One in four of us are affected by low moods every year, and many of us have experienced anxiety and stress at some point in our lives.

MyWellbeing College available at www.bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk, which was recently launched to help people navigate their way through life’s ups and downs, will be getting behind Time to Talk Day, on Tuesday 2 February, and will be encouraging people to get talking about everyday problems that can affect our mood.

Time to Talk Day is organised by Time to Change, the national campaign, led by charities Mind and Rethink. Time to Talk Day aims to get as many people as possible across England talking, sparking millions of conversations in schools, homes and workplaces with the aim of getting the nation talking about how they are feeling for 24 hours.

The free NHS service, MyWellbeing College, encourages people to talk about life’s ups and downs that can affect us all and leave us feeling low, unable to sleep, anxious or stressed.  The service, run in partnership by Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and local voluntary and community organisations, aims to increase personal wellbeing. People can register themselves online at www.bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk or join a group six week course, whatever suits their needs.

Sue Clarke took early retirement from her career as a teaching assistant at the age of 58 and felt she had lost her sense of purpose, this coupled with the death of her father and sister, both in close proximity to each other, led to feelings of low mood and anxiety.  Sue, now 60 years of age, benefited from enrolling on a talking therapies course, available through the MyWellbeing College, leading to Sue enjoying life again, all because she found time to talk.

Rather than talking to someone about it, Sue struggled to keep things going.  Sue would like to encourage more people to seek support and talk about how they are feeling, if it is affecting their lives, to help people understand they are not alone.

Sue said: “When you’re experiencing a low mood, it’s not something people know you’ve got, because it’s not something you can physically see. Speaking to someone has really helped me and I would encourage anyone feeling low or anxious to do the same. It’s surprising when you start to talk about it, how many people have experienced something similar and can relate to how you are feeling.”

Starting a conversation might seem daunting but simply sending a text, checking in on a friend or sharing something on social media can break the ice.  Our wellbeing top tips and courses can be found at  www.bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk

Alongside talking therapies, the MyWellbeing College offers a range of learning opportunities to suit individual needs, people can choose from a variety of options including online courses they can complete in the comfort of their own home to getting out and meeting new people in group courses such as mood matters, which helps overcome low mood, stresspac, which aims to manage stress and anxiety effectively and mindfulness which demonstrates how to “just be” in the present moment. Phone advice or one-to-one courses at a range of locations are also available in Bradford, Wharfedale, Airedale or Craven and the website offers a range of free guides and tools to help people better manage life’s ups and downs.

Mandy Stephenson delivers courses through the MyWellbeing College and said: “Time to Talk Day is an opportunity for everyone open up, talk, listen about things that can affect us all.  Having these all important conversations can make a big difference to many people.  Talking doesn’t need to be difficult, it can be as simple as making time to have a cup of tea or going for a walk, and listening to someone talk about how they feel or joining a local group. Being open and ready to listen can make a positive difference to someone’s life.”

The MyWellbeing College is open to anyone over the age of 16 who is registered with a GP in Bradford, Wharfedale, Airedale or Craven.  People don’t have to go through their GP to enrol on a course, they can register online at www.bmywellbeingcollege.nhs.uk or give the enrolment team a call on 0300 555 5551 to chat through the range of options available.