What is Children’s Mental Health Week?

The first ever Children’s Mental Health Week was launched by Place2Be in 2015 to highlight the importance of children and young people’s mental health. This year’s theme is Express Yourself.

Expressing yourself for Mental Health

Talking about mental health is important this year more than ever. Expressing yourself is about finding creative ways to share your thoughts, feelings and ideas. There are so many ways to do this. Let’s take a look at a few ideas:

1 – Dancing

Whether you’re doing ballet, breakdancing or learning the latest TikTok routine, dancing is a great way to express yourself. Experimenting with different styles of dance can be really fun and being physically active is also a great way to be healthy.

2 – Photography

Taking pictures of things is a great way to keep memories and also learn a new skill. You can use a camera, or a portable device such as a mobile phone or a tablet.

3 – Music

Exploring new artists and genres can help to work through your emotions by listening to both the lyrics and beat. Playing music via a musical instrument is aso fantastic skill that can help you to express yourself.

4 – Writing

Whether you’re writing a poem, story or in your diary, it’s a great way to get your feelings, thoughts and ideas down on paper.

5 – Art

Collaging, painting or colouring are relaxing and creative activities to help with your mental health.

“But I’m not good at creative things”

Remember that expressing yourself is about finding a way to show who you are, make you feel good and explore how you see the world. It’s important to remember that being able to express yourself is not about being the best at something. It’s okay if you don’t think that you’re very good at something – as long as you enjoy it. If you’d like to get better at something, remind yourself that practise makes progress!

I’m struggling with my mental health. What should I do?

If you’re worried about anything, or feeling fed up and need to talk, Meic is here to listen and offer advice – free and confidentially.

Meic is the helpline service for children and young people up to the age of 25 in Wales. Meic will listen even when nobody else will. They won’t judge you and will help by giving you information, useful advice and the support you need to make a change.

Contact Meic in English or Welsh – it’s up to you! They are open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. You can contact Meic by phone, text message or online chat. Meic is confidential and you don’t have to give your name. It is a free service for everyone.