This article was published on Thur 27 Feb 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Recognising the pursuit of happiness as a fundamental human goal

March 20 is the International Day of Happiness and this year’s theme is Happier Together, focusing on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. Since 2012 this day’s aim is ‘To promote happiness as a universal goal and aspiration in the lives of human beings around the world’.

We all want to lead a happy life and want the people we love to be happy too. But as a society we are not giving this enough priority. Our actions and choices can affect our happiness. What makes us happy has less to do with our money or possessions and more to do with our attitudes and relationships with other people. 

According to Action for Happiness there are 10 key areas in which we can take practical action to boost our happiness and to help prevent depression and anxiety.

GREAT DREAM – 10 keys to happier living

• Giving– Do kind things for others
• Relating – Connect with other people
• Exercising – Take care of your body
• Awareness – Live Life mindfully
• Trying out – keep learning new things
• Direction – Have goals to look forward to
• Resilience – Find ways to bounce back
• Emotion – Look for what’s good
• Emotion – Look for what’s good
• Acceptance – Be comfortable with who you are
• Meaning – Be part of something bigger 

Take the Action for Happiness Pledge

“I will try to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world around me”

What to do if you aren’t happy

• Find 3 good thing each day
• Thank the people you’re grateful for
• Look for the good in those around you
• Bring mindfulness into your day
• Find your strengths and focus on them
• Get help if you’re struggling

Police Mutual Products & Services

If you are struggling to be happy because of money worries, Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433.  If you don’t want to talk on the phone contact them using their online form. www.payplan.com

If you just want someone to talk to about emotional issues then call our Care Line Service provided by Health Assured. You can access advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns including emotional support.  To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal –

Health & Wellbeing e-portal

https://healthassuredeap.co.uk

Username: policemutual

Password: careline

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website at www.policemutual.co.uk

Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited, trading as Police Mutual, is an incorporated friendly society. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.

This article was published on Fri 31 Jan 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Choose talk, Change lives

We know that talking about mental health can feel awkward, but it doesn’t have to. Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet many people can feel isolated, ashamed and worthless because of this. Time to Talk Day encourages everyone to be more open about mental health – to talk, to listen, to change lives. 

That’s why it’s so important that Time To Talk Day on 6th February 2020 gives people the opportunity to talk about mental health and how it can affect anyone, of any age, gender or background. Time to Talk day isn’t just about helping others, its also important to understand and recognise your own wellbeing

Looking after your own mental health

• Keep active – exercise helps both your physical and mental health, this can just be a regular walk
• Eat Well – what you eat and your mood can be connected, so think carefully about what you are eating
• Ask for help – sometimes you need help from others, so don’t be afraid to ask for this help
• Take a break – make sure you have regular time to relax and re-charge
• Do something you’re good at – doing something you enjoy and you are good at can give you the ‘feel good’ boost that everyone needs

Top Tips to Support Others

• Check in – ask others how they are feeling
• Listen and don’t judge – its great that people are happy to talk to you about how they are feeling, so ensure you really listen to them
• Treat them in the same way – don’t change the way you act towards someone once you are aware of their poor mental health
• Don’t forget little gestures can have a big impact – this may just be making them a cup of tea or inviting them out for lunch
• Ask twice – asking someone twice how they are feeling will give them the opportunity to be honest

Financial problems is one of the biggest worries that can negatively affect your mental health. According to Money and Mental Health Policy Institute over 420,000 people in problem debt consider taking their own life in England every year, while more than 100,000 people in debt actually attempt suicide annually*.

It’s important to start talking about money worries before your situation gets worse. Talking about money will give you the confidence to get help and find out who can best advise you on any problems. It can give you a great sense of relief to share your problems, so you’re not facing them alone.  If you don’t feel ready to talk to someone, write down what you are going through and share it with somebody you can trust.  It’s important to seek professional advice as soon as possible and not wait until it’s more difficult to find a solution.

Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433. If you don’t want to talk on the phone contact them using their online form. www.payplan.com

Police Mutual Products & Services

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website.

The Care Line Service provided by Health Assured can offer advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns including emotional support. To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal –

Health & Wellbeing e-portal

https://healthassuredeap.co.uk

Username: policemutual

Password: careline

The (not so) small print

*Money and Health Policy Institute report ‘a silent killer’ Published December 2018

Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited, trading as Police Mutual, is an incorporated friendly society. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.

This article was published on Thu 30 Jan 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

‘Blue Monday’ is said to fall on the third Monday of January every year. It is considered to be the most depressing day of the year, factors including the weather, debt, the time elapsed since Christmas, and unsuccessful New Year’s resolutions all cause this date to be regarded as the most depressing day of the year.

With money worries being one of the largest wellbeing challenges facing members of the Police family, it’s important to start talking about money worries before your situation gets worse.  Worrying about money can negatively affect your mental health and for those people experiencing mental health problems it makes it harder to manage their finances. 

The stress of dealing with financial pressures does not just affect your personal life. It can affect your work, family life, health and relationships. We recognise that sharing your concerns with the people closest to you isn’t always an option.

Taking positive steps to address things that are weighing upon our minds is always important Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.   We’ve teamed up with PayPlan*, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433.  If you don’t want to talk on the phone, contact them using their online form.

Improve your financial wellbeing with our online tools here

• Budget Calculator
• Financial fitness tool
• Information on managing debt
• Life Planner

Police Mutual Products & Services

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website at www.policemutual.co.uk

The Care Line Service provided by Health Assured can offer advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns including emotional support.  To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal –

Health & Wellbeing e-portal

https://healthassuredeap.co.uk

Username: policemutual

Password: careline

*PayPlan is a trading name of Totemic Limited. Totemic Limited is a limited company registered in England, Company Number: 2789854. Registered Office: Kempton House, Dysart Road, PO Box 9562, Grantham, NG31 0EA. Totemic Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Conduct Authority Number: 681263.

Police Mutual is a trading name of Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited (PMAS), PMAS is an incorporated friendly society authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.

This article was published on Mon 18 Nov 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Money and debt is often seen as a taboo subject but Talk Money Week is here to break the stigma.

According to the recent Police Federation Pay & Morale survey* around one in eight officers are seeking financial support to cover living costs. Talk money week is an ideal time to review your finances and improve your financial wellbeing.

Worrying about money can negatively affect your mental health and for those people experiencing mental health problems it makes it harder to manage their finances.  Problem debt can also be linked to suicide.

According to Money and Mental Health Policy Institute over 420,000 people in problem debt consider taking their own life in England every year, while more than 100,000 people in debt actually attempt suicide annually.**

It’s important to start talking about money worries before your situation gets worse.  Talking about money will give you the confidence to get help and find out who can best advise you on any problems.  It can give you a great sense of relief to share your problems, so you’re not facing them alone.  If you don’t feel ready to talk to someone, write done what you are going through and share it with somebody you can trust.  It’s important to seek professional advice as soon as possible and not wait until it’s more difficult to find a solution.

Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.***

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433.  If you don’t want to talk on the phone, it is also possible to email them.

Below are some tips on how to improve your financial wellbeing

• Use our budget calculator here to help you manage your money. Set yourself a daily spend limit based on how much disposable cash you have each month
• Set up a separate bill account and transfer an amount each month to cover the cost of all your household bills
• Check your bank balance each week so there are no nasty surprises. Consider using an app so you can see all your accounts in one place
• Switch your current account – banks will often pay you to switch accounts use the link here for more information
• Look at your general insurance, using the link here for Police Mutual car insurance and here for Police Mutual home insurance
• Check your utility bills, for more information use the link here
• Review your mortgage – for more information on the Police Mutual mortgage advice service click here
• Check your credit score using one of the various companies available online including, Experian, Equifax or CallCredit

Police Mutual Services

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website at www.policemutual.co.uk

The Care Line Service provided by Health Assured can offer advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns including emotional support.  To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal:

Health & Wellbeing e-portal
https://healthassuredeap.co.uk/
Username: policemutual
Password: careline

The (not so) small print

* Police Federation’s annual Pay & Morale survey results published in November 2019

** Money and Health Policy Institute report ‘a silent killer’ Published December 2018

*** PayPlan is a trading name of Totemic Limited. Totemic Limited is a limited company registered in England, Company Number: 2789854. Registered Office: Kempton House, Dysart Road, PO Box 9562, Grantham, NG31 0EA. Totemic Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Conduct Authority Number: 681263.

Police Mutual is a trading name of Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited (PMAS), PMGI Limited (PMGI) and Mortgage Excellence Plc (MEX).  PMAS is an incorporated friendly society authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. PMGI and MEX are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. All Police Mutual companies are registered in England and Wales.  PMGI, register no. 1073408; MEX, register no. 03527577. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.

This article was published on Mon 04 Nov 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

We all know what it’s like to feel stressed – being under pressure is a normal part of life. But becoming overwhelmed by stress can lead to mental health problems or make existing problems worse.

Stress isn’t a mental health condition, but it can cause a mental health problem, like anxiety or depression or it can cause an existing one to get worse.

Stress can also affect you physically, it can cause headaches, tiredness or stomach problems.

National Stress Awareness Day is a great opportunity to take a moment to think about your own wellbeing and find out more on how to manage stress.

What you can do to help with stress

There are various steps you can take to cope with being under pressure, remember, different things work for different people.

• Identify your triggers and take control – working out what triggers your stress can help you anticipate when you may feel stressed and what you could do about it in advance.
• Organise your time – making some adjustments to the way you organise your time can help you feel more in control and able to handle the pressure you are feeling.
• Be active – exercise can help clear your head and then let you deal with your problems more calmly. Go outside to exercise, as fresh air and spending time in nature can really help.
• Talk to other people – friends, family & colleagues can help support you through the stress you are feeling, you may even have a laugh and start to relax. You may also want to consider talking to a professional counsellor.
• Do something you enjoy – spending time doing something you enjoy will take your mind off how you are feeling. Everyone needs to take time for themselves, it can be as simple as having a bath or reading a book.
• Avoid unhealthy ways to cope – many people use alcohol, smoking, chocolate and gambling to try and relieve the stress they are feeling, none of these things will help in the long term, use healthy coping strategies like going for a run, listening to music or walking the dog.
• Challenge yourself – learning new skills and setting yourself new goals will help build your confidence and make you feel good about yourself.
• Help others – people who volunteer in the community or for a worthwhile cause tend to be more resilient.
• Try to be positive – think of all the things you are grateful for, write down or say out loud 3 things that went well each day.
• Address some of the causes – where possible improve some of the issues that are putting pressure on you.
• Accept the thing you can’t change – it’s not easy, but accepting that there are some things happening to you that you can’t do anything about will help you focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Worrying about money can be extremely stressful and may lead to mental health conditions.

Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433

Police Mutual Services

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website at www.policemutual.co.uk

The Care Line Service provided by Health Assured can offer advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns including emotional support. To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal –

Health & Wellbeing e-portal
https://healthassuredeap.co.uk/
Username: policemutual
Password: careline

The (not so) small print

Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited, trading as Police Mutual, is an incorporated friendly society. Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

PayPlan is a trading name of Totemic Limited. Totemic Limited is a limited company registered in England, Company Number: 2789854. Registered Office: Kempton House, Dysart Road, PO Box 9562, Grantham, NG31 0EA. Totemic Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Conduct Authority Number: 681263.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.

This article was published on Thur 10 Oct 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, but as today is mental health awareness day, it is a great day to look after your own wellbeing and show support to others.

Mental health describes how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day to day life. Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health.  Mental health problems affect around 1 in 4 people*.

How to take care of your mental health

• Talk about your feelings – talking can help you take charge of your wellbeing
• Keep active – regular exercise can boost your self-esteem, can help you concentrate, sleep and overall feel better
• Eat well – a diet that is good for your physical health is also good for your mental health
• Drink sensibly – drinking alcohol is not a good way to manage difficult feelings
• Keep in touch – it’s good for you to catch up with friends and family face to face or over the phone
• Ask for help – its ok not to be ok, so ask for help if you are struggling
• Take a break – a change of scenery or pace is good for you
• Do something you’re good at – enjoying yourself can help beat stress
• Accept who you are – accept your uniqueness, don’t wish you were someone else
• Care for others – supporting others uplifts you as well as them

Worrying about money can negatively affect your mental health and for those people experiencing mental health problems it makes it harder to manage their finances. Problem debt can also be linked to suicide.

According to Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, over 420,000 people in problem debt consider taking their own life in England every year, while more than 100,000 people in debt actually attempt suicide annually**.

Police Mutual are here to help. We want to break down the stigma surrounding debt and get people talking about money.

We’ve teamed up with PayPlan, one of the UK’s leading free debt advice providers, who offer free and confidential advice to anyone in serious financial difficulties.

They’re able to advise you on a range of debt solutions suited to your individual circumstances, helping to protect you and your family with a sustainable way to manage your debt.

Get free and confidential help to combat your debt, call PayPlan on 0800 197 8433

Police Mutual Care Line Service provided by Health Assured can offer advice and information at the end of a phone, helping with a range of concerns. To talk to someone please call 0800 028 1708 or take a look at the e-portal –

Health & Wellbeing e-portal
https://healthassuredeap.co.uk/
Username: policemutual
Password: careline

Police Mutual offer a range of wellbeing support services, for more details check out the For You pages on our website www.policemutual.co.uk

All of our Relationship Managers and Financial Wellbeing Consultants are trained Mental Health First Aiders

*According to Mental Health First Aid Organisation
**Money and Health Policy Institute report ‘a silent killer’ Published December 2018

Police Mutual Assurance Society Limited, trading as Police Mutual is an incorporated friendly society Registered office: Alexandra House, Queen Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6QS. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

Want to learn more? Access our wellbeing hub here.