Dr Rob Bale, clinical director and consultant psychiatrist at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust talks about staying mentally well this winter

A lot of planning and care has gone into making the health and social care system in Oxfordshire much more resilient this year.

The county’s winter director, Oxford Health’s own Tehmeena Ajmal, has made it clear that we all need a winter plan to keep us safe and well during these cold, dark and now icy months.

Most of the work has centred around people’s physical wellbeing, with a flu jab campaign, lots of tips on ‘being prepared’, sound advice on how you should deal with a physical emergency and great ways of looking out for friends and neighbours who may be in need.

But what of people’s mental wellbeing? We do know that isolation can make some mental health issues worse and the lack of interaction with the outside world that can be harder for people in winter because the days are short, and the weather is bad.

Mental health is a year-round fact of life that doesn’t care whether it’s a blazing hot day in July or a rainy Easter bank holiday weekend.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that a mental health problem is something ‘other people have’. It’s not. Around 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem like anxiety, low mood, depression or stress in any given week.

Yet, despite how common mental health issues are, some feel unable to improve their situations.

We ignore the emotional messages that tell us something is wrong.

We tell ourselves it’s ‘just the way I am’. Or we bottle things up, hoping those around us won't notice or kid ourselves that magically get better.

For some people, especially the older generation, experiencing mental health issues is associated with stigma.

This stigma means they don’t want to ask, they don’t know what to do, what to say and find it all embarrassing.

Stigma is there and has been around a long time, but it’s improving.

There’s been a significant shift in people’s understanding, both in terms of the public and with the range of services now available, but also from legislation - people can no longer be discriminated against because they have a mental health issue.

Our focus is all about recovery: helping people to live the lives they want in their community despite their past or ongoing experiences.

The most common issues are depression and anxiety or stress, or a combination of the three. Once you understand what you are experiencing, you can begin to deal with it.

Are you managing your sleep? Are you eating healthily? These lifestyle factors are important.

Keep busy, keep active and keep in touch with people - that’s key to keeping mentally strong this winter.

Active Oxfordshire has a range of connections that help with exercise but also with connecting with people, from sports groups to health walks.

It might be you can’t physically get out all the time but there are other ways to connect with people.

Use social media, online forums that can be helpful and instructive.

It’s all about social contact - it’s crucial.

Oxfordshire is blessed with a range of services from the very prescribed and structured through to the more casual.

Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership (OMHP) formally brings together six local mental health organisations from the NHS and the charity sector.

They are Oxford Health, Oxfordshire Mind, Response, Restore, Elmore Community Services and Connection Floating Support. Some focus on clinical and therapeutic approaches, whilst others provide housing and other support.

One service we provide with Oxfordshire Mind is TalkingSpace Plus, an easy to access talking therapies resource where our psychologists help people to deal with life’s ups and downs, feel better about themselves and learn strategies for keeping well.

Up to 1,400 people a month are helped there and it’s for anyone aged 18 and over who is registered with an Oxfordshire GP and we’ve extended opening hours this winter.

It’s now open 8am to 8pm Tuesdays to Thursdays and 9am to 5pm on Mondays and Fridays.

Oxford Safe Haven is another service offering a specialised late-night safe space for people experiencing mental health crisis.

It’s based in Manzil Way off Cowley Road, Oxford and is open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays from 6pm to 10pm.