Grade by Grade
D. Healthy Living · Healthy Living

Healthy Habits and a Healthy Mind

D1.5 D3.2 D3.3 A1About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can explain that mental health is part of being healthy, and name ways to take care of my body and mind.
  • I can explain how my thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other.
  • I can name habits that can harm health, like too much screen time, smoking and vaping, and suggest healthier choices.

Words to know

mental health
How you think and feel inside. It is part of being healthy, just like your body's health.
emotion
A feeling, like happy, sad, angry, scared or excited.
thought
The words or ideas in your head, like "I can do this!"
habit
Something you do so often that you do it without thinking.
screen time
Time spent looking at screens, like TV, tablets, phones and video games.
vaping
Breathing in a mist from an e-cigarette. It is harmful to health.

Healthy on the outside AND the inside

When we think of being healthy, we often think of our bodies: eating well, moving, sleeping. But being healthy also means taking care of our minds: how we think and feel. This is called mental health.

Everyone has mental health, just like everyone has a body. And we can take care of both!

Ways to take care of my body and mindWhy it helps
Get enough sleepYour body grows and rests. You feel calmer and can learn better.
Move and play every dayStrong body and a happier mood.
Eat healthy food and drink waterEnergy for your body and brain.
Talk about your feelings with someone you trustSharing a feeling can make it feel smaller.
Spend time with people you loveYou feel cared for and safe.
Play outside in natureFresh air and time in nature can help you feel calm.
Do things you enjoy: draw, build, read, singYou feel happy and proud.

Thoughts, feelings and actions

What we think changes how we feel. How we feel changes what we do. And what we do can change what we think and feel again!

ThoughtFeelingActionThey all affect each other
Thoughts, feelings (emotions) and actions are connected.
Worked example

Let's change a thought

Zoe is about to read in front of the class. She thinks, "I'm going to mess up." What happens? How could a different thought help?

  1. Thought: "I'm going to mess up."
  2. Feeling: worried, nervous. Her tummy feels fluttery.
  3. Action: she wants to hide and not read.
  4. New thought: "I practised. I can try my best. It's okay to make mistakes."
  5. New feeling: a little calmer, braver. New action: she takes a deep breath and reads!

A worried thought led to a worried feeling and hiding. A kind, brave thought helped Zoe feel calmer and try. Our thoughts can help us!

Calm-down tools

  • Belly breathing: breathe in slowly through your nose (your belly gets big like a balloon), then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Do it 3 times.
  • Kind self-talk: "I can try." "I can ask for help."
  • Move your body: a walk, some stretches or jumping jacks.
  • Talk to a trusted adult about how you feel.
in throughyour noseout throughyour mouthbelly fillslike a balloonbelly getssmall againBreathe in slowlyBreathe out slowlydo it 3 times
Belly breathing: breathe in slowly through your nose so your belly fills like a balloon, then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Do it 3 times.

Habits that can harm health

Some habits can be bad for our health:

  • Too much screen time: lots of TV, tablets or video games can mean less moving, less sleep and less time with people.
  • Smoking: cigarette smoke hurts the lungs and heart, and breathing other people's smoke is harmful too.
  • Vaping: e-cigarettes are harmful too, especially for young people.

People can be encouraged to make healthier choices: a family can turn off screens and play a game together; we can ask people not to smoke near us; grown-ups can get help from a doctor to stop smoking or vaping. Encouraging people kindly is better than making fun of them.

Worked example

Let's find a healthier choice

Ben plays video games every day after school until bedtime. He feels tired and grumpy and has not played outside all week. What could help?

  1. Notice the habit: lots of screen time every day.
  2. Notice the effects: tired, grumpy, not moving.
  3. Healthier choices: play outside after school, ride his bike, read or build with blocks, then a little game time.
  4. Encourage: his family can make a screen plan together, like turning screens off before supper and at bedtime.

Ben can swap some screen time for active play and other things he enjoys, with a family screen plan. He will likely feel more energy and sleep better.

Funny but true

Koalas can sleep for 18 hours a day or even more! 🐨 You don't need that much sleep, but a koala would say you can never have too many naps.

Hands-on activity

My feel-good plan

You need: paper, crayons.

  1. Fold your paper into 4 boxes.
  2. Box 1: draw something that helps your body (like sleeping, playing, eating fruit).
  3. Box 2: draw something that helps your mind feel calm or happy (like hugging a pet, drawing, talking to Grandpa).
  4. Box 3: draw a calm-down tool you will use when you have a big feeling (like belly breathing).
  5. Box 4: draw a screen-free activity you love.
  6. Put your plan on the fridge. Try one thing from it each day this week!

Your turn

1

What is mental health?

2

Name two things you can do to take care of your mind.

3

How can a thought change a feeling? Give an example.

4

Name one habit that can be harmful to health.

5

Suggest a healthier choice instead of watching TV all afternoon.

6

Do it and check: Do 3 belly breaths.

7

Why is breathing in someone else's cigarette smoke harmful?

More practice: warm-up

1

True or false: Everyone has mental health.

2

Is getting enough sleep good for your body and mind?

3

Name one feeling (emotion).

4

Is vaping healthy?

5

Name one thing you enjoy that helps you feel happy.

More practice: on your own

1

Maya thinks, "I'll never learn to ride my bike." How might she feel? What could she do?

2

Why might too much screen time make someone feel tired or grumpy?

3

You feel angry because your tower fell. Name a calm-down tool you could use.

4

How can a family encourage healthier screen habits?

5

Is mental health only for grown-ups?

Challenge

1

Draw (or describe) the thought, feeling and action cycle for this: "I think the dog will bite me."

2

Your uncle smokes. How could your family kindly encourage him to make a healthier choice?

3

Make a plan for a healthy afternoon with one thing for your body and one for your mind.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is mental health?

2.

Which helps take care of your mind?

3.

Which habit can harm health?

4.

Thinking "I can try my best" might make you feel...

5.

What is a healthier choice than playing video games all evening?

6.

Is breathing in someone else's cigarette smoke healthy?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 students learn that mental health is part of overall health and reflect on what they can do to take care of their body and mind; that thoughts, emotions and actions affect mental health; and they identify habits that can be detrimental to health (such as excessive screen time or video game use, smoking and vaping) and how people can be encouraged to choose healthier alternatives.

How to help at home:

  • Use feeling words often: "You look frustrated. Want to try belly breathing?"
  • Model helpful self-talk: "This is tricky, but I can try again."
  • Make a family screen plan (Canada's 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for children aged 5 to 17 suggest no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time a day, plus plenty of active play and sleep).
  • If someone in the family smokes or vapes, keep it calm and non-judgemental; children may worry. Focus on caring and on keeping smoke away from children.

When to get help: All children have big feelings. If your child's worry, sadness or anger lasts a long time or gets in the way of daily life, talk to your family doctor or your child's teacher. Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) is available any time.

This lesson also builds social-emotional skills (strand A): identifying and managing emotions, coping, and positive thinking.