Tips & support is an open part of Det syns inte.About the school programme
You may know the Swedish plate model for food – the one that shows how we should eat for our bodies to work well and keep our energy up for longer. In the same way, there is a model for what we can do to support our mental wellbeing – the Mental Health Plate.
The Mental Health Plate describes the brain’s basic needs, so that we have a better chance of feeling well in our thoughts and feelings. It also works as a tool for assessing and creating balance in life. Our genes and living conditions affect how we feel, but research also shows that what we do every day can change how we feel.
How well the brain works depends on how we look after it. When we give it the right conditions, we increase our chances of feeling better, performing better and handling life’s challenges more effectively. The Mental Health Plate is built on seven basic needs, with food as a ring around them.
Move every day. All movement counts, including walking or cycling to school. Three times a week: something that makes you out of breath and strengthens your muscles.
“Is there a kind of movement you prefer or that makes you happy?”
How much sleep we need a night: 10–11 hours for ages 6–12, 8–9 hours for ages 13–18 and 7–9 hours for adults.
“How are you sleeping? Tell me about it.”
Moments when the brain gets a break from processing information from outside. For example daydreaming, having a shower, walking in silence.
“What is it like for you when you have nothing to do, no phone and no one to talk to?”
Quality time with others (ideally in person). Relationships that give a sense of belonging, energy and security.
“Is there someone in your life you feel you can talk to about difficult things, thoughts or feelings?”
Things you do in your free time that feel meaningful. For example sport, dance, gaming in a team, playing an instrument or volunteering.
“Is there an activity or interest that gives you energy, meaning or joy?”
Time when you do something focused without distractions.
“What is it usually like for you when you need to do something that requires your focus?”
Time without demands when you do not have to perform and are “free” to, for example, listen to music, draw, play, do crafts or scroll.
“What does your free time look like when you do not have school or organised activities? What do you most like doing then?”
Regular meals and varied food give the brain and body steady energy to manage the rest of the plate.
“Think of an ordinary weekday – what does a normal day of eating look like? Start from when you wake up.”
Move every day. All movement counts, including walking or cycling to school. Three times a week: something that makes you out of breath and strengthens your muscles.
“Is there a kind of movement you prefer or that makes you happy?”
How much sleep we need a night: 10–11 hours for ages 6–12, 8–9 hours for ages 13–18 and 7–9 hours for adults.
“How are you sleeping? Tell me about it.”
Moments when the brain gets a break from processing information from outside. For example daydreaming, having a shower, walking in silence.
“What is it like for you when you have nothing to do, no phone and no one to talk to?”
Quality time with others (ideally in person). Relationships that give a sense of belonging, energy and security.
“Is there someone in your life you feel you can talk to about difficult things, thoughts or feelings?”
Things you do in your free time that feel meaningful. For example sport, dance, gaming in a team, playing an instrument or volunteering.
“Is there an activity or interest that gives you energy, meaning or joy?”
Time when you do something focused without distractions.
“What is it usually like for you when you need to do something that requires your focus?”
Time without demands when you do not have to perform and are “free” to, for example, listen to music, draw, play, do crafts or scroll.
“What does your free time look like when you do not have school or organised activities? What do you most like doing then?”
Regular meals and varied food give the brain and body steady energy to manage the rest of the plate.
“Think of an ordinary weekday – what does a normal day of eating look like? Start from when you wake up.”
Fill in the template together with your child and talk about how the brain’s basic needs can fit into everyday life. The same questions are in the plans on the slice pages and are gathered in the family plan.
All the parts of the Mental Health Plate matter, but some need more space than others. For example, sleep is one of the most important factors for our wellbeing, while focus time does not need to take up as much room. You do not need to cover every part every day, but they should all be part of your life regularly in some form. Some can also be combined, such as training (exercise) or watching a film (chill time) with someone else (relationships), while some slices of the model, such as sleep or brain rest, need you to be left undisturbed.
Depending on what you are going through in life, some parts may need more space. For example, if you are stressed for a while, brain rest can become extra important. If you are on the move all day, chill time can be a particularly important form of recovery for you.
Which of these slices do you need to give more space in your life?
Good, regular eating habits give us the energy to look after ourselves with the Mental Health Plate. When the Mental Health Plate is in balance, the brain has a better chance of coping with difficult thoughts, feelings and situations.
More about food
Where the model comes from, how it has been adapted to Swedish conditions and which sources it is based on.
Det syns inte is a school programme about mental health, the brain and life with screens. It is built on drama films and research, and is used by teachers, mentors and school health teams together with the students. The programme’s website is in Swedish.
