Support Your Family’s Mental Health this Half Term

School can be a stressful environment for many children, and the Autumn half term is the perfect opportunity to rest, reset, and reconnect.

We can support our family’s mental health all year round, but half term is the ideal time to reconnect as a family, boost our mood together, and make deeper connections. Socializing and family are very important to well-rounded development, and here mental health expert Noel McDermott looks at how we can do this with 5 simple tips.

Tips for Promoting Family Wellbeing & Connection:

1 – The Benefits of Family Time

Don’t underestimate family time; make time for family meals and conversation, dust off the board games, and spend an afternoon together. Loving, healthy, active time is at the center of everything, and time is our most precious resource. Downtime during the holidays is vital—not just to rest, but to rest with each other and reassure one another in safety.

2 – Get Active Together

Get the kids on board and exercise as a family. Take the kids for a run at lunchtime or do an online exercise class together. Getting active for 20 minutes a day regulates your mood and is good for both body and mind.

• For younger kids get out there and explore the play parks, jungle gyms etc 
• For older kids get them joining activity groups, paddle boarding, canoeing, outward bound, hill walking, survival camps etc. 
• Other great boosts for older kids’ mental health are boxing and kickboxing, as managing aggression is important. High-intensity activities and HIIT help reduce stress hormones like cortisol, which negatively impact mental health.

3 – Prioritise Playtime 

Make time to play with your children; play is fundamental to the well-being and development of children of all ages. It is also a great way to reduce stress in adults. There’s a lot to be said for spending quality time with your child, through making happy memories, enjoying conversation, and playing together.

4 – Get the kids outside

It doesn’t have to be the great outdoors; your local park or garden is just as good. “Park time” is important for our psychological and physiological health. Activities like walking in nature, playing in the garden, and climbing trees activate biophilia, our innate connection to the natural world. These biophilic activities reduce stress and foster a sense of well-being, which is healthy for us. Nature is the quickest route to happiness and strong relationships, so make the outdoors your default.

5 – Treat your kids and yourself!

Make a list of those things your children especially like and treat them when you think they deserve it. They’ve worked hard at school and deserve some rewards. You also deserve treats – be kind to yourself. Embrace downtime in the day; one of the best things about family time is cuddling together – either literally or just being in the same space – making time on the sofa to watch a movie or two.

Mental health expert Noel McDermott comments: “Don’t underestimate ‘family time’ and, where possible, take time in the day to engage directly with your children. Kids want time from mum and dad more than anything. This can be as simple as family mealtimes and making more time for conversation.”

Mental health expert Noel McDermott is a psychotherapist and dramatherapist with over 30 years’ work within the health, social care, education, and criminal justice fields. His company Mental Health Works provides unique mental health services for the public and other organizations. Mental Health Works offers in situ health care and will source, identify, and coordinate personalized teams to meet your needs – https://www.mentalhealthworks.net/

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