Supporting Emotional and Mental Health
A number of excellent resources are listed below:
You're never too young to talk mental health
Supporting children to reframe their negative thinking - 'Reframing Thoughts'
Mindfulness calendar: daily five minute activities
Place2Be: Parenting Smart (Practical tips to support children’s wellbeing and behaviour)
Resources: wellbeing support for young people and children
Looking after a child or young person's mental health
NSPCC - Children's Mental Health
Supporting your child's mental health
NSPCC Learning - Child Mental Health Information
Action for Happiness - Ten Days of Happiness
Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation is a framework that helps people understand and manage their emotions. It categorises feelings into four colour-coded zones: blue, green, yellow, and red. All feelings are valued, and for each zone, children become familiar with how they recognise and identify how they are feeling, including inward (e.g. racing heart) and outward (clenching fists, shouting, relaxed, etc.) behaviour signs. Once the child recognises their current zone, they can think about what they need to do to return to the green zone.
Children need to learn that no one lives in the green zone all day, every day. However, we want to ensure that we get to know ourselves as much as possible so we can be in the green zone as much as possible.
How it works
The Zones of Regulation help people recognise and label their emotions.
It also helps people understand how their behaviour affects others.
It provides strategies to help people move between zones.
It helps people develop effective coping mechanisms.
Benefits
The Zones of Regulation can help people learn to regulate their emotions to meet their goals.
It can help people develop emotional literacy.
It can help people develop self-regulation skills.
Who it's for
The Zones of Regulation is often used with children to help them develop self-regulation skills.
Adults can use it, too!
Try Journaling
Getting into the habit of journaling is an excellent tool to support healthy emotional and mental health.
Think about:
How am I feeling?
What have my intentions and achievements been?
What am I grateful for?
What was my best moment today?
If you get into the habit of doing this daily, it will transform your thinking!
Children can do this to,o or you can adapt elements, for example, at family mealtime, you could ask everyone for the three things they are grateful for.
Book Recommendations 5-9 years
Book Recommendations (7-11 years)
Book Recommendations (10+ years)
Kooth (10-18 years)
Free online counselling designed for young people
And much, much more…
According to the NHS, as many as 1 in 5 young people have a probable mental health issue. In a fast-paced and often stressful world, there are many reasons why young people’s mental health can suffer. That’s why we created Kooth – an online mental health support service offering a range of resources designed to help young people manage their emotional wellbeing.
Kooth started over 20 years ago with a mission to help as many young people as possible with their mental health and wellbeing. Since then, Kooth has helped over a million young people!
Kooth is a free, safe, and anonymous online platform where young people can access mental health support whenever they need it. Delivered in partnership with the NHS, Kooth is available to anyone between the ages of 10-18, and in some areas, it extends up to age 25.