Nan Nan

there_sun@163.com

What happens when you take several hundred rubber bands and wrap them around a watermelon? An explosion! The strength of each rubber band squeezes the watermelon until eventually the cumulative pressure causes the melon to burst. Students from the Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada (SCCSC) conducted this experiment last week on the seventh SCCSC Global Mental Health Day with the aim of experiencing how stress can impact our bodies.

Themed as “Balance Better, Stress Less!,” various stress-releasing activities were held during the students’ break time throughout the day, including a fundraiser “Funducation” fair, the Peer Buddies class on mental health and relaxation workshop and a movie.

The Funducation fair was popular as always. In addition to the watermelon experience, interactive games and booths for increasing awareness about mental health and ways to cope with stress were organized.

Over 50 students gathered for the water balloon throwing fundraiser in which the students purchased water balloons to throw at their teachers. Eleanor Rao, director of the Personal Development Center (PDC) at SCCSC, was thrilled to see both Chinese and foreign teachers participating so enthusiastically in this event.

The Stress-o-meter booth investigated common stressors in students’ lives and offered stress management ideas. “Stress is an inescapable part of life, and it’s crucial to learn how to manage stress,” said Rao.

DIY balloon stress balls and DIY balance bottles let students make their own functional stress relief devices. “The DIY balance bottle is my favorite section,” said Grade 10 student Guo Zhenzhen, adding this was her first time participating in an event about mental health.

“SCCSC commits to holding the Global Mental Health Day every year,” said Rao. SCCSC wants students at the school to learn about mental health and develop their own stress management strategies.

Mental health requires long-term care, according to Rao. “If students feel they are overwhelmed with stress and wouldn’t be able to deal with it, we are always here to offer them help and build coping mechanism.”