“Everyone has mental health.”
The familiar refrain is heard around campus throughout the week as the support and awareness campaign kicks off for the winter term. Mental Health Week takes place twice each year, in September and January, in an effort to remind students to care for their mental health and to take advantage of available supports as needed.
Over the course of the week, encouraging messages could be seen around campus from Let’s Talk Day posters, a variety of materials both informative and engaging were given some extra prominence – kinetic sand is a favourite to help busy the hands and calm the mind – and a series of special events were planned as part of the week. From “Mindfulness Morning” on Monday all the way through to a visit from Therapy Dogs Friday afternoon, the week is peppered with events to give students an encouraging boost to their self care as well as available resources to obtain additional support.
Crandall’s Chapel ministry also plays an important role in the week, with speakers promoting mental health as the key focus of their messages.
The push to promote of mental health awareness and support early in the term is an important part of helping students be successful from a wholistic perspective – helping students establish good habits in terms of self care sets them up for success when the term gets stressful, and awareness of how to get help is key to ensuring that students are supported in more challenging times or in case of a mental health crisis, from on-campus counselling to 24/7 supports.
