We know from going around the school how hard everyone is working to ensure that the children are happy and settled back into school.
With World Mental Health Day it is important that we take time to reflect on our own well being too.
This will be different for all of us but we are all able to help and support each other within the school community.
Here is an article that may help or remind some of us of the importance of ‘us’
Experts say that during this time of "change and uncertainty", keeping our wellbeing in check "becomes even more important".
Coronavirus: Protecting wellbeing in school
So, to help school staff manage their mental health, the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, a London-based charity, has compiled a list of eight tips for boosting wellbeing during periods of disruption.
- Identify your goals
Identify what “self-care” means for you and build in more activities that you enjoy or help to keep you calm and relaxed. Once you are clear about what works for you, you can start to identify some simple personal goals. For example, you could go out for a daily walk, meditate or exercise. Set aside 15 minutes a day to do this, if you can. - Plan your wellbeing
Plan the activities that you enjoy. Set aside some time at particular times of the day for your activities. These may be things you already enjoy doing, such as reading, yoga or connecting with friends and family, or you may want to take this time as an opportunity to try new activities such as cooking, running or meditation. 
Use media positively Engage with the media mindfully. It can be a great way to connect with others and find out information. However, the things that we watch, see and hear can impact upon how we feel, think and behave. Find ways to use the media to energise yourself and to improve your social support networks.- Take time to breathe
Deep breathing can be calming. Taking a minute (or less!) to stop and breathe can help you to manage feelings of stress or tension, as well as to reflect on what needs to happen next. There are many useful apps which you can download for guided breathing exercises, such as The Breathing App and Headspace. - Buddy up
Create a buddy system. Knowing that there is support around you can feel comforting. You may wish to choose a “buddy” within your staff team and/or outside of your work life, who you can talk to you about your wellbeing. Remember that everyone has different needs. Making connections with friends, family and colleagues is key to our wellbeing but not everyone wants to take part in collective chats or activities. It is important to respect each individual’s strategies for managing their own wellbeing, while making sure that all staff have someone looking out for them in a supportive and non-obtrusive way. 
Go back to basics
Focus on your basic needs. During times of change, focusing on maintaining a healthy routine including sleeping, exercising and eating well can be helpful in creating consistency and balance in our lives.- Express yourself
Finding a way to express how you feel can be powerful in helping to process strong feelings. This can include talking to someone about how you feel or expressing yourself more creatively through methods such as writing, art, sports or music. - Be kind to yourself
Be patient with yourself. Like any other change that we may make, embedding more positive self-care strategies into our daily routines can take time. Be as consistent as you can while you make these changes and remember that some self-care is better for your wellbeing than none at all.
The charity added: "We cannot overestimate the importance of looking after each other and supporting your wellbeing and the wellbeing of others at this time.
"Change can be disruptive and people respond in different ways, but there will be challenges to all of us during this period.
"Being mindful of the need to take care of your own wellbeing is the best place to start."
This week a number of people have chatted to me about feeling a little over-whelmed by workload or changes that happen… I think I described it as the 'hamster wheel' feeling the other day and this is not just how some of us feel at work by the changes to home life too.
It was also suggested that we try to develop the ‘Buddy System’ as mentioned above… I think that this would be great for people that would like to make connections with other people in school so that they know they have somebody they can share and support together.
If this is something that you would be keen to engage with please email me rsmajli@wouldham.kent.sch.uk
I will try to link people together so that we can get this in action ASAP.
This is an opportunity to check in on that person, make sure they are getting a drink, taking a break or maybe just delivering a chocolate bar on a Wednesday morning to get over the hump day.
If anybody else has any other ideas of how we can continue to support please do contact us… everybody has different needs and requirement and as we’ve said before what works for one will not work for all.