The NSPCC have put together a series of articles and advice:

Depression, anxiety and mental health

Young minds have created a blog:

Looking after your mental health while self-isolating

Young minds can help you find support by following the link:

Helplines and services available

ChildLine have created information aimed at young children to help explain Covid-19.They have produced some online and offline games to help children cope with the pressure.

Below are a few of them, please follow the links above to find other useful ways to help children and adults stay calm.

Find Freedom

When you’re not able to see friends or go out you can feel trapped. It’s can help to notice the freedom you do have, even if it’s much smaller than you’re used to.

It might be that you can choose to go to a different room, look out of the window, connect with friends online or set up a video call with relatives.

Think of someone else who has less freedom than you and call or message them so they feel less alone.

Stress Sock

Fill an old sock with something soft.

You could use bubble wrap, foam packaging, a washing up or shower sponge, rolled up socks or scrunched up wrapping paper.

Tie a knot in the top of the sock or use a hair bobble or elastic band to keep the contents in.

Squeeze and release the sock whilst your stress disappears.

Calming Words

Breathe in while you say to yourself

“I feel calm”

Breath out while you say to yourself

“I let go of stress”

Breath in while you say to yourself

“Feel calm”

Breathe out and say to yourself

“Let go of stress”

The Question

Pause and notice what you are saying, doing or thinking.

Write it down.

Ask yourself if that thought or activity is helping you or not right now.

If it’s not helping, choose to think or do something different.

You could try getting out of bed and doing 10 star jumps, thinking about a happy memory instead of a sad one or chatting to a friend online instead of feeling alone.