Dr. Richard Bolduc is the OCSB Mental Health Lead.
In addition to this week being Catholic Education Week, it’s also Mental Health Awareness Week across Canada and Child and Youth Mental Health Week in Ontario! The theme for this year’s Mental Health Week is “This is empathy.” The tagline provides us with a prudent warning, “Before you weigh in, tune in.”
It’s common to ask people we meet how they are doing. Unfortunately, it’s also common not to provide or expect a truthful answer. We often say we’re “fine,” even when the truth is that we are tired, exhausted or feeling down. Every time we go through the motions of saying we are okay, we miss an opportunity to connect with others and express our true feelings. In times of challenge, such as we are currently experiencing, we need to focus on our relationships more than ever. Connecting doesn’t just feel good – it’s good for our mental health and well-being!
This week, we’ve been inviting OCSB staff and families to participate in a Mental Health and Well-Being Week Challenge focussing on empathy and all that connects to it (i.e. relationships, compassion and gratitude). We have created two lists of suggested activities for a daily mental health and well-being challenge spanning from Sunday to Friday. We have you covered if you are looking for challenges to complete with elementary students, teens, or yourself! Feel free to adapt these challenges to suit your interests.
You should also consider checking out the Mental Health Week Live Webinar Discounted Presentations by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Share what you are doing to care for your mental health using the hashtag #ocsbMentalHealth and tag @OCSB_MentalHlth on Twitter.