As part of our discussion of World Mental Health Day 2023, in Reception, we first had a discussion about what our ‘mental health’ is. We talked about it being really important to not only make sure that we look after our bodies, but also our minds too and that this is what it means when we talk about looking after our mental health. We discussed times when we perhaps experience ‘big feelings’ and the different ways in which we can take care of ourselves when this is happening. Lots of the children had fantastic ideas about doing things such as: going for a walk, playing with our friends, hugging or perhaps doing some drawing. Some children even said it might be a good idea to talk to someone about how they feel – a brilliant idea!

After our discussion, we took part in some Autumn Yoga and breathing exercises, which the children seemed to really enjoy. They also had the opportunity to share with a teacher some of the things that make them happy.

At the end of it, we all agreed that it is okay to have lots of ‘big feelings’ and how important it is to take care of our bodies and our minds!