Mental Health Night teaches wellness practice to district students

February 2, 2019

Over fifty secondary students visited the Langley School District office for a Mental Health Night on January 31. Hosted by Leadership students from across the district, the event promoted wellness through reflective journaling and focused personal writing. Students were also able to meet other like-minded students from different schools and continue conversations with people they wouldn’t normally interact with.

The night began with an opening talk by Jordyn, a student from Mission who has struggled with anxiety for a long time. She discussed how she so comfortably speaks in public despite her anxiety. She also shared may of her coping methods and the tools she uses. Jordyn is the founder of the charitable bakery, Cupcakes by Jordyn. Baking was her biggest coping mechanism, and she decided that she should turn it into a charitable business. She supports her community through her baking by donating her earnings to charitable organizations.

Students then attended three different 45 minute sessions, with dinner in between, each modelling different coping styles and methods.

Sessions included: learning the ‘science of mindfullness’ which included breathing exercises and body scanning; journaling with focused reflection, done by painting a series of waves and writing a reflection on each wave; and yoga techniques for relaxing the body. There was even a trained therapy dog in attendance, Maeve, who normally lives at ACSS.