Did you know.....

• One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021, a huge increase from one in nine in 2017. That’s five children in every classroom.
• The number of A&E attendances by young people aged 18 or under with a recorded diagnosis of a psychiatric condition more than tripled between 2010 and 2018-19
• 83% of young people with mental health needs agreed that the coronavirus pandemic had made their mental health worse.
• In 2018-19, 24% of 17-year-olds reported having self-harmed in the previous year, and seven per cent reported having self-harmed with suicidal intent at some point in their lives. 16% reported high levels of psychological distress.
• Suicide was the leading cause of death for males and females aged between five to 34 in 2019.
• Nearly half of 17-19 year-olds with a diagnosable mental health disorder has self-harmed or attempted suicide at some point, rising to 52.7% for young women.

Statistics from, Mental Health Statistics UK | Young People | YoungMinds

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is paying attention to what is happening in the present moment. It may be what you are feeling, hearing, or anything else you notice.

Studies show that the benefits of mindfulness for children may include:

1. Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion.

2. Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being.

3. Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior.

Useful links for mindfulness:

ClassDojo

Helping Kids Focus - Headspace Breathers

Meditation for Kids

The Body Scanner! Mindfulness for Children

Thought Bubbles! Mindfulness for Children. (thought awareness)

Watch - Cosmic Kids

At Colvestone, children have given an opportunity throughout the day to to take a ‘time out’ from all our busy thoughts and take a moment to just relax and breathe. Each week, the children are introduced to a new breathing technique. They can help when we are feeling, sad, scared, angry or excited. The children at Colvestone say:

"Breathing helps me feel calm."

"I do breathing when I am feeling angry and it helps me stop being angry."

"It helps me focus."

Below are some of our breathing techniques, why not try them at home.

The Belly Breath

The Bubble Breath

The Bunny Breath

The High Five Breath

The Snake Breath

The hot chocolate Breath

Triangle breath

Organisations