Dear grown ups,
Welcome to The Happy Tank course as a parent I developed this course to support your child with their mental health and wellbeing.
This course is based on positive psychology as a philosophy implemented in primary schools, that provides six strategies to manage emotions and practice happiness daily.
These are Breathing, Reflection, Kindness, Affirmations, Gratitude and Happy Tapping EFT “Emotionally Focused Therapy”.
Each weekend, after your child has practised exercises in class, with their teachers and peers, I would like you to sit with your child and revise the Happy Tank Technique for the week.
Thank you for your kindness. John
The first strategy concentrates on breathing. It includes a guided meditation for pupils to relieve stress and grow awareness of how their breathwork can help them feel calm and relaxed. It gives practical tools to carry out daily as the first of six strategies.
In week one, ask your pupils to follow my first video and get ready to close their eyes and listen to my instructions. After they have completed their breathing, ask them to share how they feel. Ask them to name some of their daily habits, for example, brushing their teeth, getting dressed, then explain the benefits of practicing breathwork every day.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice on the weekend with grown ups.
Reflection is the next strategy. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness to lead a more successful and fulfilling life. It provides a practical guide on how to take a step back and reflect on one’s life, behaviors and choices. This helps pupils to slow down on the treadmill of life and grow their self-reflection. Ask your pupils to follow what I say on the video, get ready to close their eyes and listen to my instructions. After your pupils have completed their reflection, ask them to share how this will help them in school and life.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice over the weekend with grown ups.
The third strategy is kindness, which helps children gain a deeper understanding of empathy. It focuses on forgiving oneself and others as the step to acts of kindness to self, family, carers, school, friends, community and the planet. Ask your pupils to follow my video and get ready to close their eyes and listen to my instructions. After they have completed their exercise, ask them to list acts of kindness they will carry out during the week. Ask them how each stage of kindness can help them grow and connect to those around them.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice over the weekend with grown ups.
Week four focuses on affirmations and how they connect to positive psychology and increase optimism in daily implementation. The ability to reframe and see good in situations can improve one’s outlook on life. The more optimistic a person, the happier they are. This brings benefits to positive thinking and emotional wellbeing. This section affirms the power of memorizing phrases to change negative thinking patterns and replace them with positive ones, forsake comparisons and access a new belief system to reach higher levels of happiness.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice over the weekend with grown ups.
The fifth strategy, gratitude, is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It helps feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, deal with adversity, and build stronger relationships. It helps children have an awareness of what they have and as a consequence reduces negative feelings of wanting and grasping things they do not have which can cause negative emotions. Ask your pupils what they are grateful for. One cannot be unhappy and grateful at once, so if anyone is upset or experiencing unsettling emotions, asking them to focus on what they are grateful for, will shift their focus and alter their mindset. There is always something to be grateful for.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice over the weekend with grown ups.
The last of six strategies is Happy Tapping – EFT “Emotional Focused Therapy”. It aims to teach pupils how to tap into happy vibes every day and offers practical steps on areas of the body (the heel of the hands, around the eyes, the area below the nose, below the lips, the collarbone, underarm, and top of the head) to clear negative feelings and lighten up altogether. This technique is based on Chinese meridians (energy lines in the body) and tapping on these points can release blocked negative emotions and unhelpful thought patterns.
Please ensure your pupils have their Happy Tank Tracker with the QR code for them to practice over the weekend with grown-ups.