“I have been feeling so stressed lately, ma” said Divya, a 6th grade student from Delhi. The mother replied, “It is all the pending homework you refuse to do on time. You should go and play outside to refresh your mind.”

How often do you hear students saying they are stressed? Is it really just the homework? Is playing outside going to make things better every time? These questions have never been more important than now. In today’s scenario with the increase in digital teaching and disconnect between people, mental health awareness has become extremely crucial. The notion that young people can’t have stress or just deal with temporary tension is breaking down faster than ever. Mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, often start during childhood and adolescence. They end up affecting their academic performance, interpersonal relationships, basic everyday functioning and eventually all spheres of life. The causes of deteriorating mental health can be overload at school, curriculum heaviness, expectations at school and home, peer pressure, identity crisis, social media impact etc. 

Children till the age of 18 end up spending at least 6-7 hours of their day in schools. The focus is on making them capable enough to adapt and adjust to the society, to be able to sustain and make a living. However, productivity in every sphere is linked to how well one is doing mentally. Psychological well being is undermined in schools. Core subjects are given more weightage and apart from that physical education and creativity classes are optional. 

How can mental health awareness be included in everyday life?

Normalizing mental health
Normalising issues by talking about them like any other flu can remove the social stigma around them. Many a times children do not express how they’re feeling because of the fear of being labeled or being misunderstood. Brushing aside the topic will never help in the long run. Talking about it or letting them write about their feelings can allow for early intervention. It is not a disease, it is rather a state and nobody is to be blamed or shamed for it.

Inviting professionals to talk on how to identify signs of mental health disorders
More often than not, children themselves can figure out that something is wrong. Lack of awareness leads to the increase in the intensity of the disorders. Parents and teachers need to be equally aware and vocal about them. 

Brainstorming
It is an absolute winner in every aspect of education. Children are allowed to speak their minds, without being judged. It develops critical thinking as well as gives them an outlet to express pent up feelings in a more creative way. 

Introduce them to the concept of therapy and counseling
Therapy tends to remain a taboo till today. People don’t talk about it openly and families can be conservative regarding sending their children for therapy. With changing times, and complexities, it is important to believe in the power of healing through professional help.

Home and school is where the unraveling of the stigma shall start, leading to holistically healthy individuals who are full of acceptance for themselves and others. Let the enlightenment begin.Taking one step today in integrating mental health and education at early stages will not only benefit today’s generation but the generations before us and after us. One step forward is all we need to pave the way. 

“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation” – Glenn Close