Students in the current Indian educational system and social milieu find themselves grappling with a huge variety of complex mental and emotional issues that range from immense stress, anxiety, peer pressure, low self esteem, depression, loneliness, isolation, bullying, and confusion about sexuality.
These interactive workshops helps students understand these issues better, teaches them ways and provides them with tools to make them manage these issues better, and most of all, addresses their questions, fears and doubts in a safe, approachable and non judgemental manner.
The workshop featured in the image was conducted for Senior School students at the Blue Mountain School in Coonoor. The students were bursting with questions and spoke about topics that ranged from feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, depression, homosexuality, crushes, mean peers, inability to focus, anxiety and a slew of other things.
Mental fitness for students in critical to determining the kind of society we are creating. Yet there is just not enough attention being paid to it. Workshops such as this one, gives students an opportunity to really understand the various elements that impact their emotional and mental health. They go beyond just casually using terms like "depression" and understand what it really means, feels and looks like. They gain a better understanding of themselves, their peers and most importantly, they get to learn tangible skills that they can use. It also increases their level of empathy, and often the interactive sessions and Q&A helps them ask questions which they would not otherwise be comfortable asking their teachers or parents.