Good afternoon!
How are you feeling this week? What have been your biggest wins? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you taken away from these experiences? Are you ready to let them go now? If you can, spend some time journalling your answers to the questions above. Let's have a chat about handling stress... “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” – William James The truth is, stress can be a real nuisance… But, what if I said it can be great too? Stress can encourage us to slow down, motivate us to be more vulnerable with those around us by sharing how we feel, whilst also inspiring loved-ones to share more openly about how they feel too… 2020 was arguably one of the most stressful times in many of our lives. I certainly can’t think of a time during the last 25 years where the nation was in a constant state of worry for this long… Children and adults alike! That being said, stress is something we all deal with, day in, day out – and it looks different for all of us. Some of us handle stress by burying ourselves in a task, others cope with it by offloading to friends and family, and many don’t deal with it at all… The truth is, many of us know how stress feels but don’t have the knowledge, tools or resources to be able to handle it effectively and constructively. That’s why I'd like to share some great tips and advice for those of you wishing to manage your stress better. 1. Get familiar with your emotions… Can you think of 10 terms or phrases that may be used interchangeably with the word “stress”… Perhaps “overwhelm” could be one? 2. Share honestly! The next time you’re feeling stressed, reflect on why (maybe in a journal) then call a friend and tell them how you’re feeling… You might be surprised out how raw and authentic this conversation could be. Give them a go and let me know how you get on. Before you go, here’s a resource to those who wish to find out more about National Stress Awareness Month. If you’d like a supportive ear, some advice and a chance to talk to someone, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat today. I aim to post every Tuesday, but don't worry - if you're following us on our socials, you will get a reminder there. Follow us Instagram. Like us on Facebook. Check us out on Twitter. If you aren't already, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn too, for more on children's mental health. Take care, Abby and the HappiMe Team x
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Hi, lovelies!
How are you feeling this week? What have been your biggest wins? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you taken away from these experiences? Are you ready to let them go now? If you can, spend some time journaling your answers to the questions above. Let's have a chat about parent/carer mental health... “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe When speaking with a parent recently, they shared their love of this quote. In exploring how they were feeling, it became clear why this message was so important to them. The truth is, as parents, it can often feel like you are always getting it wrong. Life is hard, but throw children, school, work, finances, and everything else into the mix, and it can feel like a daily hike up a snowy mountain – with constant avalanches and 100mph winds. Would you like to know my message to all parents/carers out there? REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO YOUR BEST. You will get it wrong, you will make mistakes and things will be tough… But you are human. No one can get it right all of the time. I thought it might also be helpful to share some of my top tips for managing our mental health better as a parent or carer too: Accept help! Whether from your family, loved ones, or school staff, accept support even if you think you don’t need it. Allow the kids to spend the day with family, and encourage them to join clubs and extra-curriculars. These experiences are good for them, but they can also be good for you too. When you get free time, use it for yourself. There are only so many hours in a day, and it can be easy to put your own needs at the bottom of the never-ending “to do” list. If you find yourself with a free half an hour, make the most of it! Read a book, call a friend, have a bath… Find time to look after yourself. Go easy on yourself. Nobody, and we mean nobody, gets it right all of the time. Life is a journey of trial and error, and providing you’re doing your best and accepting help when it’s needed, you’re doing a better job than you think you are. Talk to your children about how you’re feeling. It may not be appropriate to pour your heart out to your 5-year-old, but when things are tough, it’s ok to explain this to your children in a way they can understand. Being authentic with them about life’s struggles will allow them to build on their own resilience, preparing them for the realities of life in adulthood. Here are some other useful resources worth looking at:
I just wanted to reiterate that if you are struggling, you really aren’t alone. Parent/carer burnout and overwhelm are very real experiences. If you’d like a supportive ear, some advice, and a chance to talk to someone who understands, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat today. I aim to post every Tuesday, but don't worry - if you're following us on our socials, you will get a reminder there. Follow us Instagram. Like us on Facebook. Check us out on Twitter. If you aren't already, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn too, for more on children's mental health. Take care, Abby and the HappiMe Team x Hi-de-hi!
How are you feeling this week? What have been your biggest wins? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you taken away from these experiences? Are you ready to let them go now? This week, I wanted to share some of HappiMe's top confidence boosting strategies! According to Sky Academy and YouGov, over 33% of young people say they have a confidence issue. As we’re sure you will agree, this is 33% too many! If your child feels less confident than they would like to feel, check out these HappiMe top tips... Top Tip 1: Self-Reflection & Self-Congratulation At the end of each day, either independently or with the help of a parent or older sibling, ask your child to reflect upon their day, thinking about any lessons they learned, along with anything they achieved… Perhaps they managed to listen well to the teacher, produce good work or cleaned their packed-lunch bag without being reminded! Regular self-reflection, along with giving yourself a pat on the back, can help to promote a positive, self-confident mindset. Top Tip 2: Mindfulness What does mindfulness have to do with confidence? Well, let us explain… Mindfulness is more than quietening your mind and letting go of your thoughts. Mindfulness allows a person to think more clearly throughout the day, too. So, if you are used to having lots of negative thoughts, like “I am not confident!” or “I can’t do it!”, practicing daily mindfulness can help you to catch those unhelpful thoughts, and turn them into more positive ones. Top Tip 3: Practice the Power Pose Have you ever noticed how our favourite superheroes or the most powerful characters in the TV shows we watch often stand with their hands on their hips and their heads held high? That’s the Power Pose! Studies suggest that standing in this pose, in the mirror, whilst reciting a mantra or a helpful thought can help alter your brain chemistry, helping you to feel happier and more confident! Give it a go for a month and let us know what you think… You can even put on your favourite, up-beat tune! I really hope these tips help. Oh, and before you go, here are some other useful links! Study: YouGov and Sky Academy Resource: ChildMind’s ‘12 Top Tips for Raising Confident Kids’ Book: ‘The Whole Brain Child’ by Dr Tina Payne Bryson and Dr Daniel J. Siegel If you’d like a supportive ear, some advice and a chance to talk to someone, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat today. If you liked this post... Follow us Instagram. Like us on Facebook. Check us out on Twitter. If you aren't already, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn too, for more on children's mental health. Take care, Abby and the HappiMe Team x Hi there!
How are you feeling this week? What have been your biggest wins? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you taken away from these experiences? Are you ready to let them go now? This week, I wanted to have a little chat with you about how to build resilience in your children. So, what is resilience? According to Public Health England: "Resilience is described as the capacity to ‘bounce back’ from adverse experiences, and succeed despite adversity.” Those adverse experiences could be anything from falling out with friends to the loss of a family member (and anywhere in between). Some children are “born resilient”, in that they are able to bounce back from adversity quickly and naturally, whilst others find it much harder. This can even vary from sibling to sibling. Here are some of my top tips for raising resilient kids! Tip 1: Start a Daily Positivity Practice… At the end of each day, as your child to reflect on anything they did well, or “bounced back” from. Aim for 2-3 things, if they can. This helps to strengthen the neuropathways relating to resilience and self-love in their brains. The more they practice this, the strong the pathway, and the more resilient they will become. Tip 2: The Positivity Jar… At the start of each week, give your child 10 coins. Every time you notice them speak positively about themselves, ask them to add a coin to their Positivity Jar. Every time you notice them speak negatively about themselves, ask them to give you a coin and chat to them about why the comment wasn’t helpful. At the end of the week, count up the coins and see if they can beat the number of coins in the jar the following week. If they get all 10 coins in the jar, you could offer them a prize! Give them a go and let me know what you think. Check out ParentKind's useful article on resilience here. Oh, and here's a great children's book. And... That's it from me for another week! If you’d like a supportive ear, some advice and a chance to talk to someone, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat today. If you like this post... Follow us Instagram. Like us on Facebook. Check us out on Twitter. If you aren't already, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn too, for more on children's mental health. Take care, Abby and the HappiMe Team x A Conversation About Parent & Carer Mental HealthHi, lovelies!
How are you feeling this week? What have been your biggest wins? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you taken away from these experiences? Are you ready to let them go now? If you can, spend some time journalling your answers to the questions above. Let's have a chat about parent/carer mental health... “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe When speaking with a parent recently, they shared their love of this quote. In exploring how they were feeling, it became clear why this message was so important to them. The truth is, as parents, it can often feel like you are always getting it wrong. Life is hard, but throw children, school, work, finances and everything else into the mix, and it can feel like a daily hike up a snowy mountain – with constant avalanches and 100mph winds. Would you like to know my message to all parents/carers out there? REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO YOUR BEST. You will get it wrong, you will make mistakes and things will be tough… But you are human. No one can get it right all of the time. I thought it might also be helpful to share some of my top tips for managing our mental health better as a parent or carer too:
Here are some other useful resources worth looking at: I just wanted to reiterate that if you are struggling, you really aren’t alone. Parent/carer burnout and overwhelm are very real experiences. If you’d like a supportive ear, some advice and a chance to talk to someone who understands, feel free to get in touch for a free, no-obligation chat today. I aim to post every Tuesday, but don't worry - if you're following us on our socials, you will get a reminder there. Follow us Instagram. Like us on Facebook. Check us out on Twitter. If you aren't already, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn too, for more on children's mental health. Take care, Abby and the HappiMe Team x It's Mental Health Awareness Week... |
AuthorEach week, HappiMe's Lead Children's Coach, Abby, shares her advice on a new topic.
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