Self-Care for Kids: Practical Ways to Promote Mental Health
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Dr. Gwen's Counselor Cafe
First Presenter’s Email Address
drgwen@drgwenscounselorcafe.com
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Dr. Gwendolyn Martin is an author, licensed professional counselor, and special education teacher behavioral/emotional impairments). Her scholarly work has included action research, with areas of interest in improved school performance, distributed leadership, and advocating for children with mental health and disability concerns. Dr. Martin’s passion for teaching and learning is framed by her past experiences as a school counselor and educator. She has dedicated her career to working with some of the most vulnerable, challenging, and high-needs populations. Dr. Martin highlights the importance of school counseling, community partnerships, and self-care in her research. She has served in several professional capacities over the past 25 years to champion her work.
Location
Session Three Breakouts
Strand #1
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Strand #2
Health: Mental & Physical Health
Relevance
This proposal relates directly to the Social & Emotional Skills strand because it focuses on effective, practical self-care tips and solutions that can easily be incorporated into existing daily routines. With the increase in attention on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), it has become evident that students need tools that they can use to remain healthy mentally and emotionally. The strategies used by the presenter address these needs so that students are able to ask for help when needed, effectively communicate the need and feel as though they are supported at home, school, and in the community to make good decisions and achieve goals. This proposal also relates to health as it is grounded in preventive and intervention strategies to promote mental and physical health.
Brief Program Description
Self-Care is a trending topic, but what does it look like? Learn from Dr. Gwen, a passionate, devoted special education teacher (emotional and behavioral impairments), and licensed professional counselor. She has dedicated her career to working with some of the most vulnerable, challenging, and high-needs populations. She knows the importance of establishing effective self-care and wellness routines to ensure student success.
Summary
Children, just like adults, benefit greatly from consistent and deliberate self-care activities. Even if they are not currently stressed out or overwhelmed, teaching kids to regularly take care of themselves will help ensure that they have the skills to manage future stressors in healthy and effective ways. Practicing self-care routines not only helps your child to cultivate good habits, but they engage in more activities that make them feel happy, connected, and supported. It also gives their physical, mental, and emotional health a boost.
This session will begin by gaining a better understanding of the five domains of self-care: physical, mental, psychological, spiritual, and social. Most children do a fairly good job of taking care of themselves in a few domains while neglecting others. Growth comes from acknowledging and owning where you are, and from implementing strategies to help you get where you want to be.
Strategies, including asking for help when needed, mindfulness activities, cognitive reappraisal, journaling, conflict resolution, and more, for improving levels of self-care in all domains will be provided. Interactive activities and discussions will be included in the presentation.
Evidence
Children face a tremendous amount of pressure from parents, peers, and society. Academics, extracurricular activities, and family dynamics are just a few pressures they must navigate. Let’s not forget they are trying to figure out who they are, where they fall on the social continuum, and all the ups and downs that come with growth and development. Remembering to take care of our emotional well-being often falls to the bottom of our priority list. This is especially true for children, who aren’t yet aware of how important their mental health is. Recognizing the impact of adverse childhood experiences on student achievement and behavior, it is important for children to learn effective self-care strategies and supports. The presenter will present personal case studies to highlight how self-care practices increase student behavior and achievement.
Learning Objective 1
To increase knowledge of and to encourage engagement in self-care skills/activities.
Learning Objective 2
To identify and elicit support systems.
Learning Objective 3
To recognize the need for self- awareness and self-compassion.
Keyword Descriptors
physical health, emotional health, mental health, prevention strategies, self-awareness, self-compassion, social development, mindfulness
Presentation Year
2022
Start Date
3-7-2022 2:45 PM
End Date
3-7-2022 4:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Martin, Gwendolyn A., "Self-Care for Kids: Practical Ways to Promote Mental Health" (2022). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 25.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2022/2022/25
Self-Care for Kids: Practical Ways to Promote Mental Health
Session Three Breakouts
Self-Care is a trending topic, but what does it look like? Learn from Dr. Gwen, a passionate, devoted special education teacher (emotional and behavioral impairments), and licensed professional counselor. She has dedicated her career to working with some of the most vulnerable, challenging, and high-needs populations. She knows the importance of establishing effective self-care and wellness routines to ensure student success.
