Looking after your mental health and wellbeing

With so much change and uncertainty around at the moment it is understandable that you may be feeling a little worried, low, or stressed. These are normal responses to what is, for many, a difficult situation. However, if you are troubled by constant, repetitive thoughts which lead you to feel anxious or overwhelmed, some extra support might be helpful.

• Try to focus on the present rather than worrying about the future, there are some guided relaxation and mindfulness techniques on the North Kent Mind website.
• Read information on how to manage anxiety on the Every Mind Matters website.
• Listen to the NHS mental wellbeing audio guides to help boost your wellbeing.
• You can refer yourself to a free NHS talking therapies service without seeing your GP.

If you are worried about your child and need to get help now call 0800 011 3474 to get the right support.

We need to be honest with children and young people about the situation, but also be sensitive not to worry them too much and be aware that children and young people of different ages may need different support.

Here are a few guides that may help.

• The Kent Resilience Hub has a variety of information and resources that will help parents and carers support their children and young people’s emotional growth and mental health.
• Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing from Public Health England.
• Young Minds is a website for young people, but has a section for supporting your child during the coronavirus pandemic, including if they’re worried, as well as information on what to do if they don’t want to follow the lockdown rules.
• The NSPCC website has guides on working from home with children, dealing with co-parenting and family arguments and tensions, both big and small.

If your child is looking for somewhere to get information for themselves there are some places you could suggest to them:

• the Moodspark website is for young people aged 10 to 16 to learn to look after their emotional and mental health
• ThinkNinja is the first mental health app approved by the NHS to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people during the coronavirus pandemic, and is now listed in the NHS apps library. It is available for 10 to 18 year olds
• Togetherall is available for 16 to 18 year olds with an online community filled with resources, information and online counselling
• Kooth is for young people 10 to 25 to get advice, information and can also chat to a qualified counsellor
• Kent Youth Health have advice and information for young people dealing with their emotions during this time
• many youth services have been moved online, including opportunities for you to talk to youth workers and friends, as well as lots of new activities for you to try.

It's important to stay active if you can. There are lots of ways you can do this.

• Kent Sport has lots of resources for keeping active.
• Explore Kent have suggestions for exercise and staying connected with nature.
• Alcohol over-use can impact your body and mind. To find out if you are drinking at safe levels go to our One You Kent pages.

• If you haven’t already, you might want to talk with your employer, understand your sick pay and benefits rights.
• Many of Kent’s Citizen’s Advice branches are now offering advice on employment or financial matters over the phone and online. Find your local branch on the Citizen’s Advice website.
• We have information on benefits, financial support and where to go for debt advice.
• If you are a local business or employer, have a look at our COVID 19 business section.

If you feel worried, anxious or low, you might stop doing things you usually enjoy. Focusing on your favourite hobby, relaxing indoors or connecting with others can help with anxious thoughts and feelings.

If you cannot do the things you normally enjoy, think about how you could adapt them, or try something new. There are lots of free tutorials and courses online, and people are coming up with inventive new ways to do things, like hosting online pub quizzes and music concerts.

• Register online with libraries for access to thousands of e-books and audio books.
• Learn something new or take up a new hobby with Kent Adult Education.

Find a credible source you can trust and fact-check information you get from newsfeeds, social media or other people, such as:

• this website
• your local district or borough council website
• NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)
• GOV.UK website
• NHS website.

We recommend you follow these social media accounts:

• Kent County Council - KCC Twitter, KCC Facebook, KCC Instagram and KCC LinkedIn
• Kent Public Protection - Public Protection Twitter and Public Protection Facebook
• Kent Police - Kent Police Facebook and Kent Police Twitter
• Kent Fire and Rescue - Kent Fire and Rescue Facebook and Kent Fire and Rescue Twitter
• Kent Resilience Forum on Twitter
• Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group Facebook
• your local district or borough council's accounts.

As there is a lot of misinformation around, it's really important to get information from trusted places to get the facts.

Many people will have questions and worries about the coronavirus, but those who have experienced the death of someone close or who have an ill family member will be particularly affected.

A new bereavement support service has been established for Kent children and young people, and their parents or carers, who experience complicated grief as a result of Covid-19. This support is currently being offered by video link, phone or in person. To access this support or find out more about the children and young people's counselling service go to the KCHFT website.

The following information could also help if you or someone you know has lost a loved one or is dying.

• Information about children and bereavement on the NHS website.
• Read about coronavirus grief and trauma on the Cruse website.
• Read how children's understanding of death is different at different stages of development on the Cruse website, or you can call their helpline 0808 808 1677.

There is also bereavement support information for parents and carers, co-created by parent experts by experience with a professional author.

• Death and Loss on the MindEd website - for parents and carers with easy read PDF available.
• Trauma and coping on the MindEd website - for parents and carers with easy read PDF available.