WHAT'S WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HAPPENING HAPPENING

World Autism Awareness Day

2nd April

Autism-friendly events and educational activities take place all through the month of April to increase understanding and acceptance and foster worldwide support.

World Health Day

7th Arpil

In the midst of a pandemic, a polluted planet, increasing diseases like cancer, asthma, heart disease, on World Health Day 2022, WHO will focus global attention on urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy.

International Day for Monuments and Sites, better known as World Heritage Day, promotes awareness about the diversity of the cultural heritage of humanity.

World Heritage Day

18th April

OHeld on or around Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, which is celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children's books.

International Children's Book Day 2nd April

Easter Day 9th April

Easter Monday 10th April

Easter Monday, the day after Easter Day, is a Bank Holiday in the UK and is a national holiday in many countries around the world.

Celebrated all over the world as a morning of jokes and tricks. From national newspapers, websites and TV stations to school children, but don't play a trick after noon - or you are the fool!

April Fool's 1st April

Good Friday

7th Arpil

A bank holiday in the UK, this Christian celebration commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten today.

Based on traditional Indian festival of Rakshabandhan, which is hundreds of years old, honoring the relationships of siblings.

Siblings Day 10th April

Eid al-Fitr

21st - 22nd April

A religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. It is celebrated with prayer and different festivities and foods in different countries.

Worldwide event to raise awareness of the environmental issues which face the whole of planet Earth. The Earth Day organisation campaigns on environmental issues worldwide and promotes sustainability and reducing pollution.

Earth Day 22nd

April

Teen Self Esteem Month 1st

- 31st May

May is National Teen Self Esteem Month and it's a great opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of ensuring our teens are self aware and feel confident about themselves.

National Truffle Day

2nd May

May 2 is National Truffle Day. This day honours deliciously sweet chocolate truffles, that everyone should enjoy today. There are different types of truffles: European, Swiss and American.

National

Doughnut Week

7th - 15th May

National Doughnut Week is a very special week where businesses including bakers, coffee shops, offices and take part and sell lots of delicious doughnuts to raise funds for The Children’s Trust.

Eat Whatever You Want Day

11th May

Eat What You Want Day is just a way to enjoy life with friends and family. Many nutritionists even agree that “taking a short break” from your diet regimen is actually good for you

National Gardening Week 2nd - 8th May

National Gardening Week 2023 is held between 2nd and 8th of May and is run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to raise awareness of gardening and horticulture, and to encourage more people to take part in the healthy and productive outdoor activity of gardening

National Mental Health Awareness Week 15th - 21st May

Mental Health Awareness Week is an ideal time for us all to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.

On the theme of 'anxiety', this year's Mental Health Awareness Week is from 15 to 21 May.

Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including exam pressures, relationships, starting a new job (or losing one) or other big life events. We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problems we can face. In a recent mental health survey we carried out around stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances, a quarter of adults said they felt so anxious that it stopped them from doing the things they want to do some or all of the time. Six in ten adults feel this way, at least some of the time. On a positive note, anxiety can be made easier to manage.

Sometimes you might not like someone when you first meet them. But you mightfindthatastimegoesonyoustarttolikethemmore.Trynottojudge someone before getting to know them. If you give them a chance, you might justbecomefriends.

We can't choose how we feel, but we can choose how we act So if there's someoneinyourgroupwhoyoudon'tlike,it'simportanttomakesureyou're notnastytothem Youcangetalongwithsomeoneandhangoutinthesame groupasthemwithoutbeingreallyclosefriends

Driftingapartfromfriends

You'll make lots of different kinds of friends in your life Some friends you'll only know for a summer or an after school class And some you might know for your whole life It's natural for some friends to drift apart And this is more likely to happen if you and a friend go to a different secondary school orcollege

Friendships are normally best when they aren't forced If there's a friend that you feel you ' re naturally growing away from, that's okay. You might not have the same interests anymore, and you might make new friends somewhereelse.

Remember

It's not okay for someone to make you feel bad If your friend has said something about how you look or where you come from, or pressured you into doing something you didn't want to, it could be a good idea to tellsomeonewhat'shappened.

IT'SGOODTOTALK

Ifyourfriendhasmadeyoufeelbad: trytothinkaboutwhytheymighthaveactedthewaytheydid ask if they're ok - they might have felt worried about something, and takenitoutonyou beassertive-thiscanmakeiteasiertosayhowyoufeel.

Ifyou'vemadeafriendfeelbad: ask another friend or maybe even a teacher to explain how you feel to them bepreparedtosaysorry givethemtime

If you need advice, just talk to Student Services or to find more help with friendships, visit the Childlinewebsite

What to know more? Visit the official website for loads resources and inspiration

...like this poster lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk

Ways To Boost Your Ways To Boost Your Emotional Wellbeing And Emotional Wellbeing And Mental Health Mental Health

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Food And Mood

Changes in blood sugar levels are linked to changes in mood and energy. Eating regularly maintains blood sugar levels. Not eating regularly can make you tired, irritable, anxious and cause poor concentration Good tips include eating breakfast, eating every 3-4 hours, avoiding junk foods, eating plenty of fruit and veg and drinking lots of water

Keep Active

Physical activity helps release endorphins which can improve your mood. When you feel low in mood you might stop doing the things that can improve your mood, almost without realising it. Making sure you do some physical exercise, even if you don't feel like it at first, can give you quick results in improving your mood.

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Drink Sensibly

Alcohol can cause depressive feelings, heightened anxiety, or feeling out of control in a way that feels unpleasant It can also increase risk taking behaviours, so you need to know what your reactions might be. Remember to make your own decisions about what is right for you and not to bend to peer pressure around drinking.

Express Yourself

Some people like to read to learn about the world, or escape into other worlds. Some people like to express their feelings through art, some like talking things through with others. Whatever your style, make sure you do express yourself - it will help you to stay connected, to discover more about you, your identity, and the person that you want to become.

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Distract Yourself

When you are feeling immersed in a problem, let yourself switch off from it and go and do something completely different. When you return to it at a different time it may seem more manageable. Distracting yourself is not a cop-out, but can be a reliable way to stop overthinking a problem when you are feeling stuck.

Ask For Help

How would you feel if a friend asked for help, advice or just wanted to talk things through?

Many of us would be pleased to be chosen to confide in, it might make us feel valued. When you are feeling low in mood, or anxious, it is easy to think negatively about yourself and be less likely to seek support from others. Try and beat this feeling and approach people that you trust to talk to. You may be surprised at how much better you might feel and how they have responded positively to you, as you would if the situation were reversed.

Learn To Take Time Out And Relax

People have lots of different ways of relaxing or having downtime from the stresses of life. These can be the things that you stop doing when you start to feel low in mood, or stressed, as you forget to be kind to yourself A hot bath, listening to music, watching a film, keeping social arrangements and hobbies going, whatever it is, think about the things that help to keep you calm or more content, and make sure they are still in your routine.

Do Something You Enjoy

We are all unique and enjoy different things. You may not have found the thing that you enjoy yet, so try some different things out. You may have lost touch with activities that have given you pleasure in the past. Doing things you enjoy can help you to stay connected with some of the more positive aspects of life.

If you ’ re struggling with your feelings, you ' re not alone. YoungMinds have loads of practical tips and advice from young people just like you, as well as information on getting the support you need.

Remember Your Good Points

We all have them, and none of us is perfect either. It can be easy to think that others are more talented, more successful, have more opportunity than us, when you are feeling low in mood. But it is impossible to know how someone else is feeling inside, whatever they seem like on the surface. Remind yourself about the things you do well, and looking for evidence of this can help to balance out critical thoughts about yourself, which tend to increase when we are stressed

SELF-HELP

Use online resources and books that offer help and support, information and advice, or just give another perspective. Some people like books with information, some people like reading about other people's experiences. Some people like novels with a particular theme. Some people prefer films. Whatever works best for you. Why not pop into your local library and check out their Shelf Help books.