Mental Health & Wellbeing toolkit • Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools

Mental Health & Wellbeing

At this time of uncertainty, disrupted routine and restricted freedom, it is understandable to be feeling anxious.

Connect – With the people around you; with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Be Active – Discover a physical activity you enjoy that suits your level of mobility and fitness.
Take Notice – Be curious. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling.
Keep Learning – Try something new. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving.
Give – Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Join a community group. Carry out a random act of kindness.

What supports positive mental health?

Friends and Family
Talk about how you are feeling
Exercise
Good Sleep Patterns
Eating healthily
Making time for yourself

Building Resilience

Life can become challenging and having the skill to work through potentially stressful situations is important. Try to divide up stressful situations into smaller chunks so they become more manageable. You could also try to mentally step outside an issue and consider what advice you might give to another person with the same problem. Nurturing these coping skills will help you to develop a sense of bravery, an ability to solve problems, to stand up for your own views and beliefs, foster interests and making you feel better about yourself.

What can help?

You should consider:

Talking to someone you trust
Spend time with the people that make you feel good about yourself
Managing stress levels by talking to someone who may be able to offer support
Set tasks and goals that make you feel good about yourself.

Visit Digital Wellbeing Toolkit

Resources

Toolkit resource for pupils

Click on the links below for further advice, support and useful activities/strategies:

Young Person’s Mental Health Toolkit View the toolkit	Childline Calm Zone Toolbox
Mental Health Foundation How to get help	YoungMinds Become a YoungMinds Activist
Anna Freud Self-care: look after your own mental health	Kooth Your online mental wellbeing community
MindMate Take some time out and focus on yourself	Meic Cymru Tips on learning from home while in lockdown
Mental Health Foundation Guide to coping with Coronavirus	Happy Maps Find out more

Toolkit for parents and carers

Click on the links below to access links for help, advice and support:

Educare Supporting children and young people with anxiety Supporting children and young people with loneliness Supporting children and young people with bereavement Privacy and security support (PDF downloads)	Blackpool Better Start How to talk to your child about the Coronavirus
Mind Difficult feelings about the coronavirus pandemic	YoungMinds Supporting your child during the coronavirus pandemic Supporting parents helpfinder
Place2Be Coronavirus welling activity ideas for families	MindMate Take some time out and focus on yourself
HappyMaps Worried about your child’s behaviour or mental health?	bacp Coronavirus – Advice for family relationships during lockdown Coronavirus – Ten tips to combat hidden losses from lockdown

Toolkit for staff

Click on the links below for further advice, support and useful activities/strategies:

Happier with Gretchen Rubin Coping during Covid-19: How to stay happier and calmer in difficult times (Podcast)	Mental Health Foundation Looking after your mental health as a teacher
Mental Health at Work My whole self: supporting your mental health while working from home	bacp Advice for family relationships during lockdown Ten tips to combat hidden losses from lockdown
Place2Be Coronavirus: Wellbeing activity ideas for families	Save the Children Coronavirus: Information, Advice, Activities
The Lily Jo Project 5 tips from teachers about managing mental health in a pandemic

Resources to promote good mental health:

Mind Coronavirus and your wellbeing Five ways to wellbeing	World Health Organization coping with stress during the 2019-nCoV outbreak (PDF Download)
Mental Health Foundation Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak

Resources on remote working:

Trello
How to embrace remote working
(PDF downloads)

Mental health helplines:

Samaritans
The Samaritans offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day on 116 123
Find out more

Mental Health Foundation
Find a list of national mental health services and helplines at mentalhealth.org.uk
Getting help

Exam Stress

Advice on managing stress at important moments video – Anna Freud Centre: If your child is struggling with their stress levels around important moments in the school calendar, like exams or university applications, they can watch this video to learn strategies for managing their emotions.

https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/advice-on-managing-stress-at-important-moments-video/

Young people’s wellbeing guide for stressful situations – Children’s Society: A guide for young people, by young people, about coping with stressful situations and advice on how to manage them. The guide was compiled during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, so it includes useful information about dealing with issues caused by the pandemic too. This resource is for 11-16 year olds.

https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-10/Young-People-Guide-to-Stressful-Situations.pdf

Exam stress advice booklet for students – Student Minds: This booklet offers practical tips and advice for students on coping with exam stress and feelings of worry around exam time.

https://www.studentminds.org.uk/uploads/3/7/8/4/3784584/exam_stress_print.pdf

Catch it, check it, challenge it, change it: CBT technique – Oxford Health This worksheet draws on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques to help young people manage anxious or stressful feelings.

https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/catch-it-check-it-challenge-it-change-it-cbt-technique/

For Primary age children:

Mindfulness calendar: daily five minute activities – Mentally Healthy Schools This is a two-week calendar with daily mindfulness activity suggestions. The simple, short activities encourage children to focus on what’s around them to find a sense of calm and tackle stress.

https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/media/2026/mindfulness-calendar-daily-5-minute-activities.pdf

E-Safety

Click on the links below for further advice, support and useful activities/strategies:

National Online Safety
View the toolkit

Downloads:

What parents and carers need to know about AI Solutions (PDF – 2.7MB)
What parents and carers need to know about BEREAL (PDF – 2.9MB)
What parents and carers need to know about Call of Duty Modern Warfare II (PDF – 3.5MB)
What parents and carers need to know about Echo chambers (PDF – 2.9MB)
What parents and carers need to know about Fortnite Chapter 4 (PDF – 3.3MB)
What parents and carers need to know about Instagram (PDF – 3.6MB)
What parents and carers need to know about iPADS (PDF – 2.9MB)
What parents and carers need to know about NGL (PDF – 2.8MB)
What parents and carers need to know about SENDIT (PDF – 2.9MB)
What parents and carers need to know about setting up Apps, Games and Software (PDF – 4.4MB)
What parents and carers need to know about SPOTIFY (PDF – 4MB)
What parents and carers need to know about TIKTOK (PDF – 5MB)
What parents and carers need to know about TWITTER (PDF – 3.4MB)
What parents and carers need to know about WIZZ (PDF – 2.7MB)
What parents and carers need to know about World of Warcraft (PDF – 3.7MB)
10 top tips for safely using Smart Watches (PDF – 3.1MB)
12 Top Tips for Building Cyber Resilience at home (PDF – 4.5MB)
Helping children and young people with managing Device Stress and Anxiety (PDF – 3MB)
Tips for encouraging Open Discussions about Digital Lives (PDF – 2.9MB)
Top tips for adopting safe and healthy online habits (PDF – 5MB)
OFCOM’s children and parents Media use and attitudes report 2023 (PDF – 3.5MB)

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