Lesson video

Hello.

My name's Ms. Willow.

And I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called Influences on Mental Health, and it fits into the unit Mental Health: How Can I Support My Mental Health? During this lesson, we are going to be talking about mental health issues, so we require you to have an adult with you for the duration of this lesson.

If, at any point, you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's really important that you stop the lesson and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start.

By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain what can influence your mental health in positive and negative ways.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we're going to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, we have Laura.

Laura says that, "We need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important that we challenge the statement and not the person themselves." Next, we have Andeep.

Andeep says that, "We need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that could identify anyone, including ourselves." If we want to share a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as, "My friend." This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Jacob says, "No judgement.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged by others." And finally, Izzy says that, "We can choose our level of participation." Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in with discussion.

We should never put anyone on the spot, as this can make some people feel uncomfortable.

We are now going to go through the key keywords for today's lesson.

Biological, this means related to living things and life processes.

Social, this is any activity in which you meet and spend time with other people.

And psychological, this is anything related to the mind or emotions.

Today's lesson has two learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called What Influences Mental Health in a Negative Way? And our second learning cycle is called What Influences Mental Health in a Positive Way? Let's make a start on our first learning cycle, What Influences Mental Health in a Negative Way? Mental health can be influenced or affected by lots of different things.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "We all have mental health.

Our state of mind can vary from one person to the next, and it can change throughout our life, depending on our circumstances.

There are many factors that can have a negative influence on mental health." There are biological factors.

So mental well-being is closely linked to our physical well-being.

If we don't look after our body, our mind could suffer too.

For example, sleep is really important because that gives our body time to recover from the day.

It gives it time to repair and to re-energize, ready for the next day.

A lack of sleep, on the other hand, can have a negative impact on our mental health and our well-being.

For instance, we're more likely to feel irritable or anxious if we haven't had a good night's sleep.

The foods that we eat can also affect our brain function.

Ultra-processed foods, like the one in the picture, can have a lower nutritional value, which means that they're not very beneficial for our bodies, compared to a healthy choice made of lots of fruits and vegetables.

Although ultra-processed foods are okay for an occasional treat, large quantities of these foods regularly and not part of a balanced diet can have a negative impact on mental health, such as causing low mood.

Exercise is also crucial in maintaining our overall physical and mental well-being.

Sitting inactive for too long and a lack of regular physical activity can have a negative impact on our mental health, increasing the risk of mental health concerns.

Now, let's do a check for understanding to see how you are doing with this learning cycle.

Which of these biological factors could have a negative impact on mental health? A, getting plenty of good quality sleep, B, eating large quantities of ultra-processed foods, or C, a lack of regular physical activity.

Which of these could have a negative impact on our mental health? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B and C are correct.

Eating large quantities of ultra-processed foods and not having a balanced diet, and a lack of regular physical activity could have a negative impact on our mental health.

Well done if you got this right.

There's also social factors that can impact our mental health in a negative way.

Sometimes we might enjoy a little time alone in order to relax, to reflect, and recharge.

This can be really helpful, especially when you feel overwhelmed or just mentally tired.

However, by nature, humans are social beings that thrive on forming positive and healthy connections with others.

It's important to remember that spending time alone out of choice isn't the same as feeling lonely.

Feeling lonely, disconnected, or isolated can have a negative impacts on mental health.

It can increase the risk of low self-esteem, feeling stressed, and feeling depressed too.

Life can get busy sometimes with the demands of school, work, clubs, and social activities.

If we don't maintain a healthy balance between time studying and working, and our own relaxation, our mental health can be impacted negatively.

A poor work-life balance can lead stress or something called burnout.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Is this statement true or false? Feeling lonely, disconnected, or isolated can have a negative impact on mental health.

What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

It's true that feeling lonely, disconnected, or isolated can have a negative impact on our mental health, but remember that spending time alone out of choice isn't necessarily the same as feeling lonely, disconnected, or isolated.

Most people need some time alone from time to time to rest, recharge, and relax.

Well done if you got this right.

Psychological factors can also influence our mental health in a negative way, so psychological factors, such as self-esteem and resilience, can affect our ability to manage our mental health.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "Self-esteem is about how we value ourselves.

Low self-esteem can make us less resilient, so we may struggle to face up to or bounce back from challenges that we experience." Discrimination can also affect a person's self-esteem.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "Discrimination is treating someone unfairly, or reducing their opportunities simply because of who they are.

This can reduce self-esteem, increasing the chances of mental health concerns.

Sadly, some people may also feel discriminated against because of their mental health conditions, such as experiencing anxiety or depression.

This could make them less likely to open up and to seek support.

It's never okay to judge someone based on the condition of their mental health." Body image is the way that we see ourselves and how we feel about our body.

Having unrealistic expectations or constantly striving for perfection, which is unachievable, can have a negative impact on our mental health and the way that we feel about ourselves.

Dr.

Elsie reminds us that, "It's important to remember that many of the messages around body image in the media," so, for example, what we see online and on TV, "aren't realistic, and they're not a true depiction of what is considered to be normal.

We should try to look after our bodies to make healthy choices, but this should come from a place of self-love and acceptance too." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're getting on.

I'd like you to fill in the gaps below.

Psychological factors, such as blank and blank, can affect our ability to manage our mental health.

Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the first missing word was self-esteem and the second missing word was resilience.

Our full sentence should now say psychological factors, such as self-esteem and resilience, can affect our ability to manage our mental health.

Well done if you got this right.

It is time to move on to our first practise task.

And well done for your hard work so far.

I'd like you to write one paragraph explaining what things influence mental health in a negative way.

In your answer, I'd like you to consider the following factors and give examples too, biological, social, and psychological factors.

Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what your answer might have looked like.

You could have said something like, "Mental well-being is closely linked to physical well-being.

Biological factors, such as a lack of sleep or high quantities of ultra-processed foods, can negatively impact our mood.

Social factors, such as feeling lonely or having a poor work-life balance, can lead to low self-esteem or the risk of burnout.

Psychological factors, such as self-esteem and resilience, can be negatively impacted by discrimination or poor body image." Well done if your answer was anything like this.

We're now moving on to our second learning cycle, What Influences Mental Health in a Positive Way? By understanding what impacts our mental health in a negative way, we can actively make more positive choices that can have a positive influence on our mental health.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "It's easy to think that we cannot do anything to protect our mental health, but there are lots of things that we can do.

Making positive choices to look after our mental health can help to maintain good well-being, but it can also enable us to be better prepared to cope with stresses." Good quality sleep can have a positive influence on mental health, particularly on our mood and our concentration.

The average 12- to 13-year-old needs between 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night to be able to function at their best.

Healthy routines, such as avoiding screens before bed, can help to improve the quality of sleep too.

It's also important to have a good bedtime routine, where, typically, you try to go to bed every day at the same time and wake up at a similar time too.

Healthy eating and drinking plenty of water, so staying hydrated, can have a positive impact on our mental health too.

A balanced diet provides our brain with the essential nutrients that it needs to function effectively.

And staying hydrated helps our brain to concentrate and to focus too.

Physical exercise is great for our minds as well as our bodies.

Regular, moderate exercise not only strengthens our body, but it also has a positive influence on our mental health.

Exercise is also a great stress reliever, as it causes our body to produce hormones called endorphins.

These are often called happy hormones because they make us feel good.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Can you finish this sentence for me? Exercise is a great stress reliever, as it causes our body to produce A, adrenaline, B, oestrogen, or C, endorphins.

Which do you think is correct? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that endorphins is the correct answer.

Exercise is a great stress reliever, as it causes our body to produce endorphins.

Well done if you got this right.

Connecting with others can also have a really positive impact on our mental health.

Spending time with friends and family reduces feelings of loneliness.

Furthermore, talking about our feelings with our loved ones can help our stresses to feel lighter.

As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Practising mindfulness can also have a positive effect on our mental health.

This involves trying to stay in the present moment rather than thinking about the past or thinking too much about the future.

By regularly taking the time to do something calming, such as mindfulness colouring or breathing exercises, this can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Even if we do make positive choices where we can, there may still be times in our lives where we find it tricky to manage our mental health.

Dr.

Elsie says that, "If you're finding it difficult to manage your mental health, it's important to seek early support, if possible.

It's important to speak to a trusted adult, like a parent, carer, or teacher." Everyone deserves to feel listened to and to be supported, so make sure that if you speak to someone, and you don't feel like you've been listened to, you keep asking different trusted adults until you are listened to and supported.

We're now going to do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to change one word in each of these sentences, so that they are now correct.

Sentence number one is, connecting with others can have a really negative impact on mental health.

And sentence number two is, mindfulness can help to increase feelings of stress and anxiety.

Can you correct one word in each sentence, so that each sentence is correct? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that the word negative isn't correct in our first sentence, and you should have changed it to positive.

And well done if you notice that in sentence two, the word increase was not correct, and instead, you should have reduce.

Our sentences should now say connecting with others can have a really positive impact on mental health.

Mindfulness can help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Well done if you got this right.

We are now moving on to our final practise task.

And you've done a great job.

Well done.

I'd like you to use the images below to help you to create a leaflet or poster about the positive choices that we can make to look after our mental health.

Pause the video, and we'll go through some potential answers in a few minutes.

Okay, this is what your answer could have looked like.

You might have said that getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night helps to improve mood and concentration.

You might have said that a healthy diet and plenty of water, so staying hydrated, makes the brain function more effectively, and this helps us to take care of our mental health.

You could have said that regular exercise can relieve stress by causing the body to release endorphins, and these are often called the body's happy hormone.

You could have said that connecting with others reduces loneliness and can help our stresses to feel lighter.

And finally, you could have said that mindfulness provides time to do calming activities, which can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

Everyone's answers would've looked a little bit different, but well done if your answers were something similar to this.

We are now going to summarise the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that mental health can be influenced by lots of different things, including biological, social, and psychological factors.

We've learned that biological factors, like lack of sleep and exercise, or having a less healthy diet, can have a negative impact on our mental health.

We've learned that social factors, such as loneliness or a poor work-life balance, can increase the risk of mental health concerns.

We've learned that psychological factors, like experiencing discrimination and having poor body image, can affect our ability to manage our mental health.

And finally, we've learned that having plenty of sleep, a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and talking to a trusted adult are just some of the ways that we can have a positive impact on our mental health.

In today's lesson, you might have found that you've got some worries or some questions.

And if you do, it's really important that you share them with a trusted adult.

There's also some resources on the screen that are there to help you too.

Well done for your hard work today.

I hope to see you in another lesson soon.