May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as a nation, we are beginning to realise how important it is to take care of our mental health. This week in particular is nominated as Mental Health Awareness Week, this year’s theme is Kindness
Kindness to yourself is just as important as kindness to others
We received this beautiful rainbow ribbon from a parent of a Best Futures School pupil, what a lovely act of kindness! Thank you so much.
These are strange times, where usually you could pop round to a friend’s house for a cup of tea and a chat, or visit a relative for advice, but right now that vital connection feels a lot more distanced. Keep in your mind that by distancing yourself from your friends and family is an act of love, it is to protect them and yourself, and you will see them again, you will be able to hug them and sit down with a cuppa, just as you did before, just not yet.
Mental Health Awareness Month exists to raise the importance in our own mind of looking after our mental and emotional wellbeing. By taking care of ourselves, we create a more peaceful, positive and even productive environment for ourselves and those around us.
Remember, that even in isolation, you are not alone, you are worthy, you are thought about, you are important.
One of our team members shared some of these useful links, they are really useful, in fact too good not to share. We hope they help, or at least provide some new knowledge and exercises to help you help yourself.
Here’s some helpful links to help you ‘take care of you’
For the whole family:
Our Top Recommended App (used by some of our staff) is Insight Timer, on the Apple App Store, which has music, guided meditations, peaceful sounds, courses, sleep practice, a recent upload is Mindfulness in Isolation, which is particularly relevant and confidence boosting. They have an area specifically designed for children which is really helpful, especially at bedtime! The have thousands of options to listen to, “Improve your sleep”, “Coping with Anxiety”, “Managing Stress”, and more. Check out https://insighttimer.com/ for more details.
Check out the Mental Health Foundation’s Kindness Matters Guide here:
For adults:
Mind are offering support, advice and tips to help manage anxiety and panic attacks, their breathing exercises are so simple and effective. They also offer really useful tips for taking care of yourself at home during coronavirus and isolating.
NHS offer guidance and services to contact if you need help. Here, they have recommended Mental Health Apps, many are free, or free with in-app purchases.
Next, we have two links from Patient, a useful website for information and exercises to help with taking care of your mental health.
(We shared some information on our home page about Boots Pharmacies offering their consultation rooms as safe spaces to reach out for support and link up with professional services and advice lines for people suffering from domestic abuse, we’ve linked the page here: https://www.bestfutures-school.co.uk/ )
For Children and young people:
Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube are fantastic. Check out their “5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids”. The first exercise is our favourite, ‘Finger Breathing’ where you run your finger along the outline of your thumb, each finger and hand, breathing in and out and restoring your mind, concentrating on your breathing. Check out the video on the Cosmic Kids YouTube Channel, linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsy2L9VvX90
There’s also a free trial available on Headspace to help children with mindfulness, focusing on 5 themes, Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep and Wake up. https://www.headspace.com/meditation/kids
Best Futures Pupils receive SEMH Support through their teachers and online, as we are an SEMH school. Contact your local school if you need more support for your children, all school leaders and staff are focused on supporting the positive mental health of pupils and the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic on their pupils and families.
Remember to check in on your friends and loved ones, sometimes a simple phone call or socially distanced chat on the doorstep can mean the world.
Stay Safe, Spread Kindness