On 24th March 2021, Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies, Noida in collaboration with Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing hosted, “Mix and Fix: An Ice-Breaking Session'’ with the aim to set the ball rolling with the students to create a safe and sound environment where they were able to explore their inner self. The session was conducted in a hybrid mode and was open to all the 1st year students. Both online and offline students showed their active participation in the event and discussed about quite a few topics on emotional and mental wellbeing, self-care and many more.
Pallavi Sharma, In-house Psychological counsellor of SCMS, Noida along with Dr. Kanishka Gupta, Faculty In-charge Mentoring cell of SCMS, Noida opened the session. Dr. Girija Mahale, the Head of Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, started the session by describing the importance of mental health and the need to reduce the stigma about mental health issues.
The session began with certain interactive and amazing ice-breaking activities which were conducted in order to make the students feel at ease with their peers as well with the faculty and esteemed guest that were present in the session. The students were selected by spinning the wheel and were asked to volunteer. These activities involved many games like guessing each other’s home town when spoken in reverse order, asking questions to students like what is their favorite place in the campus? where do they like to hang out after the classes? Do they have any anger issues? If yes, what feelings do they experience at that time? what are their opinions about mental health? what do they think about this session? and many more.
After the Ice-breaking activities, Dr. Girija Mahale told the students about emotional wellness and why is it so important to know about it. She also mentioned the three portals of mind i.e. Thoughts, Emotions and Behavior and how they are important in determining mental health. The concepts regarding the same were elucidated to the students by using a presentation. The students were also told about how they can take care of their mental health using the concepts of Mindfulness, Awareness, Emotional, Behavioral and cognitive strategies. She also highlighted how the abbreviation “STOPP” can progress one’s personality.
S – Stop
T – Take a Break
O – Observe
P – Plan
P – Proceed
For a change of discussion, a color breathing activity was directed in which the students were asked to breathe in, a color which makes them feel relaxed and breathe out, a color which makes them feel stressed. Further, the students were questioned about the colors they selected. Apart from this, a color breathing chart along with the emotions related to them was shown to the students so that they could compare with the emotions they were confronting.
To keep the students engaged in the session, Pallavi Sharma discussed and had provided solutions to the offline students while Dr. Girija continuously kept on answering the questions and suggesting the online students through the chat box. The students were also informed about how Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing can help them solve the problems which they face and how they can feel free to contact them anytime. In the end, Dr. Kanishka Gupta, Faculty In-charge of Mentoring cell of SCMS, Noida concluded the session by expressing her thoughts on the idea of mental well-being and gave a vote of thanks.
To put it in a nutshell, the session aided in gaining knowledge on mental health well-being and how the sync of body and mind is very important for mental health. All the members present also got to know that emotions are in the form of waves and how these thoughts can be tackled by answering three questions:
Question 1) Is this thought based on reality?
Question 2) What is the likelihood of thought?
Question 3) What aspect of the situation can I control?
Lastly, are you mentally stable? If yes, you are the happy one and if not take suggestions from here to be happy and spread joy!
Some Geotagged photographs of the Event:
