Helping Youngsters Strengthen Their Mental Health During Difficult Times.

As we look back over the past two years, we can see how covid has affected us as individuals and as a community. 
As a yoga teacher with almost Thirty years of experience, specialising in mental health, addiction and yoga for children and teens. I noticed the rise in mental health cases significantly increase during this time. Young Minds statistics show that 1:6 children aged five to 16 identified as having a possible mental health problem in July 2020, a considerable increase from 1:9 in 2017.

As someone who suffered from an eating disorder as a child, I knew it was essential to use this time to do something about these changes. Focusing on self-appreciation and self- discovery, I began to write, ‘My Best Friend’s a SuperHero.’ A book for young children based on finding the SuperHero within. 
The stresses and strains of peer pressures and social media mean that children forget who they are because they are always focusing on what’s outside of them and not their strengths and extraordinary abilities inside of them.

I’m on a mission to help children and their parents and carers think deeply about themselves, mentally and physically and I have noticed that I’m not the only one passionate about getting the message out there. I felt lucky enough to be involved with The Kinder Leeds Festival in Oct 2021. It was, and still is a privilege to be a part of such a compassionate community.

As humans, we have so much potential, and in a busy world, we can quickly become
distracted. When we are too busy looking outside of ourselves for the answers, we forget about the power and the strength we hold within. We must take time in our day to come back to ourselves. Taking a few moments to take a few deep breaths can work wonders for calming the mind. We all know this, but we need these small practices to become daily habits to make significant changes.
We are all individuals, and not everyone fits inside the box of main stream mental health recovery. Taking a more holistic approach is essential for individuals to tap into the power within. By getting to know ourselves, the future benefits are endless.

Here are just a few:
- We respect ourselves and our boundaries.
– We are more able to say no.
- We look after ourselves mentally and physically.
- Our self-worth grows
- We have a great capacity to make the right decisions.
- We know what’s right for us, so we don’t question ourselves.
- Our relationships are whole.
- We enjoy our own company.
- We are courageous during difficult situations.
- We have a clear focus and more clarity.

It’s vital to support our children in gaining greater self-awareness, and it’s something that every adult can learn from. 
One size doesn’t fit all in the mental health world, just like one size doesn’t fit all in the physical world, and the sooner we realise the strength in that, the better.