It’s Children’s Mental Health Week from 7 to 13 February, and you can get involved: take time to reflect on your own unique journey and set some new goals
Growing Together
On the 7-13 February it’s time to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week. This week is led by Place2Be and they raised over £87,000 last year so that they can continue to give vital support to young people. Place2Be care about making sure everyone knows how to look after their mental health and have given this year’s week the theme Growing Together. Emotional growth happens throughout our lives, but sometimes it’s difficult to recognise our own growth. That’s why this week is the perfect time to reflect on how we can help ourselves and others grow.
Things don’t always go as planned but learning to adapt to new situations and step out of your comfort zone is a part of growing. Doing this can be extremely difficult but it will open up lots of new possibilities for you and make you feel great. Think about something that used to scare you and then think about how good it feels to have overcome that fear. Even if you still continue to be afraid, the fact that you have persevered and worked through that fear shows that you have grown.
Get involved
Place2Be have arranged events to get everyone involved in Children’s Mental Health Week. The charity have joined forces with BAFTA Kids to create two online assembly’s for high schools, both featuring some high-profile guests. You can access this on the Children’s Mental Health Week’s Website after 8am on Monday 7 February.
Get involved on sharing what you are doing this Children’s Mental Health Week on social media or find out how you could support the week at The Children’s Mental Health Week’s Website.
Let’s share
The covid-19 pandemic has made people much more vocal about mental health issues. This is great, but you might worry that you could be dismissed when speaking up about your feelings since there’s so many other people in similar positions. Remember that this doesn’t make your feelings any less valid and that it’s important that you speak up if you are struggling.
Place2be are in partnership with Shout who provide 24/7 support to anyone who wants to discuss their mental wellbeing. Simply text CONNECT to 85258 to talk with one of their volunteers. This service is great if you want to talk but aren’t comfortable sharing with people you know and is confidential. Don’t ever feel like you’re wasting anyone’s time. The people you speak with at Shout are trained volunteers, so they have chosen to spend their time helping people discuss their mental health and want the best for you.