Normalizing Mental Health Discussions in Class with The Being Me School Program

It’s that time of year again!

Retail shelves are restocked with supplies, ads are running everywhere you look, in-store displays are taking up shelf space, and emails are being exchanged in preparation for another school year.

Back-to-school is here again, with a re-entry like no other. This is our third school year touched by this global pandemic and it’s not getting any easier, is it? 

You may have already experienced anxiety over sending the kids back to class and with the lifted mask mandate in Manitoba, many of us are experiencing more stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown.

Our children are also feeling these effects, causing anxiety, worry and fear over the return to in-person learning. This may have some adverse effects including, but not limited to, trouble concentrating, emotional outbursts, and difficulty sleeping.

We cannot control what happens outside of us, but what we can control is our reaction to what happens. This comes with practice, something children may not have had the opportunity to learn hands on.

That is, until now!

We are extremely excited to officially launch our first in-school program The Being Me School Program: A Collaborative Approach to Addressing Anxiety in Youth.

In this eight-week program, children will learn and practice mindfulness/relaxation, piggy belly breathing, how to identify worry and fear in the body, gaining control over worries, and other helpful strategies.

Every child receives our book, Cindy and Cristabelle’s Big Scare, the goat worry box, and a toolkit with items that go along with the strategies that are taught in the program. This toolkit is fun, interactive, and well received by children. 

What’s more, the parent/caregiver hand-out helps keep everyone informed of the session lessons along with additional activities to build on at home for a truly collaborative approach to positive mental well-being. 

Why is this program taught in schools?

Stress and worry may affect a student’s performance in school and many of those stressors are causally related to school. 

In order to support students’ success in school, stress management, emotional regulation skills, and coping skills need to be taught in classrooms.

Implementing the lessons taught throughout the Being Me Program can have multiple long-lasting benefits, including communication skills, self-confidence, and greater self-knowledge. We also believe that building trust in the adults around the student in the area of mental health and wellness is essential.  

Research also shows that mental health promotion and education decreases the chances of a person developing a mental illness later on in life.

Our mission is to normalize discussion around mental health by bringing this evidence-based program into every elementary school classroom in Canada!