Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids: Teaching Kids Critical Mental Health and Coping Skills

A series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills. Why the California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project? - Fully 20% of our kids have a mental health or learning disorder - Covid has put every child in the State of California and the nation under unprecedented stress: Personal trauma, economic and learning loss, and continuing uncertainty. - They’ve never needed foundational mental health skills more than they do right now. An evidence-based video series with accompanying study guides. It includes introductory videos for caregivers and educators, and videos to teach kids five clinically proven mental health skills: - Understanding Feelings: Students will learn that better understanding and recognizing their emotions can be an important first step toward healthy coping and deeper relationships. - Relaxation Skills: Students will learn specific relaxation skills, such as paced breathing, that they can use when experiencing intense or uncomfortable emotions. - Understanding Thoughts: Students will learn about connections between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors and how they can change thinking patterns to make them more helpful. - Managing Intense Emotions: Students will learn to recognize and manage intense emotions without giving in to the urge to act in impulsive ways that can make problems bigger. - Mindfulness: Students will learn how paying attention to the present moment can increase self-awareness, improve decision-making and make it easier to deal with uncomfortable emotions.