September the 19th is Youth Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is #ShareSupport. It is about encouraging young people to talk about what helps them, to share their own ideas for wellbeing, and to support one another through connection and understanding.
At Mindapples, this message is very close to our work. Since 2008, we have been asking people: “What do you do to take care of your mind?” The answers, which we call mindapples, have been shared by pupils, teachers and communities across the UK. Sharing ideas like this helps make conversations about mental health feel normal, and it also gives friends and classmates fresh tools to try.
Why peer support matters
Many young people say they turn to friends first when things feel difficult. The Department for Education has found that peer support in schools, when it is well designed, can improve mental wellbeing. Other research shows that it can also increase happiness, confidence and coping skills, while reducing feelings of anxiety and loneliness. These benefits often extend to the young people providing the support as well as those receiving it.
Building supportive communities
Our schools programme equips teachers and pupils with the knowledge, tools and confidence to talk about their minds, develop healthy habits and support one another. It is a whole-school approach that combines evidence-informed training with creative resources to make mental health part of everyday school life. We’ve seen how valuable it can be when young people share their own strategies, their “mindapples,” with friends and classmates. Talking about what helps them, from music and sport to doodling or time with friends, allows pupils to support themselves while also inspiring others with practical ideas for looking after their minds.
What young people tell us
“Listening to other people’s mindapples showed me just how many simple things I could do to help limit some of my anxieties.”
Emma, Year 10“When I do my mindapples I feel peaceful and more concentrated… it helps my brain relax.”
Fatima, Year 9“I like thinking about my mindapples because they make me feel calm and secure.”
Georgia, Year 9
What teachers see
Teachers tell us the approach helps them build a whole-school culture of wellbeing:
“The resources we have been given have been brilliant. They are eye-catching, colourful and engaging for staff and pupils.”
Jude Firth, Assistant Head, Mayfield School“Mindapples is the opportunity to be open about our own mental health, talk about what strategies we use individually and how we can share that more widely.”
Ashley Howard, Headteacher, Mayfield School
At Mayfield, older pupils have also been trained as Mindapples Champions, helping to deliver sessions and model positive habits for younger students.
Join us this Youth Mental Health Day
This Youth Mental Health Day, we invite you to celebrate the power of sharing. Ask a pupil, a friend or your class: “What are your mindapples?” Write them on an applecard, add them to a Mindapples tree, or share them online with #ShareSupport.
When young people share what works for them, no matter how small, it becomes more than self-care. It’s a way of supporting each other and showing that looking after our minds is something we can all do.