National i-THRIVE Community of Practice
March 2020
Dear National i-THRIVE Community of Practice members,
We hope you are managing to keep well during this unprecedented time and wanted to say a big thank you for all of the invaluable work you are doing to support the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and their families.
While COVID-19 continues to dominate all aspects of our lives, it is important to consider the impact it may have on our overall mental health and wellbeing and how we can support ourselves, colleagues, and the children, young people and families we work with to thrive.
Many of us have had to alter our working environments and will now be working from home, presenting a range of new considerations. With this in mind, we have collated some:
Top tips to support working from home:
- Follow a routine – It can be easy to slip into working in an unboundaried way. Keeping to your usual work routine can help mitigate this, i.e. working within your normal work hours and taking a lunch break.
- Build a schedule for the day – We can easily become overwhelmed with long to-do lists so it can be helpful to break tasks down into bite size chunks, prioritising accordingly.
- Take regular breaks – Free your mind by going for a walk, stretching, or making a hot drink and refresh your energy, concentration, and motivation. Use this opportunity to check in with yourself and reflect on how you are feeling.
- Define your workspace – If possible, have a dedicated work area that is peaceful, to promote concentration and minimise distraction. Being in an area with natural light can uplift your mood and keep you motivated.
- Socialise with others – Although working from home can be novel and liberating, for many it can also be quite isolating. Utilise breaks to stay connected with your social network.
- Keep active – Stretching, moving around or doing short bursts of light exercise helps to keep your mind focused throughout the day, negating the impact of prolonged sedentary work, and supporting your emotional wellbeing.
Helpful resources to support our work and the wellbeing of staff, children, young people and families:
Working from home:
Supporting children, young people and their families:
- Laverne Antrobus, Consultant Child and Educational Psychologist, at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust provides advice for children and young people worried about the Coronavirus, BBC Newsround video
- Looking after your mental health while self-isolating, Young Minds
- Coronavirus: Health advice you can trust, The Mix
- Talking to children about Coronavirus, British Psychological Society resource
- 'Coronavirus anxiety: how to cope if you’re feeling anxious about the outbreak', BACP guidance
- 'Supporting young people’s mental health during periods of disruption – advice for young people, parents/carers and schools/colleges', from the Anna Freud Centre
- 'Supporting schools & colleges: A guide to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and students during periods of disruption', a booklet from the Anna Freud Centre
Event update:
Please also note, that the following event has been postponed. All registered attendees have been notified:
- 10th National i-THRIVE Community of Practice Event, 26th March: postponed to 1st October. Please save the date!
|
