Wellbeing Toolkit - Young Devon

Due to the demand for our face to face support service, we are currently offering advice and guidance through our Wellbeing toolkit.

Contacts details

Address:Devon Youth Association
10 Erme Road
PL21 0AB

Telephone number: 01752 691511

Email address: Send an email to:info@youngdevon.org

Website address: https://www.youngdevon.org/

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Wellbeing

"Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community"

There are some key things that everyone can do to support their own positive mental well being. The following are 10 ways that we can all make healthy choices that are beneficial to our mental health.

Managing Anxiety

Grounding is a technique that helps keep someone in the present. It helps to reorient a person to the here-and-now and moment.

Grounding skills can be helpful in managing overwhelming feelings or intense anxiety.

For lots of young people it is really important to have things that they can do in the moment if their anxiety or worries are really difficult to cope with. Below are a couple of exercises we use in sessions to help young people focus on their breathing or things around them to try to take control of what is happening.

Mindfulness can be really useful for coping with anxiety. Some people find this more helpful than others.

Different techniques will appeal to different people. It is important is that everyone finds a strategy that works for them.

The following sites give practical ideas of things that you could do.

Get Self Help (www.getselfhelp.co.uk) - Self help ideas
Headspace (www.headspace.com) - Meditation and mindfulness
Moodjuice (www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk) Help with emotional problems

Talk to someone you trust

On World Mental Health Day 85% of the young people asked said their advice for a friend struggling with their mental health was to talk to someone. They were clear this didn't need to be a professional but it needed to be someone they trusted.

Talk to a friend or family member
Talk to a helpline
Talk to a professional you trust - this could be for example your GP , teacher or another adult.

Knowledge is power!

Young people tell us that it is really useful to have more knowledge about mental health as it can help them to recognise their triggers and to understand what is happening for them and why. There is lots of really helpful, easy to access information available, ranging from Inspirational TED Talks about Mental Health (available through YouTube or the TED App) to specific websites dedicated to mental health.

The following websites have information about mental health and wellbeing, as well as a range of magazine articles, message boards and forums. Young people using these sites have told us that sharing similar concerns and experiences with other young people can break some of the stigma and help them to feel less isolated.

Kooth - www.kooth.com
ChildLine - www.childline.org.uk
Young Minds - www.youngminds.org.uk

Specific Challenges

There are a range of organisations that provide specialist support for young people experiencing specific challenges. These include

Bereavement

Balloons - http://balloonscharity.co.uk
Children and Families in grief - http://www.childrenandfamiliesingrief.co.uk
Pete's Dragons - www.petesdragons.org.uk (Specifically working around bereavement through
suicide)

Bullying

Bullying UK - www.bullying.co.uk

Crime

Young Victims of Crime service - Young Devon 08082 810155

Divorce / Separation

Relate - www.relate.org.uk - Online and face to face support

LGBTQI

Intercom Trust - www.intercomtrust.org.uk
Proud 2 Be - www.proud2be.co.uk

Parents

It can be difficult to know the best way to support your child if they are struggling with their mental health. The following websites offer information as well as advice lines to get support yourself.