Over the last few weeks, Years 5 and 6 have been reflecting on our mental health and how to look after ourselves.
Mental health is about our feelings, our thinking, our emotions and our moods – things you can’t see, but that affect our lives in lots of ways.
In our Living and Learning sessions, we have discussed the types of things that might fall under the mental health category. Here’s what we came up with:
- feelings
- inside feelings
- anxieties
- emotions
- actions
- how our brain feels
- what’s going on in our mind
- mood swings
We also came up with a list of ways to help if we, or someone we know, is struggling from poor mental health:
- Talk to someone you trust. This could be a parent/carer, teacher, friends, other family members, a therapist or Childline (0800 11 11)
- Go to a safe space. This can help take your mind off things that are worrying you. Take some time in a place you feel safe/comfortable to reflect and relax.
- Write in your journal/diary. Sometimes, it’s difficult to express our feelings/concerns by talking. If you prefer, you could write down what you want to say.
- Go outside and exercise. As we all experienced lockdowns due to Covid over the last few years, we all agreed that physical activity outdoors is a great way to make yourself feel better. This can distract you from your mind for a while and give you chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Help at home:
Give your child regular opportunities to talk about their feelings/worries. In our circle times, children have really benefitted from speaking out and asking others for help. Even if the worries seem small, it’s important that the children know we are all here to help, both at home and at school.