My child needs help with…
Self-Care for Mental Health
Let your child know that it’s OK not to be OK
Just like our physical fitness, we need to look after our mental health to feel good. When you’re not feeling OK, it’s OK to talk about this and ask for help. Visit our pages to get advice and support for any issues your child is having.
If you need help too, make sure you also ask for help. You are not alone.
Top tips to support your child’s mental health
- Be there to listen
Regularly ask how they’re doing so they get used to talking about their feelings and know there’s always someone to listen if they want it. Find out how to create a space where they will open up. - Support them through difficulties
Pay attention to their emotions and behaviour, and try to help them work through difficulties. It’s not always easy when faced with challenging behaviour, but try to help them understand what they’re feeling and why. - Stay involved in their life
Show interest in their life and the things that are important to them. It not only helps them value who they are but also makes it easier for you to spot problems and support them. - Encourage their interests
Being active or creative, learning new things and being a part of a team help connect us with others and are important ways we can all help our mental health. Support and encourage them to explore their interests, whatever they are. - Take what they say seriously
Listening to and valuing what they say, without judging their feelings, in turn makes them feel valued. Consider how to help them process and work through their emotions in a more constructive way. - Build positive routines
We know it still may not be easy, but try to reintroduce structure around regular routines, healthy eating and exercise. A good night’s sleep is also really important – try to get them back into routines that fit with school or college.
Just like our physical fitness, we need to look after our mental health to feel good. When you’re not feeling OK, it’s OK to talk about this and ask for help.
Looking after your own mental health
- Connect with other people – spend time with your friends and family, don’t rely only on social media and texting to keep in touch.
- Get active – do regular physical activity. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym, unless you want to. Find a physical activity you enjoy doing and make it part of your daily life.
- Learn new skills – find something new to do and learn how to do it. Find something you enjoy that also challenges you.
- Be kind – find a way to help other people. This doesn’t have to be a really big thing and sometimes the small things can really make a difference. Take time to check in with a friend and ask them how they are, say thank you to someone who has helped you, get involved in volunteering in your local community.
- Pay attention – notice what is going on for you now, in the present moment. People often call this Mindfulness and you can find out more about it on the NHS website.
Take a look at our NottAlone booklet for ideas to help your child learn about their own self-care and mindfulness. You can print out a copy and work through the activities together.
There are also some helpful videos below to share with your child, from breathing techniques to understanding mindfulness and meditation:
Learn more
- Tips for talking to your child about feelings and mental health
- Tips for talking to your teenager about feelings and mental health
- Health for Kids
- CAMHS Nottingham City - YouTube
- Looking after a child or young person’s mental health
- Activities to start a conversation about mental health with your child
- Sleep tips for children
- 5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing
- Young People's Views on Mental Health (YouTube)
Get Help Now!
Here are a list of services that can help. The icons below tell you the type of support available.
Shout - text 'Notts' to 85258
The Sleep Charity
The Sleep Charity - Sleep Service Bassetlaw
The Wolfpack Project: Groups and 1:1 Support
Base 51
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)
Young Minds - Parent's Helpline
CASY Counselling
Childline
Explore Family
Family Lives
First Steps
Harmless
The Tomorrow Project
Healthy Family Teams
Juno Women's Aid
NHS Mental Health Hub of Hope
Nottingham City CAMHS
Nottingham City Social Care
Nottinghamshire County CAMHS
Nottinghamshire Mental Health Advice Helpline
Nottinghamshire Women's Aid
Notts LGBT+ Network
Parent Lifeline
Notts Help Yourself
Ask Lion
Social Emotional Mental Health Team
Tackling Emerging Threats to Children Team
The Virtual School for Children in Care and Previously in Care
Victim Support
Youth Groups in Nottinghamshire & Nottingham City
The Family Service
The LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire
Mental Health Support Team (City)
Behavioural and Emotional Health Team
Be U Notts
Nottingham Crisis
Hope Support Services
Which services can I access?
Some of the services available operate only within city or the wider county area. Pop your postcode in below to quickly check which services are available to you
Related topics
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Anger
Anger is an expression of emotions, it is usually underpinned by an emotion that your child is not able to express because they do not have the words, or because they don’t themselves understand how they feel.
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Self Harm
Self-harm, or self-injury, describes a wide range of things people deliberately do to themselves that appear to cause some kind of physical hurt. It can be very hard for parents and carers to know about – or witness – self-harming behaviour in their children.
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Depression or Low Mood
Everyone has ups and downs. Sometimes you might feel a bit low, for lots of different reasons. People may say that they are feeling depressed when they are feeling down, but this does not always mean that they have depression.
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Obsessive Thoughts
Obsessions are specific thoughts that are intense and intrusive. It can feel like your thoughts are taking over and controlling your behaviour. Compulsions are ritual behaviours that people use to try to reduce anxiety linked to intrusive thoughts.