Coronavirus and your wellbeing

Exercise 

This releases chemicals, in your body, like endorphins and serotonin that help to improve your mood. If you exercise regularly, it can reduce your stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

Meditation

This can help children to regulate their emotions, thereby having fewer meltdowns, reduce their impulsivity and improve concentration and focus.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness colouring is a relaxing and calming activity which can also encourage children to explore their creativity while improving fine motor skills.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem helps children cope with mistakes and build their resilience. It helps them try again, even if they fail at first. As a result, self-esteem will help them do better at school, at home, and with friends. Children with low self-esteem feel unsure of themselves, so improving self-esteem, improves confidence.

Hygiene

Important now more than ever but educating children on good hygiene is the best way to avoid the spread of infection and disorders; teaching the principles of correct hygiene at an early age can help keep individuals healthy in later life, and be taught to future generations.

Nutrition and Diet

Eating a nutritious diet helps you keep a healthy body. It also helps reduce your risk of developing some chronic diseases. New research finds that your food choices may also affect your mood and mental health. This is sometimes called the “food-mood connection.”

Self-care

Self-care is about the things that we can do to look after our own mental health.

Reflection

Personal reflection allows us to grow as human beings. It allows us to review what we have already done and think about targets and goals we would like for ourselves.

Children could keep a diary to write down their thoughts, feelings and emotions. They may even want to add newspaper articles about the current situation, as they are experiencing a unique moment in history.

This can be used to make sense of new emotions and uncertainty. This is an unusual time in our history and hopefully will not be repeated in our generation, so use this diary not only for our wellbeing but also as a memento of this time.

Bereavement

Please come into school, or call the office and ask to speak with Mrs Evans, Mrs Willans, or a member of the pastoral team if you need to talk about a bereavement in the family or wider community. We are able to offer support in school, and can also refer families to a range of orgnisations at this difficult time.

Local support:

Stand by me – local charity – http://www.stand-by-me.org.uk/

Cruse Bereavement Care

We offer free, confidential counselling and reassurance. Call 01707 278389 to speak to one of our trained support workers.

The Old Courthouse
St Albans Road East
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 0ES

Hertshelp

If you need help or don’t know where to turn, we can answer your questions, support you and put you in contact with the right people.

Our offices are open 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday.

Call 0300 123 4044 to speak to a member of our team. You could also email us or text ‘hertshelp’ to 81025.

Other organisations which offer bereavement support:

• simonsays.org.uk – Child/Adolescent Bereavement Support.
• autism.org.uk/about/family-life/bereavement.aspx – Advice when supporting someone with autism cope with a death.
• childbereavement.org.uk – Supports families and professionals when a child is bereaved or facing bereavement.
• childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk – Childhood bereavement.
• childline.org.uk – Free national telephone helpline for children and young people.
• crusebereavementcare.org.uk – All aspects of bereavement.
• griefencounter.org.uk – Helps bereaved children & young people rebuild their lives.
• hopeagain.org.uk – Specifically for young people aged 12-18. supportline.org.uk – Confidential emotional support for children, young people & adults.
• papyrus-uk.org – Provides resources & support for those dealing with suicide, depression or distress – particularly teenagers & young adults.
• seesaw.org.uk – Grief support service for children and young people.
• sands.org.uk – Providing support for parents & families whose baby is stillborn or dies soon after birth.
• teenissues.co.uk – Discussing the issues teenagers face.
• theredlipstickfoundation.org – Support for families bereaved by suicide.
• uk-sobs.org.uk – Those who are left behind after a suicide can be helped by talking to others who have experienced a similar loss.
• Widowedandyoung.org.uk – peer-peer network for those widowed before their 51^st birthday
• winstonswish.org.uk – Help for grieving children and their families.

Helping the local community

This helps to create stronger communities that are concerned with the well-being of each and every individual and creates a  happier society for all.

Writing letters to family members that we cannot see or even the people who are currently isolated in our local care homes. It will allow the children to practise their letter writing skills as well as put a smile on someone else’s face. Below are the addresses for some local care homes:

• • Trembaths Care Home, Talbot Way, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, SG6 1UA
  • The White House Nursing Home, Gillison Close,  Letchworth, Hertfordshire, SG6 1QL
  • Guysfield Care Home, Willian Rd, Willian, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 2AB
  • St Catherine’s Nursing Home, Spring Rd, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire,  SG6 3PR
  • Burleigh House Residential Care Home, Burleigh House, 41 Letchworth Rd, Baldock SG7 6AA

Litter picking – This would need to be supervised activity and may not be able to occur if you are self-isolating, gloves would also need to be worn for this activity. The children often talk to us about wanting to litter pick around school and where they live. This is a great time to for us to focus on cleaning the environment around us.

Gardening

Gardening is educational and develops new skills including: Responsibility – from caring for plants. Understanding – as they learn about cause and effect (for example, plants die without water, weeds compete with plants) Self-confidence – from achieving their goals and enjoying the food they have grown.

Please also look at the Outdoor Learning page of our website for some outdoor, well-being activities.