts of the season are forecast across Wales over the next 5 days,” says airborne allergens expert Max Wiseberg, “and many hay fever sufferers start to experience symptoms when the count reaches this level. The main culprit at this time is birch pollen, the pollen most tree pollen allergy sufferers are allergic to. So now is the time for hay fever sufferers to prepare for the season ahead.”

“Birch is arguably the most problematic tree of them all for hay fever sufferers,” continues Max. “In the same family as alder and hazel trees, the birch is the worst of the bunch for the 25% of UK hay fever sufferers who are allergic to tree pollen. The peak of the birch pollen season can run throughout April to mid May.”

“So now is the time to start preparing for the season ahead. If you are already starting to experience hay fever symptoms or want to avoid them being triggered, start to apply an allergen barrier balmsuch as HayMax, which works by trapping pollen before it enters the body and starts to work straight away. If you use antihistamines, many manufacturers recommend starting a month before your season starts, so if you haven’t started already, now is the time. And it’s the same with nasal sprays; they need several days to build up to their maximum protective effect and some makers advise starting using them one month before your hay fever season begins.”

“If your symptoms are particularly bad on a given day, or you find that nothing really works, or the remedy you use stops working, try combining products for a greater effect, in other words create your own ‘Hay Fever First Aid Kit’, a combination of products which can be complementary to one another. My recommendation would be an allergen barrier balm to trap the pollen, one (and only one) antihistamine to combat the overproduction of histamines, one (and only one) steroid nasal spray, as the nasal area is where the pollen enters and is most affected, plus one or more drug-free or natural products.”

“There are several practical things you can do to reduce the effects of pollen:

  • When you’re outdoors wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes. Apply an allergen barrier balm to help prevent pollen getting up your nose. And wear a cap or other head cover and tie up long hair to stop pollen getting trapped in your hair,
  • When you return home, take off your shoes at the front or back door so you don’t bring pollen indoors with you, Washing your face, changing your clothes and having a shower will all help by removing pollen from your hair and body.
  • Keep pollen out of your home. Keep doors and windows closed. Dust and vacuum regularly, including fabrics and upholstery, to remove pollen. Damp dusting will help stop pollen being dispersed back into the air. If you have a pet, keep it well groomed and washed regularly, to remove pollen from its fur and keep it out of the room in which you sleep.”

“There is currently no cure for hay fever – they’ve been working on it for years – but until there is there are many products – both natural and conventional – and lifestyle changes you can try. Check out my website www. https://haymax.biz/hay-fever/ for more ideas. Good luck!”

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Health

RCN’s three urgent steps to rescue Welsh NHS sent to First Minister

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HELEN WHYLEY, Director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales, has written to the First Minister calling for immediate action in three key areas to protect patients and secure the future of nursing in Wales.

The RCN first urges Vaughan Gething to deliver on promises in the Welsh government’s 2023/24 pay offer – prioritising patient safety by ensuring there are enough nursing staff to deliver safe and effective care. Second, the organisation warns him to responsibly introduce registered nursing associates to Wales. The letter ends by asking him to strategically invest in the education of nurses at all career stages, to meet future health care demands.

Promises in the 2023/24 pay offer included action on patients being cared for in inappropriate places (so-called “corridor care”), better access to flexible working, a 36-hour week, and more.

Helen Whyley said: “Now is the time for the First Minister to refresh his public commitment to safe and effective care. That would go a long way towards assuring nursing staff that his government will address the extreme pressures they are under.

“What’s critical is that the First Minister keeps nurses nursing in the NHS. That’s why he must make sure the Welsh government keeps every promise it made to our members last year to end industrial action. Those important promises could make a real difference to nurses and to their patients. That’s why our members accepted them in good faith – but half a year later, they have yet to feel a difference.

“New nursing roles are fantastic, but patients need to understand what that means for them – and, crucially, they need to be funded properly. Any risk to patient safety from registered nurses being inappropriately replaced is completely unacceptable. And this can’t become a distraction from getting the basics right, either. A national strategy for commissioning nursing education, all the way from student to advanced and consultant level, would be a fitting ambition for a new First Minister with a commitment to improving health.”

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Health

Brain Injury Group Donates £3,000 to local services

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THE SOUTH WEST WALES BRAIN INJURY GROUP (SWWBIG) has announced donations to two local health boards, giving £1,000 each to Neath Port Talbot Neuro Rehabilitation Unit and the Community Brain Injury Services at Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda University Health Boards.

This funding boost for the health boards comes from the profits earned at the SWWBIG conferences in 2022 and 2023, which were organised and sponsored by JCP Solicitors and co-sponsored by Fieldbay (part of the ivolve Care & Support group).  

The conferences, which have taken place annually since 2011, provide an opportunity for individuals and families affected by brain injury, as well as healthcare professionals, charities, students and researchers across South West Wales to come together and explore the critical stages of survival and recovery. 

The 2022 and 2023 conferences each welcomed around 200 attendees and raised £3,000 in excess funds. The committee, made up of healthcare workers and practitioners in the field of brain injury, voted to donate to the brain injury services in their local health boards, ensuring that the funds can be used to assist the brain injury community in South West Wales in the best way possible. 

Suzanna Charles, Chair of SWWBIG said: “The South West Wales Brain Injury Conferences are always a huge success, as we are able to facilitate important conversations for professionals working in the field and offer support.

“What is more, the conferences raise vital funds which will go towards providing ongoing rehabilitation for those affected by brain injury. We are proud to provide this additional funding which will have a direct, positive impact on brain injury survivors in our local area. 

“The journey through rehabilitation is different for everyone, and it is so important to have a supportive network of healthcare professionals and experts to guide patients while listening to their individual needs.”

The main objective of the South West Wales Brain Injury Group is to provide a forum for individuals with an interest in acquired brain injury, to educate and encourage development and dissemination of good practice. For more information on SWWBIG or to register your interest to attend the conference in 2024, please visit www.swwbig.co.uk.   

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