Wellbeing information for students

Neart

There are steps that you can take to support your wellbeing during this time. It will help to:

• Stay active
• Include some physical activity in your day. The government campaign In This Together has lots of great suggestions on physical activity.
• Stay connected
• Social connection is very important at this time. In addition to meeting friends in line with public health guidance, use technology to stay in touch. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, talk to your family and friends or a member of the school staff about your feelings. Sharing thoughts or worries with others really does help. Ask for support from someone you trust.
• If you think you need additional help there are also lots of support services for young people that provide advice and support via text, email and online, see Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet. It is also important to be able to provide support to others if you can.
• Stay positive and calm
• Notice your feelings. You may have lots of different feelings. You may feel stressed, anxious, sad, afraid, fed up, angry, frustrated or even numb. You may feel nothing at all, that’s ok too. These are all normal and healthy feelings. If your feelings and reactions seem different from those of your friends, that’s ok too. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to feel. The following information can help to support you if you experience any difficulty.

• Identify what it is that helps you to relax. It is different for everybody but it is important to include time to relax each day. It might involve being active or it might involve winding down. It might also include doing some meditation, mindfulness or yoga. Other ideas on how to relax can be found in Relaxation techniques (podcast)
• Do something you enjoy or try something creative every day. Think about things that make you feel good, then make it happen – like listening to music, going for walks, doing an exercise routine, writing, drawing, cooking or watching a funny movie. Remember laughter is good medicine!
• Sleep is good for our health and wellbeing so it’s important to get plenty of sleep - eight to 12 hours is recommended. Try to get to bed at the same time every night. Leaving the phone, laptop and tablet outside the bedroom will help to get a better night’s sleep. More information on what will help is here.
• It’s also important to eat healthily and to drink lots of water. See here for useful information.

Tips and techniques to improve wellbeing

Our sense of wellbeing can be improved by taking time to reflect on some of the following:

Positive emotion:

• what positive/healthy experiences can I plan to do today (e.g. reading, music, food, games, exercise, meditation, learning etc.)
• what can I be grateful for today? (I am grateful for ... list three things)
• what small act of kindness can I do for someone else today?
• how can I help myself to take a moment of calm?

Engagement:

• what gives me enjoyment and makes me laugh?
• how can I use one or more of my strengths today?
• who can I connect with today (over the telephone, online, in reality)?
• in what way can I make a small positive difference to someone else?
• how can I show interest in another person or their work/hobbies?

Meaning:

• what goals can I set for today?

Accomplishment:

• what goals no matter how small can I achieve today?
• what challenge can I take on today?
• what will I do?

Other supports

There are a number of supports available to you both in school and outside of school.

At school there is a Student Support Team which includes the principal or deputy principal, the guidance counsellor the special education needs coordinator. They are available if you need assistance or support.

Additional Supports

There are lots of supports for young people outside of school. The support offered by the agencies listed below, and at this link Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Leaflet are for students who are feeling worried or anxious about various issues.

They include:

Childline (ISPCC)

• Ireland's 24-hour national listening service for young people up to the age of 18
• freephone 1800 666 666 (any time, day or night)
• text 50101 (from 10am to 4pm every day)
• chat online at www.childline.ie (from 10am to 4pm every day)

BeLonG To Youth Services

• BeLonG To provide support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI+) young people in Ireland.
• text LGBTI+ to 086 1800 280 to chat in confidence with a trained crisis volunteer (anytime day or night, standard SMS rates may apply)
• visit www.belongto.org for more information

Jigsaw

• The Jigsaw Support Line is available for free mental health support and advice to young people aged 12 to 25 years old, and parents or concerned adults in Ireland.
• freephone 1800 544729 (from 1pm to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• text CALL ME to 086 180 3880, giving your preferred day and time for a call (from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• email help@jigsaw.ie (for responses from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
• visit www.jigsaw.ie or www.jigsawonline.ie for more information.

Barnardos

• Barnardos provide a national telephone support service for parents, in response to the challenges they are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Freephone 1800 910 123 from 10am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.
• Barnardos also provide a children's bereavement helpline service, for members of the public seeking information and support in relation to bereavement. Telephone 01 473 2110 from 10am to 12pm, Monday to Thursday.

SpunOut.ie

• SpunOut.ie provides a wide range of articles and information for young people, on many different topics, including mental health.
• text SPUNOUT to 086 1800 280 to chat to a trained volunteer (standard message rates may apply)
• visit www.spunout.ie for more information

Pieta House

• Pieta provides free therapy to those engaging in self-harm, with suicidal ideation, or bereaved by suicide.
• visit pieta.ie for more information
• call free on 1800 247 247
• text help to 51444

More online supports

• The YourMentalHealth website provides information and signposting on all mental health supports and services that are available nationally and locally provided by the HSE and its funded partners. You can also call the freephone YourMentalHealth Information Line to find supports and services any time, day or night: 1800 111 888.

Online counselling supports

• TURN2ME provides a three-tiered approach to supporting mental wellbeing - self-help, support groups and professional support. Online services include counselling and support groups
• www.mymind.org provides access to counselling and psychotherapy, face to face and online

For students who have complex mental health needs, access to help continues to be through your GP or health centre or hospital emergency services as detailed below:

GP and health centres

• A GP can offer support for anyone in crisis. If possible, ask someone to come along with you.

Find a service near you

• GP or health centre GP or health centre
• Out of hours GP services Out of hours GP services

Hospital emergency services

• Go to or call the emergency department of your local general hospital

Telephone emergency services

• You can contact emergency services on 999 or 112.

Samaritans

• The Samaritans telephone service is available 24 hours a day.
• For confidential, non-judgmental support
• freephone 116 123
• email jo@samaritans.ie
• visit Samaritans Ireland for details of the nearest branch

Messaging support service

• A mental-health messaging support service is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It provides in-the-moment anonymous support when you need it most.
• This service aims to connect you with a trained volunteer in less than five minutes. They will listen to you and help you think more clearly, enabling you to know that you can take the next step to feeling better.

Wellbeing policy statement and framework for practice

• Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice 2018–2023

Campaigns

• Back to school

Policies

• Education