Emotionally Healthy Minds

Today James and I had the opportunity to speak to a room full of headteachers from across North Essex at the EPHA meeting at Colchester Football Club.

Tomorrow we'll be speaking to South Essex Heads, then next week we'll be attending the West Essex and Mid Essex EPHA meetings.

Of course, we're there to talk about Emotionally Healthy Minds and how we can support schools. But I really enjoyed listening to some of the headteachers too..

Being a headteacher is an incredibly challenging role, certainly not one I could do. But hearing about the difference they're making, particularly in some of our more deprived communities, was amazing.

We're looking forward to meeting many more school leaders over the next few days and continuing those conversations about how, together, we can give more children the support they need.

If you know a school, SENCO or education leader who might benefit from hearing about our work, we'd really appreciate you sharing this post. And if you're a headteacher attending one of the upcoming EPHA meetings, please do come and say hello, we'd love to meet you.

So, this morning, Keir Starmer announced plans to ban under-16s from social media by spring 2027.

I'd genuinely love to know your thoughts...

James and I are speaking at a conference in November about the impact of technology on children, so it's a topic I've been thinking about a lot recently. Do you agree with it? How do you think your children would respond? Would you support it?

I should probably start by saying that I think phones are amazing. The changes they've brought to our lives are huge. I use mine every day for work, connecting with friends and about a hundred other things.

But what I struggle with is the constant stimulation and pressure they create.

One thing I prioritise each day is starting my day with a cup of coffee in my armchair, looking out of the window in silence. Nothing fancy. Just, no scrolling. No podcasts. Just a few minutes to let my thoughts settle, understand how I'm feeling and get my head in the right space before the day begins.

It sounds simple, but I find it so, so helpful.

What worries me is that childhood rarely seems to have those moments anymore. Any spare few minutes and out comes a phone.

Many of the children and young people we support are growing up in a world of constant notifications, endless scrolling and instant access to entertainment. Alongside the many benefits technology brings, we're also seeing increasing challenges with attention, anxiety, emotional regulation, resilience and face-to-face communication.

This isn't about blaming young people. They're growing up in a world that looks very different from the one many of us experienced. I remember long summers as a child being bored, making things up, reading ‘Famous Five’ books and finding ways to entertain myself. Boredom wasn't something to avoid. It was often where the best ideas came from - I have posted about this before.

Technology is here to stay, and it brings many positives.

But I do wonder whether our children need a bit more silence. A bit more space. And perhaps, every now and then, the chance to be bored.

What do you think?

Under-16s to be banned from social media by next spring, Starmer says - live updates A 13-year-old pupil from Manchester says "it's time" for something to be done, while another says he's "angry and disappointed".

We're delighted to share this article featuring Emotionally Healthy Minds.

A huge thank you to for their ongoing support of local organisations and for helping raise awareness of the importance of children's emotional wellbeing. We really appreciate the opportunity to share more about the work we do with children, families and schools across our community.

We hope you enjoy the read. Love Sarah x

https://ourtownswf.co.uk/showcase/emotionally-healthy-minds/

A little reminder that Home Ed Monday is back again this Monday from 12:30pm–2:30pm at Emotionally Healthy Minds.

After a fantastic first couple of sessions we’re looking forward to getting bigger and better!

Whether you’ve already joined us or are thinking of coming along for the first time, we’d love to see you there.

£6 per child or £9 per family.

A relaxed, friendly space for home educating families to meet, make connections and be part of a growing community.

To book, email [email protected].

With a little help from AI, this is me cuddling me.

I saw this trend on another page and it got me thinking... I have worked with hundreds and hundreds of children throughout my career, but if I could sit down with child me, what would I say to her?

One of the activities we sometimes do with students at Emotionally Healthy Minds is ask them to write a letter from their future self to their younger self. What would they say to them?

So what would I tell 7 year old Sarah?

I'd tell her not to let fear of mistakes hold her back.
I'd tell her not to shrink herself to make other people comfortable.
I'd tell her to stand up for what is right, even when it's hard.
I'd tell her to believe in herself when others don't.
I'd tell the little girl growing up on a council estate that there is a whole world out there waiting for her. Dream big. Work hard. Chase the things that matter most.
I'd tell her to pay attention to the passions she's been given because they will shape her future more than she can possibly imagine.

But perhaps the biggest thing I'd tell her is that I wouldn't change a thing.
Not the mistakes. Not the failures. Not the setbacks. Not the difficult seasons.
Because every one of them helped shape the person I am today.

There is such a growing culture of perfectionism amongst our children. We see it so often at Emotionally Healthy Minds.

Children are becoming increasingly afraid of getting things wrong or not being good enough. As adults, we need to keep reminding them that they do not have to be perfect. They simply need to keep showing up, keep trying and trust that they can learn and grow along the way.

Lauren recently carried out an informal exit interview with a student who was finishing their sessions with Emotionally Healthy Minds.

When asked what she had enjoyed most, she talked about the games, the relaxed and informal atmosphere and being able to chat. She said she enjoyed having a say in her learning and being able to co-plan sessions together rather than feeling like learning was something being done to her.

Most importantly, she said she now feels much more confident with writing and has a stronger understanding of how to improve.

Her parent's feedback meant so much to us:
"You are the first person in a long while to gain her trust with learning outside of the home. You have helped her become confident to work with others and it means so much to us as a family."

At Emotionally Healthy Minds, building trust always comes first…

We are so proud of her and wish her every success in her next chapter.

Our next Home Ed Farm Group block starts next week and we still have a few spaces available!

This term, children have been enjoying a mix of animal care, nature-based learning, crafts and plenty of opportunities to connect, explore and learn outdoors.

Recently, the children learned all about different types of bees, tasted honey, designed and built their own solitary bee hotels and even made bee revival potion. We talked about the importance of pollinators and had some wonderful child-led discussions, with children sharing their own knowledge and ideas.

Alongside this, they also spent time grooming the ponies and building confidence around the animals.

• Monday 16th June• Monday 30th June• Monday 14th July

£90 for the full block of 3 sessions

10.00am – 12.00pm

To book a place, please email [email protected].

We'd love to welcome some new families along.

Absolutely! This is why early intervention is at the heart of everything we do at Emotionally Healthy Minds. When children receive the right support early, we can change trajectories, not just outcomes. X

Too many young people aged between 16 and 24 are falling through the cracks in support, with poor mental health making it harder to access employment, education and training opportunities.

Alan Milburn’s interim findings in the NEET report highlight the need for a range of urgent actions to tackle this generational crisis, including improving access to early intervention mental health support.

The approach to tackling this must reflect the reality that young people want to work and overcome the range of barriers getting in their way.

Read more about the findings and our response 👉 https://orlo.uk/VCR1T