Buccaneers SAIL Safe Accountable In Control Lead by Example

Do you sometimes feel like life can be really hard Do you sometimes feel like life can be really hard? That you have trouble getting through stuff you can’t control? Then this lesson is for you.

SELF Care Self care is simple. It is the different things we do to help our physical and emotional well-being. People need to have a toolbox of ways to take care of themselves. Sometimes we need different tools based on what our needs are at that moment. But, most importantly, we need ways to cope with life, relax and recharge.

Self care is important at all times No matter our emotions, humans need time to relax. It is sometimes hard to find a time/place/way to unwind but we can each be a better “me” if we take time to care for ourselves. It is a great idea to have more than one way to relax. For example, if you are angry, reading a book may not help you calm down, but taking a walk can help tremendously.

Re-setting your system When something happens to make your mind or body feel bad, you need to do something called “re-setting your system”. This means doing something to change how you feel. There are two ways to re-set your system: activity relaxation

H.A.L.T. When a person experiences times of strong negative emotions, they also need to keep balance in their physical health. This is when you need to HALT! This means to avoid getting too: Hungry (maintain healthy nutrition) Angry (practice relaxation and healthy coping) Lonely (make use of your support system by reaching out to those you can trust) Tired (make sure you are getting adequate sleep)

We asked some B-UMS students what they do for self care: “Read a book to get mean thoughts out of my mind.” “I sit down and play on my phone because I know my friends will be there to comfort me.” “Work on something that I’ve been putting off. I feel better once I get caught up.”

More B-UMS students “Breathe slowly and think about it” “Throw rocks in the water, work on cars/trucks, hunt/fish, listen to music, surf the internet or pet my dog.” “If I’m stressed, I just draw. If I’m ever mad, I usually practice some songs on the piano. If I need to yell, I do it outside.”

And they shared some commonalities: Talk to parents/counselor Use a fidget cube, stress balls, fidget spinner, anything to keep your hands busy Watch tv/movie, etc. Listen to music Take time to be alone Play with pets Get outside and play Coloring Take a walk outside Play on electronics Draw Write Spend time with others who are nice Go to school Read Count to 10, or 100 if needed

Here are the things that don’t work for our B-UMS kids: Hitting Saying bad things/words Yell at parents or anyone else Throwing things Being self-destructive Keeping it all to yourself Trying to take out bad feelings on others.

When you need to talk about it Who can I talk to? Do you have trustworthy people in your life? Who can you visit? Who can you text, IM, etc.? Now answer this: If I share with someone, how can I still keep my privacy and also the privacy of others?

Resources What to do when you worry too much. By Dawn Huebner, Ph.D. Youth Mental Health First Aid USA www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org