Optimus Education podcasts

Body image is how we think and feel about our appearance, and how we think other people see us. Unfortunately, negative body image is on the rise – particularly amongst teenagers. Last year, a survey by the Mental Health Foundation found that almost a third of teenagers feel ashamed about their body image, four in ten worry about their body image because of images seen on social media and more than a third have stopped eating at some point or restricted their diet because of worries over the way they look. In this episode, we look at the factors contributing to negative body image, how this can affect mental health and what can be done to support children and young people.

Last year, the number of active social media users in the UK grew to 45 million. This translates to around 67% of the population. According to The Independent, the average Brit checks their phone as much as 28 times a day, whilst The Guardian reports that more than a third of teenagers spend at least three hours a day on social media. Although social media is clearly now a part of our everyday lives, concerns around its potential impact on our mental health are rising. In this episode, we'll be looking at the impact that social media is having on our mental health, and ways to make social media habits healthier.

Concerns over teacher mental health are on the rise. The most recent Teacher Wellbeing Index found that over a third of education professionals have experienced a mental health issue in the past academic year, and nearly half consider their organisational culture to have a negative effect on their wellbeing. Worries over health have caused 57% of teachers to consider leaving the profession within the past two years, and 78% of those in the sector have experienced psychological or physical symptoms due to their work. In this episode, we’ll be looking at the causes of poor teacher mental health, and what can be done to improve staff wellbeing.

Students are now extremely tech-savvy but when issues such as cyberbullying or sharing inappropriate images arise it is often the school which has to deal with them. This is particularly difficult when most incidents happen outside of school hours. In this podcast, Alan Mackenzie explains: 1. methods and platforms that make on-going parental engagement easier 2. the importance of grabbing parents’ attention and keeping them involved 3. how students can help educate on the most important e-safety topics. Find out more at: http://www.optimus-education.com/