Make it Count: Guide for pupils

💚It's Children's Mental Health Week. We have a free guide for children and young people which gives great tips on how to look after your mental health.

📱 Click on the image to read the full guide:

✔️Here is some advice on what you can do every day to help look after your mental health. ☔There are also some extra tips for what to do if times get tough.

✔️Day to day – there are some things that we can all do which have been shown in research to help keep our minds healthy – they are called the five ways to wellbeing and are described here:

☔When times get tough – remember that it is normal to go up and down the spectrum of mental health at different times in our lives. Here are some things you can do to support yourself when things get tough:

🔹Try writing down how you feel – some young people find keep a 'mood diary' helpful to record how they feel on different days and identify any patterns which might explain what is upsetting them.

🔹Reach out to others who are struggling – if you know that someone else in your friendship group is also finding things difficult, reach out to them and see if you can support each other. Helping someone else can help you feel better too.

🔹Be kind to yourself – when times are hard, it’s important to be extra kind to yourself, just as you would be kind to a friend in need. Think about what you might find comforting – reading a favourite book, playing your favourite music, watching a film you enjoy with a friend or parent/carer, going for a walk to clear your head.

🔹Speak to someone you trust – one of the most important things you can do is to speak to someone rather than ‘bottling up’ your feelings inside yourself. Choose a close friend, family member or a teacher or other school staff member to share your worries with.

🔹Ask for help – if you continue to struggle, and especially if you have any thoughts about hurting yourself, speak to a member of school staff or ask your parent/carer to book a GP appointment for you.

☎️If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone directly, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or Childline on 0800 1111. Remember there shouldn’t be any shame in asking for help, in fact it’s a sign of courage.

Make it Count: Guide for pupils

This guide is for children and young people, It has some advice on how to keep yourself mentally healthy and what to do if you're struggling. Staying mentally healthy is just as important as staying physically healthy.