Transformation Partners in Health and Care > Resources > Schools mental health toolkit > Looking after your own mental health and wellbeing as a parent or carer

Find resources on this page to support your own mental health and wellbeing as a parent or carer.

 

Good Thinking: Advice for parents and carers

Good Thinking is a digital mental health platform which provides resources for when people need urgent support. Good Thinking homepage features a grid of tiles which has been designed to help people navigate the areas they may want help with such as anxiety, sleep, low mood and stress.

There are resources available on Good Thinking for parents and carers such as NHS-approved wellbeing apps, as well as workbooks, guides, podcasts, and blogs to help you and your family, including:

  • Be Mindful is a free NHS approved online mindfulness course. It helps people to reduce stress levels, anxiety, and depression through mindfulness techniques.
  • Meditainment is a free app which provides lifetime access to an online library of 20 guided meditations. It allows the user to explore and reflect on a range of wellbeing topics.
  • MyCognitionPro is a free NHS approved cognitive fitness and mental resilience programme to be used 15 minutes per day. It optimises your general mental wellbeing and supports you to manage your life. The app can be used on both iOS and Android devices.
  • My Positive Self is a free app that has been clinically proven to improve the mental health and wellbeing for people. You take a questionnaire to identify areas you may need help with, eg. stress/anxiety and the app will suggest modules and apps which help you tackle these issues. You can also track how you feel everyday with the app’s mood tracker!
  • Tomo is a free app to support with anxiety, poor sleep and keeping on top of everyday tasks. Tomo’s personalised suggestions, prompts and feedback help you to identify positive habits and build achievable change over time.

Ways to look after your mental health Stem4 

  • Stem4 is a charity that promotes positive mental health in teenagers and those who support them including their families and carers, education professionals, as well as school nurses and GPs through the provision of mental health education, resilience strategies and early intervention.

Keeping well

  • South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust provide information on why physical health is important.

Mental health and exercise

  • South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust provide information on how mental health can be affected by your physical health and how exercise can help in the treatment and prevention of many illnesses.

How to juggle your responsibilities as a parent at home

  • Article by Nicola Labuschagne, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the Anna Freud Centre on how to manage your time and what you can do if you need support.

Helping children manage their emotions during COVID-19

  • This Home-Start webpage provides information for parents on how to help children manage their emotions and outlines useful contact numbers that parents can call for help.

Early years support

Perinatal mental health in London

  • The perinatal period is usually defined as the time between conceiving a baby and one to two years after giving birth. About one in every five women experience mental health problems during this time, making this a relatively common experience. TPHC’s transforming adult mental health team have gathered a range of resources and information on perinatal and maternal mental health services across London.

Coping with a crying baby

  • This Home-Start webpage provides information on the ‘curves’ of early infant crying and how to look after your mental health when you are struggling to cope with a crying baby.

Looking after your mental health when you have a baby

  • This Home-Start webpage provides advice on 7 ways in which you can look after yourself after having a baby. It also outlines available services where you can find support.

Coping with loneliness

Tips to manage loneliness

  • Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales. This page on loneliness, gives tips on how to manage it, what type of support is available and certain type of therapies that may benefit you.

Get help with loneliness

  • Advice from the NHS on what to do (and what not to do) if you are feeling lonely and where you can get help.

Dealing with loss and separation

  • This Home-Start Web page provides advice on how to deal with loss and what the grief process can be like. There are useful contact numbers for parents, grandparents, and bereavement support.

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