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Action Mental Health New Life Counselling offers tips on wading through the lockdown with a calm head
As everyone continues to wade through the ongoing lockdown, our children and young people may be starting to get a bit frazzled. Even the most resilient among them are starting to get fed up with the restrictions on their movements and the loss of interaction with their friends.
But as we mark Children’s Mental Health, Action Mental Health New Life Counselling is offering tried and tested tips to help parents support their children and teenagers through the pandemic – tips that may also help parents negotiate these trying times.
The tips are known support mechanisms to help alleviate stress, tension and to promote a greater sense of well-being and resilience.
Encourage your children to:
Talk to someone they trust. Sharing feelings, fears and anxieties helps to lessen their impact.
Get out into nature and take notice of what they see around them. Our natural environment offers scientifically proven benefits to our mental health and well-being by reducing stress, tension and anxiety
Have their own little mini dance party – in their bedroom, living room or even kitchen, like chart-topping Sophie Ellis-Bextor who got the nation dancing with her Kitchen Disco during the first lockdown. Technology will even allow their friends to join them!
Zone out and away from stress triggers by colouring or doodling – art and creativity are known to alleviate tension
Laugh out loud, in whatever way gets them giggling
Start a new hobby
Maintain a good sleep routine
Detox from technology for a while
Volunteer – giving of one’s time is one of the Five Ways to Well-Being and is proven to make people feel good about themselves
