Mental health as part of education.
Florida is adding 5 hours of mental health a year to their curriculum. Anyone else think that both mental and physical education should be standard in schools?
Keep PE, but make it about learning different ways to stay healthy and learning about your favorite ways to do so? Including nutrition, and what physical activities make you happy? Things you can take into adulthood, unless you know adults who play tag frequently. Currently most of the physical activities we learn in childhood (and coping skills) we learn in childhood are not socially acceptable in adulthood. Not just sports (because plenty of adults aren't going to play that) but bike riding, hiking, dancing, etc. How to appreciate the body you're in.
Then spend half the class on mental health. How to maintain it, what to do if you think you need help, just the basics. So that kids are learning from an early age what is 'normal' so they quit thinking they're the only ones thinking what they are. Skills they can take into adolescence and adulthood. Something more substantial than alcohol and sex (unless those are purely for fun ).
Nice post, canβt wait to hear updates on how it is going
All good suggestions. Being cynical by nature, I'll watch and see how some schools in Florida pervert the idea.
My guess is half the so called mental health professionals are religious unwilling if not unable to practice RATIONAL EMOTIVE THERAPY....EVEN AT THE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEVEL religion mis defines mental health as spiritually grounded as fucked up as that is.....prEyer is NOT going to prevent school shootings nor sex crimes and public funding for "mental health" in schools is a back door salary Monday through Friday for preachers on SONdays
Excellent idea. I agree.
Many school across the nation are including meditation and yoga in their curriculum.
Instead of detention, troublemakers go to meditation and yoga classes. This improves classroom learning and behavior.
I am a big proponent of using science to help rehabilitate rather than punish. Vengeance is not a particularly productive impulse.
Mental health should be part of health. And as someone who works in suicide prevention, a couple of hours on identifying the signs, asking the questions and encouraging help seeking would also be great.