3 Mental Health Ideas for Your Staff and Students in 2021
Challenging, trying, fatigue, and hardship are just a few of the words to describe 2020! However, 2021 is here and we can use all the resources available to help reset our minds and go into 2021 with a revived attitude and presence. For this reason, we have compiled some great ideas to help your staff and students take a break from the mundane day-to-day tasks and start to enjoy life again.
1. Organize a Mental Health Learning Day
Is your staff tired, stressed, and needing a break from the day-to-day? Well, we have an idea! Organize a day to take a break and relax. Ask local companies to donate their time to the school and come in to give your staff a break on their next in-service day. Have local restaurants drop off breakfast and lunch; ask local businesses like massage therapists to come in and give chair massages. You can break out in the gym or have each classroom feature a different local company. What better way to treat your staff than giving them food, massages, yoga, and meditation lessons, or even having a local doctor come in to talk about ideas to create a healthy mind!
2. Create an Appreciation Bulletin Board
This is fun and easy to do. Create an appreciation bulletin board in a secure area, such as the teacher’s break room or by the principal's office. Decorate the bulletin board and, each month, acknowledge a different staff member with the whole board decorated with images, quotes, and fun facts about that teacher/staff member. They can also be awarded a gift certificate to a local place to unwind. Contact local businesses again and they will be glad to donate. It would also be great to fill a basket with items such as bath salts, face masks, candles, a meditative book to read, or any other items you think are related to helping them de-stress.
3. Promote Well-Being in Your School
The ideal situation is to help create an environment in your school where teachers and staff members feel comfortable. For example, organizing an after-school workout class and making it inviting will encourage more staff to come. You can even make it a fun day by having teachers dress in their best workout gear (80's or 90's style) and taking advantage of local classes, followed by an invitation to a healthy restaurant for snacks to celebrate. Not everyone will come and some may feel uncomfortable--and that’s ok. You can switch up the activities you are doing and maybe more will join in. Besides, if the students see you having fun doing challenging things, the more likely they are to do the same!
