Just as there should be a conversation about mental health there should also be conversations within your classroom about wellbeing. A good place to start is with the Mental health foundations “Five ways to wellbeing”. The five messages with it are simple to understand and easily adapted to age ranges across primary and secondary, they are:
• Give to others - Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Join a group. Look out, as well as in. It can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.
• Connect - With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.
• Take Notice - Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.
• Be active - Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good.
• Keep learning - Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.
(NEF, 2008)
Imparting the knowledge of, and working towards, these five ways to well-being will not only help you children understand the concept but also how they can work towards their own well-being. An example of good practice when managing wellbeing is the use of yoga as a part of the school week. Yoga can be used to engage people minds, bodies and spirits to promote a sense of wellbeing (Pykitt, 2019, p117). Other wellbeing strategies and approaches that you could include within your classroom could be mindfulness techniques, growth mindset statrategies, relaxation strategies, or breathing exercises.
Link to Yoga practice: https://www.yogaatschool.org.uk/
Growth mindset information: https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/how-to-develop-a-growth-mindset/
Mindfulness activities: https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/
Link to More information on the five ways to wellbeing: http:// neweconomics.org/2008/10/five-ways-to-wellbeing-the-evidence/
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the five ways to well being