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The mantra – ‘it’s easier to build strong children than fix broken adults’- is at the heart of everything Michelle Ayres and Carol Vivyan do. Former nurses, the two friends have trained in cognitive psychotherapy together before starting their entrepreneurial journey.
The duo wrote "The Decider," a skills manual to manage mental health, after Guernsey’s health service asked them to help create a programme for people with impulsivity issues.
What they came up with was a 32-piece emotional ‘toolkit’ on how to manage their mental health, and it quickly took off.
“People asked, ‘where has this been all my life?’” Michelle recalled. A lightbulb flicked on – those skills needed to be taught to children. “It’s a bit like a fire drill,
really – we teach our kids before there’s a fire so they know what to do when there is one. It’s the same with mental health. We shouldn’t wait until there’s a
problem.”
Video: An explanation of how the Decider aims to help.
And ‘The Decider’ was born. “In sport, it’s the ‘decider’ that wins the game. The choices that we make are what will win our game in life. It’s about wise life
choices, and about responsibility and emotional resilience.” The caring pair subsequently whittled those 32 skills down to 12 and created teaching packs for schools consisting of literature and props to send through positive mental messages. Alongside two workers they’ve trained, they then ‘teach teachers’ how to share their lessons of calm and self-care in child-friendly language.
One key word in that language is ‘the fizz’ – a zero to 10 emotional scale. “It’s a play on the words, ‘physical sensation’… If your fizz is low, you can think things through, you can react, you can choose what to do quite well. If your fizz is up to a nine, you’re losing it really, and you’re not going to make good choices.” It means that children can better understand their own feelings – and then better share them with others.
Pictured: Michelle and Carol receiving their prize at the British Journal of Nursing Awards in 2015.
It’s not just about communication, there are “daft” props like big ears reminding children to listen, hand mirrors to emphasise reflection and diamonds to highlight ‘crystal clear’ communication. And then there’s the ‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1’ life hack
“for when your fizz is up” - five things you see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two things you like the smell or taste of and one deep breath. “We teach children not to be afraid of emotions, they’re normal. What you do with them makes a difference.”
Demand for their programme has “mushroomed” – “most schools in Guernsey are using it now” – and now the pair are looking for help to spread their message further. Instead of training more staff, they’re looking to develop a video and enhance their skill packs. “If we could get into every child, I do think we could change the mental health outcomes of a whole generation.”
On 5 March, The Decider will be one of the four finalists to go before the potential investors in the Bailiwick Business Academy, including Aaron Chatterley, Simon Perée and Zef Eisenberg.
Whether they invest or not is a personal choice - but they will decide on one winner who will receive mentoring, £10,000 of advertising with Bailiwick Express, £5,000 of marketing support from Orchid and six months free office space with Regus.
Over the next few days, Express will be profiling each of the finalists. Then, next Tuesday, you will be able have your say on our daily news e-mail on which one you think should win.
The Academy is supported by Carey Olsen, Jersey Business, Orchid, Envestors, Regus, Sancus and Start-up Guernsey.
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