These weekly newsletters will help you to support families, children and young people during the Coronavirus period with opportunities to follow the 5 Ways for Wellbeing:
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Keep learning
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Connect
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Take notice
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Give
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Be active
Through this period of change and difference, when we are all asked to stay alert to the coronavirus, we are supporting this by, sending out bulletins to help everyone stay Healthy, Happy and Safe.
Each Bulletin will focus on 1 of the the 5 ways to wellbeing and is linked with our partner website
https://www.healthysomerset.co.uk/covid-19/
Please click on the blue links below to access this bulletins items
Advice & Tips
Evidence tells us that lifestyle habits such as good levels of basic nutrition, sleep and activity have a direct impact on mood and our ability to cope and be resilient to stress.
Physical activity allows children to have a better outlook on life by building confidence, managing anxiety and depression, and increasing self-esteem and cognitive skills.
See below, Chief Medical Officer's UK physical activity guidelines which details advised physical activity needed and health benefits for children.
SASP active times poster 5 - 18 yrs
SASP active times poster birth - 5 yrs
To help us get active we need to be aware of our food choices and how these affect our mood. Watch this video to find out more.
Sleep Hygiene - Get more and Better sleep and help boost your wellbeing
Mental Wellbeing Lifehacks for coping with Covid-19 No 8: Branch out creatively
Finding time to do activities that you enjoy such as art, poetry or movement, can really help you get more out of life and think less about your problems. Doing these activities is NOT time-wasting as they are an important part of keeping your life in balance. Allow yourself time to create new things or maybe trying to develop a new skill? Crochet? Guitar? Cartooning? Origami? Yoga?
No 9: Go unplugged
Set aside time each day to take a break from technology. How will you use that time to do something that nurtures you? A nature walk? Reading? A board game? Bath and pamper session? Take opportunity and appreciate spending time with your family and pets at home.
For more information on Mental Wellbeing Lifehacks for coping with Covid-19 Click Here
Activities and Ideas
Physical activity is a great way to connect with others during Covid-19. We also know that getting outside and engaging in nature is calming and helps us de-stress.
Somerset Outdoor Curriculum has been launched to support the continued re-opening of schools and is good for families too:
There are many benefits to being in an outdoor environment and with many schools extending their provision the Outdoor Learning Curriculum has been developed to support schools to utilise their outdoor spaces (which on average makes up 70% of school’s available footprint for learning) In the current situation this curriculum enables:
- Chance for young people to spread out
- Enjoy the widely researched and documented health and wellbeing benefits of being in outdoor spaces and closer to nature
- Be more active, enhancing pupil learning
- Create opportunities for reconnection and bonding
- Support staff wellbeing
Outdoor Learning Top Tips resources are available Here
Take a look at the SASP Inclusive Sports Facebook page.
SASP put out daily posts including information on resources as well as challenges and live sessions which they deliver themselves!
The Full of Beans activity plans have been designed for families to use at home with minimal equipment to keep families physically active. Here's one for you to try I'm an adult get me out of here!
More Full of Beans activities can be found on the SASP website Here
Physical Activity & Play
Physical Activity and play are fundamental to children’s physical and
emotional development and are key components of the Healthy Child Programme,
Foundation Stage Profile and the National Curriculum.
Children that are physically active and have regular outdoor play experiences are likely to:
- Have increased energy levels
- Have improved muscle strength
- Be able to maintain a healthy weight
- Have improved brain function
- Have a better outlook on life
- Sleep better
- Be able to handle physical and emotional challenges
Take a look at our website which includes Play England, gardening and forest school activities: Here
SUGAR SMART is a campaign by food charity Sustain and Jamie Oliver helping local areas across the UK to tackle excessive sugar consumption.
Anyone can sign up to be SUGAR SMART at www.sugarsmartuk.org
Once you have signed up you will be able to access lots of useful resources to help support your SUGAR SMART campaign.
Click here to find out more information on sugar, the maximum daily recommended amounts for children and adults, and lots of sugar swap tips.
For more ideas we have put together to help get you started, click Here
Weblinks and Apps 
Lifestyle behaviours
How well we eat, how much sleep we get and how active we are can really impact on our mood, ability to cope and function in everyday life.
Find out more about Sleep Hygiene on our website Here
Physical activity and mental health
‘Research has shown that physical activity releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good - boosting your self-esteem, helping you concentrate as well as sleep, look and feel better. Not bad for something we can quite easily do for free!’
Listen to the Podcast Here
Easy ways to eat well and move more
Most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up over a third of the food we eat each day. Take at look at the Change 4 Life website for simple recipe and activity ideas
Somerset Libraries have created Wellbeing video resources linked to the Five Ways to Wellbeing.
This 'Be Active' video, guides you through a range of websites and resources such as online magazines which can support you with Being Active
Mindful opportunities
Being physically active helps to lift our mood. Try Mindfulness activities to help you bring a mindful approach to being active.
Introduction to Mindfulness for the whole Family
Friday 5th June 2-3.30pm ENROLMENT CLOSED
NEW DATE- 19th June 2-3:30pm
Join Mind In Somerset for an introduction into mindfulness in a way that is engaging, entertaining and persuasive. The session will enable all participants to have a taste of mindfulness practice and identify ways in which they can implement these practices into the home.
For full webpage please click Here
For more information or to book your space please email:
5 Ways to get moving reminds us to be kind to ourselves whilst being active - an important attitude of mindfulness
