What is emotional health? class activity : Mentally Healthy Schools

This resource shares a starter activity to get young people thinking about emotional health, and to gauge the level of understanding about emotional health that the students have.

The key message behind the lesson is that emotional health is about how we think and feel, and doesn't mean being happy all the time. It provides a good introductory lead into resilience and empathy. There is also a reflective activity and extension included.

Using this resource

This resource is designed for:

use with young people aged 11 to 13
use with whole classes or large groups

Curriculum links

England - RSHE	Mental health and wellbeing By the end of secondary school pupils should know: · how to talk about their emotions accurately and sensitively, using appropriate vocabulary.
Northern Ireland – Learning for Life and Work	Personal Health KS3 pupils should have opportunity to: · Investigate the influences on physical and emotional /mental personal health
Scotland – Health and Wellbeing	Mental and emotional wellbeing · I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them. · I know that we all experience a variety of thoughts and emotions that affect how we feel and behave and I am learning ways of managing them.
Wales - Health and Wellbeing	How we process and respond to our experiences affects our mental health and emotional wellbeing. Progression step 3: I can see the benefits of communicating about feelings as one of a range of strategies which can help promote positive mental health and emotional well-being.