Mental Health & Wellbeing for Adults
"Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It's about how you drive, not where you're going."
Supporting your Child’s Mental Health:
It’s important that children know that we can all sometimes struggle a bit with keeping a healthy mind – for example, overthinking about something that you can’t control and struggling to get your mind off it. They need to understand that if they aren’t always feeling happy in their mind, they are not alone in what they are experiencing or feeling.
Our role as adults is to help them learn strategies to support their wellbeing and mental health. One in 10 children are affected by mental health difficulties – so they need to understand that if their thoughts are getting out of hand, they’re worrying a lot, or they just aren’t finding joy in things they once did, what they can do about it or where they can get help.
If your child struggles with higher levels of anxiety:
Some children are naturally more anxious, such as those with existing phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorders. The current pandemic situation can make those anxieties worse.
- Get them to do activities such as counting, ordering and sorting tasks which can help them calm down
- Encourage them to use relaxation techniques such as controlled breathing
- Look out for obsessive or compulsive behaviours and try to get ahead of them early by challenging unhelpful thoughts and assumptions
- If you’re worried about your child’s anxiety, YoungMinds is a charity dedicated to children’s mental health. They’ve opened a parents’ helpline for confidential, expert advice. You can reach them at 0808 802 5544
Useful leaflets:
- Ten Top Tools & Techniques to support your child’s worries at worrying times
- Supporting primary Aged Children - Enfield Council
- Staying Healthy – Information sheet for Parents
- The Children’s Society: How to support your child’s well-being
Supporting your own Mental Health:
It is, in fact, a caregivers calm and steady presence that fills the gap of developmental immaturity during the time's a child feels and acts out of control.
Looking after yourself and your own wellbeing is crucial to supporting your child’s wellbeing. Talk as a family about your wellbeing goals and how you can help each other to achieve the 5 ways to wellbeing for all members of the family:
5 ways to wellbeing
This is a great tool for supporting the mental health of Londoners.
Whilst schools are closed, Enfield EP service are providing a Family Telephone Support Line Mon – Fri, 10am-9pm for any advice or help you may want with family wellbeing / Covid / your child’s behaviour or any other concerns you may have. Click on this link, fill in the form & you will receive a call.
Useful leaflets/ websites:
- EPS Support for Parents - Enfield Council
- Enfield’s Local Offer – A website with a range of Enfield resources from Health to SEND to SEMH (social,emotional,mental health) and summer activities
- NHS - Every Mind Matters Having good mental health helps us relax more, achieve more and enjoy our lives more. We have expert advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing.
- NHS Fitness Studio
- Home Workout Videos