Overwhelm

5 ways to reduce overwhelm at Christmas

As Christmas approaches, for some children, the levels of overwhelm can increase. Whilst we often associate Christmas with magic, awe and wonder, for others it can feel stressful and create anxiety. This often affects children who: Find the increased sensory inputs overwhelming (lights, shiny decorations, music playing everywhere, things hanging from ceilings etc) Find the […]

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Master Masking – why children hide their feelings

What is a master masker? For those who have attended any of my training or the Level 4 Diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Coaching, I often talk about children who are ‘Master Maskers’. There is often a misconception, that children SHOW us their emotions, and this can cause a conflict between home and

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Children’s Activity: Create a Personal Needs Plan

When supporting children with mental health needs, being aware of their personal needs, including triggers, distraction and regulation techniques, as well as applying these consistently is key to proving exceptional support which allows children to thrive. Creating personalised plans, which explore these needs with the child and their parents, and key carers allows us to

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Spoons Theory and Sensory Processing Difficulties

We often hear spoon theory discussed when talking about fatigue conditions. However, the same principle applies for many mental health conditions, and particularly for children working with sensory processing challenges. Imagine this: A child wakes up each morning with 20 spoons.  However, they struggled to settle last night – take away one spoon (19 spoons). 

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5 techniques to help calm down panic or worries

When we become overwhelmed, our brain can quickly signal to our body that ‘something is wrong’ or that we are ‘not safe’, which quickly triggers: Increased heart rate Increased blood pressure Sweating Trembling Short of breath Hot flashes Catastrophising Repetitive worries Fear of being out of control or unable to cope Sense of danger Sometimes,

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Children’s Activities: Anger Strategies

Why do we get angry?? Everyone has a different response to anger, and the reason for this is that everyone interprets the environment, relationships and situations differently. This is dependent on previous experience, developmental stage and our understanding of our own emotions and triggers. As such, no response to a situation is right or wrong,

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The importance of looking beneath the iceberg

We frequently discuss that behaviour can be likened an iceberg. However, from my experiences as both a teacher and a therapist, this can unintentionally be forgotten when it comes to managing and responding to children’s behaviour. The iceberg analogy gives us an opportunity to consider all the contributing factors which may be affecting a child’s

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Children’s Activity: Regulation Colouring Sheet

If you have followed our article and podcast about self-regulation (if you missed it find it here) then you will know we have been talking about developing children’s emotional literacy, their ability to recognise and respond to their emotions. As part of this, supporting children to know which strategies they can use when they feel

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