IDEAS Team

05/08/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

Sharing this month’s calendar from Action for happiness - Altruistic August!

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

15/07/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

Loss can affect us all in many ways. This might be a bereavement after the death of a loved one. But can also mean the loss of a relationship or of skills and abilities from changes in health.

A good model for highlighting what helps us cope with a loss is the dual process model. This lovely graphic illustrates this well.

Successfully navigating a loss involves oscillating between focusing on the loss and expressing feelings whilst also engaging in life and doing things that matter.

Difficulties in loss occur when we get stuck in only one aspect of the model.

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

08/07/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

Looking for wellbeing tips - why not try “Jump back July” with Action for Happiness.

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

01/07/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

Life feels better when we get to spend time with “our people”. The ones who get us and are there for us during life’s challenges, as well as life’s celebrations.

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

24/06/2026

Highlighting a great resource for care homes in Scotland to use for reminiscence activities.

Consider trying out if you have any residents with a previous career in nursing. We would love to hear any feedback as well

24/06/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

The window of tolerance is a model that IDEAS 💡 team use a lot in their work. We all have one. We do our best work when we are in our window 🪟 of tolerance, we also feel emotionally regulated and calm. But at times when we detect a threat we can become hyper aroused, often feeling overwhelmed, anxious or angry ( fight or flight) Or hypo aroused, when we feel numb and withdrawn ( freeze).

It can help to recognise when we are no longer in our window of tolerance and to know what strategies can help us to become more regulated again.

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

17/06/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

Those of you who have attended training will know that the IDEAS 💡 team love an iceberg analogy. So had to share this one.

Following on from last weeks post on kindness. Today is a reminder that what we see in others around us is only the tip of the iceberg and we don’t always know what things they might be experiencing in their personal life e.g loss, chronic pain or relationship difficulties.

National Help line
0800 111 4191.
www.wellbeing hub.scot

10/06/2026

Wellbeing Wednesday

A reminder today that small acts of kindness produce a ripple effect and can make a big
difference to those on the receiving end. As well as positively impacting the givers of kindness too.

Look 👀 out for those ripples today and see if there is any opportunity to do something kind for someone else.

05/06/2026

To mark the end of dementia awareness week- here is our last element of CEASE.

How to CEASE stress and distress in dementia: E is for Engagement

We can identify or rule out the common causes of stress and distress by using the CEASE model and this can enable us to find practical ways to help to prevent or reduce distress. How we communicate with someone with dementia can make a big difference to their wellbeing. For example allowing time for the person to communicate, taking care with body language and tone of voice, using non-verbal communication such as objects and pictures, depending on the person’s needs.

This short video clip explains a wonderful example of how getting to know the person, good teamwork and considering different approaches and ways of communicating can have very successful outcomes for the person. Staff find a way with personal care & mealtimes | Right Decisions

The clip is from Practical Dementia Resources platform from the Care Inspectorate, hosted on NHS Scotland’s Right Decision Service: Practical dementia resources | Right Decisions. It has some fantastic examples of ways in which care staff have prevented or reduced stress and distress in the people living with dementia that they support. It is well worth a look!

This video is 4 minutes 31 seconds long. The video describes how a family’s request for psychoactive medication to improve personal care was not needed after care staff changed the order that they organised personal care tasks and also identified that sitting down with a lady helped encourage her ...

04/06/2026

Book your free space at the Carers Academy in Stranraer, 9th Sept. Free respite care can be arranged to support family members to attend -phone 01387 246246 ext 32907 or email [email protected]

Alzheimer Scotland
Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service
Change Mental Health
Dumfries and Galloway Carers Centre
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Dumfries and Galloway LGBT Plus
Quarriers
Relationships Scotland Dumfries and Galloway
Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway