School can be a stressful environment for many children and the Autumn half term is the perfect opportunity to rest, reset and re-connect. We can support our family’s mental health all year round, but half term is the ideal time to reconnect as a family, boost our mood together and make deeper connections. Socialising and family are very important to a well-rounded development and here mental health expert Noel McDermott looks at how we can do this with 5 simple tips .

Tips for Promoting Family Wellbeing & Connection:

1 - The Benefits of Family Time

Don’t underestimate family time, make more time for family meals and conversation, dust off the board games and spend an afternoon battling it out as a family. Loving, healthy, active time together is the centre of everything, and time is the most precious resource we can give. Downtime is vital during the holidays, not just to rest but to rest with each other. That’s what is needed, the reassurance of resting safely together.

2 - Get Active Together

Get the kids on board and exercise as a family, take the kids for a run at lunchtime or do an online exercise class together, getting active for 20 minutes a day regulates your mood and is good for both body and mind.

For younger kids get out there and explore the play parks, jungle gyms etc

For older kids get them joining activity groups, paddle boarding, canoeing, outward bound, hill walking, survival camps etc.

Other great boosts for mental health with older kids are boxing, kickboxing etc as learning how to manage aggression is so important. High intensity activities such as this as well as HIIT help manage stress hormone build up. Stress hormones have a huge negative impact on mental health. One, cortisol, is injected into our muscles to help generate explosive muscle energy and it needs to be used up!

3 - Prioritise Playtime

Make time to play with your children; play is fundamental to the wellbeing and development of children of all ages. It is also a great way to reduce stress in adults. There’s a lot to be said for spending quality time with your child, through making happy memories, enjoying conversation, and playing together.

4 - Get the kids outside

It doesn’t have to be the great outdoors, your local park or even your garden is just as good. Don’t forget the importance of 'park time’, it helps our psychological and physiological health. A walk-in nature, playtime in the garden, climbing trees in your local park all activate what is called biophilia, an inbuilt capacity we have to relate to and take comfort from other forms of natural life. Biophilic activities reduce stress responses and create a sense of connectedness and wellbeing, which is profoundly healthy for us. Nature is the easiest and quickest way to happiness and strong relationships so make outdoors your default.

5 - Treat your kids and yourself!

Make a list of those things your children especially like and treat them when you think they deserve it. They've worked hard at school and deserve some rewards. You also deserve treats – be kind to yourself. Embrace downtime in the day, one of the best things about family times is cuddling together - either literally or just being in the same space - making time on the sofa to watch a movie or two.

Don’t underestimate ‘family time’ and where possible take time in the day to engage directly with your children. Kids want time from mum and dad more than anything. This can be as simple as family mealtimes and making more time for conversation.

Noel McDermott is a psychotherapist and dramatherapist with over 30 years’ work within the health, social care, education, and criminal justice fields. His company Mental Health Works provides unique mental health services for the public and other organisations. Mental Health Works offers in situ health care and will source, identify and co-ordinate personalised teams to meet your needs – https://www.mentalhealthworks.net/