Last Thursday, our college celebrated R U OK? Day, an event designed to encourage healthy conversations about mental health. The day began with a video created by our Student Team, which was shown during Pastoral Care sessions, emphasising the importance of mental health and what to do if you or a friend aren't 'ok.'
During recess, we hosted a bake sale as a precursor to our larger sausage sizzle, through which we were able to raise funds directly supporting the R U OK? organisation. We also distributed wristbands and conversation cards to raise awareness and engage in meaningful conversations, making this event a tremendous success.
After the lunch service, I asked a teacher, "How have you been?" His response was, "Never ask unless you're entirely ready to hear the answer." I became so engrossed in asking students if they were okay that I failed to realise how important it is to understand your own limits. We hope that every student was able to learn something that will help them better deal with their friends' or their own mental struggles. Psychologists often make the comparison that mental health is similar to physical health; mentally struggling and bottling it in is "like having a broken arm and not fixing it." We genuinely want to keep the conversation going, so talk to each other, your teachers, your parents, or even our counselors. "R U OK?" isn't limited to a day; it's about addressing a health concern that will persist throughout our lives.
Mehak U
Year 12 Social Justice Prefect
