Children’s mental health and wellbeing tips
Children’s mental health is only now starting to get the mainstream attention it deserves, despite the fact that 75% of mental health problems are established by the time someone turns 18. We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health, but unfortunately there is a stigma surrounding it that prevents many of us from talking about it.
The types of mental health problems vary across different ages and genders, but overall, the rates of behavioural and emotional problems, including anxiety and depression or behaviour misconduct amongst children, are rising. This trend reinforces the importance of parents and care givers intervening early to provide support to young people, to prevent the development of mental health disorders later in life.
Children will often go through experiences that they are not sure how to cope with and they might struggle to communicate with you how they feel. A change in environment, problems with friends, bullying, homework stress or family difficulties are just a few factors that can make a child feel anxious, stressed or upset. Sometimes these experiences and life events are out of our control but research has shown that there is close link between our body and mind and therefore there are some simple things we can teach our children; which have proven to improve mental health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Get plenty of sleep
Children with less sleep are more likely to struggle with feelings of stress and anxiety. Children should be getting a minimum of 9 hours of sleep on a school night. Less than that and they are more likely to experience feelings of worry and display a lack of concentration. Make sure your children go to bed at the same time every night and are waking up at a similar time each morning to establish a regular sleeping pattern and routine. Avoid computer games and TV before bedtime as the light can keep their brain awake!
Get active!
Exercise has been proven to have many benefits for your physical and mental health; including reducing levels of stress hormones in your body and boosting self-confidence. Exercise produces endorphins that are natural mood lifters and can make help us feel more relaxed! Encouraging your children to participate in sports and other forms of physical activity can do wonders for their mental health. It is recommended for children to take part in a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise-related activity every day to contribute to their overall health. Also, if children start participating in sports and activity from a young age, they are far more likely to stay active as they grow older and therefore gain from both the physical and mental health benefits throughout their life.
Happy diet, happy mind
A healthy diet plays a key part in our physical health, but also our mental health too! Your mind can be directly affected by what you eat; therefore, it’s important to eat a nutritious, balanced diet and to drink plenty of water to keep your body and mind healthy. Ensure that your children are getting a well-balanced diet and their recommended 5-a-day of fruit and vegetables; which are rich in nutrients and vitamins. Follow the Eat Well Guide for food and diet recommendations and healthy recipes and tips.
Talk it out
A child who refuses or is reluctant to talk about how they feel is fairly common, especially at a young age, as they might not fully understand what it is they are feeling or going through. Encourage them to talk openly about their feelings with a friend, a parent or a grown-up that they can trust and reassure them that experiencing different feelings and ups and downs is normal and talking about it is brave. Talking whilst doing something together, such as cooking or playing can help them to share their feelings more easily than a face-to-face conversation.
Take some time out
Dedicating some time each day to chill out has major benefits for our mental health and helps lower stress levels. Sometimes it can be difficult to get your children to sit still, especially when they’re so full of energy! Individually, we find different ways to help us relax. For some children that might be watching a film or reading a book, but for others that could be drawing or going for a walk. You can also try some mindfulness techniques such as breathing exercises and meditation. A favourite of ours is Headspace; which is not only great for children, but adults too! Try it together as a family.
Do Happie, Eat Happie, Feel Happie!
Learn Happie are passionate about promoting children’s wellbeing and are on a mission to share all of our knowledge about the close link between activity, nutrition and mental health through our schools programmes and online content for parents. Our vision is to embrace these three elements as a whole, to help make children happier and healthier, in both body and mind. As we like to say, “It’s what you do, what you eat and how you feel!”.
World Mental Health Day will be celebrated on the 10th October and we feel it serves as a helpful reminder to all of us about how far we've come as a society when it comes to improving mental health levels, but also how far we still have to go. After all, every year, 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 will have a mental health issue, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have no had appropriate interventions at an early age. Help us spread awareness this month by using the hashtag #WorldMentalHealthDay and tag @LearnHappie in your posts!