This appeared in my timeline this morning and stopped me in my tracks.
Some of you who have worked with Kat recently will have heard me talk about your brain going into 'reptilian shutdown mode'. When we're stressed or scared, we can't learn or take on new ideas. Our bodies basically think we're about to be eaten by a bear (upcoming exams) and trigger a 'fight, flight or freeze' response.
We've got time yet to make a plan, to put things in place, to soothe the stress and prepare for our SATs and GCSEs. But we can't put these things in place when we think we're about to be eaten by a bear.
So, in #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek , and the weeks to follow, it is important that we as adults help our young people to express and rationalise their fears, and to help them find ways to move forward and to prepare for what's ahead. Yes, learning is important, but so is relaxation, time to unwind and looking after our mental health. That all gives us the best tools in our arsenal to stand up to any scary bears we encounter.
Make sure you plan in some time over half term to do things that help you to relax and de-stress. I'll be doing lots of swimming (I feel like it unspools my tangled thoughts from one end of the pool to the other) and I'll be reading this book to help me be a better Human to our Chimps.
