Positive Affirmations

Using positive statements can help us develop a new attitude to ourselves and our situations.

Choose an affirmation from the list below (or make your own!) and repeat this affirmation to yourself throughout the day. Repeating this statement every day can go a long way to creating positive thoughts about yourself. You might want to make or print out a card with your affirmation and carry it with you. For positive affirmations to work, you must use them whenever you notice you have that negative thought – immediately turn it around by using your affirmation.

I am enough.

I am capable of so much.

I always do my best.

I can achieve anything I want to achieve.

I accept myself as a unique and worthwhile person.

I am loved.

I am resilient.

I learn from my mistakes and continue to move forward and grow from them.

Today is going to be a good day! I choose to be happy.

Today I will be kind to myself and to others.

I can accept help from others, it does not make me weak. I am brave.

Self-Help Worksheets

In times of crisis and increased stress, it is very common for people to become low in mood. Even when you feel like things are tough, there is still a lot you can do to feel better about your current situation and the future. These self-help and information worksheets will help you to focus on maintaining good mental health.

Happiness Action Pack

Provided by Action for Happiness, this booklet can be used to take a moment to stop and reflect on what you find happiness in.

Gratitude Journal

A daily journal with 3 questions a day asking what you are grateful for. This will help you to shift your focus to the positives in your day as opposed to the negatives which can sometimes weigh heavy in our minds.

Unhelpful Thinking Styles

Having unhelpful thoughts are something we all experience. This worksheet will give you examples and explanations of thinking styles. Once you can identify your unhelpful thinking styles, you can start to notice them. Once you begin to notice them, it can help you to challenge or distance yourself from those thoughts, and see the situation in a different and more helpful way.

Challenging Anxious Thoughts

Anxiety is a healthy emotion. It forces us to focus on problems and work hard to solve them. But sometimes anxiety can grow out of control and can have the opposite effect. This worksheet will help you to catch irrational thoughts and replace them with rational alternatives.

Worry - What could happen vs what will happen

When you are worried about something it is easy to imagine the worst case scenario. This worksheet asks what your worry is and then gives you questions to help give an alternative way of thinking to that worry.

Thoughts, Feelings, Actions

Everyone has problems, both big and small. To better solve your problems, it helps to learn how your thoughts, feelings and actions are connected.

Wellbeing Toolkits

Self-Soothe Box

This is a box you can make that contains things that ground you, make you feel more relaxed and reduce symptoms of panic, anxiety or low mood. Helpful instructions on how to create a self-soothe box have been provided by YoungMinds.

Compassionate Kit Bag

A Compassionate Kit Bag is a place to put reminders for your compassionate self, so you can use your resources to nourish you along life’s journey.

Childline Toolbox

Take your mind off things with games, advice from videos or find new ways to handle your emotions.

Solent Mind Sleep Toolkit

Getting a good nights sleep is important for keeping our body and mind healthy. Solent Mind have created a toolkit to help you identify what may be causing issues with your sleep and tips on how to get a better nights sleep.

Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens

“Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life for Teens” brings essential skills to teenagers using positive psychology and develops emotional intelligence for moving past limiting behaviour and self-doubt. This engaging book helps readers come to see their values and dreams clearly and take steps to live by them and make them happen. By learning that not all thoughts and feelings need to be translated into actions and that value based choices can be made, teens learn to see their lives in the long term and gain self-control and emotion regulation skills that will serve them well as they move into adulthood. A great read for both teenagers and parents alike.

NHS - The Little Blue Book of Sunshine

In these uncertain and challenging times, looking after our mental health has never been so important. Good mental health allows us to cope with life’s ups and downs, to feel in control of our lives and to ask for help from others when we need support.

If school is rubbish, you’re trying to figure out who you are and parents are stressing you out… then why wouldn’t you feel down on the world? But that’s not great if it means you feel bad about yourself, lose confidence or can’t bounce back.

The #littlebluebookofsunshine explains some of the things you can do right now to feel better, or who to turn to if things feel too much.

Physical Wellbeing

Our physical wellbeing can have a profoundly positive impact on our mental wellbeing. By ensuring we stay active and eat well, we can help ourselves to relieve stress, improve memory, get better sleep, and boost overall mood.

NHS - Walking for Health

Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.

Change4Life

Make a change today with Change4Life. This website contains lots of useful information on nutrition, recipes and making healthier choices when it comes to food.

Ramblers - Walk Finder

Use this interactive map to find walks and routes in your local area.

Mind - 5 Ways to Feel Better

Joe Wicks Daily Workout

British Heart Foundation - 10 Minute Living Room Workout

Staff Support

The links and resources in this section are aimed primarily at teaching and support staff, but please feel free to browse through - you may find something useful no matter your occupation or situation!

Hampshire - Employee Assistance Programme

Access to the free, confidential and impartial Employee Support service for teaching and support staff, provided by Health Assured.

Education Support - Telephone support & counselling

UK-wide: 08000 562 561 day or night 
Txt: 07909 341229 (answered within 24 hours)

The Education Support helpline is free and available to all serving and retired teachers, lecturers and staff in education (primary, secondary, further or higher education) in England, Wales and Scotland 24/7, 365 days a year

Burnout - Recognising the signs

Click the link above to read more about recognising the signs of burnout.

Taking Care of Teachers

A place to find the resources and tools for creating a school culture that prioritises the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and all staff.

Stress Tips for Teachers

Education Support’s Director of Programmes, Faye McGuinness and teacher, author and blogger Mrs Humanities share their insights on how stress impacts on teachers and education staff and offer practical strategies to help you manage stress.