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Your health

It's important for everyone to look after themselves, and stay fit, healthy, and happy. In fact, it's so important that your care plan will say that everyone has to make sure you're healthy.

Your social worker will make sure you have regular check-ups with your doctor, dentist, and optician. They'll also make sure you get an appointment if there's something wrong.

You should try to do some exercise every week. Even walking counts as exercise, so it's not as hard as you think! If walking sounds boring, there are some fun Disney activities where you can run, jump, or dance.

If you'd like to do something with other people, your school might have some sports teams or fun after-school activities.

Eating properly is important too. You should try and eat as much fruit and veg as possible. If your foster carer or the staff at the children's home make your meals, they'll make sure they're healthy. It doesn't mean you can never eat things like chocolate or crisps, just that they should be saved for a treat.

There are lots of other things you can do to be healthy, like making sure you get enough sleep. Being healthy means not smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs too.

Being healthy doesn't just mean looking after your body. It also means looking after your thoughts and feelings too. We call that 'mental health'.

Everyone feels sad, scared, or angry sometimes. But if you feel that way a lot, and you don't do something about it, it can get much worse. You might end up feeling bad every day, rather than just sometimes.

If you're feeling any of those things, it's really important to talk to your social worker. Especially if you know what's making you feel that way. They might be able to help with the problem or help you find someone who can. And if they can't do that right away, just talking about things can help.

Everyone needs to talk about their problems sometimes, it's nothing to feel bad about.

If you're not ready to talk to your social worker yet, Childline has lots of information to help you. They can explain different kinds of mental health problems, and what to do if you have one.

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