Students’ Mental Health First, Always
Some of the most comforting words in the universe are “me too”. That moment you find out that your struggle is someone else’s struggle, that you are not alone, and that others have been down the same road.
The year 2020 was damaging to most of the students who were already struggling to maintain average mental health. Students were locked indoors with minimal room for freedom, cultural events, creativity, social life, social interaction, and physical activity.
There is a negative consequence to all these restrictions in a child’s life and it can affect their mental health in many ways. Such as:
Concentration and level of energy: these two are interrelated. Concentration needs the energy to function so if the students’ energy is low their concentration is therefore low.
Academic achievement: lack of concentration may lead a student to miss instructions and follow up(tests, midterms, and finals) and therefore a drop in academic achievement (average and grades). In some cases, the students drop school, college, and/or university. Moreover, low academic achievement might lead to low self-esteem and a destructive self-image.
Socioeconomic status: Academic achievement and excellence are some of the major factors that determine the level and quality of education that students might access. Holding a degree from a prestigious institution will guarantee the student to get a prestigious job. Securing a prestigious job guarantees a good socioeconomic status and health overall.
Here are 6 things that you can do with your students to help them manage their mental health:
Mindfulness sessions: Managing stress and achieving and maintaining positive mental health and emotional well-being will lead to better results on all levels (academics, health, physical, mental…). According to the Mental Health Organization in UK, mindfulness can help the person to concentrate on the present moment and therefore reduce stress.
2. Physical Activity: according to the WHO children aged between 5-17 years should do a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity that strengthens the muscles and bones. Encourage students to move, take small breaks with them during class time play 1 song and jump and move to its groove.
3. Read books: reading takes you places and steers one's imagination. YouTube is full of videos of book readings. You can plan a book night where you read an extract from a book and then invite students to change the ending of the story or twist the events of that story.
4. Healthy diet: It is important to remind the students how their food affects their concentration and their energy levels. Inviting a health expert to join your class to give your students up to date tips will be helpful.
5. One-on-one meetings: Students need to talk to express their fears, anxieties, and worries. Connect with your students, give them enough time to talk. Office hours and meetings can be used for the purpose of connecting and socializing.
6. School/college/ university counselor: If a counselor is available at your institution invite her/him to your classes to assess if there are any red flags. Moreover, don’t hesitate to refer a student to the counselor when the need arises.
Mental health plays a huge role in our lives. It is important to teach kids to care for their own wellbeing, so they can become balanced and empathetic adults capable of overcoming difficult situations, and so they may pass that on to their kids as well.
