Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, hosts student-led mental health festival, The Happy Place

Mental health and conversations around it have increased, certainly, but no matter how much we talk, we need to talk more! And why just talk? The time for conversations is behind us. It is time to take decisive action. Students of Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, took a step towards turning words into action and organised the first-ever The Happy Place 2022 and the festivities began on Friday, October 7. 

“We wanted to create a platform to help young minds come together to express themselves, to share experiences and to engage in activities that explore themes like the emotional quotient, self-esteem, failure and resilience, reflection and mindfulness – to create a safe space for our children to feel comfortable opening up,” says Radhika Sinha, Principal, Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA). Thus, The Happy Place was born. 

The grand theme reveal 
Resilience, the word assumes a refreshing new meaning in the context of COVID-19, doesn’t it? Hence, students, who really are the movers and shakers of the event, decided that Resilience is the theme of the ongoing festival which concludes in a few days. “Through this festival, the students at ABWA ultimately wish to leave everyone with the message that resilience is an admirable feat and a core behavioural trait along with contributing to the removal of stigma around mental health,” shares the principal. 

Writing brings clarity and clarity brings understanding. Now writing a poem, that’s another transformative journey altogether. Slam Poetry - The Power Lies Within You lets students dig deep to search for words and rhythm to share their experiences. This is just one of the many events that is being organised at the festival.
 
There is also Film Making - Roller Coaster of Life. The activity calls for focus on self-care. By sharing self-care strategies to encourage viewers to implement them in real life. 

Not the only event
This is not the first step towards mental health that Aditya Birla World Academy has taken. Minds Matter, a progressive and comprehensive curriculum to guide children as they grow up, is also in motion. Plus, one class per week is solely dedicated to discussions around positive psychology, socio-emotional learning, pro-social behaviour and mental health literacy. 

In fact, a Resilience Week was held as a precursor to The Happy Place 2022!

So what can we do to better the mental health of students? Radhika Sinha has a three-point approach. "Be an active listener, learn about mental health challenges and move towards a growth mindset," she says.