Unsurprisingly, this year has had a negative impact on mental health in both adults and young people. Living in a time of uncertainty, continuous change, and concern for the safety or our loved ones, our wellbeing has taken a hit. For many, this year has brought the pain of loss and serious health problems. For others, it has brought fear of experiencing that pain. We have felt frustration, we have felt let down, we have felt isolation.
However, that is not to say that this year has been completely without any positives. For example, I feel even more connected to some of my loved ones than before. This shared experience has shown us how much we value people in our lives and has prompted us to make more of an effort to be there for them, whether virtually or socially distanced.
Additionally, it helps us to appreciate the things we take for granted each day. When we could only leave our homes for exercise or essential travel such as to get food, I appreciated being outdoors more than before. I realised just how much being outside and getting some sunshine had a positive impact on my emotional well-being. All that warm weather was even more appreciated once we could meet with family and friends outdoors. Just being able to see them, even at a distance, was so meaningful after all that time apart.
Self Care
For World Mental Health Day (10/10/20), Mind are recommending we ‘#DoOneThing for better mental health.’ They have some ideas on Twitter for ways to better your own mental health, such as spending time away from technology, being outdoors, having a cup of tea with a friend or doing something creative.
Self-care is so important for your well-being. As much as it is important to do things for others, we often forget to do things for ourselves. When we take care of ourselves we are better at taking care of others. We can focus more, we can be more present.
Here are some more ideas for how you can #DoOneThing to better your own mental health:
- Check in with yourself– Think about what went well this week, what could have been better, and what you need to support you.
- Remind yourself of the positives– Write down three positive things about your day no matter how small.
- Exercise– Regular exercise is known to have a positive impact on both physical and mental health.
- Practice Relaxation– Find some time to relax in a way that works for you. Maybe take a bath, read a book, do some yoga. Whatever helps you un-wind.
- Set goals for yourself– Not huge life changing goals, small things you want to achieve in a day, a week, however long, so you can celebrate your achievements.
Supporting school staff
Supporting staff well-being is more important than ever for schools. Teachers are facing many new challenges each day which takes a toll emotionally and physically. To help your staff they need access to the tools and equipment that will support them. Teachers have the task of facilitating learning both inside and outside of school. They are expected to provide high quality learning while having to manage new safety precautions and procedures.
That’s where tools like ReallySchool can help. Our solution enables school staff to continue to provide learning opportunities, even when children are not in school. Teachers can assess home learning activities helping them to continue to monitor progress and achievement. Additionally, parents have the opportunity to contribute achievements, making them feel a valued part of their child’s learning journey and improving their engagement with their child’s teacher.
We also have a free home learning resources pack for primary school pupils that you can download here.
ReallySchool is saving time and reducing workload. Teachers have told us they are saving at least 2 hours each day by using ReallySchool to streamline daily processes and do more on the go. Start your free 30 day trial now.
Further Information
Distance Learning- https://www.reallyschool.com/features/distance-learning/
Mind-World Mental Health Day 2020 https://www.mind.org.uk/get-involved/world-mental-health-day-2020/
Rethink Mental Illness- https://www.rethink.org/get-involved/awareness-days-and-events/world-mental-health-day/
How to access mental health services- https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/how-to-access-mental-health-services/
Managing uncertainty- https://www.mytutor.co.uk/blog/mytutor-unmind-managing-uncertainty/