Children’s Mental Health week (9th-15th Feb) is a week where we highlight the importance of looking after children’s mental health. This year’s theme is ‘This Is My Place’ where it emphasizes the importance of promoting a sense of belonging for children and young people within the places they take up such as schools, homes and within communities.
Belonging; it’s where we feel like we have been accepted into a place or situation by the people and how the environment has been created to make people feel comfortable.
Through our safe, creative spaces on the Swansea Bay 4YP project, it has been so heart warming seeing young people connect with each other writing poems, making art and having fun! When you hear them making plans to meet outside of the group, we know this is building their confidence and giving them hope!
What does belonging look like?
Belonging can mean different things to different people and can mean more than just one thing. For some it can mean being included and accepted for who you are and for others it might be sharing similar views, values and hobbies with the people that you surround yourself with.
Working out where you belong;
It might take time for you to work out where you feel like you belong but here are a few ways that might help you work that out;
- Identify what would make you feel like you belong
Is it wanting to feel connected with others, feeling like what you contribute matters, being accepted by others around you or something else entirely. As time goes on, things can be added or removed to what makes you feel like you belong.
- Join activities & events that you are interested in
Integrating hobbies into your life that you enjoy allows you to belong to a community that shares similar interests, values and creates shared experiences with others. Having similar hobbies with others can allow you to connect with people who are of similar minds.
- Work out who you are as a person
Knowing what you like, dislike, what your hobbies want etc can allow you to create a community that fits you. It also allows you to know what boundaries to create for yourself as you would now know what would allow you to feel like you belong within a space.
In the Hangouts, we create a safe space by having lots of things they can connect with, board games, making slime or playing just dance! This helps them to build trust with us as there is no pressure to talk, its up to them when they decide to ask for support, we will wait for them and when its the right time, we are there to listen.
Feeling safe to say no!
There will be times where you will still need to set some boundaries, even when you have found a place where you belong. Using boundaries to create a safe and inclusive environment for yourself allows you to keep feeling like you belong and to also protect your wellbeing.
Looking after your mental health doesn’t just stop when Children’s Mental Health week ends. Mental health is something that should be at the top of our minds all year round. Remember that what might work for others, may not work for you and make sure to reach out for support if you are in need of help.