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A Child’s Voice® 
Children & Young Peoples: Mental Health Support & Education 

Zuzanna is one of our Mental Health Ambassadors. She helps you understand your thoughts and feelings, so you can become your own mental health detective

 

 

 

 

Understanding how biology—your brain and body—affects mental health is really about seeing how everything is connected. Your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours aren’t separate from your body; they’re shaped by physical processes happening inside you all the time.

 

 

The Brain: Your Control Centre

Your brain is responsible for how you think, feel, and react. Different parts play different roles:

Prefrontal cortex – helps with decision-making, focus, and controlling impulses

Amygdala – processes emotions like fear and stress

Hippocampus – important for memory and learning

When these areas aren’t working in balance (for example, if stress is high), it can affect mood, anxiety levels, and behaviour.

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Neurotransmitters: The Brain’s Chemical Messengers

Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that transmit signals between neurons (brain cells). They play a crucial role in regulating mood, behavior, and bodily functions.

Some key neurotransmitters include:

  • Serotonin – helps regulate mood, sleep, and appetite. Low levels are often linked to depression and anxiety.

  • Dopamine – involved in motivation, pleasure, and reward. It also plays a role in movement and focus.

  • Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) – affects alertness, attention, and the body’s response to stress (fight-or-flight).

  • GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – the brain’s main inhibitory neurotransmitter. It reduces neural activity and helps calm the brain; low levels are linked to anxiety and stress.

  • Glutamate – the brain’s main excitatory neurotransmitter. It is important for learning and memory, but too much can lead to overstimulation and is associated with conditions like anxiety.

When these neurotransmitters are out of balance, it can contribute to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. However, these conditions are complex and also influenced by factors like genetics, environment, and life experiences.

 

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The Body: It’s Not Just “In Your Head”

Your mental health is deeply connected to your body—everything works together.

Your body systems directly impact how you think and feel:

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  • Hormones (like cortisol) rise when you’re stressed, which can affect your mood, energy, and ability to cope

  • Sleep helps regulate emotions—when you don’t get enough, everything can feel more overwhelming

  • Nutrition fuels brain function—your brain needs the right nutrients to stay focused, balanced, and resilient

  • Gut health is closely linked to mood through the gut-brain connection, influencing how you feel emotionally

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When you don’t get enough sleep, eat healthy food, or move your body, things can feel harder. But when you sleep well, eat well, and stay active, it helps your body and your mind feel better.

Looking after your body is an important part of looking after your mind.

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The Stress Response (Fight, Flight, Freeze & More)

When you feel threatened, your body activates its built-in survival response.

While many people know the classic three — fight, flight, and freeze — there are actually several common responses, including:

  • Fight (confronting the threat)

  • Flight (escaping the situation)

  • Freeze (feeling stuck or unable to act)

  • Flop (shutting down or collapsing)

  • Fawn / Friend (people-pleasing to stay safe)

  • Fine (masking how you really feel)

This response causes physical changes such as:

  • an increased heart rate

  • faster breathing

  • the release of stress hormones

In the short term, this system helps you respond to danger. But when it stays switched on for too long, it can lead to anxiety, burnout, or a constant sense of overwhelm.

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 Why This Matters

Mental health isn’t just about mindset—it’s biological too. Things like genetics, brain chemistry, sleep, stress, and physical health all play a role.

That also means:

Small changes (sleep, movement, talking to someone) can physically change your brain over time

Struggling doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you—it often means your system is under strain

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👀 Learned Behaviour

We sometimes copy things we’ve seen or been taught, even if they’re not healthy.

You saw someone else hurt themselves, so it feels like a way to cope.

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WORKING PROGRESS 

Helping you to understand your environment

An environment is everything around you- where you are and who you are with.

Here are examples of what an environment could be:

 🏠 Your home

🏫 Your school

🌳 A park or playground

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Being with your family

👫 Being with your friends

📚 A library

⚽ A sports club or activity group

🏡 Supported accommodation (a safe place where some children live and get extra help)

🌈 Different situations you are in (like being in class, at lunch, or at a party)

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A safe and kind environment can help you to feel happy, calm, loved and confident. However, a noisy, unkind or unsafe environment can make you feel worried, sad, angry or tired.

Everyone deserves to be in environments where they feel safe, supported, and cared for. 

🧠 Thinking Patterns (Cognitive)

Our thoughts can get stuck in negative loops.

You might think “I’m not good enough” even when that’s not true.

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WORKING PROGRESS 

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ADHD - AUTISM - LEARNING DISABILITY ETC

​🧠What are emtoions 

 

Why Do These challenging Feelings Happen?

This page aims to help you to understand big emotions

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WORKING PROGRESS

💞 Attachment

How safe and loved we feel growing up shapes how we manage big feelings.

If no one is there when you are scared, it’s harder to feel safe inside.

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WORKING PROGRESS 

Understanding ADHD and Autism​

Click on the photo to watch the video 

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Click on the photo to watch the video 

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💬 Social + Cultural Messages

The world around us can give confusing ideas about what’s “normal” or “cool.”

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Working Progress 

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🌈 Things You Can Do Right Now

If you have your A Child’s Voice® Workbook, you can use it to help you feel better when things are hard.

Inside your workbook, you can:

  • Calm your body and mind

  • Learn about your feelings

  • Find the courage to speak up

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Take your time — this is your safe space 

If you feel very upset or unsafe, look at the Safety Plan. It will show you who can help you.
You are never alone.

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Read Stories
Read stories about other children who felt big feelings and found help.

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Be Creative
Draw, colour, or write about how you feel.

Listen & Breathe
Try slow breathing or calming music to help your body relax.

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Fun Zone
Play games and puzzles to help you feel calm and happy.

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Talk to Someone Safe


Talk to a trusted adult, family member, or friend.

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Remember This

You matter.
Your feelings matter.
You are important.

Even when things feel hard, there is always hope 

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Listen to calm music here 

I Need Help Now

🚨 Step 1: Are you in danger right now?

  • YES → 🚨 Call 999 NOW

  • NO → Go to Step 2

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💬 Step 2: How do you want to get help?

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🧑‍🏫 Step 3: Talk to someone you know

  • A parent or carer

  • A teacher or school adult

  • Another trusted adult

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You are not alone

It is not your fault

It’s always okay to ask for help

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