Resources

 

Mindfulness audio tracks

• Body scan – Mindfully scan through your body from your head to your toes
• Just noticing – Take a moment of your day to pause, notice your thoughts and feelings, and mindfully take in the world around you
• Observer self – Get some distance from difficult thoughts and feelings by tapping into the part of you that observes without judgement
• Everyday noticing – Take a moment to pause and mindfully pay attention to the world around you
• Dropping anchor
• Hearing your thoughts
• Leaves on a stream (Russ Harris Psychwire)

Relaxation audio tracks

• Body – Guided relaxation of the body
• Beach – Relax through this visualisation of a beach
• Countryside – Relax through this visualisation of the countryside
• Sack of grain – Guided relaxation to release tension in the body
• Autogenic relaxation – Guided relaxation through repetition of phrases about heaviness and warmth
• Body scan – Scan through your body from your head to your toes, relaxing each as you go 
• Country walk – Relax through this visualisation of a walk through the countryside 

Mindfulness resources

• Headspace  (also a smartphone app)
• Calm (meditations and sleep)  (also a smartphone app)
• Insight Timer (meditative mindfulness) (also a smartphone app)
• Breathworks Mindfulness
• 8 week mindfulness
• Be Mindful
• Frantic World Resources
• Free Mindfulness
• Vidyamala-Burch
• Breathr Guided Meditation

Books

• “Living Beyond Your Pain” by Joanne Dahl and Tobias Lundgren
• “Overcoming chronic pain” By Frances Cole, Helen MacDonald, Catherine Carus, and Hazel Howden-Leach
• “Coping successfully with chronic pain” by Neville Shone
• “This Book will make you Sleep” by Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar
• “The Sleep Book” by Guy Meadows

Websites

• The Pain Toolkit
• Information for patient and carers 
• Patient.info
• Comprehensive information about the medications used in pain management
• Information about opioids 
• Active Norfolk  
• NHS Live well
  • Includes advice on getting started with exercise. 10-minute workouts and a fitness studio (you can access yoga and Pilates sessions through the fitness studio)

Leaflets

• Pain Management Seminars Information Pack

Sleep 

• Sleep Leaflet, written by Lucy Reeve, Specialist Pain Occupational Therapist:
• 10 Useful Strategies for Sleep, written by Russ Harris (author of The Happiness Trap):
• The Sleep book: how to sleep well every night. Written by Dr Guy Meadows, founder of the Sleep School. Available as paperback and audio book.
• This book will make you sleep. Written by Jessamy Hibberd and Jo Usmar. Available as paperback and audio book.
•  Sleep Council
• How to get sleep
• Sleepstation

Relaxation

• Relaxation Information Pack

Pacing

• Pacing Activity for Persistent Pain
• A leaflet about pacing activity on the live well with pain website

Managing Daily Activities

• Practical Advice for Managing Daily Activities

Emotional Health 

• The Compassionate Mind Workbook by Chris Irons and Elaine Beaumont
• The Happiness Trap 2^nd Edition by Russ Harris
• The Reality Slap 2^nd Edition: How to survive and thrive when life hits hard by Russ Harris
• Get out of your mind and into your life-The new Acceptance and Commitment therapy by Stephen Hayes
• The Mindfulness Solution to Pain: Step by step techniques for chronic pain management by Jackie Gardener-Nicks
• You are not Your Pain by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman
• Living well with pain and illness. Using mindfulness to free yourself from suffering by Vidyamala Burch and Jon Kabat-Zinn
• Mindfulness for Health: A practical guide for relieving pain, reducing stress and restoring wellbeing by Vidyamala Burch and Danny Penman

Practical skills for grounding and relaxation

• A good grounding skill is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: Working backwards from 5, use your senses to list things you notice around you. For example you might start with listing 5 things you see, then 4 things you hear, then 3 things you can touch where you are sitting, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.
• Extend your exhale– Focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale. Start by inhaling for a count of four, then exhale slowly for a count of six or more. You can do this while sitting in a chair or even lying in bed before you sleep.
• Box Breathing/ Square Breathing – Breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and then hold again for four counts. Box breathing can be particularly effective in a moment of stress. Visualizing a box as you do this can help maintain focus and rhythm.

Self-compassion

• Self-compassion.org – (look at the ‘Practices’ section for audio recordings)
• Balanced Minds have audio files that are designed to support you developing your compassionate mind, and more generally, self-compassion

 

Other Help

Organisations offering Emotional Health Support

• NHS Talking Therapies
• REST Hub
• Social Prescribing – (speak to your GP)

Bereavement support

Cruse offer one to one support and have useful information on their website.  Helpline 0808 808 1677

The Wellbeing Service (Talking Therapies) offers Coping with bereavement workshops, or you can contact them to arrange an individual appointment on 0300 123 1503 or fill out the self-referral form on their website wellbeingnands.co.uk.

Organisations providing financial advice

• Citizen’s Advice has information about benefits, tax credits, council tax and housing costs.
• The Money Advice Service has further information and advice about the benefits system.

Support for parents

• Just One Norfolk, Just One Number 0300 300 0123- Children and Young People’s Health Services- Trusted help, advice and information during pregnancy, birth and your parenthood journey.
• Information about Young Carers support can be found on this website.

Support for Veterans

OpCOURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. You are able to self-refer or ask your GP to refer you to the NHS East of England Op Courage service for Veterans. Telephone: 0300 034 9991, or email Mevs.mhm@nhs.net. You would be offered a Veteran-specific assessment and treatment options will be discussed.

Support with people diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder

https://neurosymptoms.org/en/ or https://fndhope.org/

Domestic Abuse Support

Leeway focus on supporting people to who have experienced domestic abuse.

Mental Health Crisis Support

Our “What should I do if I feel unsafe” leaflet signposts you to information and resources that can support you if you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself.