Hi there,
 

The outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has led to feelings of uncertainty. The disruption and social isolation it is causing might have an impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

You may be a teacher who is trying to respond appropriately to children’s questions, adapting to teaching virtually or providing materials to students who are at home. You may be a parent or carer whose child is experiencing anxiety around coronavirus and is worried about how it might affect elderly relatives. Children may also be concerned about exams being cancelled. You may be worrying about how you will manage your child's routine at home. These are challenging times and while the media has focused on the impact on people’s physical health, it is understandable to have a strong emotional response to the events unfolding. It's important to look after yourself as well. 

We have gathered some useful resources and tips to help you address anxiety arising from these challenging times. In this toolkit you will find: a booklet to support schools, videos to provide practical guidance and tips to schools, parents and carers about coronavirus and mental health, activities to ease anxiety that can be done at school or at home and other helpful advice, helplines and resources for adults and children. At times like this, supporting others is important; you may want to forward this on to colleagues, friends and family who would find it useful.

This may be a difficult time for many people, but with the right support and coping methods in place, we can make it a little easier. We will be back with our regular resource tool kits at a more appropriate time in the future, but for now, take care of each other and take care of yourself.