Hey guys, I'm Anna, one of the young inspectors, and I hope everyone is doing very well today. In today's video, I'm going to be talking to you about mental health and wellbeing during lockdown, as well as when you go back to school, along with some useful tips that you can use throughout.
I'm sure many of you are very happy to be back at school, and even though you are still socially distancing, I'm sure it feels great to be surrounded by your friends and teachers again. But if you feel a completely different way, then that's okay; your feelings are completely valid.
Sometimes we may feel less confident because of the pandemic, but that's okay; it's natural to feel less confident sometimes.
Maybe the pandemic has left you feeling stressed, anxious, uncertain and a little low or even depressed at times, whichever way you feel is completely natural to feel this way because the pandemic is such a unique experience for us all, and we all respond to it in a variety of different ways. So remember, if you don't feel okay, it's okay not to feel okay because we all experience negative feelings but keep in mind that it's how you process your negative feelings that's important.
Maybe some of you may have experienced some changes because of the pandemic, such as losing a relative, having parents who are furloughed or even parents who have lost their job. Maybe you're experiencing long-term separation from important people in your life, such as your grandparents or your friends, or maybe you have had some challenging experiences at home during the lockdown period. It may be that you or your friends are experiencing a sense of loss or grief because of everything that has changed; we all respond to feelings of loss, grief and dealing with challenging experiences differently.
Some of you may feel sad or withdrawn; others of you may feel angry, frustrated or anxious and not be able to function as you normally would. But you know what, that's okay because we all cope with things in a different way. Because our emotions go up and down, it's so important that you guys recognize that we can all experience the same event differently, so imagine a sliding scale; our emotions can go up and down between surviving or thriving.
But if you feel stuck in struggling or in crisis, it's so important you guys reach out for some support, and if you feel a certain type of way reaching out for some support, it's okay, but do you know that at some point, we always get stuck. And you never know it could be your friend that would need your support one day, so knowing what to do is very important.
So as I mentioned before, I wanted to share with you some of my personal tips for positive mental health. You can use these tips for yourself and you can even recommend them to your friends whenever they need some support.
Talking through and sharing your feelings with someone who you can trust and who is a good listener is such a great way, honestly, to get through your difficult times.
Be sure to exercise regularly because it can boost your self-esteem, help you concentrate and sleep better. By the way, it doesn't have to be in the gym; just walking outside taking in some fresh air does so much for your body. Also, who doesn't love some good food? Make sure to munch on something that you really enjoy; personally I love making waffles with strawberry and whipped cream but try not to overdo it! Where you can, keep it healthy!
Be sure to keep in touch with the people you love by dropping them a text or even a call. And just to mention being kind to yourself is really important, so make sure you have some me-time. You can do this by learning something new, watching some stuff you enjoy, getting creative and maybe practice some meditation and mindfulness too. I personally find that meditation and mindfulness helps me stay focused on my breathing and my feelings, so be sure to try it out.
And try limiting the amount of time you spend on social media because even though it's very enjoyable, which I get, it can also be a source of stress and online bullying, so please try and keep it to the minimum.
Try and get a good night of sleep and take some time in a day to reflect on yourself, on who you are as a person. And just to add, even though there could be some things we might want to change about ourselves, that shouldn't change how much we love ourselves because we are all unique and we should be proud of that, and I am proud of every single one of you.
Guess what you just reached the end of the video but stay tuned for part two to get more information about managing your mental health and wellbeing. And remember, if you have any further questions feel free to email us, as we're always happy to help you!
Remember to speak to your MYP if you have any particular subject you wish to talk about.
Once again, thank you for listening, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day and remember hands, face and space so that together we can beat that virus.
Hey guys, it's Anna. I hope you enjoyed the video and found it very useful!
