Mental Health & Wellbeing Student/Parent Support 

POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.

Being mentally or emotionally healthy health is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics.  – this is positive mental health.

People who are mentally and emotionally healthy generally have:

• A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
• The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
• A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
• The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
• The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
• Self-confidence and high self-esteem.

MANAGING OUR MOODS 

The wintery weather has well and truly set in and some of us will be experiencing excitement at the prospect of dusting off the skis to hit the slopes — whereas for others the gloomy days could be inciting gloomy thoughts. 

And of course the weather is just one of myriad things that can be influencing our mood and affecting our outlook at any given time.

Some signs are easy to spot in those who are experiencing a downturn in their mood. They could be more irritable than usual, less communicative, more easily frustrated by tasks, repeatedly arriving late for work or school, or absent more often. 

It’s important that we each be able to recognise where our own mood levels are at. At the end of each day you can check in with yourself and reflect – ‘what did I do today that gave me a sense of achievement, pleasure, or closeness with others? What can I do more of or differently tomorrow?’

And sometimes it's not us but a friend or loved one who's experiencing low mood. Doing something for a workmate, friend or family member can help improve our own mood, add to our life satisfaction, provide a sense of meaning, increase our feelings of competence and decrease our stress levels. 

If you're concerned about your friend, child or loved one's low moods it could be a sign of a bigger health issue. Make time to ask how they are and really listen to what they have to say. 

 SOME QUICK TIPS FOR LIFTING YOUR MOOD

Raising your mood doesn’t necessarily need to be hard work. Know yourself and what makes you feel good, then include more of that in your day.

• Get a daily dose of sunlight – sunlight can help boost serotonin levels and improve your mood
• Exercise – choose something you love to do that raises your spirits and your heart rate
• Listen to your favourite music
• Call a friend or do something nice for someone else
• Take a long bath
• Plan an event, get together or trip
• Play with a pet
• Spend some time in nature
• Read a good book or watch a funny movie

These sorts of things can substantially boost your mood and energy for long enough to put a second step into action; such as catching up with a good friend or taking a trip. For a more comprehensive set of ideas, check out the attached tip sheet. 

We have also included a blank sheet where you can fill out what you like to do that makes you feel good, and that you can easily refer back to when you start to feel a bit low. Try to include some things you can do every day that will help build your resilience so you will be less prone to a downturn in your mood.

From raise mental health NZ

BUILDING YOUR RESILIENCE

Being emotionally and mentally healthy doesn’t mean never going through bad times or experiencing emotional problems. We all go through disappointments, loss, and change. And while these are normal parts of life, they can still cause sadness, anxiety, and stress. 

However, people with good emotional health have an ability to bounce back , have the tools for coping with difficult situations and the ability to maintain a positive outlook. This is called resilience. Resiliency is all about emotional balance. You can teach yourself to become more resilient and, thus, have better mental health.

Here are some Tops Tips to build resilience.

1. Take time for yourself
2. Sign up for that course, join that club.
3. Be active every day in as many ways as you can
4. Spend time with people who make you feel good
5. Laugh out loud each day
6. Get a good nights sleep
7. Talk out your troubles

ALL FEELINGS MATTER - PSYCHOLOGIST - CARLEY MCGAURAN 

Anxiety? Transition to school? Grief? Friendship difficulties? Bullying? Confidence issues? Learning challenges? Covid lockdown?

Do you worry about how to best support your child with any of these?

The learnings below are designed to be read aloud to your child. Each and every sentence is a conversation starter. Evidence + 20 years as a psychologist + 15 years parenting confirms that managing feelings in a healthy way is critical to navigating and thriving in...life!

PS. It’s not just for kids. I so often find myself discussing these same ideas with adult clients who didn’t collect up such learnings as children.