Lesson plan & teaching guide€¦ · Lesson 1: Finding your Happy Space Learning Objectives: In this lesson, students will: · become familiar with the terms “mental health” and

These lesson plans, accompanying teaching guides, PowerPoint slides and guidebooks,

have been compiled by Happy Space UK. Please note that the teaching guides include notes

for those activities where further explanation is required e.g., for certain

activities and quiz answers.

Please see the Schedule to this lesson plan for age-appropriate definitions of key

words/phrases used in the lessons. These are intended to be approximately 30 minute

lessons, and we have included recommended timings (although we understand this may

vary class to class!).

Lesson plan & teaching guide

Lesson 1: Finding your Happy Space

Learning Objectives:

In this lesson, students will:

· become familiar with the terms “mental health” and “mental illness”, understanding that these are different and include a wide range of states;

· learn about and recognise various attitudes towards mental health; and

· assess the tools/factors/people in their lives at present that they would consider as positive contributors to their Happy Space.

Activity Time (total 30 minutes) Additional materials required

1. Teacher to briefly introduce Happy Space, including the four pillars of mental wellbeing and purpose of lessons

0:00-5:00 N/A

2. Questionnaire: What do you think? 5:00-15:00 Questionnaire: What do you

think? (Guidebook)

3. Discussion of responses to questionnaire / outline key learning points from questionnaire

5:00-20:00 Questionnaire: What do you think? (Guidebook)

4. Students to complete ‘your own Happy Space’ worksheet

20:00 - 30:00 “Your own Happy Space” worksheet. (Guidebook)

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 1: FINDING YOUR HAPPY SPACE

1.1 Activity 1: Teacher to overview mental wellbeing

(a) Main concepts:

(i) Everyone has mental health regardless of whether they have mental illness. Mental health can be supported and promoted, regardless of whether a person has a mental illness.

(ii) A mental illness might alter a person’s thinking, feelings or behaviour (or all three) and can cause a person distress and difficulty in day to day functioning.

(iii) As with other illnesses, the sooner people are able to get help, the better – just like other illnesses affecting other parts of the body, mental illnesses are treatable.

(iv) The aim of these Happy Space sessions is to equip students with tools and techniques to better look after their mental health, ultimately to help prevent the onset of a mental illness.

(b) Happy Space is a mental wellbeing charity, who consider the following to be four pillars of mental wellbeing:

(i) Mind;

(ii) Food;

(iii) Body; and

(iv) The Arts.

1.2 Activity 2: Questionnaire: What do you think?

(a) Ask students to turn to page 10 of their guidebooks, to Questionnaire: What do you think?

(b) Ask students to take 10 minutes to answer the Questionnaire: What do you think? by themselves.

1.3 Activity 3: Discussion of responses to Questionnaire: What do you think?

(a) Ideal answers for discussion:

(i) 1. People should work out their own mental health problems.

Not true. When people have a physical health concern, they generally take some action and often go to the doctor or seek some other kind of help for their problem. Mental illness is associated with changes in brain functioning and usually requires professional assistance. Because of the stigma surrounding mental illness, many people are reluctant to seek help.

(ii) 2. Once you have a mental illness, you have it for life.

While it’s true that some mental illnesses are lifelong, they are often episodic, which means that the symptoms are not always present. Just like people who live with chronic physical illnesses like arthritis and asthma, people with mental illnesses can, when the illness is managed, live positive and productive lives.

(iv) 4. Medication is the best treatment for mental illness.

Medication can be a very effective part of managing a mental illness, but it is by no means the only type of treatment or support that helps people recover. A wide range of appropriate interventions, including medication, counselling, social and recreational groups, self-help, holistic health, religious support, hospital care, exercise and nutrition are options for helping people recover and stay well. The best approach is to have a combination of strategies that have been proven to be effective.

(v) 5. People with a mental illness are generally violent and dangerous.

People with mental illness are generally not more violent than the rest of the population. Mental illness plays no part in the majority of violent crimes committed in our society. In fact, a person with a mental illness is more likely to be a victim of violence than the perpetrator. The assumption that any and every mental illness carries with it an almost certain potential for violence has been proven wrong in many studies. Often, it is the misrepresentation by the media that leads to this false belief.

(vi) 6. Adults are more likely than teenagers to have a mental illness.

Some illnesses are first diagnosed in childhood but many more begin to appear during the late teenage years and into early adulthood.

(vii) 7. Mental illness only happens to certain kinds of people.

This is incorrect; mental illness can happen to anyone.

(viii) 8. Most people will never be affected by mental illness.

(ix) The statistics in England are that approximately 1 in 4 people will experience mental illness. When thought of in this context, it’s likely everyone is affected by mental illness, either directly (by having a mental illness themselves) or indirectly (by knowing someone with a mental illness).

1.4 Activity 4: Students to complete “Your own Happy Space” worksheet. Teacher to collect worksheet (and save for comparison with week 7).

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 1: FINDING YOUR HAPPY SPACE

Key words/phrases:

· Mental Health

· Mental Illness

· Stereotype

· Stigma

· Prejudice

Lesson 2: MIND



· learn about “mindfulness” and

· learn various mindfulness tools and techniques to use going forward, including, but not limited to meditation.


1. Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “mind”.

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Discuss definition of mindfulness 2:00 - 10:00 N/A

3. Mindfulness breathing activity 10:00 - 15:00 N/A

4. Mindfulness drawing activity 15:00 - 25:00 Mindfulness drawing

worksheet (Guidebook)

5. Students to discuss in pairs how they felt whilst doing the mindfulness activities and write one of those feelings down on a post-it for sticking on the board

25:00 - 30:00 Post-its

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 2: MIND

2.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing, and introduce today’s session: “mind”.

2.2 Activity 2: Teacher to overview definitions of mindfulness:

(i) “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, in Purser, 2015).

(ii) “the practice of maintaining a non-judgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

(iii) “the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm” (Cambridge Dictionary).

(b) Discussion of certain sub-terms with students e.g.:

(i) What does it mean to pay attention?

(ii) What does it mean to be “in the present moment”?

(iii) What does “non-judgmental” mean?

2.3 Activity 3: Breathing activity

(a) Teacher to tell class that mindfulness and meditation activities often begin with noticing your breathing and that the class is going to try an activity now. Teacher to talk through the exercise with the class.

(i) If everyone could slowly close their eyes and notice how they are feeling in themselves. Notice if your heart is beating fast, or slowly? Is your mind racing with thoughts? Are you feeling calm?

(ii) Try to bring all your attention to your breathing, taking slow breaths in and slowly exhaling out.

(iii) Now try counting to five slowly as you inhale. Think about that breath travelling all around the body as you breathe in, right to your finger tips and your toes. Does anything feel different?

(iv) Try counting to 8 slowly as you exhale. Your mind might get distracted by other thoughts and that’s completely normal, but just try to bring it back to counting your breaths in and out when you can.

(v) Repeat for 10 breaths.

(vi) Everyone can open their eyes.

2.4 Activity 4: Mindfulness drawing activity

(a) Students to turn to page 21 of their guidebooks and complete the mindfulness drawing activity.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 2: MIND

2.5 Activity 5: Discussion of experiences during mindfulness activity:

(a) Student’s to discuss in pairs how they felt during the mindfulness activities.

(b) Some example questions to guide the discussion could include:

(i) How did you feel during the mindfulness activity?

(ii) Did you experience other thoughts entering into your mind during the activity? If so, what were those thoughts?

(c) Explain to students that mindfulness takes practice; it is not about being able to clear your mind of all thoughts. It is important for students not to judge themselves – some days it might be much easier to sit still and feel calm than others. Student’s should not be concerned with practicing mindfulness “well” or “correctly”; mindfulness is about noticing the thoughts that arise, and remaining as “present” and as “in the moment” as possible.

(d) Get the pairs to write their answer on a post-it and stick it on the board.

Key words/phrases:

· Mindfulness

· Stress

· Meditation

Lesson 4: BODY



· understand the link between physical health and mental health;

· understand further the specific mental wellbeing benefits of exercise; and

· learn about yoga and some of the potential physical and mental benefits.


1. Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “body”.

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Teacher to outline how bodily health can affect mental health

2:00 - 10:00 N/A

3. Yoga Q&A 10:00 - 20:00 N/A

4. Yoga activity 20:00 - 30:00 N/A

3.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing (using PowerPoint slides prompt) and introduce today’s session: “body”.

3.2 Activity 2: Teacher to outline how bodily health can affect mental health:

(a) Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on mental health. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. You don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.

(i) Sharper memory and thinking. Exercise releases chemicals in our brains, which we call “Happy Hormones”. Endorphins are a type of happy hormone that are released in our brains when we get moving. These make us feel better and boost our mood overall, but they also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells!

(ii) More energy. Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more energy and get-up-and-go day to day. Even just a few minutes of exercise per day can make all the difference e.g., a speedy walk, even on those days that you don’t have PE.

(iii) Stronger resilience. When faced with mental or emotional challenges in life, exercise can help you cope in a healthy way, instead of resorting to negative behaviours that ultimately only make you feel worse, like eating junk food. Regular exercise can also help boost your immune system (our immune system is how our bodies help fight off sickness) and reduce the impact of stress.

3.3 Activity 3: Teacher to lead Yoga Q&A

(a) What is yoga?

(i) Yoga is a philosophy that started in India thousands of years ago. Yoga encourages the connection between your mind, body and your breath. Yoga practice usually focuses on a series of postures (or body positions) that are designed to increase your strength and flexibility, whilst also focusing on your breathing.

(b) What does the word “yoga” mean?

(i) Yoga means “union” or “to come together / togetherness”. This is understood differently by different people. Often, it is considered that yoga involves practicing the “togetherness” of the mind and body.

(c) Is yoga different to other types of exercise?

(i) Of course, the physical aspects of yoga can have a similar effect to other forms of exercise. It might increase your strength, flexibility and fitness. However, yoga also involves a real focus on your mind and people often think it is different because it demands a real connection between the movement of the body, with your thoughts and your breathing.

(ii) Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to understand how we are feeling. Yoga might help to you to notice patterns of thinking without labelling them, judging them, or trying to change them.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 4: BODY

3.4 Activity 4: Yoga activity

(a) Teacher to talk through and get students to try a few basic yoga poses, using the PowerPoint slides for illustration.

(i) Cobra pose: come to sit at the front of your chair. Open up your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together and look up. Now bring your hands to the back of your chair, arching your back into a little bend. Take a few deep breaths and come back to a neutral seated position.

(ii) Crescent Moon pose: sit comfortably on your chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Reach your arms up high over your head, bringing your palms together. Tilt your upper body to the left, reaching your hands to the left, and take two deep breaths. Come back to the centre. Repeat on the right-hand side.

(iii) Cat pose: sit comfortably on your chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Slowly round your back and tuck your chin into your chest, feeling a small stretch down the back of your neck. Come back to an upright seated positon and repeat.

(iv) Boat pose: push your chair back from the table a little and slowly lift your legs up so you are balancing on your bum. Pop your

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 3: BODY

Key words/phrases:

· Mindfulness

· Stress

· Meditation

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Lesson4: FOOD



· learn how healthy eating can have a positive effect on mental health;

· consider some of the foods that can benefit mental health; and

· improve their understanding of creating a balanced meal with mental health in mind e.g., a school lunch.


1. Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “food”.

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Food and mental health quiz 2:00 - 12:00 Q&A worksheet (guidebook)

3. Students to switch quizzes and mark one another’s answers

12:00-18:00 Q&A worksheet (guidebook)

4. Explanation of food groups and what might be good to include in a packed lunch

18:00-23:00 N/A

5. Students to create a balanced meal 23:00-30:00 Lunchbox worksheet

(guidebook)

4.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “food”.

4.2 Activities 2 (taking quiz independently) and 3 (marking one another’s quizzes): Food and mental health quiz:

(a) Improving your diet may help to:

(i) improve your mood;

(ii) give you more energy; or

(iii) help you think more clearly.

(A) ANSWER: all of the above.

(b) If your blood sugar drops, you might feel:

(i) calm and collected;

(ii) tired and irritable; or

(iii) elated and energised.

(A) ANSWER: (ii) tired and irritable. Explanation: a drop in blood sugar can make you feel tired and irritable, as well as weak and confused. A good way to stay on top of this is to try and include slow release energy foods, such as wholegrains, in each meal.

(c) How much water should you drink a day:

(i) 1 glass;

(ii) 6-8 glasses; or

(iii) 4 glass.

(A) ANSWER: (ii) 6-8 glasses. Explanation: On average, water makes up around 60% of the body, and is essential for all of the body’s core functions… that includes the brain! Losing as little as 2.5% of your body’s water content – roughly 2 glasses worth – can have a big impact on the ability of your brain and your body to function properly.

(d) Protein can help you regulate your thoughts and feelings. True or false?

(A) ANSWER: True. Explanation: protein can help to slow the release of the energy from the carbohydrates that you eat, and increase certain “happy chemicals” in your body, such as dopamine.

(e) Fatty foods are bad for you. True or false?

(A) ANSWER: False. Explanation: Fat is a very important nutrient, required for the absorption of certain vitamins and essential for some of the brain’s functions, like good memory! Although, it is best to keep saturated fats low (e.g., found in some dairy products and fatty meats) and include foods with unsaturated fats in your diet, like eggs, avocado, nuts, seeds and fish oils.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 4: FOOD

4.4 Activity 4: Explanation of food groups and what might be good to include in a packed lunch

(a) Protein: protein is one of the three “macronutrients” (a “macronutrient” means a type of food that is required in large amounts in the diet”) – the others are carbohydrates, and fat. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues, so it is an important building block of bones, muscles and skin (amongst other things). It is also an important source of energy. Examples of foods containing protein include fish, meat, nuts, dairy products, tofu, eggs and beans.

(b) Carbohydrates: carbohydrates are also a macronutrient, meaning they are one of the three main ways the body obtains energy. Carbohydrates are a good source of energy, providing fuel for the central nervous system. They are important for brain function and can influence mood and memory. Examples of foods containing carbohydrates are rice, quinoa, bread, oats, bananas and sweet potatoes.

(c) Fats: fats are the third and final macronutrient. Fats are a source of energy and are essential for growth development and cell functions. Fats also help your body absorb some nutrients and to produce important hormones. Examples of foods containing fats include nuts, eggs, cheese, avocados, peanut butter and yogurt.

(d) Vitamins and Minerals: vitamins and minerals perform hundreds of roles within our bodies – they help to shore up bones, heal wounds and bolster your immune system. They also help convert food into energy. To name a few:

(i) B Vitamins - these are particularly linked to mood, as low levels can lead to depression and tiredness. They can be found in wholegrains, fish, seafood, meat, eggs, dairy products, beans, peas and leafy greens.

(ii) Vitamin D - low levels of this vitamin have been linked with low mood. Egg yolks and yoghurt naturally contain vitamin D and some cereals and milk have extra vitamin D added. Sunlight also has an important role to play but be sure to protect your skin by wearing sun cream and staying in the shade during the hottest parts of the day.

(iii) Iron - symptoms of not getting enough iron include tiredness, feeling easily annoying and having trouble concentrating. This is particularly important for vegetarians and vegans as plant based foods naturally contain less iron that meat. Good sources include meat (especially liver), cereals, soya beans, nuts, chickpeas, lentils, spinach, broccoli, apricots and raisins.

(iv) Zinc – a lack of zinc has been linked with anxiety and low mood and again can particularly be lacking in vegetarian and vegan diets. Meat, shellfish, dairy and eggs all contain good levels of zinc but it can also be found in cereals, peas, beans, lentils, sesame seeds, pomegranate and avocado.

(e) Water: water has many crucial roles in the body, for instance, it carries nutrients to your cells and keeps organs functioning properly and regulates body temperature. Being well hydrated can improve sleep quality and mood. How much water you need to drink every day will vary depending on things like how much activity you do and the weather, but as a general rule, try to drink around 6-8 glasses per day.

4.5 Activity 5: Students to complete lunchbox worksheet

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 4: FOOD

Key words: · Healthy eating · Balanced diet · Blood sugar · Protein · Carbohydrates · Dopamine

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Lesson 5: The Arts



· understand how creative activities can improve mental health; and

· think about creative activities that they would like to do in the future to help improve mood.


1. Teacher to reiterate the five pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “art”

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Teacher to explain: a) how creativity can improve mental wellbeing; and b) explain further the link between mindfulness and drawing (referring back to “Mind” lesson 2)

2:00 - 12:00 N/A

3. Students to share their favourite creative activity with a partner and say what they like about it

12:00-15:00 N/A

4. Mindful drawing 18:00-26:00 Mindfulness drawing worksheets (guidebook)

5. Teacher to introduce next topic (sleep) and pairs of students to generate a question that they have for the next topic

26:00-30:00 N/A

5.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the five pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “art”.

5.2 Activity 2:

(a) Teacher to explain how being creative can improve mental wellbeing.

(i) Research has proven that engaging in creative behaviours (even just colouring in) improves brain function, mental health, and physical health. So how can playing music or doodling make you healthy? It can make you happier and improve your ability to focus more generally.

(ii) How does it increase happiness? Doing something creative can help you get into a state of “flow” – this is the feeling when you’re completely absorbed in something. Have you ever been working on a project and completely lost all sense of self and time? That’s flow. It reduces anxiety, boosts your mood, and even slows your heart rate

(iii) Repetitive creative motions like knitting, drawing, or writing help activate flow, and are all tasks that create a result. And when you succeed at creating a result, no matter what it is, your brain is flooded with dopamine, that feel-good chemical that actually helps motivate you.

(iv) Studies show that people who play instruments have better connectivity between their left and right brains. The left brain is responsible for the motor functions, while the right brain focuses on melody. When the two hemispheres of your brain communicate with each other, your brain function improves.

(b) Teacher to explain the link between drawing and mindfulness.

(i) You learned about mindfulness in lesson 2, and we spoke about various definitions of “mindfulness”, including: “the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm.” (Cambridge Dictionary).

(ii) Drawing can be a very helpful “mindful” and mental wellbeing boosting activity. Some reasons for this include:

(A) Drawing is similar to meditating, but because you’re producing something visible, some people find it easier that meditation itself. Sitting down to meditate can be quite daunting, but drawing and doodling takes that pressure off.

(B) Drawing is a creative activity, and problem-solving is a part of creativity. Drawing can help us understand that there are multiple ways of doing something and various solutions to potential problems. Perhaps you can transfer those problem-solving skills into other areas of your life and school work.

(C) Drawing can help you to understand how you are feeling. It is a method of connecting with your current emotional state and mood, and creating something on a page that resembles how you are feeling in the present moment.

5.3 Activity 3: Students to share their favourite creative activity with a partner and say what they like about it.

5.4 Activity 4: Students to complete mindfulness drawing worksheet.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 5: THE ARTS

Key words/phrases:

· Mindfulness · Creativity · MeditatioN

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Lesson 6: SLEEPLearning Objectives:


· understand that sleep can impact our mental health;

· learn what it means to have good quality sleep and how much sleep is ideal and

· consider various methods to improve quality and quantity of sleep.


1. Teacher to reiterate the four pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “sleep”

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Fill in the missing word! Teacher to show students three sentences with missing words, and ask students to fill in the gaps

2:00 - 12:00 Fill in the missing word!’ worksheet (guidebook)

3. Teacher to explain different ways to improve your sleep routine.

12:00-15:00 N/A

4. Students to create sleep action plan 18:00-26:00 Sleep action plan worksheet

(guidebook)

6.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the five pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “sleep”.

6.2 Activity 2: Filling in the missing word!

(a) At age 10, it is recommended that you get around _____ hours of sleep each night

(A) ANSWER: 10

(b) The average person spends ______ days of their lifetime asleep

(A) ANSWER: 9,582

(c) A good night’s sleep can improve a person’s _______, ________, and ________.

(A) ANSWER: mood, memory and health.

6.3 Activity 3: Teacher to explain how to improve your sleep routine:

(a) Sleep is as important to our health as eating, drinking and breathing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to collect our memories and process information. Getting a good night's sleep will help your brain grow and help you be more productive during the day. Below are a few tips for getting the most from your sleep.

(b) Check noise and light in your bedroom: A quiet, dimly lit space is important for a good night's sleep. Check whether your bedroom is too light or noisy. Blue light from televisions, computer screens, phones and tablets might suppress melatonin levels (the hormone that makes us tired) and delay sleepiness. It probably helps to turn these off at least one hour before bedtime and to keep those screens out of your bedroom.

(c) Keep regular sleep and wake times: Make sure the time you go to bed and wake up at similar times. This helps to keep your body clock in a regular pattern. It’s a good idea for weekends and holidays, as well as school days.

(d) Set up a bedtime routine: It’s important to create a routine of things you do before you go to sleep. You could have a warm bubbly bath or brush your teeth with your eyes closed, read for twenty minutes. Whatever it is, try to keep it consistent every night, and this will help in preparing your brain for a restful night.

(e) Relax before bedtime: Try to find ways to relax before you go to bed. Maybe you might like to wind down by reading a book, listening to gentle music or practising our breathing exercise. Try winding down half an hour before your bedtime, and you'll be set to nod off in no time.

6.4 Activity 4: Sleep action plan worksheet:

(a) Students to fill this in based on the information learned in the lesson so far.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 6: SLEEP

Key words/phrases:

· Sleep quality

· Environment

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Lesson 7: MIND NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSION


In this lesson, students will: · understand the nature of negative thoughts and improve their ability to spot negative thinking and

· revisit the tools/factors/people in their lives at present that they would consider as positive contributors to their Happy Space.


1. Teacher to reiterate the five pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “mind” – mind was also the focus of lesson 2

0:00-2:00 N/A

2. Negative thinking part 1 2:00 - 10:00 Negative thinking worksheet (guidebook)

3. Negative thinking part 2 10:00 - 20:00 Negative thinking worksheet (guidebook)

4. Students to complete ‘Your own Happy Space’ worksheet 20:00 - 30:00

“Your own Happy Space” worksheet (guidebook)

7.1 Activity 1: Teacher to reiterate the five pillars of mental wellbeing and introduce today’s session as a focus on “mind” – mind was also the focus of lesson 2

7.2 Activitiy 2: Negative Thinking worksheet

7.3 Activity 3: Negative Thinking Part 2

(a) Explain to students that they should look back at their answers, and ask themselves:

(i) How realistic are these thoughts?

(ii) Is there a different way to see the situation?

(iii) How would someone outside the situation see it?

(iv) Would I see it in the same way if I was in a better mood?

(v) Is it helpful to see the situation in this way?

(vi) What positive self-talk can I use instead?

(b) In relation to “jumping to conclusions”, provide the “challenging and changing” example: My friend is probably late because he is so busy. I am glad he is here now so we can hang out! Now ask students to do the same with their own examples.

7.4 Activity 4: Students to complete “Your own Happy Space” worksheet, and compare these to the same worksheet they completed in lesson 1.

HAPPY SPACE LESSON PLAN – TEACHING GUIDE LESSON 7: NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSION

Key words/phrases:

· Catastrophising

· Magnifying

· Minimising

· Labelling

· Gratitude

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SCHEDULE 1: KEY WORDS/PHRASES

Happy Space has broken down some of the key words/phrases identified in each of the lessons, and tried to provide a student friendly, age appropriate definition to assist discussion.

Balanced Diet: To get a balanced diet, we need to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods from all the different food groups. These groups include fruits and vegetables, wholegrains (these are found in things like brown rice and whole grain bread or pasta), beans and lentils, meat and fish, and nuts and seeds. Eating some of all of these different types of foods will help to give you all of the nutrients (things like Vitamin C and Vitamin D, and Calcium and Iron) that you need to grow, be healthy and feel good.

Catastrophising: when we think a situation is as bad as it could possibly be i.e., imagining the worst possible outcome of an action or event and believing that that will happen e.g., I have had one bad night of sleep and that means I will never sleep well again.

Creativity: the use of imagination and your own ideas to create something.

Discrimination: unfair treatment towards one person or a group of people. Usually, the unfair treatment is because of someone’s race, gender or religion. “Racism” for instance, is discrimination on the basis of race. The unfair treatment may also be because someone has a mental illness e.g., “I don’t want people with mental illness around me; therefore, I discriminate against them by not being friends with them”

Environment: the surroundings or conditions in which a person exists. The environment at school includes the physical things, like where you sit and where you play and also other people and the atmosphere surrounding you all. So, your school “environment” includes your “physical” environment as well as the “emotional” environment around you i.e., how you feel when you are there. restrictive (or limiting). We are talking about when we label ourselves or others because of one specific circumstance without taking other factors or examples into consideration.

Gratitude: is feeling thankful and appreciative for what you receive in life. (Feeling and expressing gratitude for even the smallest things can help enhance positive emotions, like joy, love and contentedness and help reduce negative emotions).

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Happy Hormones: hormones are chemicals produced in your body that travel around in your blood and tell your body to do certain things. One of the things these happy hormones tell your body to do is regulating your mood. Happy hormones include dopamine (which is the feel good hormone that is released when something pleasurable happens), and endorphins (which are released when exercising)

Healthy eating: means eating a variety of different foods, so that you get the nutrients and vitamins you need to grow, be healthy and feel good. It’s also about having a positive relationship with food.

Labelling: is assigning something to a category, or giving something a description or a name, especially when this is inaccurate or restrictive (or limiting). We are talking about when we label ourselves or others because of one specific circumstance without taking other factors or examples into consideration.

Magnifying: focusing on the positive aspects of others to the extent that they appear better than they actually are. Imagine using a magnifying glass to zoom in closely to only the good things so that they seem larger than they are in real life.

Meditation: A technique that you can practice which helps you to focus your mind and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state of mind. Traditional meditation involves sitting still and focussing on breathing. You focus your mind on your breath coming in and going out, and whenever your thoughts wonder to something else you try to let those thoughts go and bring your attention back to your breathing. (It’s quite hard at first, that is why it needs practice.)

Mental Health: Mental health is the emotional and spiritual resilience that enables us to enjoy life and survive or overcome pain, disappointment, and sadness. It is a positive sense of wellbeing and an underlying belief in our own and other’s self-worth. We all have mental health just like we all have physical health. People with mental illness also have mental health, just as people with a physical illness also have physical well-being.

Mental Health Problems: Mental health problems refer to the more common struggles and adjustment difficulties that affect everybody from time to time. These problems tend to happen when people are going through difficult times in life, such as a relationship ending, the death of someone close, conflict in relations with family or friends, or stresses at home, school or work. Feeling stressed or having the blues is a normal response to the psychological or social challenges most people encounter at some time or another. Mental health problems are usually short-term reactions to a particular stressor, such as a loss, painful event, or illness.

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Mental Illness: Mental illness is a term that describes a variety of psychiatric problems (meaning problems that impact their emotions, their thoughts or their behaviour) that vary in how severe they are and how long they last. Mental illnesses include Anxiety, Mood, Eating, and Psychotic Disorders. Mental illnesses are diagnosable conditions (meaning doctors can help to identify them), that require medical treatment as well as other supports.

Mindfulness: noticing what is happening right now. Mindfulness means paying full attention to something e.g., how you are feeling in this moment. It means slowing down to really notice what you're doing, like how quickly your heart is beating, or how fast you are breathing. Being mindful is the opposite of rushing or multitasking.

Minimising: focusing on the negatives of yourself in comparison to others, usually to the extent that good things seem much smaller and the negatives appear much worse than they actually are.

Prejudice: judging someone or forming an opinion about someone without actually knowing anything about them and/or before considering the facts that you do know. Prejudice can often mean agreeing with the stereotypes e.g., “I think people with mental illness are dangerous.”

Resilience: Resilience is our ability to overcome setbacks, to cope when bad things that happen and to overcome feelings of pain, disappointment or sadness.

Sleep quality: Sleep quality is about how well you sleep, rather than how long you sleep. Indicators of good sleep quality include falling asleep quickly (ideally within 15-20 minutes), staying asleep (ideally only waking up once during the night) and spending most of the time you are in bed asleep rather than awake.

Stereotype: a category or a group that we put people in. Often this is based on an idea or a belief we have about someone based on limited information or on how someone looks e.g., “All people with mental illness are dangerous.”

Stigma: a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair.

Stress: stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can change your mood e.g., feeling tearful or having a racing heart and make your body feel bad e.g., like feeling sick or not being able to sleep.

Who’s got mental health? Everyone – we all have mental health just like we all have physical health. People with mental illness also have mental health, just as people with a physical illness also have physical well-being. Mental Illness Mental illness is a term that describes a variety of psychiatric (emotional , thinking and behavioural) problems that vary in intensity and duration, and may recur from time to time. Major mental illnesses include Anxiety, Mood, Eating, and Psychotic Disorders. Mental illnesses are diagnosable conditions that require medical treatment as well as other supports.

Yoga: Yoga is a spiritual and physical discipline, originally from India. It focuses on a series of postures or body positions that are designed to increase your strength and flexibility, while also focusing on your breathing.

Lesson plan & teaching guide€¦ · Lesson 1: Finding your Happy Space Learning Objectives: In this lesson, students will: · become familiar with the terms “mental health” and

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