Know yourself

This week marks Children’s Mental Health Week, with a focus on knowing ourselves to grow ourselves. But how well do we, as adults, really know ourselves? It’s a big question—one that can take a lifetime to explore. We are constantly learning about how we’re wired, piecing together parts of our own puzzle. If it’s this complex for us, imagine how overwhelming it must be for children—especially those who have moved between homes, families, and schools, making it even harder for them to understand who they truly are. 

Place2Be, a national children’s mental health charity, has put together resources to help children navigate these feelings. Using characters from Inside Out, they encourage kids to recognise and name their emotions. 

Identifying what we’re feeling—and why—can be challenging. Our bodies often give us clues before our minds catch up. Tension in the neck, butterflies in the stomach, fidgeting, or rapid breathing—all of these can be signals that something is going on internally. Children, however, may not yet have the words to describe what they feel. That’s where we, as adults, come in. By tuning into our own bodies and emotions, we can better guide children in recognising theirs. 

I’ve spoken before about the survival brain—when emotions flood us, our rational thinking can go offline, and instinct takes over. This happens to everyone. That’s why my challenge for us today is to pause and check in with ourselves. How does your body feel right now? What is it trying to tell you? Sometimes it’s as simple as realising, I’m hungry—but do we always listen before we get irritable (hangry) and have no idea why? 

This Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s help kids check in with their emotions by first checking in with our own. When we understand ourselves better, we can help them do the same.