While talking about mental health can make people self-conscious or worried that there’s something wrong with them, one way to think about it is that it is essentially the same as physical health. When you think about it this way, it’s easy to understand how being mentally healthy can include connecting with friends, and pursuing fun hobbies the same way being physically healthy can include drinking enough water and getting exercise. When we don’t take steps to stay mentally or physically healthy, we can start feeling bad and getting sick.

When our thoughts and feelings are upsetting us, it can feel overwhelming and like it’s never going to get better. Getting lost in the “what if” line of thinking can make uncomfortable feelings worse, so it’s important to practice noticing when you’re getting upset so you can take steps to take care of yourself. One tool that can help you get out of your head and back into the present moment is to do a grounding exercise. These can be adapted to fit your preferences and you can even make up your own. The essentially involve noticing your body and what’s going on around you.

Find a few more calming strategies here.

The Stigma-Free Society is a Canadian Charity registered since 2010 and our mission is to educate and support young people in their mental wellness journeys. We believe that mental health education should be integrated into all classrooms and we are extremely excited to share our new Online Student Mental Health Toolkit to make this goal a reality. Our Toolkit program is made for youth, educators, school counsellors, and parents/guardians, who want to teach and promote mental wellness for Grades 4-7 and 8-12.