Mental Health
The 5 Ways To Wellbeing
At Westfield School, we are passionate about mental health and ensuring our pupils are equipped with the knowledge, skills and strategies required to live happy and healthy lives.
Research shows there are five simple things we can do as part of our daily lives to build resilience, boost wellbeing and lower the risk of developing mental health problems. These simple actions are known internationally as the Five Ways to Wellbeing.
At Westfield School we promote and practice the Five Ways to Wellbeing through: RSHE lessons; during Wellbeing Week; as part of Children’s mental health week activities; and through everyday wellbeing activities such as Run a Mile, mindfulness, yoga and clubs.
Why the Five Ways work
- Connect: Strengthening relationships with others and feeling close to and valued by others, including at school, is critical to boosting wellbeing.
- Keep Learning: Being curious and seeking out new experiences at school and in life more generally positively stimulates the brain.
- Be Active: Being physically active, including at work, improves physical health and can improve mood and wellbeing and decrease stress, depression and anxiety.
- Give: Carrying out acts of kindness, whether small or large, can increase happiness, life satisfaction and general sense of wellbeing.
- Take Notice: Paying more attention to the present moment, to thoughts and feelings and to the world around us, boosts our wellbeing.
What we can do for our Wellbeing
Connect
- talk to your friends and family
- help a friend or neighbour
- eat a meal with your family
- make a new friend
- say hello
- bake some cakes and share them
Be Active
- dance to your favourite song
- walk a dog
- hula hoop
- join a sports team
- play a game in the playground
- walk or cycle to school
- help in the garden
- run a race with friends
- make up your own sport
Keep Learning
- learn a new word each day
- visit a museum or art gallery
- try out a musical instrument
- do a word search
- try a new food
- learn to cook a new recipe
- study an animal or bug
- visit a new place
- write a story or song
Give
- smile and say thank you
- make a homemade present or card for no reason
- hold a door open for someone
- give someone you love a hug
- send your old toys to a charity shop
- share with others
- help around the house – wash the dishes or do some dusting
- listen to someone else and how they are feeling
Take Notice
- look what you can see out of your window and how it changes
- paint or draw a picture of what you’ve seen today
- think about how you are feeling today
- listen to the sounds of nature like the wind and rain
- play I Spy
- notice how your friends or family are feeling today
Graduated Response to MHEW Support
Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Intervention Tiers
Here are some useful website links that you might wish to look at:
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-mindfulness-exercises-kids