ARE you feeling tired, worried or notice that your mood is lower than usual? Is life less enjoyable or do you find yourself avoiding certain situations? If so, you are not alone.

One in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year. The most common problem in Britain is mixed depression and anxiety, which affects almost nine per cent of the population. Even at a mild level, persistent low mood and anxiety can have a significant impact on lives and work – in fact, in 2012 13.3 million days were lost in the UK due to absence from work due to stress, depression or anxiety.

Since 2011, The Worcestershire IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) service, part of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, has provided courses for many Worcestershire residents who have experienced low level anxiety, stress or depression.

This popular seven-week ‘Boost your Mood, Manage your Anxiety’ course runs throughout the year across the county for people interested in learning and developing strategies that can help manage the pressure of everyday life.

Sessions focus on psychoeducation, as well as teaching tools and strategies that have evidence for success for boosting mood and managing anxiety and stress – such as mood monitoring, thought challenging, assertiveness skills and relaxation.

The programme is from a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) perspective, focusing on the role our behaviours and thoughts have on each other and also on our physical and emotional feelings.

The course runs in Worcester, Redditch and Kidderminster for two hours a week, on various days and times, including an early evening. If you think you could benefit from attending and would like to self-refer, or if you would like more information and would like a leaflet, call the IAPT service on 01905 760118.