In a world which never stops moving, Mental well-being is often overlooked, especially that of university students. So, it’s important to pause and take a step back to take a long, hard look at yourself and how your Mental Health is doing. Mental health being ignored for too long can have dire consequences. The person next to you could be at their rock bottom emotionally and most would not even notice until it’s too late. We plan to change that, to nip the issues in the bud.
“Mind Sync”, an effort by the Rotaract Club of SLIIT, to help students take the first step to finding themselves and bettering themselves, was held on the 10th of October at SLIIT premises. The special guest speaker Rashini Ayanthi Bandara, international wellbeing consultant for International Transport Federation, counseling psychologist at Mind Heals Pvt (Ltd) and a visiting lecturer, led the workshop.
The workshop was a raving success. The participants were educated about topics which are not generally talked such as about the importance of mental health in one’s life, how mental wellbeing ties in with physical wellbeing. The latter part of the workshop consisted of educating the students on the usually undiscussed topics of mental health through fun and interactive group activities.
The general youth of Sri Lanka is suffering from emotional repression as a direct result of the cultural stigma towards asking for help regarding mental health from professionals. Most Sri Lankans are still clasping onto the belief that asking for help is a sign weakness. Though the younger generation is not as adamant in this line of thinking, the general notion persists. The goal of the Rotaract Club of SLIIT is to change this, step by step. And “Mind Sync” is but a part of a much more significant project, “Fit & Well” with the goal of helping the stressed out students to get better, both mentally and physically.
Finally, even if you’re not able to attend the next rendition of this project, ask for help whenever you feel like you need it, regardless of how insignificant your problem feels. You’re not alone in your struggles; you only need to take the first step.
Penned By:
Rtr. Aditha Abeynayake
Editorial Committee Member 23.24
