Wellbeing Advice

Year 11 Wellbeing Management

Dear Year, 11 Parents/Carers,

We understand that Year 11 can be a busy time for you and your young people/our students, this is an important year which can ignite anxious and uncomfortable feelings and emotions.

Year 11 is an important time, the importance of this needs to be balanced alongside your young person’s wellbeing, which is most important factor. We want to support your young person to achieve an outcome that will enable them a positive step forward from school.

Please do contact your Young Persons Tutor or HOY/DOY if you feel they are struggling to manage their workload and wellbeing and would like them to have some support during this time. By us working together and supporting each other we can make Year 11 a positive time during which valuable life skills are learnt.

A valuable life skill being your ability to manage busy and stressful times. Working alongside others during this time to support a positive belief and confidence to develop.

Learning to look after one’s wellbeing alongside the GCSEs will enable your Young Person to move on from school with a confidence and assurance that they can overcome difficult and adverse times.

We have added some useful links that will lead you to some supportive and useful advice that we hope can help you through this time.

Click on the link below for parent exam support

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-helpline-and-webchat/

Click on the Parents A-Z guide

Click on Exam time, here you will find lots of information on how you can support your Young Person.

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find a Video for parents called “Exam Stress round up” this offers you some guidance for during this time.

Here is another link that gives you and your young person a huge amount of information; you will find useful websites for support and wellbeing as well as Apps which support self-care.

https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/

This next link leads to an assembly that our West Sussex Mental Health Team who are known as the Thought-Full team have put together for our students to support them through Exam Stress

https://youtu.be/tB3SKmlzWjw

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Abraham Maslow is a Humanistic Psychologist whose theory suggests that Self-Actualisation (a term used by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers) is the ideal for each of us. Self-Actualisation is when a person has a confidence in themselves, they are confident to be individual and own their autonomy, understanding their feelings and emotions in connection with others. They recognise their interests, likes and dislikes, and value what supports their wellness and personal progression. Having this awareness supporting personal contentment alongside an inner belief.

To Self-Actualise successfully the layers seen within the pyramid will ideally be in place, the base layer leading the progression to the peak of the pyramid which is self-actualisation.

Some things that may support your young Person:

Have 6-8 glasses of Fluid a day, this supports the body and mind to function, receiving what it needs. Many students forget to drink, a lack of fluid can lead to limited concentration, headaches, mood swings and anxious feelings.

If a car does not have enough fuel, oil, or water it will begin to struggle and eventually stop, our bodies are our vehicles it is worth checking that we/they are remembering to drink enough.

https://www.oxbridgeessays.com/blog/simple-way-better-university-drink-water-increased-concentration/

If your Young Person is often tired and unmotivated, question them… are they eating a balanced diet, even with a balanced diet we can be lacking in vitamins and minerals.

Is this the case?

Is a doctor’s appointment necessary to check their vitamin and mineral levels?

https://www.verywellmind.com/vitamin-for-depression-1065211

Could it be worth taking a multi vitamin or mineral to aid wellbeing, especially during this time?

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/10-foods-boost-your-brainpower

Looking after yourself and your Year 11 student can support a positive outcome.