CHILDLINE ADVICE: Overcoming negative moods brought on by shorter days

Our Childline counsellors speak to young people every day who are concerned about their mental and emotional wellbeing – it’s one of the top reasons young people contact our service.

Around two children contact Childline every minute, and our counsellors answer every call they can.

There are also activities and pages of advice on the Childline website which can be equally useful for young people who are in a low mood and would prefer not to speak on the phone.

The Childline website has a Toolbox area which includes all kinds of games and activities which are designed to help young people take their mind off things.

It allows them to let out their feelings through creativity, or watch videos with guidance and advice around topics that might concern them.

One of the tools we’d recommend to any young person is a Mood Journal.

Like a diary, it’s a way to keep track of your feelings and events you’re experiencing.

Writing about your feelings is a great way to express yourself, and can help children spot patterns and understand their feelings.

By writing down the positive things too, children can be reminded that there are times when things go well, proud of their achievements or of trying new things.

If they don’t feel like writing, there’s a games section which is specifically designed to help boost a young person’s mood.

All they need to do is select a couple of options which describe their favourite things, then play a quick game of pinball.

The prize for completing a game is a list of suggestions which are tailored to them which offer a few easy things that they can do in order to help them feel better quickly.

Obviously, there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to boosting moods, but there are lots more options and activities on the website for young people to explore while the days are dark and cold.

And our counsellors are always available to anyone who’d prefer to speak directly to someone about how they’re feeling.