NewsletterHealthy Minds Newsletter

Welcome to the second issue of our new student well-being newsletter, a ‘one stop’ shop, designed specifically to support your mental health, both inside and outside of school.

The newsletter will come out once a half term during the last week straight to our website and you will be informed during crew time.

Why is mental health such a hot topic?

Mental health has always been around but society and understanding has moulded people’s opinions. Mental health is just as important as physical health, they go hand in hand and also support each other. Those who look after their body with physical exercise, sleeping regularly and eating a balanced diet find it easier to look after their mental health. Strong mental health and physical health are tied together, like best friends!

People all across the world have seen how living through a global pandemic has linked us together, old and young. We have started to recognise even more the importance of looking after our mind and looking after ourselves. Looking after our mental health could be taking a bath, going for a walk with the dog, playing an instrument or journaling. It’s important we ask ourselves, what do I need to do to look after myself today.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.  It affects how we think, feel and act.  It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices.  Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through to adulthood.

Good mental  health is when we can say ...

'I care about myself and I look after myself.'

'I am valuable and I don't have to earn the right to exist.  I exist so I have the right.'

'I do not set impossible goals or standards such as 'I have to be perfect in everything I do' then punish yourself.'

Making time for yourself is massively important – we feel so many pressures as young people, whether that be in school, homework, home life, pressure from friends, social media and so on. We will explore 11 different ways in which you can help to improve your own mental health in upcoming issues, but to start, have a think about how the following can help you and your own mental health:

·Making time for yourself

·Meditation

·Yoga

·Exercise

·Sleeping

·Creative expressions

·Playing with pets

·Meeting with friends and family

·Appreciating your surroundings and nature

·Turning off gadgets and devices

·Doing something for someone else

You may also have your own ideas – let the wellbeing team know what your thoughts are and we’ll add them into future editions of the Newsletter

There are lots of things going on in Nottingham, Newark and Lincoln this half term and beyond. Here are a few highlights you might want to see/do…

1. Wollaton Hall, Nottingham - Titus: T. Rex is King is an extraordinary exhibition, showcasing the first real Tyrannosaurus Rex to be displayed in England for over a century. Go check out this immense dinosaur.

2. Rufford Abbey, Ollerton - Dare you enter the deep forests of Rufford Abbey Country Park, Nottinghamshire where bears, snakes and tigers roam?

3. Cornhill Cove, Lincoln – Go play free crazy golf, see pop-up entertainment and street food.

4. Platinum Jubilee Trail, Lincoln – Celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee with a free family treasure hunt.

 

I hope last newsletter you had a go at making the blondies, scones or the pasta bake – maybe you made all three! Cooking is a great way of boosting our serotonin which can help reduce anxiety and depression and is also a way to have fun and be creative. Eating food with people is a way we bond with other people and nice way to express our gratitude for them. This edition how about you try making the following:

Cheddar cheese and potato pie

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/cheddar-cheese-and-potato-pie/

-Korean garlic rolls with cream cheese filling

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/korean-garlic-rolls-cream-cheese-filling/

-Easy chocolate mousse

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-chocolate-mousse

Laughter is great for the soul and the mind. Last edition we heard some real ‘dad jokes’ and whilst I was laughing away we appreciate not everyone might have found them as funny. When we laugh we take in more oxygen-rich air which stimulates the heart, lungs, muscles and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain which helps us deal with stress. This edition we are bringing you the best ‘knock knock’ jokes…

-Knock, Knock
-Who’s there?
-Nobel.
-Nobel who?
-Nobel…that’s why I knocked!

-Knock, knock.
-Who’s there?
-Tank.
-Tank who?
-You’re welcome.

-Knock, knock.
-Who’s there?
-Annie.
-Annie who?
-Annie thing you can do, I can do too

-Knock, knock.
-Who’s there?
-A little old lady.
-A little old lady who?
-Hey, you can yodel!

We all spend a lot of time on our phones and gadgets, it’s a way to help us connect to the world and our friends but it can also drain us of our energy and time. Here are some things to do that don’t require a phone and that you can do with friends or family to have a good time.

a) Meditation fundamentally is breathing, and who doesn’t love to breathe! It can help relax you, connect to inner feelings and help you feel more at ease with uncertain situations.

Try giving this 1-minute guided meditation a go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1Ndym-IsQg

b) The name game:

The game begins with everyone sitting in a circle, a player then says the name of someone famous. The next player then must say the name of a famous person whose first name starts with the same letter as the previously stated famous person's last name starts with.

Eg Donald Trump > Tom Hardy > Heath Ledger > Lionel Messi…

We all spend a lot of time on your phones and gadgets, recently in Crew you’ve been working on using your phones less over the week, which is positive. We’ve got an app for this half term that is a perfect way to spend time online

Pinterest is a place to collate ideas, hobbies and interest all in one place. You can put together ‘mood boards’ for your dream house, career or 16th birthday party.  It’s a place of discovery where you can share ideas, images and videos with other like minded people. You need to be 13+ to use it and you should check with your parents or family first. Be careful when interacting with people, don’t give out any personal details e.g. name, address, number and report any user who you think isn’t being respectful or is being to friendly with you.

Some unusual facts to blow your mind, tell others and generally impress people!

These facts are all about London (only a hour by train from Newark!)

1.  A bus driver once jumped a 10ft gap on Tower Bridge when it first opened

2.  The heart of the city is only 1 square mile

3.  During WW2 London was the capital of 6 countries – France, Poland, Holland, Belgium, Norway and United Kingdom.

4.  The underground station Waterloo has 95 million passengers a year

5.  6.5 million people take a London bus every day

6.  The Shard is the tallest building in London and is made up of 11,000 panels of glass.

A lot of you are completing GCSE’s and A level right now, here are some tips to help you, and all students, in keeping focused and pushing yourself over the last hurdles.

1. Do set a timer, it should be no more that 30-40 minutes. Our brains are not made to focus on revision for long periods of time. It is best to revise for 30 minutes have a 5 minute break and then revise again for 30 minutes instead of doing 1 hour all at once.

2. Do reward yourself! Once you’ve completed a small section of revision have something you enjoy to eat or watch a quick video online (just don’t spend too long on there)

3. Use highlighters and coloured pens. Often we find it tricky to stare at black and white for long periods of time, if you have an important key word, author or date you need to remember, highlight it.

4. Make a timetable. Humans like to know what they are doing and when, make sure you create a timetable that is user friendly, one you can stick to and one that is strategic – if your history exam is first make sure you revise that sooner.

5. Make sure you’ve got access to past papers. Know what the questions are, what the paper looks like and how to answer it before you go into an exam. This will make you feel more confident and also let you access the marks.