Parent/Carer Support

Tips For Wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“If it makes you happy, do more of that.” – Unknown

Self-Care

Self-care is all about the little things we do to help ourselves feel better or to keep ourselves feeling
good. This is a great way to look after our mental health and wellbeing. Self-care involves ‘checking
in’ with yourself and thinking “how do I feel today?” and understanding “what do I need today?” Self-care looks different for everybody. What works for one person may not work for someone else!

Our tips for self-care:

• Taking time-out when we are feeling overwhelmed.
• Making time for an activity which makes us feel good e.g., taking a bath, listening to music,
  going for a walk, or playing a game you enjoy.
• Doing the basic things to look after ourselves e.g., eating and sleeping well.
• Practise self-care by asking yourself the questions below:
  • How do I feel today?
  • What do I need today?
  • Do I need physical or mental self-care?
  • When can I add self-care into my day?
• Make time to do it! Repeating these Self-Care check-ins at least once each day can help improve our mental health.

Make time for a relaxation activity. Scan the QR codes, or clink on the links below for more information around self-care. Why not try the mindfulness activities in the QR codes below too:

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Dimensions Tool

Follow this link for free online personalised self-care information and support for adults and children in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine shall be thy food.” – Hippocrates

Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the nutrients in food and how our body uses them to stay strong and healthy. There are lots of positive benefits for our physical health, nutrition is also really important for our mental health!

Our brain works hard taking care of our thoughts, movements, breathing, heartbeat and senses (even when we are sleeping!), so we must fuel our brain with nutritious foods to help us function. This can help us to think clearly, increase our energy levels and support concentration. What we eat also affects our mood too!

Our tips:

1. Get involved in the cooking – Can you help your parent/carer to prepare dinner? This can
   be a fun way to spend time with others and learn a new skill.
2. Make it fun – There are lots of different ways different foods can be prepared. You could try
   experimenting putting different food together to see what you like and don’t like.
3. Try something new – When was the last time you tried a new food? It can be exciting to find
   out what food we like and don’t like. Also, our tastes can change as we grow and develop. See
   if you can set yourself a challenge to try a new food this week.
4. Keep Hydrated – Dehydration could lead to headaches, difficulty focusing and may impact
   sleep. Try to ensure you are regularly drinking water, it can be useful to bring a bottle of water
   to school every day to remind you to stay hydrated!

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” – Unknown

Relaxation

Relaxation is when our mind and body is free from stress and tension. Research has found that this can help us to think clearly, concentrate, sleep well, feel more confident and even boost our immune system!
Relaxation can look different for everyone, and it can be helpful to try a few different relaxation techniques to see what works best to make you feel happy and rested.

Our Tips for Relaxation:
1- Try some breathing exercises, such as finger breathing or square breathing. Breathing exercises are great as you can do them in any place, at any time. Follow the link to try flower and candle breathing!

2- Drawing or colouring can help you to express your feelings and focus on something peaceful. This is a great way to relax your mind!

3- Practice mindfulness by taking a break away from any screens and devices. This could be going on a walk or being outside in nature. Try to use as many of your senses as possible, think about what you can see, hear, smell, touch and even taste! You could even try cloud watching to calm your mind.

4- Stretch it out, practice yoga to stretch out your muscles to relax and reduce tension. Try following the link for a yoga video!

5- A warm bath or shower can be a soothing experience that helps to relax muscles and calm your mind. You could make it extra relaxing with quiet music and bubbles!

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“We carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the very choice of kindness.” – R.J. Palacio

Kindness

Kindness means being friendly, generous, and considerate to others. It’s all about showing care and respect through our actions and our words.

Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated each year on February 17th, however you can practice random acts of kindness all year round

Here are some easy ideas to spread kindness:

• Give compliments – A genuine compliment can make someone’s day brighter.
• Hold the door open for someone.
• Share a smile – Smiling at people can help to boost their mood.
• Send a thank you note – Write a note of appreciation to someone who has helped you.
• Be a good listener – Sometimes, all someone needs is someone to talk to.
• Help your teacher – Offer to hand out something to the class or do something to help them.
• Ask someone how their day is going – Asking someone about their day can make them feel cared for and happier.
• Pick up a piece of litter.
• Offer to help someone at home.

Why is being kind important?
Kindness is contagious! When you show kindness, it inspires others to do the same. When you are kind to someone, it can help them to feel happy, it can brighten their day and boost their mood.

Kindness can help to make schools, homes and communities more welcoming and friendly. When people are kind, everyone feels more comfortable which can lead to better relationships and friendships.

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down” – Charlie Chaplin

Mood Boosters

Our mood can change, and this is completely normal. You may notice that sometimes you are feeling more tired than usual, maybe stressed or experiencing difficulties with schoolwork or friendships. Situations like these may cause you to feel a bit low, it can be really helpful to talk about these things with an adult, or someone you trust.

Whilst it is normal to feel this way at times, there are things we can do to boost our mood and help us to feel happier. By doing more of the things we love and value, or ‘doing more of what matters’, we can boost our mood. This helps us to feel less tired, have an increased sense of achievement, feel better about ourselves and have some fun!

Our tips for boosting your mood:

1. Have a look at the BBC Moodboosters video resources. There are a selection of videos to try, you could do these with a friend/ family member, with your class, or by yourself. But most importantly, have fun!
2. The five ways to wellbeing – can you challenge yourself to try one of these for each day
   over the next week! Watch the video for more information.
   o Connect – Reach out to a friend/family member, listen to music that reminds you of happy memories, look at old photographs, or arrange activities with friends.
   o Be Active – Try different ways to get your body moving. You could dance, walk, skip, or hula hoop!
   o Take Notice – Spend time outside appreciating nature, maybe on your way to school or practise mindfulness.
   o Keep Learning – Read a new book, watch a documentary, follow a new recipe, or learn a new language.
   o Give – Give someone you love a hug, hold the door open for the person behind you, or give your time to help others.

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“Live as if you will die tomorrow. Learn as if you will live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Learning

We are always learning new things – often without realising it! Learning can include developing skills as well as developing knowledge. Learning something new can help to improve our mental wellbeing, as it gives us a sense of achievement and purpose. We can challenge ourselves to build new skills or develop skills that we already have. It can help to build motivation, confidence, and self-esteem too.

To help us to learn something new, we can set ourselves a challenge or a goal to work towards. Can you think of a new challenge or goal to try?

Learning can be fun! Studies show that learning can help us to enjoy life more! Can you find a new activity that you enjoy and make it part of your life?

Our tips for learning:

1. Learn a new word each day! Can you use the new word in your schoolwork? Can you teach this new word to a friend?
2. Get creative! Try a new craft activity or write a story or song. Have a look at some ideas for craft activities here: 50 easy craft ideas for you and the kids this school holiday | DIY makes for parents and kids under 6 – CBeebieshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/50-easy-craft-ideas-for-under-6s
3. Try a new hobby, such as a new sport, learning to paint or join a new after-school club.
4. Try a new food or learn to cook a new recipe. Could you share this experience with someone? For example, could you bake a cake with a friend, or cook a meal for your family?
5. Learn a new language. Try and learn simple words and phrases, such as “hello”, “how are you?” and “my name is…”. You could use online resources or apps, such as Duolingo, to help you.
6. Try a new sport or class. Could you help others to learn by becoming a coach for a junior team?
7. Start a craft project! You could do this independently, or together with a friend. Remember to ask an adult for help if you need to! Follow the link for some project ideas: 430+ Easy Craft Ideas for Kids | Hobbycrafthttps://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/ideas/kids-craft-ideas/

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“Fall seven times, stand up eight” – Japanese proverb

Bouncing Back

Bouncing back is all about ‘having another go’ after we are faced with challenges, this is also called resilience! There are times when things will not go how we planned, so being resilient will help us keep going and try again. We can all develop our ability to bounce back, so it is important to maintain a growth mindset and practise this skill by trying the following tips:

Our tips for bouncing back:

1. Watch this short video introducing resilience and ‘bouncebackability’. Click the link to watch the video: Beano – Bouncebackability
2. Practise problem solving as a strategy to overcome practical difficulties and help you bounceback! Follow the steps below, you may want to write the answers down to help you:
   • What is the problem?
   • How does it make you feel?
   • What are the possible solutions?
   • What are the positives and negatives of each solution?
   • Select the best solution and make a plan to try out!
3. Think about a time when you have faced a challenge in the past…how did you overcome it? Would you do anything differently if you came across the same challenge again? You could discuss this with a friend to share ideas.
4. Build your support network. Having people that you trust around you through difficult times can help you to bounce back! Try to share how you are feeling with friends, family, teachers and other trusted adults in your life. You can also contact the services below if you struggle talking to people you know:
   • Young Minds
   • Samaritans
   • Childline

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.

Tips for wellness from our Mental Health In Schools Team

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” – Albert Einstein

Happy New Year

As we welcome the New Year, many of us will focus on resolutions, which may include to become healthier, more active, or learn a new skill. New Year’s resolutions are generally seen as promises we make to ourselves to achieve or improve an aspect of our life. Some people can stick to their goals easily, while others may find it more of a challenge. Setting goals can make us feel motivated and inspired, but if everything does not go to plan, it can leave us feeling disheartened. This can happen if we are unsure how to get started on our goals, or if they feel too big to achieve. For that reason, this year, take a moment to create SMART goals that focus on small steps. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based.

Our top tips:

1. Focus on your strengths and interests, perhaps there is something you are already doing that you want to do more of. Setting small, strengths-based goals will create hope and build your self-confidence, empowering you to accomplish new things that make you feel happy and healthy.
2. Think about setting a mentally healthy goal this year:

• Find new ways to get active. Maybe you could join a new club or after-school activity.
• Make time for self-care and relaxation, such as participating in some mindfulness activities.
• Learn more about something you are interested in. Perhaps you could put more time into a particular skill or hobby you are already doing.
• Practice being kind to yourself. Positive self-talk is a simple way to achieve this – try saying positive statements such as “I am kind” or “I am on the right track”.
• Establish a good sleep routine. Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even at the weekend!
• Limit your screen time. By setting boundaries for your usage, you may have more time for other activities.

3. Remember, goals can change! Especially if they are not giving us or teaching us what we need, so be kind to yourself.

Please contact [email protected] for information and advice about mental health and well-being for your child and your family.