Have you ever wondered, how the story would have enfolded if there was no Ram Shankar Nikumbh to help a little eight year old boy, Ishan Awasthi who suffered from Dyslexia?
When I sit and ponder over this question, I feel extremely rattled. Because there are so many aspects where in reality a child suffering from such a disorder might not be as fortunate as Ishan in the movie.
Having said that, I would like to discuss why is it so important to take care of a child’s mental health?
At a very tender age, children start recognizing their environment and try to adapt to it. Their social environment plays an indispensible role in shaping their personality and their character. Their brain starts picking up patterns as in how to react to situations that they are subjected to. Obviously, these patterns are the result of similar situations occurring time and again that trains their body and their mind.
To understand this better, let me cite an example.
You might have noticed that a child, who is constantly subjected to harsh mockery and bantering, grows to become aggressive and belligerent just so that he is able to counter the mockery that he faces. This is because his mind tries to combat the mental agony that comes with him being subjected to that mockery. This might or might not have harsh effects later in his life, but is it worth it to ignore a child’s mental health and leave it to time?
A child spends a significant amount of time at the school. A school lays the basic foundation for a person in life.
With growing competition and challenges, there is a high probability that children suffer from stress, anxiety, depression and other forms of mental and neurological disorders. Perhaps, neurological disorders might or might not be triggered due to the environmental factors, but other psychological disorders are caused by it.
Schools should be at the frontline of mental health awareness. Teachers and the school management can play an enormous role here and help the students in dealing
with their mental health issues without being ashamed about it.
How can schools better support the students who are struggling with their mental health?
1. Creating a safe space well within the boundaries of the class room.
It is very important to constantly interact with the students to know how they are doing or how they are feeling. Collecting early signs of any mental disturbance in them can prevent a lot of unseen difficulties from knocking on the door. Checking – in regularly is of the utmost
importance. Most of the students feel lonely, or there is a change in their behavior, or they suffer from eating disorders. Talking it out seems to be very challenging for them. But if they know that a safe space exists, they might come up and talk freely without any hesitation. Creating a healthy classroom environment where all the students feel comfortable with each other is a crucial aspect of this safe space. For any student, if he or she does not feel okay, they should not have to pretend
otherwise and this is only possible if the students interact with each other openly. This will give them an assurance of not being alone and having someone to talk to.
2. Educating students about bullying and mental health issues.
There are quite a lot of instances where students are a part of bullying. If not being bullied, then they are the ones bullying. Educating students about this is as important as imparting them with the knowledge of history or science. Bullying causes a student to lose his or her mental balance and makes them frustrated and low at self- esteem. Not only the ones who are being bullied, but the ones who are bullying are also a part of some or the other mental health issue that forces them
to bring out their pain in such a form. It’s as if they shut their humanity to deal with this pain and later when they realize it, it causes them to have a mental breakdown. Both the parties suffer from low confidence and their frustration builds up inside which is not good for anyone.
Hence, educating them about being friendly and acknowledging their peer is very important.
Not only this, but educating them about common mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression and how to cope with them will be a major step towards healing them. There might be
instances where students who are stressed or suffering from anxiety might not even know about it and bottle up inside feeling like such forms of behavior are normal. Telling them about how they
can deal with these will open up a lot of doors for them and any school which does that will automatically create a safe space for all its students.
3. Build a teacher student rapport.
Teachers are like parents to the students in their second home. Having a friendly teacher, who is understanding and fun at the same time, is a blessing. Teachers play a huge role in shaping one’s character. They impart knowledge, values and so much more. An understanding teacher acknowledges and appreciates his or her student’s work and constantly motivates them to do better. A healthy student teacher rapport will not only help the teachers to understand what is
going on in a student’s mind, but also allow them to help their student effectively. Understanding the student’s needs is what will be a game changer here. For example, if a student is weak at
performing on stage due to lack of confidence or fear of stage, the teacher can call him or her only when they are fully prepared and even after if he or she fumbles, they can appreciate the
effort and give them useful tips and encourage them to do better. Such small words of wisdom can create a long lasting impact on a student’s mind which will allow them to stay happy and
motivated.
4. Setting up Counseling center in school itself.
Having a counseling center at school holds much of a value in today’s scenario where
competition emanates in the school itself. Just like when there is headache or a stomach ache and student visits the health center at school, when there is a mental health issue, he or she shall have
the option to resort to some wellness center at school. This center can be as small as having a set of teachers or counselors who constantly monitor their students and introduce new ways in their
curricula to enhance their mental creativity and help improve its balance. Organizing new and fun activities such as painting, journaling, gardening, sports etc. can help in releasing stress and overcoming other health issues. Talking about an interesting topic or initiating a healthy discussion among students in a natural environment surrounded by trees will help students to
overcome their anxiety and at the same time give them self-assurance about their feelings.
5. Making students practice the techniques of mind healing and meditation.
With the help of experts, or by training the school staff, schools can introduce the concept of mind healing and encourage students to practice meditation. This will help them introspect and prevent them from overthinking which also triggers anxiety and depression. The importance of
inner spirituality and how it has helped several people in the world to get through the most difficult situations in life is no secret. Even though, they might find it intimidating, incorporating some fun activities along, that will help them in getting to know themselves better, will help.
Apart from this, schools can incorporate yoga at least twice in a week along with these activities.
Yoga has gained recognition throughout the globe and has a lot of benefits that help in healing both physical and mental pain.
6. Spread awareness among parents, teachers and students.
There are times when parents do not understand their child’s state of mind. Supporting the student throughout and encouraging his or her parents to do the same with patience and love is truly an
irreplaceable help. Educating teachers and students about several mental health issues in the same way as they are taught about the causes and symptoms of various physical diseases will surely bring about a change. Identifying students with special abilities is of great importance so that they
are not subjected to bullying by fellow students. Lastly, being a teacher with broad – minded ideas and the one who doesn’t have a let go attitude for his or her students is what the world needs. While hiring teachers, schools can also upgrade their criteria in these aspects.
- Jahnvi Bedia
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