Anxiety & Depression
What is anxiety & depression?
Anxiety and depression are types of mood disorders. Among other things, depression causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and reduced energy. Anxiety creates feelings of nervousness, worry, or dread. Although the two conditions are different, you can have both at the same time.
It's normal to have feelings of anxiety or depression from time to time. But when these feelings happen often and they interfere with your life, you might have a disorder that is treatable.
Your symptoms can help your doctor figure out which of these two conditions you have, or if you have both. Some of the same treatments work for anxiety and depression.
Depression affects how you feel and act. When you're depressed, you may have sustained symptoms like sadness, hopelessness, or anxiousness; a loss of interest in things you once enjoyed; a lack of energy; eating more or less than you used to; sleeping too little or too much, or trouble thinking or concentrating.
Anxiety, Worry and fear are normal parts of life. But when these feelings don't go away or they're excessive, they can be signs of an anxiety disorder. You may have a problem with anxiety if you often feel overwhelmed by worry; cranky or on edge; sweaty or shaky, or like you're out of control.
Extract from WedMD.com
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You are bravery than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think
Christopher Robin
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Programme ideas
Squirrels
Worry Stones
Talk with the Squirrels about how we can be worried or nervous about things. It might be starting something new, going somewhere, or not being with an important adult in your life. Ask them to give examples of when they get worried or nervous.
Give each Squirrel a pebble (or two). They then paint or draw pictures or words that relate to their worry or nervousness.
When finished, tell the Squirrels that when they get worried or nervous, they can rub the worry stone and it will give them the strength and courage to carry on.
Beavers, Cubs & Scouts
True or False
Show what you know about mental health as we bust the stigma surrounding the subject with some home truths.
https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities/true-or-false/
Scouts & Explorers
Inside the lines
Find out how common mental health problems can stand in the way of young people from all walks of life
Badge links
Community Impact (Staged)
Check all the badge requirements at https://www.scouts.org.uk/information-for-parents/scout-badges
youngminds.org.uk
Young Minds: fighting for young people's mental health
Fun & Games
Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts & Explorers
Nature and being active are two ways you can improve your mental health, why not combine the two?
Nature Challenge Course
Go to your local park, woods or another natural environment. As you travel through, ask your young people to create challenges for others to complete. These might be:
Hop, skip and jump
Relay race
Piggybacks, fireman's lift and other approved ways to travel
Stealth manoeuvres (who will be spotted/heard first?)
Target practice (stone throwing at a target made from leaves, twigs or branches)
Volcano Run (keep off the floor)
Mini-tracking trail
Don't forget to do a risk assessment before you go!