Welcome to the Wellbeing Area for Yoxall St Peter’s

At Yoxall St Peter’s, we treat the mental health and wellbeing of all our children, staff and stakeholders as a prime responsibility. The mental health and wellbeing of our children and staff is supported by our SMSC/SRE/RE Policies and our approach to outdoor learning and extra-curricular activities. The school subscribes to Staffordshire’s Health and Safety SLA which includes support, advice and monitoring of Wellbeing within school.

Simple ideas to support wellbeing

• Sit comfortably and spend a few minutes in silence. Notice the sounds around you.

• Just breathe! Inhale for 4, hold for 2 and exhale for 4.

• Stay hydrated and drink water to feel energised.
• Have an early night – enjoy a warm bath or shower before snuggling down.

• Be in the moment—find pleasure in the small things—sipping your favourite drink, savouring a slice of cake, spending time with loved ones.

• Enjoy some fresh air—be close to nature.
• Move, stretch, exercise—there are so many youtube videos to follow including relaxation clips.

• Colour, draw, create! It can help to reduce stress and create a sense of calm.

MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness can be defined as the mental state achieved by focusing on the present moment whilst also accepting our feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations. By integrating mindfulness into the day, we can arm our children with lifelong skills that support their current and future mental health and wellbeing.

1. Breathe!  Deep breathing is nature’s way of relaxing the brain and the body. You can ‘trick’ the brain with controlled deep breathing. Get your children to inhale for the count of five.  Hold the breath for a second, and then slowly exhale for a count of eight. Repeat ten times, or until calm.

2. Mindful doodling  It relaxes the mind, and allows the learning to make connections in the brain. It will also help if you play relaxing meditation music in the background.

3. Mindful gratitude  Throughout the day, get the children to stop, take three mindful breaths, and silently write down one thing they are thankful for, on a special ‘Gratitude List’. By the end of the day, the list will be long and filled with happy thoughts.

4. Worry Stones  This is a ‘focus object’ that can allow children to release their worries and connect with their inner mindfulness of calm and peace. Have a collection of smooth stones to hand. When the child starts to become anxious, have them rub the stone, while focusing on the feel of the stone, and taking deep belly breaths.

5. STOP!  This is a ten second mindfulness idea. When a child is getting frustrated, wriggly or overwhelmed, use the acronym STOP to resettle them.

S = Stop what you are doing

T = Take a deep breath

O = Observe what is happening around you

P = Proceed

And one more bonus tip…

Develop your own mindfulness! Children that have access to calm, mindful adults are more likely to be calm, mindful children. When they have good role models who are using mindfulness strategies day in, day out, they will follow your lead. Positivity breeds positivity and mindfulness will become part and parcel of life.

Remember that stress is a part of life. It will not disappear. But we can control how we react to stress. We can learn to surf the waves rather than drown in its waters.

Links to support Mental Health & Support

Child mental health: recognising and responding to issues | NSPCC Learning

Downloads

Mental Health Support including telephone and text services (PDF) https://www.st-peters-yoxall.staffs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MENTALHEALTHSUPPORT.pdf

The Feel Good Booklet. Here are some simple ideas to support your wellbeing, including 10-minute activities to help you feel good. (PDF) https://www.st-peters-yoxall.staffs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/FeelGoodBooklet.pdf

Helplines, apps and websites to support parents (PDF) https://www.st-peters-yoxall.staffs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Helplinesandwebsitesforparents.pdf

Helplines, apps and websites if you need urgent help (PDF)https://www.st-peters-yoxall.staffs.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/HelplinesAppsWebUrgent.pdf

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