World Mental Health Day

Class: Y3 - Miss Stupples Year: 2020 - 2021

One of the best suggestions for supporting and combating mental is to encourage people to talk. Today in Year 6, we discussed our well-being and strategies we use for developing and maintaining a positive mind-set.

If you’re in good mental health, you can:

•make the most of your potential

•cope with life

•play a full part in your family, school, community and among friends.

If your mental health and well-being are not so good:

•Everyday things can become a struggle

•Your mind can become full of worry or stress

•You can begin to find your normal routines difficult

Ten top-tips to support our mental health and well-being:

1. Talk about your feelings

Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.

2. Keep active

Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs healthy, and is also a significant benefit towards improving your mental health.

3. Eat well

Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

4. Drink 

Keeping yourself well hydrated with water is very important for your brain and body. Drinking plenty of water is very important.

5. Keep in touch

There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. You can also give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open: it’s good for you!

6. Ask for help

None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan.

If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. Your family, teachers or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear.

7. Take a break

A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health.

It could be a five-minute pause from your homework to do some breathing, a little walk, reading a book of your choice before bed or a bit of fresh air outside instead of playing on the computer all night. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some ‘me time’.

8. Do something you’re good at

What do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? What do you enjoy doing?

Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-esteem.

9. Accept who you are

We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.

10. Care for others

Friends are really important… We help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two-way street, and supporting them can uplift you and help improve your own mental health.

Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together.

To remind us of all of this, we made green weaves to use as bracelets, keyrings or bookmarks which will give us a little boost whenever we need it!