Keep Calm and Carry On!
Student Well-Being Week
With rise in mental wellness issues in Singapore in recent times, and since the final examinations were looming, student leaders came up with new initiative known as Student Well-Being Week – the first of its kind for the School. Besides showing support to their peers, they also wanted to kick-start a culture of openly sharing about mental health issues. They came up with a visual presentation that shared tips on preparing well for examinations, a podcast that focussed on the theme ‘It is okay to not be okay’, and prepared care packs for the student body and boarders.
We chatted with Secondary 4 bowler Taneisha Kaur Teo Eelin, Vice-President of the 18th Students’ Council and project lead, to find out more about their maiden initiative.
Interview with Taneisha Kaur Teo Eelin
Why did the student leaders come up with this idea?
We've seen many friends suffering from mental health issues but not knowing what to do, or being able to speak up about it. We hoped to destigmatise mental health issues and spread awareness about it so that people feel more comfortable sharing openly about it, hoping that this would help them to cope better. The exams were also around the corner and we decided to focus on preparation for the exams.
What was the aim?
We were hoping to spread the message that everyone goes through tough times too, and that nobody is ever alone in their fight. We also prepared care packs and arranged a card writing activity where students write to each other, hoping to brighten their day, even if it is just by a little. We wanted to also provide resources for students such as breathing exercises shared by the councillors to help them.
Why do you think mental health is important?
It is very important as our mental health affects our daily functioning. It is difficult to study or train hard, or even focus on social interactions when we are not feeling well mentally. It is even worse if students feel like they have to keep their mental health struggles to themselves as they feel that there is no one they can turn to for help.
What did you hope to achieve?
We hoped to let all students know that it is okay not to be okay. We wanted them to recognise that asking for help when you need it is important and that being kind to not only other but yourself too is important. We also wanted to remind students that there are many staff and friends whom you can reach out to for advice or help.
With rise in mental wellness issues in Singapore in recent times, and since the final examinations were looming, student leaders came up with new initiative known as Student Well-Being Week – the first of its kind for the School. Besides showing support to their peers, they also wanted to kick-start a culture of openly sharing about mental health issues. They came up with a visual presentation that shared tips on preparing well for examinations, a podcast that focussed on the theme ‘It is okay to not be okay’, and prepared care packs for the student body and boarders.
We chatted with Secondary 4 bowler Taneisha Kaur Teo Eelin, Vice-President of the 18th Students’ Council and project lead, to find out more about their maiden initiative.
Interview with Taneisha Kaur Teo Eelin
Why did the student leaders come up with this idea?
We've seen many friends suffering from mental health issues but not knowing what to do, or being able to speak up about it. We hoped to destigmatise mental health issues and spread awareness about it so that people feel more comfortable sharing openly about it, hoping that this would help them to cope better. The exams were also around the corner and we decided to focus on preparation for the exams.
What was the aim?
We were hoping to spread the message that everyone goes through tough times too, and that nobody is ever alone in their fight. We also prepared care packs and arranged a card writing activity where students write to each other, hoping to brighten their day, even if it is just by a little. We wanted to also provide resources for students such as breathing exercises shared by the councillors to help them.
Why do you think mental health is important?
It is very important as our mental health affects our daily functioning. It is difficult to study or train hard, or even focus on social interactions when we are not feeling well mentally. It is even worse if students feel like they have to keep their mental health struggles to themselves as they feel that there is no one they can turn to for help.
What did you hope to achieve?
We hoped to let all students know that it is okay not to be okay. We wanted them to recognise that asking for help when you need it is important and that being kind to not only other but yourself too is important. We also wanted to remind students that there are many staff and friends whom you can reach out to for advice or help.
