In late autumn, when the cold air and breeze blow the cheeks, with the cooperation of divisions and ECAs, the annual Mental Health Week arrived! I would like to capture fragments of joy during this week through this article.
Emotional Wall
In front of the volleyball court, there is a whiteboard covered with cute memes – it is the emotional wall planned by Alina. The emotional wall aims to provide students and teachers with a platform to let their emotions be seen by others. The planners prepared cute stickers corresponding to different moods for students to put on the board to record their emotions. Many students left comments and paintings on it, we talked about academic pressure, blessings for friends, wishes for the holidays… It didn’t take long for the wall that was blank at noon to be filled with everyone’s messages, bringing together the happy and sad mental states of the SCIErs.
Book of Answers
Everyone has concerns, confusions, and wishes in their hearts. Some are about studies and the future, and we really ask: “Will the result of hard work be good?”; some are about the uneasiness and internal friction we feel in friendship, family, and love, and troubles related to interpersonal relationships are almost unavoidable; and some are about individuals, the confusion of growth, and self-awareness. We would gradually find a way to protect ourselves. However, we cannot get the answers to many questions yet. At this time, a word of blessing and comfort seen by chance or from people around you has unexpected and reassuring power.
In the book of answers produced by the Peer Support Division, we have written different types of positive answers to various questions. The answers are not specific, but they are very sincere. We also left some blank paper and encouraged everyone to write down some words of inspiration and encouragement to spread this goodwill. Feeling the similarities between strangers, we encourage each other, bless each other, and believe in the power of “belief”.
Stress Ball
In our increasingly fast-paced life, we have more and more sources of stress. When you are out of breath, squeeze the stress relief ball! The soft touch brings comfort to people, and it also metaphorically vents the inner pressure. At noon and afternoon on Thursday, the Peer Support Division pressed down the “pause” button and led everyone to DIY cute stress relief balls using flour, water, and balloons. Different flour and water recipes bring a different feel. In the process of making and exploring the proportions, we seem to temporarily forget the stress and immerse ourselves in the joy of DIY. The prepared stress relief ball will also accompany everyone after leaving the booth, as a small toy that feels comfortable in the hand, and as a small reminder that “it’s time to stop when the pressure is too great!”
Puberty Forum
In the drama studio, under the guidance of Chloe, Selina, and Jack, the puberty forum officially began. Our youth time is always idealized by the world, with the warmest and most beautiful words describing it. However, in real life, loneliness, anxiety, confusion about identity, and uneasiness about the future often accompany us. Fortunately, we can emotionally resonate and sit down and have a good chat.
Before the forum officially started, everyone gathered in a circle and drew on white paper, outlining their subconscious emotions through color patterns. After that, everyone received an envelope filled with submissions about the troubles of adolescence. Everyone seems to have a lot of feelings about the troubles of interpersonal relationships. During the discussion, they all expressed their own feelings, moments of resonance, and inner feelings. The regret of forgetting old relationships, the uneasiness of parting ways, the frustration when disagreements arise… Everyone listened carefully to others and gave sincere replies; even if we were strangers outside this classroom, we all expressed our truest feelings deep in our hearts. In this forum, I felt the warmest positive connection between people.
Bear Hugging
Hi, this is Bridge, the mental health club. Hugging is one of the most common forms of human contact, and they’re the embodiment of encouragement. In the rush of fall, we hope that this fluffy hug will clear your mind for a few seconds. Whether you join in the hugging even or just stop to watch, we’re sure the warmth will be passed on to the campus. And as the organizers of the event, we’ve had also gained a lot, which is worth sharing.
This is the first time I learned how these colorful and meaningful events held at school are actually implemented from an initial idea to a successful and impactful event. In the beginning, we brainstormed a lot of ideas in the club, but either they weren't feasible or had already been done before. I also tried to write a plan, but then realized that there were so many aspects to consider: the time and place, not to mention the step-by-step process, as well as the manpower and material resources needed, all of which had to be listed out. In the end, the implementation of the plan, there are publicity, find volunteers and other tedious work, all the people work together to ensure that the whole project goes smoothly. The final result was very successful, the bears were very cute, and I was really happy to see many students rushing up to hug the bears with great excitement. I was very relieved and touched to be able to bring some warmth and smiles to the people around me in this way, which I s a really meaningful thing to do.
On a bustling Monday afternoon, the crowd outside the restaurant entrance gathered around the hugging bear, embracing it with warmth and affection. Some praised the bear for its soft fur and how comforting it felt, while others eagerly inquired about the bear's identity beneath its plush. I was observing from a few meters away, ensuring that the event unfolded smoothly, finding solace in the pure and healing nature of these embraces. Inspired by the "free hug" movement, our discussions delved into the positive impact of hugs on mental well-being. After submitting our proposal, we were able to receive positive feedback through posters and tweets and also recruit our excellent volunteer. Despite initial hesitation about whether a simple hug could truly alleviate people's worries, witnessing the unfolding scenes brought clarity. In the midst of life's hectic pace, hugs emerged as an act through which we could leave our worries and anxiety behind us and, in that split second, become fully immersed in warmth and care, spreading a profound and untainted connection throughout the campus.
Mental Health Day
Thursday afternoon is the highlight of the annual Mental Health Week—Mental Health Day organized by SCIE Red Cross. In previous years, Mental Health Day mainly focused on teaching style and launched a series of activities with specific Mental Disorders as the theme. This year, taking into account the professional threshold of knowledge popularization and the audience group, the planning team set the theme as the emotion itself that is more commonly perceived by everyone.
Red Cross hopes that through Mental Health Day, everyone will understand that negative emotions are not shameful, they just help us reflect the problems that arise in life. This year’s exhibition aims to provide a platform for everyone to share or vent their emotions and let everyone pay attention to their own feelings, recognizing what they represent and living in peace with them.
There are many interactive art installations in the venue: there are water musical instruments for students to compose their own melodies and a mood garden where everyone can paint on rocks like they did when they were children, and use the rocks to make a larger painting. There are boxes filled with different materials and labeled with different emotions, allowing students to visualize different emotions through physical feelings. There is also a huge board, allowing students to use different colored threads to interweave their feelings along the thumbtacks. Not only that, there is also a mountain carved by the members themselves in the middle of the venue, which is particularly beautiful. We also have photographers taking Polaroid photos for everyone, capturing the beautiful moments with friends on film.
End
In this fast-paced meritocratic society, we are constantly on the move and often neglect our own feelings. No one is an isolated island. We are always connected to form a vast land at some point. Here’s a thank to the Peer Support Division, Service Learning Division, Bridge, and SCIE Red Cross student clubs for planning, many thanks to SELT and school teachers for their help, many thanks to the school nurse, thanks to the admissions office teachers, many thanks to all those who participated in the preparation of mental health week, many thanks to everyone People who have gained something from mental health week. Thanks to everyone for working together to deliver a great Mental Health Week. Thank you for being here together and going through the long years together.
- Article / Nancy, Emily, Bridge(ECA)
- Pictures / Alisa, Kevin, Nancy, Admissions, Bridge(ECA)
