Return to campus and your wellbeing

Confidential telephone counselling is available for all staff courtesy of the Employee Assistance Programme). The EAP aims to provide staff with access to confidential support on all aspects of wellbeing, including personal finance and legal matters, counselling, health advice and more.

You can contact the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)* by calling 0800 107 6147 (quoting LSE as the name of your employer) or access the online portal by visiting www.colleaguesupport.co.uk (entering code 206011 as your username and password).

There's no limit to the number of calls you can make and your anonymity is assured at all times. 

*Provided by BHSF Employee Benefits Limited in association with The Employee Resilience Company Ltd

As part of the School's commitment to supporting mental and emotional wellbeing, a network of over 200 colleagues have been trained as Mental Health First Aiders so that they can: 

• Use Mental Health First Aid to support someone experiencing a mental health issue or crisis
• Listen non-judgementally and have supportive conversations
• Signpost colleagues to professional help

In addition, the School has a number of Mental Health Staff Champions - these are colleagues who take action in the workplace to change the ways in which we all think and act about mental health. Take a look at the webpage to see who your Champions are and how you can get in touch to talk about mental health and wellbeing. 

The School's Staff Counselling Services can be accessed for help following either a work-based incident or for situations relating to personal circumstances. You can ask for a face-to-face appointment on campus.

The School has introduced an online Mental Health Awareness at Work module (offered by the national charity Mind) to support staff returning to campus. The module includes areas such as tips for self-care and building resilience, alongside understanding mental health problems and raising awareness of wellbeing in the workplace.

Just click here to access the module, which should take about 50 minutes to complete. 

If you've not already done so, it only takes a few moments to sign up to the 10 Minute Mind. Learn how to manage your stress levels and increase your focus through mindfulness meditation. 

If you're looking to up your fitness regime, look no further! As you return to campus, there are a number of ways that you can keep on top of your fitness, including:  

• Access sports and exercise when you’re on campus: did you know that, as an LSE member of staff, you can access LSESU sports and exercise facilities in the Saw Swee Hock and Marshall buildings, courtesy of LSESU Level Up Fitness? Just visit the webpage to find out more.
• Sign up to ClassPass: ClassPass credits allow you to book at thousands of studios, gyms, salons and spas. Choose from one of a number of different monthly plans to create a personalised fitness regime which works for you. If you’ve not already taken advantage of the special rate available to LSE staff, you can get started today via the webpage (use company code '21LSExCP'). 
• Get a discounted membership with Fitness First: as an LSE employee, you can sign up for a Tier 3-7 membership through direct debit - which means less hassle and a quicker response time if you'd like to make any changes to your membership. Just click here to download the direct debit application form. As you'd expect with any membership, please make sure that you're familiar with the terms of membership before signing up. Please send all completed forms to corporatebillings@fitnessfirst.co.uk, copying in Staffwellbeing@lse.ac.uk

If you've not previously signed up to LSE Extras - LSE's employee lifestyle and wellbeing platform - this video will show you how to make best use of the platform to make weekly savings. 

It’s quick and easy to register – just click here and use your full name and employee number. Once registered, you can make sure that you receive the latest email updates by turning your email preferences to stay in touch set to ‘on’. This will allow you receive updates on the best savings for your daily expenses, as well as monthly competitions to win prizes! 

As well as LSE Extras, the financial wellbeing webpages include other areas for keeping on top of your financial wellbeing, including a series of webinars covering pensions, budgeting, mortgages, retirement planning and more. 

As the days grow shorter and it can become more of a challenge to find the time to exercise outside, you can still look after your physical fitness by joining an online fitness class from the comfort of your living room! 

Body Balance

Bend and stretch your way through a series of simple moves that embrace elements of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates. Strengthen your entire body and leave the class feeling calm and centred. If you’ve not tried Yoga before, Body Balance is a great introduction. If you’re already doing some form of Yoga or Pilates, you’ll love the variety you get with this class. It’s recommended that you have to hand a Yoga mat (or similar), water and a towel for your session.

Just click here to book your place.

Body Conditioning

This full body workout helps to tone and strengthen through a series of body weight exercises. You are welcome to use hand weights, bottles of water or cans for added resistance, although these are not essential. You’ll also need a bottle of water and towel. You can also choose to use a Yoga mat for extra grip.

Just click here to book your place. 

After you’ve booked your place(s), you’ll receive a Zoom link to join on the morning of each class. And don’t worry if you’ve not done something like this before – your helpful instructor will provide options for those just getting started so that you can work at your own pace. Enjoy!

If you're looking for more wellbeing inspiration, or just looking to stay in touch with colleagues around the School, join the chat on the LSE Tree – the Teams discussion group for non-work related matters.  

Staff may also find these external links useful: 

• The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service is a confidential service which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. This is a free service for any employees with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues affecting their work. Please visit the webpage for more details.
• We are Rethink Mental Illness provides information on mental health services by local area across the UK, as well as many other online resources. 
• Your Mind Plan: just answer 5 quick questions in this interactive quiz and get top tips and advice tailored to you. 

You may find the following links useful to support a return to campus, as well as during time working remotely:

• The School is a member of the Business Disability Forum, a membership organisation which seeks to remove barriers in employment for disabled people.
• Remploy is a leading provider of specialist employment and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions.