06/10/2022

Keeping an eye on our Mental Health

The World Health Organization set World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2022.

This year’s theme, set by the World Federation for Mental Health is 'Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority'.

Barracudas Activity Day Camps actively promotes mental health and wellbeing both with children at camp and throughout the year with our staff.

Tips for parents

Mental health and wellbeing for our children isn't just a priority on specific days of the year.

There are lots of things we can do to support our child/ren’s mental health from low key, natural chats to spending time together or giving them space to be on their own.

Different things will work at different times for different children. Here are some tips from the NHS you may find useful:

Be there to listen to them

Regularly ask them how they feel so they get used to talking about their feelings. If you find they're struggling to talk to you, encourage them to speak to a close friend or relative.

Support them through difficulties

Sometimes children are affected by things we may not be aware of. This can lead to challenging behaviours. Keep an eye on their emotions and try to understand what they’re feeling and why.

Stay involved in their life

You don’t need to helicopter parent, but kids appreciate you showing an interest in their lives. This helps them to value themselves and also makes it easier for you to spot any potential problems.

Encourage their interests

If your child shows an interest in a particular activity, encourage them to explore this – it will help with their confidence and self-esteem.

Take what they say seriously

Listening to and valuing what they say, without judging, makes children feel valued. Think about how you can help them to work through their emotions in a constructive way.

Build positive routines

Encourage structure and regular routines. Work on healthy eating patterns and regular exercise. This, along with a good night's sleep has huge benefits.

Improving wellbeing at camp

Boosting kids confidence and keeping them active and engaged in the school holidays is what we do.

Our ACTIVE motto is all about promoting an active lifestyle with opportunities to develop. We offer a huge range of sessions that will always be fun, varied and designed to leave children feeling positive.

Barracudas is also a great environment for kids to make new friends and socialise with their peers. This has numerous positive effects, no matter how old you are!

Barracudas Head office

A happy and healthy team is important to Barracudas. When you think about how much of life is spent working, it makes sense to make sure it's the best experience we can have. We're committed to doing what we can to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our team.

Our ‘wellbeing walks’ are one of the ways we try to boost mental health. Each week our teams get the opportunity to get out in the fresh air for gentle exercise and a chance to catch up with each other.

We also receive regular weekly guides and tips with useful advice on how we, as individuals, can reduce stress and increase positivity. Wellbeing Wednesday and Feel Good Friday give us great access to practical advice we can put into practise

Barracudas HR portal also has a free app available for employees to download. From mood trackers, to 4 week plans and mini health checks. Again, it’s all based on the individual and can be used based on personal preference.

Looking for more useful resources? Take a look back at Stress management for children, Mental Health Week 2022, Health and wellbeing for kids, How to help your child’s mental health and Children’s mental health awareness week.