Employment and finances

Work forms a major part of our lives. The workplace can be a stressful place to be; long hours, deadlines, and performance pressures can put enormous pressures on us.

Having a healthy work and home life balance is important to our emotional and physical wellbeing.

Finding ways to help manage the stress of everyday living is a skill we can develop. Here are just a few options for guidance about self-care:

For managers and employers: Public Health England, and Business in the Community, supported by the Samaritans, created two toolkits that can be used as review tools to improving mental health and reducing the risk of suicide.

Whether recently or long term unemployed; the loss of a day-to-day structure, combined with financial insecurity and the worry of finding work, can have a negative impact on our wellbeing.

Getting prompt support and guidance is key to getting through difficult times.

Don't struggle on alone seek support.

Try to remember the five ways to wellbeing; connect, be active, take notice, learn and give.

If you are struggling to manage your income and money, support is available from:

Leicestershire Citizens Advice Bureau, Leicester City Citizens Advice Bureau and Rutland Citizens Advice Bureau offer drop-in appointments at their branches across the county. They can support you to apply for benefits or challenge a benefit decision. They can also assist with advice about money management and how to deal with debt from housing.

Work can play an important part in your life and provides a sense of purpose.

Loss of work can be difficult to deal with and can be associated with a loss of companions, social interaction, routine and structure, money and status.

Unemployment and redundancy can undermine your self-confidence and cause significant financial problems. These building responsibilities can lead to feelings of worry and it can be difficult to see a solution to your problems.

These changes in your life may produce feelings of uncertainty and isolation.

Help and advice is available to get you through these difficult times.

People gamble for many reasons, but for some people gambling can get out of control and become an addiction that harms our mental health.

If you find yourself betting more than you can afford to lose, borrowing money, or feeling stressed and anxious about gambling, you may have a problem.

If you want to stop gambling, there is help available. You can get treatment, join support groups and try self-help tips.