NHS Warrington Talking Therapies

27/10/2025

Following daylight savings, the days get shorter and our exposure to natural light drops. This can disrupt our sleep, energy levels, and mood. For some people, it can trigger the onset of symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Some practical ways we can manage our mental health and wellbeing during the shorter days are:
• Get as much natural light as possible (open your blinds, go for a morning walk, sit near windows, get outside on your break!)
• Stick to a sleep routine (shorter days can impact our circadian rhythm, we can reduce this impact by waking up and sleeping at the same time each day)
• Stay active (regular movements, even gentle stretching, can reduce stress and improve our mood)
• Talk to someone (if you are struggling, talk to a friend, family, or a therapist)
Shorter days don’t have to mean darker moods, take care of your mental health, and check in on loved ones too.

26/10/2025

The mental health benefits of good sleep include boosting our mood, reducing stress and helping with anxiety.

If you're having trouble sleeping, knowing how to sleep better can make a big difference.

25/10/2025

On 24 October, wear pink, raise money, and help make life-changing breast cancer research and vital support happen. The aim of the awareness days is to ensure that everyone who gets diagnosed with breast cancer lives and can be supported to live well.

What is wear it pink?
Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK. Taking place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, thousands of amazing people wear it pink in their communities, schools or work places for the UK’s largest breast cancer charity, Breast Cancer Now.

Wear pink to college, work, out with friends and share your support!
More information and information on how you can get involved can be found here: https://breastcancernow.org/

24/10/2025

Brain Tumor Awareness Week runs from tomorrow the 25th October – 1st November 2025. This is a dedicated week for organisations to be able to fundraise, participate in events and raise awareness for the brain tumor community. Fundraising events and ways to donate and get involved can be found here:

https://braintumourresearch.org/collections/events

A brain tumour occurs as a result of an abnormal growth or spread of cells from within the brain, or its supporting tissues, that can damage the brain or threaten its function. Some types of tumour can occur around the edge of the brain and press on certain parts of it, whilst others can be more diffuse, spreading out and growing in amongst healthy brain tissue.

More information can be found by visiting this website : https://braintumourresearch.org/pages/information-what-are-brain-tumours

21/10/2025

If you or your partner is currently pregnant, or you have a child under the age of two, there are a range of non-NHS services available to provide specific support.

• Parents in Mind offer support to women and birthing people with children up to the age of 2. They offer peer support and 1:1 and group sessions both face-to-face and online to parents struggling with the challenges of pregnancy or caring for a child.
• Dad Matters aim to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their children. They offer outreach services/drop-ins, one-to-one peer support, group sessions, new dad workshops and support dads with accessing services and information to support them.
• The Living Well Hub is a community-led space which is the home of 25+ organisations in Warrington. They run drop-in sessions every Wednesday and Friday focussing on families and children, whereby you can speak with a variety of services based in Warrington.

For more information on these services, you can contact them directly or visit their websites/social media pages. You can also find more support available in Warrington by searching the local support directory at https://www.warrington.gov.uk/happy-ok-sad/hos-directory

20/10/2025

See the below post for more information on wellbeing support and improved access to care for Black and minority communities

19/10/2025

18/10/2025

18th October 2025 is world menopause awareness day. The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being. Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. It usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier.

Perimenopause is when you have symptoms of menopause but your periods have not stopped. Perimenopause ends and you reach menopause when you have not had a period for 12 months. Menopause and perimenopause can cause symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes and irregular periods. These symptoms can start years before your periods stop and carry on afterwards.

Menopause and perimenopause symptoms can have a big impact on your life, including relationships and work. Taken from the NHS website find a to do list below of things you can do to improve the symptoms of menopause.

Do:
• get plenty of rest, including keeping to regular sleep routines
• eat a healthy diet
• have calcium-rich food like milk, yoghurt and kale to keep bones healthy
• exercise regularly, try including weight-bearing activities where your feet and legs support your weight like walking, running or dancing
• do relaxing things like yoga, tai chi or meditation
• talk to other people going through the same thing, like family, friends or colleagues
• talk to a doctor before taking herbal supplements or complementary medicines

17/10/2025

‘Baby Blues’ is a term often used following the birth of a baby and represents a significant drop in hormones which can result in feeling low or anxious for a short period of time. Pandas Foundation recently conducted some research and found this term to be damaging for some people, it was found to invalidate peoples’ experiences and minimise mental health struggles after birth.

You can see a list of common symptoms of postnatal depression in this image, if you have been feeling this way for a significant amount of time it is OK to reach out for support.

Here at NHS Warrington Talking Therapies we prioritise parents with children under the age of 2 on our waiting list and offer a perinatal workshop called ‘Finding Your Feet After A Baby’ where we cover common struggles experienced during the transition to parenthood and cover many coping strategies. You are even welcome to bring your baby a long to the friendly and relaxed workshop.

Please ask the assessing practitioner for more information if you are interested in attending the workshop.

15/10/2025

9th October – 15th October marks baby loss awareness week. This week ends with the ‘wave of light’ which invites you to light a candle for all babies who have gone too soon at 7pm. You are invited to post your pictures to social media using .

If you need further support information please follow this link: https://babyloss-awareness.org/support/

15/10/2025

This year ADHD month focuses on ‘The Many Faces of ADHD’ aiming to raise awareness and understanding of ADHD in the wider community.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting both children and adults. It is described as a “persistent” or ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that gets in the way of daily life or typical development. Individuals with ADHD may also have difficulties with maintaining attention, executive function (or the brain’s ability to begin an activity, organize itself and manage tasks) and working memory.

For more information on ADHD and ADHD month go to https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/

14/10/2025

If you find you struggle with negative self talk, these handy questions may be helpful to challenging any unhelpful thoughts