Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service

17/06/2026

✨Wellbeing Wednesday!✨

What if movement wasn't about changing how your body looks, but changing how you feel? 🌿

For a lot of us, the word "exercise" brings up a lot of pressure. We think of crowded gyms, tracking calories, or pushing ourselves until we're exhausted. But when you are struggling with your mental health, that pressure can feel like a mountain you just can't climb.

Let’s try a kinder approach: Gentle Movement.

Gentle movement isn't about fitness. It’s about checking in with your body and clearing out stagnant stress. It’s a way to tell your nervous system: "We are moving through this tension together."

You don't need a workout plan or special gear. It counts if you:

🐈 Do a slow, cat-like stretch in bed before getting up.
🦶 Roll your ankles and wrists while sitting on the sofa.
🚶‍➡️Pace around the kitchen while the kettle boils.
💃 Have a 2-minute kitchen dance to your favourite nostalgic song.

Your body does so much to carry you through tough emotional days. Let's give it a little space to soften today.

💬 Let's share the pressure-free ideas: What is your favorite way to move gently when your energy levels are low? Let us know below! 👇

15/06/2026

We’re taking part in Loneliness Awareness Week (15th - 21st June).

This week is about opening up conversations around loneliness and reminding people that it’s a normal human emotion and that small moments of connection matter.

💬 What’s a small moment of connection that brightened your day recently? Was it a chat with the postie, a text from an old friend, or a smile from a stranger?

Let’s share some ideas in the comments below! 👇

10/06/2026

✨Wellbeing Wednesday!✨

Fight, Flight, Freeze... and Fawn? 🦌

Most of us know about the body's natural reactions to stress: fighting back, running away, or freezing on the spot. But there is a fourth one that doesn't get talked about enough: Fawning.

Fawning is when your brain decides the safest way to handle a stressful situation or a difficult person is to make them happy.

It looks like:

👍 Automatically agreeing with someone who is criticising you.
🗣️Mimicking their opinions so they don't get angry.
🙎Over-apologising for things that weren't your fault just to lower the tension.

If you do this, please know it is not a flaw in your personality. It is a highly smart survival tactic your brain learned to keep you safe in the past. But you are safe now and you are allowed to step out of the pleasing loop.

Have you ever noticed yourself switching into 'fawn' mode when a conversation gets tense? Let us know in the comments below!👇

05/06/2026

✨Gamesley Wellbeing Session✨
On Monday 8th June, we are being joined by the Community Health Improvement Worker for Live Life Better Derbyshire! Drop by and have a chat with us!

03/06/2026

✨Wellbeing Wednesday!✨

Emergency kit for heated conversations 🧰👇

When a discussion turns into a storm, you can't control the weather, but you can control how you steer the ship. Keep these 3 golden rules in mind to keep things on track:

⏱️ The 5-Second Pause: Before responding to a comment that stung, take one full breath. It flips your brain back from 'attack mode' to 'thinking mode'.

🎯 Stick to the Present: Keep the focus on the current problem. Avoid words like "always" or "never" (e.g., "You never listen to me").

🏳️ Agree on an Exit Strategy: It is completely healthy to call a timeout. Agree on a phrase like, "Let's hit pause for 10 minutes to cool down," so nobody feels abandoned.

Communicating well under pressure is a skill, and honestly? Nobody gets it right 100% of the time.

💬 Let’s chat in the comments below 👇: Which one of these do you find the hardest to do when you’re upset? Are you a "need a timeout" person or a "want to solve it right now" person?

📌 Hit 'Save' to keep this checklist handy for the next time you need a conversational breather.

28/05/2026

🥳EVENTS🥳
Spot us next week at these two fabulous events!

27/05/2026

✨Buxton Let's Game✨
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming sessions for the Let's Game Group. If you would like to enquire about attending the group, please get in touch with us or Zink and High Peak Foodbank

27/05/2026

✨Wellbeing Wednesday!✨

Where are your shoulders right now? 🤔

Go on, take a look. Are they up by your ears? Is your jaw clenched tight?

When we are stressed or worried, our bodies often hold onto the tension without us even realizing it. It's like running a car engine in the background all day long - eventually, it burns out.

Try this 5-second check-in right now: 💭

- Drop your shoulders away from your ears.
- Unclench your jaw and let your teeth part slightly.
- Take one long, slow breath out.

Rest is not just something we do when we are exhausted. Letting go of small pockets of tension throughout the day tells your brain: "We are safe right now. It's okay to soften."

👇 What part of your body was holding onto the most tension just now? Let us know in the comments.

16/05/2026

All set up at Thinkfest in Chesterfield

Why not pop down and check out everything that's going on. There's live music, games, mental health market and so much more. 💙💙💙

14/05/2026

Due to the EVA Office being closed due to a water leak, There will be no 18-30s peer support group today. Please share with anyone who normally attends. Thanks 💙

🚨 Office Closure 🚨

Unfortunately due to the heavy rain and a leaking roof we have had to make the decision to close our office in Long Eaton to enable us to fix and repair 🌧️

Sadly this means that all groups and meetings have had to be cancelled for Thursday 14th May, Friday 15th May and Monday 18th May on health and safety grounds 😞

Thanks for your understanding… and wish us luck!