Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 (9 – 15 May) This year’s theme is loneliness, so poignant at a time when 1 in 4 people can experience feeling lonely some or all of the time. It can occur even when surrounded by family and friends. Loneliness can have a big impact on our mental health and can be difficult to cope with, so what practical steps can we take to prevent and deal with it. According to the Mental Health organisation, coping strategies include: 1. Trying to do some enjoyable things that will keep you busy and stimulate your mind – make sure they are fun and fulfilling. Even small activities such as sorting a cupboard, listening to a podcast or doing an outdoor activity can give you energy and positive feelings. Make sure you don’t work too hard though, as this can suppress your feelings. Give yourself some ‘me’ time. 2. Try to connect with the people you meet as you go about your daily life, even if it’s just a smile or saying ‘Hi’. You might give someone else a positive lift too! 3. Talk through your feelings with a counsellor or therapist. It can create a safe space to work through your feelings and thoughts without judgement. Do ask for help when needed as none of us are superhuman. 4. Do some tapping on yourself for loneliness – it’s such a powerful yet simple tool to give yourself a boost. It can help you release those feelings of loneliness, sadness, isolation, not being seen and help foster deeper, more satisfying connections with others. Try using this tapping link to help you and choose to accept and approve of yourself as you start to let the loneliness go. 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4pvf4plPbc&ab_channel=BradYates 6. Spend time with pets and the unconditional love and support they give you. 7. Think about doing a regular physical activity – a walk or a kitchen disco – any movement will stimulate your happy hormones and give a boost to your body, brain and mental health. 8. Eat well and drink alcohol sensibly. 9. Try to use social media in a positive way - focus on topics and communities that you share interests with, that work best for you. Good luck and keep talking and tapping! I’m here for you when needed. Caroline XX

Children's Mental Health Week is taking place on 7-13 February 2022. This year's theme is Growing Together. Growing Together is about children and adults growing emotionally and finding ways to help each other grow. Challenges and setbacks can help us to grow and adapt and trying new things can help us to move beyond our comfort zone into a new realm of possibility and potential. However, emotional growth is often a gradual process that happens over time, and sometimes we might feel a bit ‘stuck’. It can be compared to the annual rings forming in tree trunks – the size varies with the extent to which the needs of trees can be met each year. As parents and carers, you play an important role in your child’s mental health. Top tips are provided on the link below. https://www.dropbox.com/s/n9uow064v0ijgr7/CMHW_Growing%20Together_Parents&CarersTips.pdf?dl=0 Why is the growth theme important? The vast majority of staff working in UK schools (95%) have witnessed increased levels of pupil anxiety since the start of the school year, according to new research published by Place2Be and NAHT ahead of Children’s Mental Health Week. A new poll of educational professionals, released today by Place2Be and NAHT, reveals the impact of the pandemic is still being felt in schools. 1,130 school leaders, teachers and other staff working in primary and secondary schools completed the poll. Those surveyed have seen an increased prevalence of other mental health issues among pupils this school year, including: • 86% noted an increase in low self-esteem • 76% said they’d seen an increase in depression • 68% witnessed an increase in sustained feelings of anger For staff working in secondary schools, 72% have noticed an increase in self-harm, 61% in suicidal thoughts, and 56% in eating difficulties among pupils. Unfortunately, only 23% of staff said they had regularly been able to access specialist support for pupils with mental health needs, leaving a majority of children and young people struggling without access to the support they need. Yet early access to support can help ‘nip problems in the bud’. Tapping is a wonderful asset for children and adults to have in their toolkit of strategies to cope with and turn around any negative emotions (such as anger, anxiety, fear) as well as low self-esteem and lack of focus. Children and teenagers can use the simple yet powerful techniques on a daily basis or whenever there is a need in order to create calm, confidence and focus. Why not use one of the tapping videos on my website or contact me for a chat how I could support you and anyone in your family.

Mindfulness and Hygge February continues to be an ideal time to continue enjoying hygge experiences and traditions that promote our well-being…..soup, socks, sweaters… anything that boosts our feeling of comfort, joy, contentment, personal wholeness and, one of our main fundamental needs, safety. Certainly, the fire has been burning regularly in my little hygge hut with snuggly socks, slippers and blankets aplenty. This month is also a chance to be mindful and notice the subtle outdoor changes that hint that spring is round the corner… snowdrops emerging like little lanterns of light and hope, vivid crocuses set off by a grey/green canvas of winter, catkins bobbing and bouncing in the strong winds and the first pink blossom is appearing. So where does the idea of mindfulness, that dates back 2500 years in ancient eastern philosophy, come from in our modern culture? Who can we be grateful to for weaving mindfulness into our lives? One important proponent was Thich Nhat Hanh, the Zen Buddhist monk, poet and peace activist. Sadly, he recently died on Saturday 22nd January 2022 aged 95. Through his teachings and literary work, his legacy will remain for generations to come and in particular we greatly appreciate him bringing mindfulness into the daily life of innumerable people worldwide. He defined it as identifying and distancing oneself from certain thoughts without judgement. He used it to promote peace, clarity, compassion and courage – aspirations that enrich the outcomes of hygge and can be achieved by mindful meditation through tapping. .