1. I can look after my mental health
Year 6 – Solving problems
I can look after my mental health
Complements circle. Children sit in a circle and take it in turns to pay a complement to the person next to them. Discuss how this makes children feel. Is it easier/harder to say/receive a complement face to face rather than written down?
Repeat the activity but children pay themselves a compliment. Discuss how this makes the children feel. Discuss confidence versus showing off.
© Leeds South and East CCG

2. Learning outcomes Knowledge Skills
I can identify ways that people can look after their mental health
I understand the importance of being healthy physically, emotionally and mentally
I can say something positive about myself and others and can offer and receive praise for these things 2

3. How we will work together
Can you remember the ground rules we have already talked about, let’s take a minute to think about them
Teacher notes
Read these through with the children. Hopefully the ground rules will be displayed in the classroom already. 3

4. What do we already know? How do we keep ourselves healthy? 4
Discuss as a class and record children’s ideas. 4

5. Let’s get started What is mental, emotional and physical health?
Children work in groups and record each word at the top of a separate piece of paper. Children brainstorm any ideas they have as to what each is.
Discuss. How might you feel or act if you have problems with your emotional or mental health? 5

6. What is mental health? Watch the film clip Source: Queens University 6
You may need to stop the clip and clarify the meaning of some vocabulary in this clip but the message does come across in fairly simple terms.
Ask children for their reactions to the film clip.
Source: Queens University
Watch the film clip 6

7. What is mental health? Watch the film clip BBC Bitesize, 2007 7
This is a link to a clip used in the Feeling Good unit for Year 6. If you have covered the lesson the children will be familiar with it. It refers to the emotional brain and mental health is referred to as the thinking brain. It helps children to see the difference between the two.
Watch the film clip
BBC Bitesize, 2007 7

8. What can affect my health?
Look carefully at the cards and sort them into 3 separate piles according to those that might affect your physical, mental and emotional health
Physical Health
• Nutrition • Exercise • Early detection/screening
Mental Health
• Self-efficacy • Stress management • Safety & security
Discuss the different headings and other things that could be added. See physical, emotional and mental sheets in resources
Discuss how the children have sorted the cards. Are there any cards that your group thought could go in more than one place? Discuss.
What is good for physical, emotional and mental health? What can have a negative affect?
Why is it important to look after our emotional and mental health? Discuss some of the dangers – withdrawn, lonely, depression
Emotional Health
• Positive relationships • Social interaction • Spiritual healthy 8

9. Recognising people’s strengths
You are going to give everyone in the room a compliment
What is a complement? Ensure that children are very clear that this is a positive exercise and only positive comment must be written. Give some eg’s of what is not a positive comment/complement.
Provide children with a template that they will write on. This could be a shield/badge etc.
Children move around the room and record something positive about each member of the class. Join in yourself so that you record things about the children and they record things about you. 9

10. How do you feel?
Read your sheets and take a moment to think about how you feel
Explain how your comments make you feel. Invite the children share how they feel about them comments they have received. Explain why it is important to feel good about yourself and how feeling negatively about yourself has a negative impact on your mental health. Use term self-esteem and ensure children understand the term. Ensure children know that everyone has something to be proud of. What one person is good at may be very different to another's but everyone is special. 10

11. How has our learning progressed?
Compliments circle
Complements circle. Children sit in a circle and take it in turns to pay a complement to the person next to them. Discuss how this makes children feel. Is it easier/harder to say/receive a complement face to face rather than written down?
Repeat the activity but children pay themselves a compliment. Discuss how this makes the children feel. Discuss confidence versus showing off. 11

12. Taking the learning away
Take the time to give people compliments outside of this classroom
Observe people’s reactions
Find someone that you don’t usually speak to and give them a compliment 12

13. Additional resources and help
Talk to your teacher or an adult in school
Talk to your Mum, Dad or someone you trust at home about how you are feeling
If you have them: – Write your worry down and post it in the class worry box – Talk to a peer mediator in your school – Write your worry down on the worry wall on the school’s website
Contact:
im-a-young-person
Where can I go for help? 12