Psychosocial Support

Activities
What is the importance of Psychosocial Support Activities in
School?
- To provide mental health and
psychosocial support is one of the
ways to help people who are in
unfortunate situations.
- To helps strengthen protective
factors for the child, including their
ability to identify dangerous and
risky situations.
The 7 s' of Psychosocial support
The process of Social and Emotional Learning
(SEL) is integral in enabling individuals
to develop healthy identities, manage
emotions, achieve personal and collective
goals, feel and show empathy for others,
establish and maintain supportive
relationships, and make responsible and
caring decisions.
The 7 s' of Psychosocial support
That function as building blocks in
allowing recovery and learning to occur in
children as teachers engage them in the
different psychosocial support activities.
This ultimately aims to give learners
access to sources of resilience to better
navigate the impacts of disasters and/or
emergencies.
 The 7 s’ of
Psychosocial Support
1. Safety

Emotional and physical safety are

essential for recovery to take place;
this builds trust and creates an
environment where self-reflection
and self-expression become
possible.
2. Self-awareness
In school, at various age groups, there is a growing
self-awareness of one’s body, separateness from
others, and ability to express needs and
preferences. Through specific activities, this
growing knowledge of oneself serves as a building
block for gaining more complex developmental
skills such as problem solving and self-
regulation, which can then lead to health, stability,
resilience and confidence.
3. Self-expression

The process of identifying feelings and

sharing this both verbally and non-verbally,
in the presence of a caring adult who is
attentive to both the learner and the
creative process, is fundamentally what
psychosocial support work in the classroom
is about.
4. Self-regulation

Self-regulation is key to achieving a sense

of equilibrium mentally, physical and
emotionally. Since the mind and body are
intricately connected, one’s ability to
manage strong emotions are key to
healthy daily functioning.
5. Problem-solving

This critical life skill can be learned through any

process that involves art making. It can begin
with resolving the simple dilemma between
choosing blue or green to color, or deciding
what colors to mix to make a new color, or
deciding on one’s own specific rhythm or beat
in a song or a dance sequence.
6. Self - confidence
A strong sense of self-esteem and self-confidence is
essential to experiencing success in school, and in
finding one’s way through adversity, and art-based
activities can help encourage children to reflect on,
identify, express their strengths and values. As a
stabilizing factor, the school or child friendly space
that builds on children’s strengths become healing
spaces particularly for children who do not receive
affirmation in other aspects of their lives.
7. Self - compassion
When children receive empathy in times of distress,
they learn how to demonstrate this towards
themselves and others as well. Caring adults who
model compassion and empathy indirectly teach
children how to show this to others in times of
difficulty. These activities that involve the facilitation
of a trustworthy adult as well as interactions with
others promote the development of empathy and
appreciation for differences and unique abilities,
talents and ways of coping.
Act: Preparing the emotional and
Guidelines Chart
physical space for a safe and friendly time

Draw a particular Know that all art is good art!

object that symbolizes
your remote learning Use whatever materials we have, and
remember to share it with others who ma
experience and write want to use it.
at least 3 sentences
When someone is speaking, we do our be
that explains your to listen to them.
work.
Treat each other with respect.
Preparing the emotional and physical space

Before every session, it’s important

to pay attention to how you are
feeling to ensure your sense of
calm, centeredness and compassion
can help create an accepting
environment for your learners. Now,
let’s answer the Stress Test.
Stress Test:
Check-in with yourself to do a brief stress test measuring
your stress level from 0-10.
Activity: “There’s an emergency”

I have here given situations which

you are going to answer if you are in
that situation.
Activity: “There’s an emergency”

There’s an earthquake. What will you

do in this situation?
Activity: “There’s an emergency”

Your drunk friend walking out to his

motorcycle with keys in hand. What
will you do to help him?
DISCUSSION GUIDE:
-Keeping safe in school and at home is important.
-Physical safety means getting to a safe place, or
helping someone feel safe in their bodies. (e.g.
someone out of breath, or in a state of panic, or
someone who needs to get to a hospital.
-Emotional safety means feeling free to be yourself
in school and at home without someone putting
you down. Discipline is necessary at school and at
home but bullying is not.
Act: “Feelings Circle” (Self-awareness)
-You are invited to reflect on how feelings can
exist simultaneously and deepen your self-
awareness.

-You are invited to reflect on how feelings can

exist simultaneously and deepen your self-
awareness.
Act: “Feelings Circle” (Self-awareness)
-On a whole sheet of paper, think of the
different feelings they have at this moment.
-Take a sheet of paper and divide it in half. On
the left side, write down all the feelings they
feel in the moment.
-Create a circle to divide the wheel according to
“percentages” or to the size of each feeling they
are experiencing at the moment.
Example:
Questions:
1. What would you like to say about your
Feelings Wheel?

2. What did you discover about yourself as

you were making it or as you look at the
chart now?
What did you learn about yourself?