As we return to school, many students, parents and teachers are feeling stressed or anxious. Transitioning back to in-person learning in the age of COVID-19 can present challenges for families and schools to contend with, particularly with regards to managing COVID-19 related stress, social anxiety, and normal back to school concerns.
Online mental health resources are a great tool to help students take care of their own mental health and wellbeing, as well as help parents and teachers support students and ease their worries through this time. The services below provide information, advice, support and counselling for families and schools as they navigate the return to schooling in our ‘new normal’ way of life.
eSafety Commissioner
Back to School? 6 online safety tips for the ‘new normal’
https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-issues/covid-19/advice-young-people
The office of the eSafety Commissioner is Australia’s national government agency for online safety. Their website includes information and support on a range of topics including COVID-19, advice for young people and the return to normal life. Their list of tips for online safety and back to school includes advice for staying connected, dealing with cyberbullying, balancing time online and more.
Headspace
Tips to get back to life during COVID-19
https://headspace.org.au/covid-19/
Headspace is a National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing information, support, and early intervention mental health services. Their website provides a range of support online and over the phone for young people managing their mental health and coping with COVID-19. They have compiled a list of helpful resources, tools, useful links and information to help with getting back life.
How to cope with stress related to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://headspace.org.au/explore-topics/for-young-people/stress-related-to-covid-19/
The Headspace website includes a range of information for young people on dealing with stress and anxiety, including stress related to COVID-19. They provide tips on how to maintain a healthy headspace, common reactions, and how to manage changes to daily life as a result of COVID-19.
Kids Helpline
Your guide to everything novel coronavirus (COVID-19)!
https://kidshelpline.com.au/coronavirus
Kids Helpline is free, confidential phone and online counselling service for kids, teens, young adults and parents. Their website provides information, advice and resources on a range of mental health and wellbeing issues, including a guide to coping with COVID-19. The Kids Helpline guide to coronavirus includes information about managing anxiety, stress, coping strategies, family and school.
ReachOut
Stressed about study during coronavirus
https://au.reachout.com/collections/stressed-about-study-during-coronavirus
ReachOut is an online mental health service for young people and parent’s in Australia, providing information and support on a range of issues, including staying mentally well during COVID-19. Their website provides a collection of resources for school and study related stress, including a study style quiz, motivational tips, dealing with uncertainty, reducing exam stress, at home study tips, balancing study and life, and time management.
Smiling Mind
5 tips for transitioning back to the classroom
https://blog.smilingmind.com.au/5-tips-for-transitioning-back-to-the-classroom
Smiling Mind is a website and app-based program teaching mindfulness and meditation. Their website includes a range of informational resources for young people, parents and schools on returning to school, providing tips on returning to the classroom and transitioning children back into everyday school life.
Returning to the ‘new normal’ – keeping kids calm in the classroom
The Smiling Minds website provides information and advice for teachers on returning to school, including tips and on keeping children calm in the classroom, managing their own stress and helping students adjust to the ‘new normal’.
For Parents
APS
Helping children transition back to school in the COVID-19 era
The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is a national organisation promoting and celebrating psychology in Australia. Their website includes a range of resources for health professionals and individuals. They have developed a series of factsheets including one for helping children transition back to school during COVID-19. This factsheet is designed to provide advice and information to parents on how to reassure children returning to school, re-establishing routines and more.
Beyond Blue
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service: Supporting children and young people
https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au/I’m-supporting-others/Children-and-young-people
The Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service website includes a range of resources for parents and families dealing with daily life during COVID-19. They provide a variety of informational and support services for supporting children and young people during this uncertain time. They provide advice on how to talk about COVID-19, easing fear and worry in children, and more.
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service: How to alleviate fear and worry in children
The website includes information, advice and strategies for parents and carers of children on alleviating fear and worry in children. They explore types of anxiety in children, causes for anxiety, ways to support children with anxiety, and how to know when your child needs more help.
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service: How to help your teenager transition back to on-site learning
The Beyond Blue Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service website provides advice and information on how to help teenagers returning to school. They explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected high school students, how to talk to students about their emotions, getting back to a good routine, encouraging peer support, and more strategies to ease the transition back to on-site learning.
The BRAVE Program
Kids coping with stress and worry about COVID-19 virus: Skills to help children and teenagers
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV2QbbQ2oknAahQLP3herbudnpKcYtkNU&app=desktop
The BRAVE Program is an online program for the prevention and treatment of anxiety in Australian children, young people and their parents. Their aim is to help children break down their fears into more manageable pieces. They have created a series to help children and teenagers cope better and reduce stress and worries during difficult times and COVID-19 specific worries. The videos aim to provide young people with information and skills on a range of topics including; using relaxation skills, relaxed breathing, imagery meditation, problems of negative and worry thinking and coping with stress and worry about COVID-19.
Emerging Minds
Helping children cope with stress during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Emerging Minds is an Australian organisation for the advancement of mental health and emotional wellbeing for Australian infants, children, adolescents and their families, providing information, support and advice. Their website provides factsheets and resources on a range of topics including helping children cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Available in a variety of languages, the factsheet provides tips for parents and carers on how to support children experiencing stress due to the COVID-19.
Raising Children Network
COVID-19 Family Guide – Information for parents and carers
https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/coronavirus-covid-19-guide
The Raising Children Network provides videos, articles, apps, and information guides for busy families and parents on a range of issues. Their website includes a COVI-19 family guide providing information and tips to parents and carers about COVID-19, vaccination, pregnancy, face masks, and maintaining wellbeing through the challenges of COVID-19.
Find out more about digital mental health services for coping with COVID-19, managing mental health during isolation, working during COVID-19, supporting children and young people through COVID-19 and homeschooling by downloading our ‘Managing Your Mental Health Online During COVID-19’ factsheet.
See our resource library to explore our full range of factsheets including; ‘Digital Mental Health for High School Students‘, ‘Digital Mental Health for Secondary School Teachers‘, ‘Digital Mental Health for Primary School Teachers‘ and ‘Digital Mental Health for Tertiary Students‘.
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