Mind Health in Schools

The importance of Making ‘Brain Function Mind Health Study’ Top of The Curriculum in ALL Schools!

I have been asking why we are not making Brain and Mind Health study priority in our schools from primary age for decades.

More recently MHF (The Mental Health Foundation) launched its ‘Make it Count’ campaign.

The MHF report that 1 in 10 children aged 10 to 15 say they have no one to talk to OR wouldn’t talk to anyone in school if they feel worried or sad. This is the same proportion of children who have been diagnosed as having Mental Health Problems. In my experience there are many others who slip through the net unnoticed too.

Research via MHF shows that 50% of mental health problems are established by the age of 14 and 75% are established by the age of 24.

Young people in the UK and so called ‘developed world’ are dealing with high levels of mind stress. This is mainly due to the pressure to succeed, body image and exams. MHF state that we need experts in schools to give children support they need; I would go further and open the school expert to teachers and parents.

Creating a healthy mind is a skill that we all have the ability and power to learn, if we don’t our mind will control us in possibly (very likely) negative ways, especially during the tough times in our lives Life throws us all curved balls and some people cope and overcome these times, and many do not! We know that if children are taught how the brain functions and how to control their minds they will have far more advanced coping skills, their physical health will benefit because they will feel calm, in control and make healthier, considered decisions and choices because they will know how to get out of the fight, freeze or flight mode that is the part of our very old reptilian brain, that serves us when we are in danger, but does not serve us if it stays consistently actioned, because the hormones it releases in the brain to keep us on high alert (adrenalin and cortisol to name two) causes us damage long term, not only in our mind and brain but physically in our bodies too. Mind health learning will help children and adults develop increased compassion, empathy, security, communication skills, resolve/ solution skills, self-esteem and confidence, which will in turn help with the mind open up to effective learning and study with more positive behaviours, creating healthy environments. So, what do we have to lose?

The MHF say that ‘until we ensure every child from primary school age receives an education with mind health at its heart, then more and more children will suffer’! This will of course drain resources because as children increase in age, they will be in stress pain which will result in an unhealthy body with various diseases. You see our thoughts we attach to become our beliefs, these beliefs will trigger chemicals in the brain that effect the mind and body at a cellular level, depending on the thoughts/beliefs we choose (and we do have a choice)! this is what we must teach. If you don’t realise you have a choice of the thoughts you think and haven’t learned the skills to change any damaging thoughts/belief habits, then you could become sick which includes depression and possibly suicide! This is serious and so important.

• It wouldn’t cost very much financially to have an expert go into schools to train the teachers in basic mind health, this would in time actually save money, because less resources would be required to deal with disruptive behaviour (which always originates from fear, and/or trauma)
• It doesn’t cost very much time at all, I think it could replace one of the many useless, out of date subjects we are already teaching our children in school!
• Meditation in schools every morning (just 15 minutes will do it) and every afternoon before home time, will create a far more productive, calm learning environment for pupils and teachers.
• Have an expert in schools at least once a week to give professional support to the children, parents and teachers who need it, because some will not have the confidence to learn mindfulness at the beginning. But, if we begin to teach from the earliest age, it will eventually for generations to come be as much of a habit as cleaning teeth.

If you are doubting this is important and effective, then re- read the statistics in paragraphs 3 and 4.

It’s a shame that we are letting our generation of children and young adults down in our archaic, outdated, irrelevant, redundant education system.

We are told we must put them under continuous testing, really? Why?

You must not copy (they call it cheating) Really? Why?

In business and indeed in life these days, we learn by sharing information, collaborating information, there are many things previously taught in school that we thought were true, especially in the subject of science, we have learnt that most of our knowledge (not all) has been based on someone’s perception and interpretation from past history, lots of things over decades have been found to be wrong, and of course as we evolve and grow, many more will be found.

Of course we need to make sure our young have the skills and knowledge they need to grow, but part of that surely should be assessed by the teachers paying attention and listening to them, and they respect and listen to each other in discussion, rather than consistent testing which in many subjects only shows that they have remembered and regurgitated words, rather than truly understood what those words mean without an in depth knowledge within the subject.

How do we measure success? How do we teach what success is?

Here is an example of a true story which I have kept short:

My daughter was 15 years of age not so long ago, when a teacher told her she must work harder to get a grade ‘C’ in Maths, otherwise she won’t ever be able to go to university and then won’t get a good job! Luckily, she is her mothers daughter, she already had a job, working as a waitress and managing food and cash registers, customer service skills, working at the weekends and during school holidays, so she wasn’t ready to be put down by this teacher, who probably hadn’t left school herself, so lacked life experience, and was easily brain washed into thinking the statement was actually true!

My daughter knows her worth and knows that she can do anything she wants to do if she puts her mind to it, at any stage in her life. She is balanced, health and happy, living the life of her dreams as they are right now, she is 21 now, and has travelled extensively, gone to more music festivals than I could shake a stick at, had many fantastic times already and has more faithful, wonderful friendships than I could have ever wished for at her age. Success in some people’s opinion, maybe. In my opinion, she has always been successful and will be who she wants to be, the same goes for all my daughters and my son.

In my mind success it being holistically healthy and happy, doing a job or working in a career that you truly love, money is of course essential to live comfortably, but unfortunately, most of the time ‘success’ is related to financial gain alone.

However, if you hold the opinion that success is measured by finance alone, working in a job or career for the money only, it might be worth bearing in mind that most of the creative thinkers who have become Millionaires and Billionaires actually dropped out of the education system, and certainly did not go to university (they may have chosen to after reaching their business goals)

So if you’re reading this and are concerned or worried that you or your child may not qualify for a university place, take heart, it is not always necessary or required!

Regarding ‘compulsory education’ who can honestly hold their hand up and say that the 2,800 days of your life in compulsory main school years was actually worth that time invested? Apart from the basic relevant skills required in the world, what else did you learn in all those days that has helped you? If we don’t know what we need to know, we have access to the information and if we choose to study a subject, we can, in our own time on our own terms.

The Dfe (Department for education) in the UK have been consulting on the new Health Education Curricular in schools, lets hope they open their eyes wide enough to see that this is NOW the time and opportunity to add brain and mind health study into all schools for all age groups to prevent a growing crisis in children’s and ultimately adults mind health!

(refer to my blog ‘Men’s Mind Health’ which lists the tragic male suicide statistics)

Our education system needs to evolve and change asap!

Despite government education authorities trying to shove square pegs into round holes we are just not all cut out for university! In my opinion this is how it should be, the world needs adversity in knowledge and skills and all should be respected.

More and more modern businesses are looking to recruit people with the right attitude as well as the right qualifications. A Healthy mind will help you develop a healthy, positive attitude, a healthy body and strong resolve.

Many successful people have created business of their choice, I just wonder how many of the well-paid employees are there for the love of their jobs? I bet a lot are and a lot are not.

These ‘school drop outs’ (me included) who, against all the fear driven pressures of becoming a failure in life if they don’t conform, chose to ignore the ‘norm conform’ and have made their way in the world by building successful businesses and are giving back. Some of these people do, of course employ some of our marvellous, respected graduates with various grades from university, so there is respect and space for all of us, we are just not all cut out for university (which is how it should be, the world needs adversity in knowledge and skills) regardless of education authorities continuous attempt to shove square pegs into round holes!

I know many people who have followed the path into unwanted qualifications and careers to avoid disappointing their parents, their educators, their society, themselves etc. and followed that path to financially successful careers that they don’t really enjoy, but because of the fear of lack of money in jobs they would perhaps prefer, they carry on and live a life that doesn’t fully serve them, and in some cases causes ill health through ‘stress’ and feeling unfulfilled (this is when unhealthy addictions can result)

I speak from experience as a pupil, a graduate with a teaching degree (which I studied for and obtained later in life when I was ready and when I wanted it) a parent, a teacher, a hypnotherapist, an RTT and a successful businesswoman who has walked the walk and learned through her own mistakes.

Some of this blog is my opinion and some has been referenced as facts published by the MHF.

RTT (Rapid Transformational Therapy) helps to remove trauma and/or negative feelings that no longer serves you and reframes/replaces them with healthy habits of thinking that will serve you in mind, body health and emotional health.

www.changeyourlifewithlindasmith.com

(My next Blog)

ADHD is a behavioural issue in schools. Really? Why?

Parents are encouraged to give their children who are labelled with ADHD has been found to be a symptom/s of a damaged or under active Prefrontal Cortex, the psychostimulant drug Methylphenidate known as Ritalin amongst other brand names which is prescribed from aged 6 and sometimes even younger (prefrontal cortex doesn’t fully develop until age 24) In trials on high performers it was found to reduce brain power by weakening their short-term memory. Some parents are encouraged to give their child struggling with ‘ADHD’ this drug, rather than look at other, drug free possible solutions. Why?

When side effects are agitation – anxiety – insomnia – stomach pain – loss of appetite – nausea – palpitations There are more!

ADHD is usually down to the prefrontal cortex being under active which can be improved without drugs. I am not saying that the drug Methylphenidate shouldn’t be used to help children and adults BUT I do think we should educate parents and children of safer alternatives first…