Mental Health

on

There’s no doubt that connecting with nature improves our mental health. Recent figures suggest that wellbeing, self-confidence and employability improve when young people spend time in green spaces. 95% said it boosted their confidence and 86% said it had a positive effect on their mental health. Being in nature also helps to reduces loneliness in cities, according to a study published in the Scientific Reports journal.

This summer we created a short film that demonstrates just how important it is for children to get out in nature, to be among trees, in green spaces, and with friends. It was created as part of our Holiday Activities and Food Summer Club (commissioned by East Sussex County Council), and in partnership with the South Downs National Park Trust. With young filmmaker Luke Lebihan behind the camera, we explored the Seven Sisters Country Park, had photography and sound recording sessions at Friston Forest, and went river paddleboarding. It was an unforgettable summer.

These trips out really helped everyone to leave their worries behind, and to be in the moment.

“Lockdown was very boring – I didn’t really have anyone to talk to. This is a break from normal life and it’s good fun. You stop worrying about things that you normally worry about and you’re able to just enjoy yourself.”

Young person attending Make (Good) Trouble’s Summer Club at the South Downs National Park

Amanda Elmes, who leads learning and outreach in the South Downs National Park, said:

“It’s been wonderful to work with these teenagers and see them blossom through this experience.

“Unfortunately a significant proportion of young people are disconnected from the natural world around them and the pandemic has only exacerbated this. We’re really passionate at the National Park about giving young people opportunities to get out into the South Downs, learn about nature and have fun – they might even come home with muddy shoes! The testimonials we have had really support all the research that getting out into green, natural spaces is good for children’s mental health and wellbeing. We strongly believe that all children should have access to nature.”

Make (Good) Trouble’s Summer Club attendees looking out over Cuckmere Haven

Read the article on South Downs National Park website

Further resources for making the most of the great outdoors

Educational guide packed with ideas for things to do: 50 ways forest and outdoor learning experiences benefit child development

Forest England resources for teachers (we think young people and parents will find some great info here too like tree identification charts and the teacher’s blog)

Finding balance: 6 ways to help your teen study (and avoid burnout) from My Tutor

on

As part of our programme of parent and carer get-togethers – our amazing beach walks – we spoke to psychotherapist Donna Peters-Lamb about teen mental health, wellbeing and tips for dealing with:

  • school stress
  • anxiety and exam stress – including how to speak to your teenager and the school about anxiety
  • the teenage brain – when teens seem like they just don’t care!
  • how to manage conversations around their mental health
  • breathing techniques for de-stressing
  • sleep and creating a better sleep routine
  • setting boundaries and expectations – around what we expect as parents, and what our teenagers expect
  • how to look after ourselves
  • and the benefits of having ‘worry time’.

It’s a fascinating discussion, so grab a cuppa and dive in!

This project has been supported by the Sussex Care Partnership, Brighton & Hove City Council

Brighton & Hove City Council logo

For further help & advice

If you need further help or advice, check our Help pages – they cover lots of different topics. (If we’ve missed something, let us know!)

Find out more about Donna at Make Sense Psychotherapy

on

Brighton has the most internet searches for the word ‘lonely’. Almost 20% of children living in cities say they often feel lonely. (ONS, 2018)

After two years of Covid restrictions, 35% of people aged 16-25 say they have never felt more alone (Feb 2022)

Loneliness can be a strange feeling because you can have feelings of loneliness even when you are around people. I think it comes down to the connections with people that really stop us feeling lonely or make us feel lonely when that connection isn’t there or is inauthentic. 

The pandemic has shown us first-hand the effects of loneliness and isolation and the risks many young people face today. Self care is extremely important for a young person and inclusion is something we as humans thrive on. The feeling of being accepted and being around peers where you feel included is vital for social and emotional development. This is often something that is overlooked in today’s society.

During Mental Health Awareness Week, we collected tips from our Make (Good) Trouble colleagues and from professionals about how to help with feelings of loneliness.

Social media connects us to millions of people yet we can still feel extremely isolated and alone in the world. Why is this? GENUINE CONNECTION. However social media can be so useful to connect us with friends, family and loved ones. It can be used to support and keep those connections alive and strong through long distance communication. Use social media to reconnect with old friends and to reach out to people. 

“I always find having a lengthy catch up over the phone or on Facetime makes me feel so relieved”. Hamzah Ali, Researcher, Make (Good) Trouble

“If I’m feeling lonely I pick up the phone and call a friend I’ve been meaning to speak to for a long time. Speaking to a good friend always puts a smile back on my face.” Jane Keating, Production Director

Loneliness can also come from lack of responsibility and sometimes human contact isn’t what we need. Pets can be very loving and calming to be around. Spending some quality time with animals has been proven to be therapeutic and can also give you a reason to get out into nature and explore your area.

You don’t even need to own a pet to enjoy the company of an animal, Borrow My Doggy is a great service where you can take other people’s dogs for walks! Getting all the benefits from time with an animal and getting outside which also has significant benefits to overall wellbeing and mental health. 

Having a supportive network or even one person that you trust and can be open with can be all it takes to pull you out of a loneliness hole. Maybe you are that person to someone, let them know you are here to chat or reach out first to start the conversation. There are also organisations such as Together Co who specialise in supporting people who deal with loneliness.

I remember doing this mindfulness practise a few months ago that involved writing letters of gratitude to people. I wrote what I was thankful for that person being in my life and how their presence and memories with them in my life has had an impact on me. It was wishy washy at first and some letters I never sent but it put a big smile on my face and helped me understand and appreciate the relationships I have/had with people. I definitely didn’t feel alone after writing those letters and felt so grateful to have those people in my life and it kind of made me want to go out into the world and make more connections. I also thought about the impact that I might’ve had on someone’s life that I don’t even realise or will ever know. It was pretty wild and eye opening. 

Smiling at people, it could make someone’s day showing some care, connection, optimism and love. It could be just what someone needs.

For further help & support

Listen to our episode of Raising Teens: loneliness on BBC Sounds

Our Help page with links to places that support people who are feeling lonely

www.meetup.com/ – an app that helps you connect with people and groups doing various activities in your local area.

on

We have a brand new four-part series of Raising Teens for you this February. You can catch it on BBC Radio Sussex, BBC Radio Surrey at 9pm every Monday in February. And on catch up on BBC Sounds. This series looks at some difficult but important subjects including teen safety, drugs, and the pressures young people feel that might induce them to run away from home. We look at the issues involved and our expert guests offer practical advice and tips for parents and teens looking for support.

In episode one, we discuss teen safety. We hear from young people with candid stories about their experiences of harassment, street crime, and how friends help each other to keep safe.

Our guests are Sergeant Joe Davis from Sussex Police; Sean Older, Senior Youth Worker for Trust for Developing Communities, and part of the Brighton Streets Project; and parent Suzanne Harrington. You can read a blog post about one aspect of this episode, of how young non-binary people are affected by street harassment.

Episode two looks at county lines. The Children’s Society describes county lines as “a form of criminal exploitation in which criminals groom and manipulate children into drug dealing. The ‘lines’ refer to the mobile phones that are used to control a young person who is delivering drugs often to homes outside their own county”. This topic was a real eye-opener for us. We hear from a young man who was drawn into drug dealing and has since taken the decision to help other young people to understand the issues and avoid the same fate that he experienced.

Our expert guests will look at the effects of county lines on families and communities, and discuss how parents can spot the warning signs of their child being groomed by a gang, and the support that is available. Guests are Lee Tully, Youth Worker; PC Keith Beckley from Sussex Police; and James Houghton, Director of Future Voices, a Training, Development and Consultancy organisation for those working with children who suffer exploitation/extra familial harm. 

Episode three is all about cannabis. We hear from young people who told us that they think cannabis has become “normalised” and a rising problem in Sussex. We discuss how cannabis affects the teenage brain, how young people can get help if they feel that cannabis is negatively affecting their life, whether cannabis should be legalised, and what support is available.

Guests are Carl Scott, qualified drug & alcohol support worker and founder of Project Youth; Luci Hammond, Adolescent Health Worker from RU-OK? a young people’s substance misuse & sexual health service for Brighton & Hove; and Sergeant Scott Gosling from Sussex Police.

Our final episode looks at the pressures young people might be under and what happens when that tips over into them running away from home. We speak to young people about their experiences – and they tell us candidly why they might think about not going home, and to the parent of a teenager who repeatedly ran away. She tells us how it affected her and her family and what steps she took to support her child.

Our guests are Paul Joseph, Head of Helplines at Missing People; Eli Adie, West Sussex Youth Hub Development Manager from YMCA Downslink Group; and Sergeant Scott Gosling from Sussex Police.

Raising Teens is hosted by presenter Guy Lloyd and includes teens’ own stories from Make (Good) Trouble’s young reporter Lola Ray, with additional reporting from Xenith Pocknell and Hamzah Ali. We hope you’ll join us at 9pm every Monday in February 2022 on BBC Radio Sussex, BBC Radio Surrey and BBC Sounds.