A message from the Student Wellbeing Team

Mentally Healthy Habits to hold on to when schools and communities reopen

Good mental health is when we can cope with the stressors of our daily lives, participate in loving relationships, contribute to our community and work towards our goals. Everyone has mental health. And we can all benefit from looking after our own mental health and the mental health of our communities.

Lockdowns, social distancing requirements, travel restrictions etc have heightened the importance to us all, that prioritising our mental health and wellbeing is always important, and perhaps for some, more important than ever right now, with schools and communities reopening.

As we know, the attitudes and behaviours that we model to our young people is so important, so here’s to our maintaining our own mental health, including: staying active, getting a good night’s sleep, eating well and being kind to ourselves.

As parents and carers, it is important to remember that disruption to school, activities and routine can affect your child’s mood, motivation, sleep and ability to function at full capacity. This also applies to us as parents or carers. Perhaps things, that normally wouldn’t bother you are now making you upset, angry, anxious, sad, frustrated. These are common experiences at times like this and it’s important that we remember other people might be feeling the same way.

It is not unusual for you or your child to be feeling a bit flat or a little less motivated. It is helpful to remember to pay attention to any changes in how we and/or our children are. You might notice signs of reduced tolerance, fatigue, low mood, decreased motivation, changes to sleep, concentration or appetite.

It is important to check in with yourself and your child.

Inquire - open a conversation with your child - ask about anything you’ve noticed or just how they are feeling.
Listen to their experience, try to make sure they feel heard and understood, ask them how they are looking after themselves.
You might provide some support or gentle encouragement to reconnect with things that help them stay balanced and grounded. That might include reconnecting with people, exercising, resting, or taking time for things that are important. This can help them feel supported, understood and keeping up these activities will help improve mood, improve motivation, and connection.
Most importantly remember that how you notice and look after yourself can be one of the most important ways you support your child

It’s important to remember that changes to how you feel in lockdown is usually a typical response to an unusual situation. Things like mood can improve if we pay attention and are conscious of finding strategies that work for us. Remember that what works for each of us is different.