Mental Health Awareness Week extends to Mindfulness May!

Young people’s mental health and wellbeing is at the forefront of conversation at the moment so at Konflux Theatre, we thought that we would extend Mental Health Awareness Week throughout the whole month of May to bring you Mindfulness May!

In October 2018, the Mental Health Foundation commissioned a survey of 1,323 schoolchildren which found that:

• Nearly four in ten (38%) said feeling worried or sad caused them difficulty going to sleep
• More than a quarter (27%) said they got in to fights or arguments
• More than one in four (26%) said feeling worried or sad caused them to struggle to do their homework
• More than one in four (27%) didn’t want to be around others

- Mental Health Foundation, October 2018

With Mindfulness May approaching, we are already working with a number of schools across the UK to introduce mental wellbeing to their pupils through Play in a Day and Creative Learning workshops.

Below are a few simple tips and tricks to introduce Mental Health and Mindfulness in to your classroom this Mindfulness May:

Calm Schools Initiative
‘Calm’ is the #1 app for sleep, meditation and relaxation with over 40 million users worldwide and they are offering free Mindfulness resources for teachers with their ‘Calm Schools Initiative’.

‘At Calm, our mission is to make the world a happier and healthier place. We embarked on that mission 4 years ago by developing mindfulness tools and resources for adults. But nothing gets us more passionate than the opportunity to bring mindfulness to teachers and children all over the world. Our goal is to empower kids to thrive, not just survive.’

- Calm, March 2019

Guided Breathing
A quick 5 minute exercise to get everyone thinking a little more mindfully is a simple breathing exercise.
Pupils may sit or stand for this activity. Simply ask them to place their hands on their stomach, close their eyes and start to breathe in for three and out for three. Following the first couple of breaths, start asking questions which will allow them to focus on the changes happening as they continue to breathe in and out.
- Are their hands moving?
- Can they hear their breath? What does it sound like?
- Does the air feel colder on the way in and warmer on the way out?

Colouring In
It may seem so simple, but there have been proven mental benefits to simply colouring in. Head on over to Twinkl where you will find a fantastic range of Mindfulness colouring pages available.  

‘Mindfulness colouring is a calming activity that can be used to help lower stress levels and improve our overall wellbeing. Mindfulness is the process of keeping your attention and thoughts on the present moment and can help to improve our mood, concentration, focus and wellbeing. Mindfulness colouring sheets are a great way to reduce stress and allow the mind to focus on the present moment.’

- Twinkl 

Konflux are determined to spark a conversation and share ideas and resources! We have a great team who are open to offering advice on how to make your classroom creative and we know you have lots of ideas too! Please share your ideas with us so we can share them to others!

If you have any ideas or resources you would like to share, or you’d like some creative advice, please get in touch with us. 

Call us on 01937 832 740 or email info@konfluxtheatre.co.uk