Selfcare

There are steps that you can take to support your wellbeing during this time.  It will help to:

• Stay active
• Include some physical activity in your day. The government campaign In This Togetherhas lots of great suggestions on physical activity.
• Stay connected
• Social connection is very important at this time. In addition to meeting friends in line with public health guidance, use technology to stay in touch. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, talk to your family and friends or a member of the school staff about your feelings. Sharing thoughts or worries with others really does help. Ask for support from someone you trust.
• If you think you need additional help there are also lots of support services for young people that provide advice and support via text, email and online, see Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet. It is also important to be able to provide support to others if you can.
• Stay positive and calm
• Notice your feelings. You may have lots of different feelings. You may feel stressed, anxious, sad, afraid, fed up, angry, frustrated or even numb. You may feel nothing at all, that’s ok too. These are all normal and healthy feelings. If your feelings and reactions seem different from those of your friends, that’s ok too. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel. The following information can help to support you if you experience any difficulty.
• Identify what it is that helps you to relax. It is different for everybody but it is important to include time to relax each day. It might involve being active or it might involve winding down. It might also include doing some meditation, mindfulness or yoga. Other ideas on how to relax can be found in Relaxation techniques (podcast)
• Do something you enjoy or try something creative every day. Think about things that make you feel good, then make it happen – like listening to music, going for walks, doing an exercise routine, writing, drawing, cooking or watching a funny movie. Remember laughter is good medicine!
• Sleep is good for our health and wellbeing so it’s important to get plenty of sleep – eight to 12 hours is recommended. Try to get to bed at the same time every night. Leaving the phone, laptop and tablet outside the bedroom will help to get a better night’s sleep. More information on what will help is here.
• It’s also important to eat healthily and to drink lots of water. See here for useful information.

Tips and techniques to improve wellbeing

Our sense of wellbeing can be improved by taking time to reflect on some of the following:

Positive emotion:

• what positive/healthy experiences can I plan to do today (e.g. reading, music, food, games, exercise, meditation, learning etc.)
• what can I be grateful for today? (I am grateful for … list three things)
• what small act of kindness can I do for someone else today?
• how can I help myself to take a moment of calm?

Engagement:

• what gives me enjoyment and makes me laugh?
• how can I use one or more of my strengths today?
• who can I connect with today (over the telephone, online, in reality)?
• in what way can I make a small positive difference to someone else?
• how can I show interest in another person or their work/hobbies?

Meaning:

• what goals can I set for today?

Accomplishment:

• what goals no matter how small can I achieve today?
• what challenge can I take on today?
• what will I do?

Other supports

There are a number of supports available to you both in school and outside of school.

At school there is a Student Support Team which includes the principal or deputy principal, the guidance counsellor the special education needs coordinator. They are available if you need assistance or support.

Additional Supports

There are lots of supports for young people outside of school. The support offered by the agencies listed below, and at this link Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet are for students who are feeling worried or anxious about various issues.