Articles & Resources
Children’s Activity: Nature Activities for Mental Health
As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week – and the theme is nature – we have put together some activities for you to enjoy at home, nursery or school to encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy some serotonin, reduce their stress and increase their well-being. Nature is a wonderful asset to mental health because: It
Supporting Teen Mental Health Post Exams
With assessments underway for this years GCSEs and A-Levels, are there additional considerations that we need to make for young people’s well-being and mental health after a year of disruptions? Whilst every year’s assessments can cause stress and anxiety to young people sitting exams, following the disruptions to education from the pandemic, taking into consideration
The Impact of Emotional Burnout
**The following article is not medical advice and does not replace medical guidance** The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns meant that our daily routines were changed continually. The distinctions between work and home became faded, weekends and weekdays blended into one, and for many the activities and hobbies which they utilised for their well-being and social
Recognising Trauma in Young People
When working or raising children and young people we can become attuned to looking for physical signs of things being ‘amiss’ or of concern. However, not all issues are equal, and like the first aid scenario, we can frequently find that there are not any physical signs observable by the naked eye. Consider…. Some children
Why Time Management Matters to Mental Health
How busy is too busy? How quiet is too quiet? Whilst we recognise that spending all our time at home, not interacting with others is not beneficial to children’s mental health. What happens when they over-schedule their time and have little time to do nothing? The issues that often arise are either: Teens whose diaries
10 Revision Tips for Children’s Exams
Exams and assessments frequently bring with them stress and anxiety. Whether it is about the exam itself, finding motivation or the fear of failure, many young people struggle with the impending timetable. Whilst some stress is motivational (it shows us that our exams matter to us) we can reduce the unnecessary stress by taking control
7 Safeguarding Scenarios for Schools and Youth Workers
Safeguarding children and young people is an ongoing responsibility for all staff working in education and care settings. Child welfare and well-being is a priority and fast responses and early intervention are critical to outcomes. Regardless of age, sex, religion, belief or sexual orientation, all children and young people have a right to protection from
Distraction Techniques for Panic and Anxiety
Distraction techniques are strategies used to take your mind away from your current emotions. They are a method of resetting your emotions rather than absorbing all your energy into challenging feelings. They help you to focus your mind and attention. Focussed breaths Focus your breath on the inhale and exhale. For instance, counting in
Keeping young people safe on social media
Whilst social media connects us to friends and family across the world, and has been a godsend in the pandemic to allow us to feel closer to loved ones, it brings with it risks and challenges. This is particularly evident in the lives of children and teenagers. As parents and professionals, teaching safe online use
Creating Motivation in Young People
Motivation is the word on everyone’s lips right now, at its fundamental core, as the world becomes a peculiar place and boredom and monotony sets in, removing us from the from the initial novelty factor how do we help our children and teenagers (as well as ourselves) to get motivated, and most importantly, is that
Growing Children’s Comfort Zones
Managing anxiety When children experience anxiety they can quickly start to avoid activities, not wanting to aggravate the uncomfortable feelings. This leads to a situation where their world becomes smaller and smaller, whilst their worries when they need to step out of it grow bigger and bigger. Whilst allowing them to avoid things can feel
Adult Mental Health – when does it need help?
Mental health, whilst a subject more frequently written and talked about, is still shrouded in its own elements of taboo and stigma. The reality is, all of us have mental health. In its simplest form, mental health is a pendulum, swinging back and forth throughout our lives between good mental health and ill mental health.
What motivates us to achieve the things we need to do?
Motivation can be a challenging concept. For many young people, they wait for a wave of motivation to hit to allow them to get work done, but what happens if the wave never flows? Motivation is defined as; ‘a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way’ Whether it is: Health and
Sleep, bedtime and how many zzzz children need
Bedtime routines and sleep can affect a wide number of children and adolescents. Whether it is: Difficulties getting to sleep Difficulties staying asleep Restlessness at bedtime Nightmares Night terrors Separation anxiety We all know how it feels when we have not had enough sleep… and when children do not get enough sleep the impact can
Supporting Introvert and Sensitive Children
Having a child who is not the first in queue to do new things, meet new people or sit and chat, can feel that there is something wrong. However, for some children, being introverted or sensitive can mean that, rather than think that there is something wrong with them, we need to identify how we
Signs and Symptoms of Health Anxiety in Children
Health anxiety is described as when an individual spends too much time worrying: That they are ill That they could be getting ill Whilst a certain level of concern is completely normal if we have symptoms of illness, health anxiety can begin to take over life. Health anxiety is often obsessive and irrational and individuals
How does ‘Restraint Collapse’ affect children?
Does your child walk in the door after school and….. Explode? Fall apart? Lose the plot? Struggle to cope? Become distresses? Restraint Collapse is a term developed by Andrea Loewen Nair, a parenting educator. It is used to describe children who bottle up their feelings and anxieties all day, doing all they can to hold
Steps to build resilience in children
Resilience describes our ability to bounce back from stress, adversity, failure and challenges. However, it is often misunderstood that resilience is not something we are born with, or something that some people have and others do not. Rather, resilience is something that we develop, grow and foster over time and with support and guidance. So
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