Wellbeing

We all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. We have good days and bad days. At times, we may feel cheerful and excited, but on other days, flat, sad or anxious. Teenagers, in particular, experience many strong and fluctuating emotions - adolescence is a time of great change. It is important to distinguish between the normal ups and downs of human emotions and clinical conditions that require treatment from professionals.

Since the Covid pandemic in particular, there has been an increased demand for young people's mental health support and many external agencies have significant waiting times.

Developing resilience in our young people can help them deal with difficult events and situations and bounce back from rough times. Aspects of wellbeing and being resilient are covered in areas of the curriculum such as PSHEe and through our Assembly programme. We also encourage pupils to get involved with extra curricular activities, in an area that interests them, such as PE or Expressive Arts, which can boost confidence and lead to new friendships, both in school and outside.

Taking care of yourself, including ensuring that you get enough sleep, is important - none of us function well on too little sleep and teenagers generally need 8-10 hours of sleep.

Our mental and physical health are closely connected. One of the things that the pandemic reminded us all is the importance of physical health in maintaining our mental health.

exercise

Exercise can help with better sleep, happier moods, managing stress, better self esteem, reducing the risk of depression and connecting with new people (see Mind). So if you don't already walk, run, do yoga, swim, go to a gym or do some other form of exercise, whether by yourself or with a friend, why not consider joining a local sports club and see how much better it makes you feel.

Useful Physical Health links:

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Alongside physical activities there are many other activities that can help with your wellbeing. These activities are often called Mindfulness activities and can help you engage with your environment, thoughts and feelings. This can help lower stress levels and improve emotional regulation.

Useful Mindfulness links:

If you are looking for general guidance on feeling more positive, the following five steps can help maintain and improve your wellbeing.

NHS: 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing
1. Connect with other people
2. Be physically active
3. Learn new skills
4. Give to others
5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)
Read more...

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In school, our Care, Guidance and Support team deliver high quality pastoral and academic support. Each pupil has a tutor who they see every morning and a Year Leader who is available to pupils throughout the day.

What can I do?

Try Self help - the links below contain good suggestions and sound advice. Also, getting involved in extra curricular activities may help. Exercise (see above) hugely benefits our mental health.

Talk to your Year Leader in school who can provide support in a variety of ways, including suggestions about seeing external agencies. *

For more persistent concerns, contact your GP (see below).

* For example, a referral to the NHS School Nurse, the School Counsellor (there is a waiting list) or to Trailblazers (see below).

External Agencies

Some people may need the help offered by external agencies. As a school, we work closely with professionals from external agencies, including CAHMS, TIC+ and Young Minds Matter for pupils with a diagnosis of a mental condition. We work closely with various professionals and we can point you in the direction of appropriate support.

A NHS School Nurse comes to Deer Park weekly (currently Wednesday lunchtimes in the Atrium) and holds 'drop in' sessions for pupils, where they can discuss any health issues that may be worrying them. 'This may be a health worry like achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, relationships and sexual health, emotional and mental health, smoking, drugs, alcohol, immunisations, keeping safe and many other things.'
For anyone struggling with their mental health, speaking with your GP can help. The GP will be able to point you in the direction of the most appropriate support. See Young Minds: How to speak to your GP.
We are part of Trailblazers, who put Mental Health Support Teams into schools to support young people's mental health and build resilience. Find out more about Trailblazers.

USEFUL LINKS

There are many really useful organisations and resources online that support our wellbeing, some with specific areas for young people and others for parents and carers. For example: