Coronavirus
Updates: Colleges & Business Units | Commercial Outlets and Nurseries
Advice for: Students, Parents and Carers | College Applicants | Apprentices
Updates: Colleges & Business Units | Commercial Outlets and Nurseries
Advice for: Students, Parents and Carers | College Applicants | Apprentices
Boyband "Here at Last", who are currently preparing for their almost sold out UK tour, took some time out of their busy schedule to come and speak to our students about mental health. They also sung live for us and did a meet and greet with students as well as a Q&A session!
If you missed the talk/performance, they discussed mental health, the causes of mental health problems (stress at school, relationships etc), a time they had their own mental health issues, who to turn to for help and the importance of speaking up. They also spoke about the stresses of this year during the pandemic, the loss we might all have felt and how we can all better handle the unpredictability and hardship of it all. They also gave advice on how to stay safe online as well as discussing cyber bullying and where to go for help.
Here are some tips that they gave on the day for you to share and listen to:
- The first time you meet someone online, bring someone with you. Don't go alone and tell someone where you are. The person you bring doesn't even have to be physically with you just as long as they are aware of where you are incase you need help or feel uncomfortable.
- On the first meet, it is best to meet in a public place such as a park, where there are lots of people around who can help you if needed.
- If you experience bullying, report it to someone that you trust. If you don't speak out then nothing will happen. Most cases of bullying are caused when the bully has an issue and they don't know how to deal with it, so speaking up may help them as well as yourself get the help that you both need.
- With the rise of social media, cyber bullying is also on the rise. The band spoke about how when they first started putting out stuff on YouTube, they would get nasty comments which would get to them. They considered turning off the comments but that would also affect the fans who cared about what the band had to say. They advise that if you are getting nasty comments on your social medias, the best thing to do is report the user and block them so they can have no more contact with you. Often cyberbullies reply on engagement with their comments.
- Make sure that you don't give out any personal information online and that you only have people on social media such as Facebook that you are actually friends with and know in real life.
- If you are having issues with anything at all, don't keep it inside. Tell someone who you trust so that they can help, no matter how big or small you think the problem is.
