What does the term ‘mental health’ mean to you? “Mental health influences how we think and feel about ourselves and others and how we interpret events. It affects our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships. It also influences our ability to cope with change, transition and life events.” (Dr Lynne Friedli 2004) Ask students in pairs to discuss what the term ‘mental health’ means to them for a few minutes.

Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYfRzAIl7TQ Keeping your mind in good shape is just as important as keeping your body in shape! Please show this short film on talking about your feeling – communicating your feelings is key. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYfRzAIl7TQ

Children’s mental health Children who are mentally healthy are able to: Develop psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually Initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships Use and enjoy solitude Become aware of others and empathise with them Play and learn Develop a sense of right and wrong Resolve (face) problems and setbacks and learn from them (The Mental Health Foundation report Brighter Futures, September 2011 ) Discuss…

What’s in your stress bucket? Stress flows into the bucket Vulnerability is shown by the size of the bucket If the bucket overflows, problems develop - “snapping” Those who have low vulnerability are less likely to experience mental health problems. They have larger buckets. The size of your bucket is down to a lot of things from someone’s background, e.g Being bullied or gone through a traumatic time – parents separating etc. The more issue there are, the smaller the bucket so it will overflow quicker than someone who has a large bucket/low vulnerability who is more able to cope with stress. The example on the slide could be a young person who family has just split up of they have just lost a member of their family. If they have vulnerability, all the ‘normal’ things harder to cope with. Learning ways of coping with stress is a way of stopping the stress bucket from overflowing – things like taking through problems with someone or getting a good nights sleep. Helpful coping strategies = tap working lets the stress out Unhelpful coping strategies = tap blocked so water fills bucket and overflows 4

Task Ask the students to think about the ways in which they cope with stress and discuss their ways in pairs. Then gather feedback. Then….. Ask the students the following: (They can think about this and only share their answers if they want to) What can you do to change the way you feel sometimes? What can’t I change and need to accept? Can anybody help you?

Tips and hints for controlling stress Practise controlled breathing and relaxation techniques Good balanced diet, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle Get adequate sleep Avoid caffeine, often found in fizzy drinks Anxiety is best reduced by managing fears, not avoiding them Discuss with students and ask if they have any strategies which they practice.

Help and support networks You can get confidential help with self-harm from ChildLine – either over the phone or through an online chat. TESS text and email support service runs Monday to Friday from 7pm to 9pm for girls and women aged under 25. Text them on 0780 047 2908. Anyone can contact the Samaritans on their 24-hour helpline to talk things through. 116 123 RecoverYourLife.com is an online community where you can get peer support for self-harm and other mental health problems. Need help but confused where to go locally? Download our StepFinder iPhone app to find local support services quickly. Speak to your GP. Ask for help in school. Run through the various support agencies.

Zentangle Exercise Task If you are a doodler, you could use your pen as a tool for meditation! Why Zentangle? While the process may look intricate, it is a deceptively simple pathway to relaxation and inner focus. In fact, proponents of the practice note that it has multiple benefits including calming an anxious mind, increasing self-confidence, and cultivation moment-to-moment awareness in a similar way as mindfulness meditation. During the music, focus on drawing a repetitive pattern on your postit. You should focus on doing this and this only. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W6KD1xq_Zo London Grammar – Hey now! (music) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEHJPuggHQ Zentangle is another way of relaxing the mind. Give each student a sticky postit and explain that they are going to create a zentangle design. Give them a copy of a zentangle example. You could play the example on the following youtube clip – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W6KD1xq_Zo. Whilst students are completing their zentangle play London Grammar – Hey Now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEHJPuggHQ

Action for Happiness We can not change our genes, our upbringing. But, the way we think, our behaviour and our daily actions accounts for a considerable proportion of how happy we feel – which is good news!!!!!! Because these are the things we can control!!! And change. Having a sense of control is an absolutely fundamental ingredient in happiness. We should be engouraging students to embrace the 10 Action’s for Happiness GREATDREAM -