The COVID-19 scenario is giving everyone a tough time. The thoughts are spinning out of control, anxiety and restlessness are overtaking us. Empowering the peace of mind and soul is the only stock of our lives.
Giving halt to these overwhelming experiences, a three-day Virtual Mental Health Workshop was organized at Eastern Public School from July 23 to 25. The workshop was hosted by Team Grade 5, for students, parents, and teachers, under the initiative ‘The Mindful Week’.
Counselor and Psychologist Ayesha Ali was the chief speaker of the workshop.
The Virtual Mental Health Workshop was conducted in three sessions. On the first day, the workshop was held for Grade 5 students. Ayesha told students how to stay calm and relaxed during the lockdown. While giving some tips to the youngsters, she emphasized the importance of ‘sharing thoughts’. She said, “Share your thoughts with your friends, parents, or your teachers. This will make you feel good about yourself.”
The fun part was Who is My Superhero? activity. The students wrote gratitude notes to their parents, friends, and teachers.’
The second day, the session was held for parents. In this session, Ayesha highlighted how to deal with kids during the ‘lockdown’. She said, “Of course it is stressful for children and parents to be at home all time, as all the outdoor activities are barred.”
Giving thoughtful advice to parents, she said, “It is advisable to indulge in some fun and educational activities with kids. It is an opportunity to spend some quality time with each other. It will bring down the stress meter for sure.” In the end, she made parents write a positive note for their child. These notes were posted on Google Classrooms for students to read.
On the last day, Ayesha interacted with the teachers. She emphasized dealing with the stress teachers are going through and then encouraging their students to get some positivity. She began with a ‘Gratitude Note for You activity, wherein all the teachers appreciated their colleagues they never acknowledged before. Then, she talked about perception and how to stay positive all the time.
The workshop was helpful for students, parents, and teachers. There were many positive takeaways.