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Grades 9-10: Mental Health Awareness Promotion Activities

May 29, 2023

A three-day Mental Health Awareness Promotion Event was held in the Zhen Tao Building from May 23-25. The activities of the day were based on drawings, quizzes, and doodles that led students to explore the world of emotions. The series of activities was designed with the intent to give students an opportunity to connect more deeply with their emotions, help them understand their mental world, improve their self-awareness, and develop emotional regulation skills.

On the first day of the event, students expressed their inner emotions by drawing expressions on four colored boards and 120 color blocks. They gave different colors to different emotions and connected with their emotions in an artistic way. Accompanied by their friends, they listened to their inner voices and transformed emotions that are usually ignored into blocks of color and lines. Some students chose to incorporate their favorite cartoon characters and small animals into their creations to graphically represent their emotional experiences. During the creation process, students expressed excitement, joy, confusion, resignation, and anxiety in their own unique ways. The process of completing the work helped students realize that each emotion is an individual's real experience in the moment, a unique feeling that is worthy of respect and validation. Such activities work to help students recognize, identify and express their emotions; with the goal of improving their emotion management skills.

At noon on the second day, students participated in a fun quiz on topics associated with mental health. Some of topics included ways to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as focusing on developing skills to deal with procrastination, gender equality, and self-esteem. The quiz was cleverly designed, and some of the answers are unexpected, reflecting common misconceptions about mental health. Conversely many answers were creative, unique, and insightful. Students answer the questions and engaged in lively discussions with their peers. Students learned about mental health in a relaxed and fun atmosphere, increasing their understanding and engagement with psychology.

The lunchtime activity on the third day skillfully combined mindfulness and art, allowing the students to experience the fun of pebble doodling. Students chose one of their favorite stones and followed the teacher's instructions to release their emotions through painting and artistic expression. This activity allowed the students to slow down and record their emotions in a non-judgmental way, enhancing the experience of being connected with their feelings. As Wendy-Ann Greenhalgh states in her book, Mindfulness and the Art of Drawing, "We no longer need to think of the future or the past – we are only in the present moment. We don't have to force anything or make anything happen, it happens naturally – it flows." The imprints on 20 plus small pebbles record the dialogue between the students and their emotions, highlighting the unique inner feelings of each individual.

Although our busy lives may lead us ignoring our personal feelings, everyone should care for their emotional well-being. These mental health series can help students become more aware of the importance of finding innovative ways to express their emotions, improve their ability to identify and express their emotions, better manage their emotions, and cultivate positive mental health as they rise to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.

(Written by Yuting Shen from TA Office Pictures by Haijie Feng, Lin Chen Reviewed by Qian Zuo)