Mental Health & Wellbeing
Welcome to the WCDSB Mental Health and Wellness page! You can find resources here to grow your knowledge on mental health topics, learn a variety of daily wellness practices that can help you manage stress, get connected when additional supports are needed, and learn about how WCDSB is promoting wellness in our school communities.
Wellbeing During COVID-19
We understand how difficult the transition to remote learning and back again can be for students, parents/ caregivers and staff. We are here to help. We continue to prioritize mental health and well-being through a range of classroom supports and board professional services. We will continue to make our way together, schools are a part of a circle of support for students, both in-person and virtually. You are not alone. If you become concerned about your child’s mental health, it is good to seek help. Your child’s teacher or principal can help direct you to services in the school, board, or community. You may also wish to consult with your family physician or can connect directly with a community mental health agency near you. When more immediate help is needed, the Help Lines below can offer help. One of the most important things you can do is prioritize and protect your own mental health. Caring for your own wellness, and seeking support when you need to, is one way to help your child to stay mentally healthy.
On this page you can find a variety of links resources to promote wellness – both during the pandemic, and also more general resources that can be promote positive mental health in our school communities. For those of you who might be interested in a deeper dive into concrete activities that can support student mental health during the pandemic & the “return to school”, visit these School Mental Health Ontario Covid-19 resource pages. Select the link below that best fits your role in our school communities.
Are you looking for more information about supporting a mentally healthy return to school in Fall 2021-22? Check out the https://www.wcdsb.ca/return-to-school/ page!
We all have a role to play in promoting positive mental health in our school communities. To learn more general information about what you can do (not specific to Covid), select that category that fits you best & check out the broader range of resources from School Mental Health Ontario”
Some examples of what you will find…
Daily Practices to Promote Wellness
Incorporating calming activities into your day – even if only for a few minutes – can make a huge difference in your experience of stress & how you respond to challenges.
There is no one-sized-fits-all approach – what works for you might not work for others. And what works when you’re only a little bit stressed may be very different from what works for you when you’re feeling very overwhelmed. Below are some examples of relaxation activities. Give them a try and then ask yourself these questions:
- Do you like something reflective where a narrator is coaching you?
- Do you prefer something with just music? White noise?
- Does it help you breathe slowly and deeply if someone sets the pace for you? If not, set your own pace – try to increase the “space between your breaths” without actually holding your breath. Try to slow it down at a pace that’s comfortable for you.
- Does it help you to have a visual image guiding your pace of breathing?
- Do your muscles get tense when you’re feeling stressed? Does Progressive Muscle Relaxation help you with that?
Make note of how you feel in your brain/body/mood before, during, and after these activities.
Better yet, participate in a wellness challenge (over a day? A week? A month?), and commit to spending a set period of time each day (2 minutes? 5 minutes? 10? More?) to engage in a wellness practice proactively. Reflect on your mood over this period of time, and if you are observing a change in your experiences of stress.
Many people will struggle to direct their attention towards a mindfulness activity for a set period of time, and will find their thoughts wandering towards to-do lists and worries. Your brain is like a muscle. Start small! You will get better at it. Every time you catch your mind wandering and can rejoin the activity is a step in the right direction.
