5 Things That Might Help Your Mental Health in School

Managing your mental health in school can be tough! There’s so many factors, from people being constantly around you, to having to fit into the timetable and squeezing in self-care between the rings of the bell. And while we love making suggestions to help manage your mental health like playing drums, sometimes you’re just not in the right setting to razz a drum kit when you’re feeling low.

So here’s 5 things that might help you manage your mental health, while you’re in school.

Scribble on a page

Take a piece of paper, or a page in a notebook (and no, not a text book, a notebook) and just scribble on it. Doesn’t matter about the pattern; doesn’t matter how it looks. The point is to try and cover the page entirely in scribbles, until it’s totally black. This can help you vent those feelings of anger or frustration. But it can also help keep your hands busy, without needing a bunch of brainpower. Handy.

Try something new

Join a club! Try a sport! Learn an instrument! New experiences can seem scary. But they can also help distract us from negative feelings. Fun fact! Your comfort zone grows and changes all the time. So something that feels weird and scary the first time you try it, will become super easy and normal after a few goes. You just gotta stick with it!

Be creative

Try expressing yourself through music, art, writing, or something else! Getting creative can feel like a real release for how you’re feeling. It can also be a way for you to be heard without actually having to talk out loud. Chances are you’re already doing a bunch of these activities in school already, so this is your sign to use them as a chance to actually express yourself through these creative means, rather than just doing them cuz your teacher’s making you.

Talk about it!

Talking about your mental health – especially in school – can feel tough. But there are legit so many people on your side, who want to – and can! – help you through whatever it is you’re facing. Whether it’s your pals around you, teachers, school counsellors, or even the school nurse. These folks want the very best for you. And sometimes just talking about what you’re going through can help you see your problems from a fresh perspective.

Grounding 54321

This is one of our favourite coping techniques. Grounding 54321 works in school, or when you’re out and about, even if you’re on the bus on the way to school. This bad boy will work wherever you are. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, try to notice:

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

This is such a simple exercise, but it can help to calm you down, and feel more present in the moment.

Do you have something else that helps your mental health in school?

Let us know! We wanna hear from you with your ideas of stuff that helps you cope with life while you’re in school. The more ideas we get, the more ideas we can share, to try and help as many people as possible! So get in touch, drop us a DM on Instagram or send us an email!

Do you support young people’s mental health in school?

You need one of our free school resource packs! In each pack, you’ll find a poster with these 5 tips on, plus other posters for your classroom and staff room, flyers, and interactive elements. We’d love to send one out to you. Just get in touch!

If you want to help support Heads Above The Waves

Then please grab some of our merch with a message! It’s quality streetwear that supports our work & message. So you get to look sweet while helping do good stuff in the world. Check it out!