Mental Health and wellbeing are popular topics of discussion in staffrooms across the UK. There is little wonder why this is the case, with 1 in 10 children according to mentalhealth.org.uk being affected by these issues. Adults are not far behind, with the stats showing an increase year on year. Schools now need to develop robust strategies to identify possible triggers and signs. Teachers should also take care of themselves as it can be easy to give of your all to your class and forget yourself.
Mental Health problems can arise through many different set of circumstances. A traumatic experience can lead to development of wellbeing impacted negatively. Parents and teachers need to communicate effectively to ensure that they working together to support children that may be suffering from poor Mental Wellbeing.
What habits and activities support children to maintain a healthy mental state:
- Eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly
- Know that they are loved and supported
- Have a sense of belonging to the school, family and community
- Help them understand their individual strengths
- Better education about the pressure and dangers of online platforms
The key is that everybody needs to seek out information and utilise online resources to assist in the support of good holistic wellbeing.
Luckily, the internet is brimming with information including government websites. Here are a few to have a look at:
Youngminds - https://youngminds.org.uk/
Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/
Action for children - https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/
The Children’s Society - https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/
Let’s make sure that we provide the environment that allows for the creation of a healthy, positive, holistic and inclusive experience.