Mental Health & Well-Being: Tricks and Treats

Developing positive mental health is important to academic achievement and overall well-being. For more information please visit DCDSB Mental Health and Well-Being

Happy Wellness Wednesday! As Halloween creeps closer, we’ve got some tricks and treats for your mind!

Stress can feel like a sneaky little monster—lurking in your locker, hiding in your homework, or creeping into your thoughts. But here’s the good news: you’ve got the power to face it head-on.

Here are some spellbinding strategies to keep your mental health feeling boo-tiful:

• Take “ghoul breaths”—Inhale like you're smelling your favorite Halloween treat and exhale like you're blowing away cobwebs.
• Try some "Art After Dark" – Use drawing, writing, or creative outlets to explore your feelings. It’s like giving your emotions a costume and letting them come out to play under the moonlight.
• Use a "Haunt-Free Hotline" – Talking to a trusted adult or a friend can help stop your worries from turning into full-blown hauntings.
• Move your bones—Even a short walk or stretch can help shake off the mental cobwebs.

So this Halloween, don’t let stress haunt your halls—treat your mind with care, and you’ll feel fab-BOO-lous all week long!

🎃 Happy Wellness Wednesday, Parents, Guardians and Caregivers! 👻
As Halloween creeps closer, it’s not just costumes and candy on our minds—it’s also a great time to check in on our family’s mental well-being.

Stress can sneak up like a shadowy figure in a haunted house—especially with busy schedules, school demands, and seasonal changes. But don’t worry, you’ve got the tools to keep things from getting spook-tacularly overwhelming!

Here are a few tricks and treats for supporting your child’s mental health (and your own!):

• Create calm moments – Deep breathing or quiet time can help everyone reset. Think of it as a “pause potion” for the day.
• Encourage creative expression – Drawing, journaling, or even decorating together can help kids process emotions in a fun, festive way.
• Open the “Haunt-Free Hotline” – Let your child know they can talk to you about anything—no ghosts of judgment here!
• Move your bones together – A walk, dance break, or outdoor adventure can help shake off stress and build connection.

So this Halloween, let’s treat our minds with care, keep the stress monsters at bay, and enjoy the season with a little extra magic. Because when we care for ourselves, we’re better able to care for our little ghouls and goblins.