World Mental Health Day
Supporting staff and students to achieve their full potential since 1968.
Welcome to our weekly CENMAC blog post.
World Mental Health Day | by Mary Long, CENMAC Advisory Teacher
Saturday 10 October is World Mental Health Day and this year it is probably needed more than ever. After a turbulent year of sudden and worldwide change due to COVID-19, there has been a greater need to focus on looking after our mental health. According to research from the charity Mind, more than half of adults (60%) and over two thirds of young people (68%) said their mental health had got worse during lockdown.
On World Mental Health Day, 10 October, the World Health Organization is holding, for the first time ever, a global online advocacy event on mental health. ‘The Big Event for Mental Health’ brings together world leaders, mental health experts and celebrity guests with the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to inform the world about what can be done to improve mental health and make sure that quality mental health care is available to all who need it. For more details on how to join the event, see here: www.who.int/news-room
A nice resource to work through with older students is this guide from Mental Health Foundation: www.mentalhealth.org.uk with some top tips on how to stay generally mentally healthy and some strategies to try when times are tough.
‘After a turbulent year of sudden and worldwide change due to COVID-19, there has been a greater need to focus on looking after our mental health.’
Take a breather by booking some time for yourself, with this 75-minute Inclusive Accessible Yoga & Mindfulness session on Saturday 10 October: www.hftd.org/events/breatheforhope101020
Again for older students, there are some special online activities and workshops taking place for the World Mental Health Day Festival 2020
- thriveldn.co.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day-2020 Organised by the Mayor of London’s Peer Outreach Team and ThriveLDN, this young –Londoner led festival looks very exciting.
- For adults at home or at work, here is a great idea to look after each other and to ensure that people have time in their busy schedules to slow down and do something for themselves:
12 til 2: Make it just for YOU – For one day, encourage everyone to keep their diary free of meetings and a no-email rule from 12-2pm. Instead, encourage each other to use that time for activities that promote mental health, such as exercising or reading a book to unwind.
Finally for younger children, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has developed an innovative psycho-education programme about mental health called ‘CUES-Ed’ (maudsleycharity.org/case-studies) designed to be delivered to whole classes in primary schools. While this is a specialist paid for intervention, there is also a section on the CUES-Ed website (www.cues-ed.co.uk/looking-after-ourselves) with free interactive resources on how children can look after themselves and stay mentally healthy.
Don’t forget you can share your CENMAC experiences for our CENMAC family to enjoy.
#AssistiveTechnology #Education #Mainstream #SEN #Homeschooling #CENMAC #Technology #Support #Solutions #MentalHealth #WorldMentalHealthDay
‘Take a breather by booking some time for yourself, with this 75-minute Inclusive Accessible Yoga & Mindfulness session on Saturday 10 October.’
