From September 7 to 12, our school held a Mental Health Week, timed to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10). The goal of the week was to remind everyone that taking care of your mental health matters just as much as your physical health — and that it's okay to ask for support.

What happened

• Wellbeing survey. Students and staff took a short survey to get a general picture of the community's emotional state — whether people had enough energy for schoolwork and everyday tasks, whether they felt comfortable at school, and what was affecting their mood the most.
• Meetings with the school psychologist. Our psychologist held individual and group sessions with students, giving them a chance to talk about how they're doing, get support, and ask questions.
• Anxiety life hacks.The psychologist shared simple, practical techniques for coping with anxiety in the moment — for example:
  • 4-7-8 breathing — inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8;
  • the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique — name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste;
  • a short break and movement — even 5 minutes of walking or stretching can lower stress levels;
  • talking to someone you trust — not holding anxiety in.

(This section can be adjusted if the psychologist shared different specific tips — happy to swap in the exact wording.)

What the survey results showed

Overall, the results are encouraging: most students feel mostly good and comfortable at school, though there are areas worth working on further.

• 57.1% said they had enough energy for schoolwork and everyday tasks most of the time, and another 4.8% said "always."
• 52.4% felt generally good most of the time, and 14.3% felt good all the time.
• 52.4% felt comfortable at school most of the time, and 19% felt comfortable always.
• At the same time, only 42.9% could focus on schoolwork most of the time, while 28.6% could only "sometimes."
• 66.7% of respondents felt supported by people around them "always" or "most of the time," but 19% said they never felt that support.

When asked "What is affecting my wellbeing the most right now?", the most common answers were:

1. Relationships with peers/friends
2. Fatigue, not enough rest
3. Academic workload
4. Change and uncertainty, adjusting to a new environment, and family circumstances were also mentioned by a significant share of respondents.

Interestingly, these same themes often affect the adults around us too — so supporting one another works both ways.

Why this matters

Mental Health Week showed that most of us are going through similar things — fatigue, anxiety about change, tension in relationships. The important thing is not to face it alone. If things feel hard, reach out to the school psychologist, your homeroom teacher, or an adult you trust. Talking about how you're feeling is not only okay — it's important.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the week — by taking the survey, meeting with the psychologist, or simply supporting someone around you!