Young people aged over 13 years of age can find resources on this page to supporting different areas of your mental health, including coping under the pressures of exam season.

Coping under pressure

  • 10 stress busters – This NHS webpage advises you on 10 ways to deal with stress. It outlines 10 healthy coping mechanisms and directs you to audio guides to address unhelpful thinking and sleep problems.
  • Coping with stress – The royal college of psychiatrists give advice to young people on what stress is, what the effects can be, how to cope with it, when and where to get help and provide a case study for information.
  • A guide for accepting change – This booklet is for children to understand how to accept change and what kind of changes might happen in your life. It also includes techniques on how to handle change and who to go to for support.

Coping with exam pressure

  • Tips on preparing for exams– The NHS gives children and young people some advice on tips on how to prepare for exams and overcoming stress and anxiety. Here you can find revision tips, advice on how to handle exam days and a video from teenagers themselves about how to sit exams confidently.
  • Student stress: self-help tips – The NHS describes what stress might feel like for students, signs of stress, what problems it can cause eg. sleep / concentration / anxiety, and tips to help with stress. There is also a video in which a GP explains the mental effects stress can have and when to seek help.
  • Coping with uncertainty about school and exams – The Mix provide advice to children and young people on how to cope with uncertainty about school during this pandemic. This provides information on changing situations and how to stay on top of things, staying focused and how to revise/study at home.

Other support

Every Mind Matters

  • This Every Mind Matters webpage has information on how to look after your mental health, tips on working from home, how to sleep better and provide access to a ‘mind plan’ that is tailored to you.

Anna Freud – Advice on Self-care

  • Anna Freud is a national centre for children and families. This web page is dedicated to self-care and how children and young people can try to help themselves, and these strategies help to manage mental health and wellbeing. Some strategies include meditation, letting off steam, getting a job, distraction techniques, reading and many others.

Resilience, Mindful Living and Wellbeing for 14-25 year olds

  • Mindkit is a peer-led, mental health resilience programme, delivered by trained young volunteers who have personal experience of wellbeing/mental health issues. This site provides information on free wellbeing and mindful sessions for 14-25 year olds and extra services in your borough.

Mental health and self-care for young people

  • Every Mind Matters provides some self-care tips, videos, and ideas for young people. There is also important information on all the different ways to get further support for yourself or someone else.

How to cope with money during bereavement or illness

  • The Mix provide advice on how to cope with money issues when you are grieving. There is a guide from Experian telling you what you need to know and The Mix’s guide to borrowing money. There is information on bill and debts, sickness benefits and dealing with fraud.

Good Thinking

Good Thinking provides a range of resources for young people over 13 years old.

  1. Advice on Coronavirus & Mental Health – Good thinking is a digital mental wellbeing support for London. This section of the website provides mental health tips for children and young people, health and care professionals, older people, parents and carers and non-English speaking communities.
  2. General mental wellbeing advice for young people- Good Thinking provide information on what coronavirus is, what social distancing is and why it’s important, why schools may close, what to do about stress and sleep problems. There is also a list of 8 fun things to do and top tips on how to stay well.
  3. Advice on How to face uncertain times and focus on the positives – This Good Thinking webpage talks about 4 ways to face uncertainty during this (Covid-19) pandemic. It also advises on how to stay positive and what other resources there are to support you.
  4. How to stay mentally healthy at university – This Good Thinking webpage provides a toolkit for staying mentally healthy at University. Due to this pandemic, life has changed significantly, and this page provides you with top tips, information on anxiety, advice for if you are feeling down or stressed and links to podcasts and interviews.
  5. Good Thinking apps
    Be Mindful 

    Be Mindful is a free NHS approved online mindfulness course. It helps people to reduce stress levels, anxiety, and depression through mindfulness techniques.

    Meditainment

    Meditainment is a free app which provides lifetime access to an online library of 20 guided meditations. It allows the user to explore and reflect on a range of wellbeing topics.

    MyCognitionPro

    MyCognitionPro is a free NHS approved cognitive fitness and mental resilience programme to be used 15 minutes per day. It optimises your general mental wellbeing and supports you to manage your life. The app can be used on both iOS and Android devices.

    My Posssible Self

    My possible self is a free app that has been clinically proven to improve the mental health and wellbeing for people. You take a questionnaire to identify areas you may need help with, eg. stress/anxiety and the app will suggest modules and apps which help you tackle these issues. You can also track how you feel everyday with the app’s mood tracker!

    Tomo

    Tomo is a free app to support with anxiety, poor sleep and keeping on top of everyday tasks. Tomo’s personalised suggestions, prompts and feedback help you to identify positive habits and build achievable change over time.

    Apart of Me

    This game app is for young people who have lost a loved one. The app transports you to an island where you are given a guide to support your journey. As you move through the game you learn about grief and how to understand and accept all the emotions you will feel during this time. You can hear other people’s stories and generally feel safe and calm.

     

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Contact the CYP mental health team with any feedback or suggestions to add to this toolkit: hlp.cyp-programme@nhs.net.