Mindfulness in Education: New Mindfulness Tuition service launched after stressful 2020
While everyone hoped coronavirus would remain in 2020, 2021 has already seen a new national lockdown as a consequence of a new variant and a steep rise in cases. With nationwide school closures, millions of students have been plunged back into isolation to resume remote learning.
The reinstitution of March's lockdown rules means that the majority of pupils in the UK have been out of school for over 6 months. With the latest restrictions and uncertainty surrounding if and when schools will reopen, many students are left to face the struggles of lockdown learning on their own.
This uncertainty and isolation coupled with the ongoing threat of the virus has and will continue to have, a huge impact of the wellbeing of children.
It is therefore imperative that we face the problems caused by the virus now, accepting that this year, like the last, will have a negative impact on the mental health of many children and young adults.
A recent survey we conducted with 2,130 British parents (with children aged 10-16 years old) shed some light on the topic of young people's mental health in 2020.
Here are some of the key findings:
- More than two thirds of parents (67%) stated that they had noticed a negative change in their child’s behaviour during lockdown
- Nearly half (48%) felt that their children were communicating with them less
- More than half of parents (54%) believe their children are struggling with their mental health this year, with ‘general low moods’ their main concern (43% of parents selected this)
- One in ten (11%) felt that their children had exhibited symptoms of depression
- A fifth (21%) felt like their children were becoming more ‘short-tempered’
The survey results highlight the acute need for mindfulness in education. In light of this we have decided to launch Mindfulness Tuition, where parents and students can easily find tutors trained in mental health, to receive one-to-one mindfulness sessions, either in person or virtually.
The cost of these sessions is dependent on the tutor, however we anticipate that an hour long session will cost between £25 to £35. And Tutor House is offering big discounts for block bookings and sibling/friend group tutoring.
These sessions involve tutors talking through the events of the past year and how this has made the student feel, as well as trying out different mindfulness exercises to find what works best for each student.
These exercises may include CBT therapy, breathing exercises and keeping a mindfulness journal. The aim is to equip children with skills and resources to deal with stress now and in the future.
If you are interested in hiring a Mindfulness Tutor please contact a member of our educational team here Tutor House | Find Your Perfect Tutor
It is also entirely possible to book a standard tutoring session for a specific subject area, with a tutor that has received mindfulness training, allowing an opportunity to discuss mental health in a situation where it isn’t the central focus.
If you have mental health training and are interested in registering as a tutor please click here: https://tutorhouse.co.uk/teach-with-us
The survey also asked parents about their own wellbeing, particularly focused on those that had been spending increased time at home, either due to being furloughed or working from home - over three-quarters surveyed fell into this category (78%).
Of these respondents, 81% stated that they had been feeling more stressed than normal this year, while over a third (34%) worry about the impact that this would have on their children.
Alex Dyer, founder of tutorhouse.co.uk, said:
“With their daily routines massively upturned, a new normal that is very far from normal and plenty of uncertainty still waiting along the way, 2020 has been a tough year for children, especially for those who have transitioned to different schools and key stages. This will have already taken a massive toll on the wellbeing for a lot of young people throughout the UK and with mental health services already under strain, we are hoping to help out by giving students an opportunity to talk about their mental health in a low-pressure environment from their own home.”
