October is Mental Health Month – From the Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing

We all have mental health, just like we have physical health.

And, like our physical health, it’s a good idea to look after our mental health.

Good mental health is not about being positive or happy all the time. Instead, good mental health means you can cope with life. You can participate in it. You can live in a way that meets or exceeds your potential. 

Junior School is a critical time in a young child’s life to be spreading the word about looking after our mental health. Focusing on improving mental wellbeing early in life can reduce the prevalence of mental illness by a factor of eight. ‘If we work hard during childhood to build skills and strategies and ensure children are feeling connected and safe, we could see eight times fewer people experiencing mental illness later in life ‘(Dr Addie Wootten, CEO Smiling Mind)

Mental Health Month is a chance to promote activities and ideas that can have a positive impact on our daily lives and the lives of others. Research shows that having good mental health has a positive impact on learning, relationships and physical health. It is foundational to our resilience and success in life.

At MLC Junior School we promote positive mental health in our PDH lessons, our Pastoral Care lessons and in our girls enjoying a large array of co-curricular activities in which they can have fun and participate in things they find pleasurable.

We also teach strategies to help the girls deal with times when things are not going quite right, such as breathing, mindfulness, calming techniques.

So, during October, think about what you can do as a family to improve your mental health.

– Joanne Sharpe
Deputy Head of Junior School – Wellbeing