As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, the Chinthurst community came together for an assembly led by parent Dr Stephanie Doig, a clinical psychologist who helps children understand and manage their feelings.

Dr Doig began the assembly explaining that feelings are like a magnifying glass, they provide important clues about what is happening inside us. A child may feel nervous before a gymnastics performance or excited ahead of a football final. Some emotions may feel more uncomfortable than others, but she gently reassured the children that there are no “bad” feelings. Every emotion is part of being human, and learning to understand those feelings is an important part of growing up.

In one particularly moving moment, Dr Doig asked the children and teachers in the assembly to raise their hand if they had ever felt anxious. Every hand in the room went up. She encouraged the children to pause and look around, helping them realise that anxiety is something everyone experiences. It was a powerful reminder that no one is ever alone in how they feel.

The children learned that anxiety is not “wrong” or something to fear, but rather the body’s natural way of trying to keep people safe. Dr Doig described how anxiety can feel in the body and explained that these feelings can sometimes make people want to avoid difficult situations.

She introduced the body’s “fight, flight or freeze” response, describing these reactions as superhero powers designed to protect us. “Fight” helps people stand tall and face challenges, “flight” helps them escape danger, and “freeze” helps them stay safe and unnoticed when needed. The children were fascinated to learn how the brain and body work together when they feel worried or overwhelmed.

To help the children manage anxious feelings, Dr Doig shared the simple but effective STOP strategy:

S – Say hello to your anxiety.

T – Thank your body for trying to protect you.

O – Open up and breathe, using calming techniques such as box breathing to slow the heart rate and refocus the mind.

P – Pick your next steps, taking small, manageable actions to move forward, whether that means speaking to a trusted adult, taking a moment to pause or visiting Scout, the school’s wellbeing dog.

Dr Doig also reminded the children that asking for help is a sign of strength and that there will always be parents, teachers and trusted adults ready to listen and support them.

One of the most memorable parts of the assembly was Dr Doig’s beach ball analogy. She explained that anxiety can be like trying to push a beach ball underwater, the harder someone pushes their feelings away, the more likely those feelings are to bounce back unexpectedly. Instead, she encouraged the children to acknowledge their emotions, allow them to be present and learn healthy ways to manage them. This simple but powerful image helped the children visualise their feelings in a meaningful and reassuring way.

It was an empowering assembly that helped the children understand that all feelings matter, anxiety is normal and support is always available. Chinthurst was incredibly grateful to Dr Doig for sharing her expertise so generously and helping the children feel understood, supported and confident in talking about their emotions.