February sees us celebrate children’s Mental Health week. Something that many of us myself included are very mindful of at the moment.
I have seen many conversations about how resilient children are and how we must realise that they take things in their stride and they will be ok. For some this is true. For many, the harsh reality is broken routines, environments that aren’t school, social disconnection from friends, limited conversations and most of all limited social interaction. ALL of which we rely on for enabling us to feel good and feel part of something bigger.
What do our children need?
As human beings we need regular contact, movement and a good flow of positive thought to enable us to be in a good place and support our mental and physical health. For children they rely predominantly on parents’ friends and teachers to support this. Now it’s back to those who are at home. Some are fortunate to have siblings to play with (not always in my house as by Wednesday they do each other’s heads in! LOL!) some don’t have others in the home and fully rely on a parent to take on many roles.
All children are different
But, when all is said and done, this situation isn’t normal, and it can impact on everyone differently.
That’s right, we are all different!! Thankfully.
Say for example, two children are both unwell and end up going into hospital. One child talks to his mum and says don’t worry we can fight this. I just need to stay positive and I will get well.
The other child is very worried and scared that they are going to die and will never recover. Despite being told they have every chance of getting better.
Now this isn’t just about positive thought. This is about stress. If we have an increased amount of adrenalin and cortisol in our body and are constantly creating a fight or flight response in our body, then we are more likely to be unwell for longer and take longer to recover. Whereas if we are able to stay intellectually in control and manage our stress well with a happy it will be ok attitude, recovery is quicker.
How can we help our children?
So how can we begin to change things for the better for our children?
Implementing the 3 Ps (I don’t mean mushy) is a great start.
At the end of each day grab a nice notebook and pen and sit together. Collectively write down what has been good today.
Include a
- Positive Action
- Positive Interaction
- Positive Thought
Consistently doing this will enable the brain to start to change its rewiring process to look for the good in things. This supports the brain in finding a constant flow of serotonin and enabling it to stay intellectual in control. More control, less stress.
And remember this tool isn’t just for kids you know!!
This biggest factor in mindset and mental health is FUN! Working together to find fun things to do with each other as a family unit. Collectively getting our happy hormones serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin will support the whole family. Especially if you throw in a 20 second hug or ten!
If you would like to book a free consultation with me to find out how clinical hypnotherapy would benefit your child then please enter your details here to get in touch. I offer free initial consultations online as well as from my consultation room in bourne, lincolnshire.