Cultivating Mental Health: Nurturing Practices for Well-Being
submitted by Zmira King
photos by David Seymour, teacher at LCCHS
Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to highlight the importance of promoting mental well-being in all of us. Understanding the key components of mental health can empower us to create nurturing practices and cultivate environments that promote growth and resilience. This is especially vital for children and youth as they move through critical stages of development.
It’s another typical day at LaSalle Community Comprehensive High School (LCCHS) where I usually begin my week. As I walk down the hall towards my office, I spot Lynn waiting outside the FSSTT room. I’ve known Lynn since she was in grade 4. She always struggled to regulate her emotions, get along with peers and manage her mood. When she started high school, she experienced difficulty adjusting to the new environment, making friends, and often missed school. There were serious concerns she would not return for grade 8. But more about Lynn later.
Lynn’s story is not uncommon. Across schools worldwide, more and more students are grappling with similar challenges. Why is there a rise in mental health problems in youth? The answer is complex and not yet clear-cut. However, what we do know with certainty is that there are necessary components for cultivating positive mental health. More importantly, by nurturing these elements we can foster well-being in kids like Lynn.
I tend to categorize these components into 4 broad areas: the ability to regulate emotions, have positive social connections, good coping skills and feeling that you matter.
Let’s look at each of these:
Emotional regulation refers to the ability to manage and express emotions in healthy ways. For kids, learning to identify emotions, handle them appropriately and tolerate discomfort is crucial for coping with everyday challenges and navigating social interactions. In fact, when things are hard or don’t go our way, tolerating unpleasant emotion rather than attempting to eliminate them is an important life skill at any age. It is also an essential skill for managing anxiety.
Strong and meaningful social connections provide emotional support, foster a sense of belonging, and promote a positive self-image. These connections are an important buffer when experiencing stress or adversity. Knowing that we have someone we can rely on to nurture us is essential for protecting our mental health in times of trouble.
Coping skills are strategies and techniques that we can use to manage stress, adversity, and life challenges effectively. They include problem-solving, learning to shift one’s mindset, relaxation techniques, seeking social support, a healthy lifestyle and engaging in enjoyable activities. Kids who are able to do these things tend to handle changes or demands better and are more self-reliant and independent; traits that are associated with better mental health.
Finally, feeling that you matter is one of the most essential aspects of well-being. It encompasses the sense of belongingness, having purpose and meaning, having value and giving value to others. Kids who feel that they matter, whether at home, school, or community tend to be more motivated, resilient, and fulfilled. To help kids feel that they matter and have a sense of purpose we must ensure that they experience some success, encourage them to explore interests, help them set goals, and engage in activities that align with their values and passions.
Now let’s get back to Lynn.
Lynn has made progress this year thanks to the Thrive program offered by FSSTT. This initiative supports students with difficulties by focusing on developing secure relationships between school, parents and community, offering them emotional support in a nurturing setting, helping them handle their frustrations and conflicts more effectively and providing them with academic support so they experience success. These interventions are directly in line with those mentioned as promoting positive mental heath. While Lynn still has a way to go, she has started to make new friends and feels more connected to the school and her teachers. Her attendance, behaviour and academic functioning are gradually improving, and she is showing progress in her ability to manage frustration.
This is just one example. There are many ways we can promote positive mental health, whether in school or at home. Ask yourself: How can I model good emotional coping skills? How can I empower my students to work through their challenges? What can I do to connect better or help promote friendships? How can I help this student find some success or feel that they are contributing in a meaningful way?
As we embark on Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s harness our collective efforts to make a difference in the lives of our students. By taking a moment to reflect on these questions and committing to action, we have the power to cultivate environments of understanding, resilience, and support. Let’s not underestimate the impact of small gestures.
For more on mental health:
