{"id":2170,"date":"2023-10-10T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/10\/10\/new-ways-to-reflect-and-thrive-on-world-mental-health-day\/"},"modified":"2024-05-29T18:17:17","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T01:17:17","slug":"new-ways-to-reflect-and-thrive-on-world-mental-health-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2023\/10\/new-ways-to-reflect-and-thrive-on-world-mental-health-day\/","title":{"rendered":"New ways to reflect and thrive on World Mental Health Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 10th<\/sup> is World Mental Health Day<\/a>: a day to raise awareness and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The day provides an excellent opportunity to discuss and normalize mental health issues so that we can make mental health a universal human right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental health is essential and is much more than the absence of illness. It is the key to our overall wellbeing. Close to one billion of the world population<\/a> are living with mental illness and the majority have no access to care. 10-20% of children and adolescents<\/a> experience mental health conditions worldwide and 1 in 5 U.S. children ages 3\u201317<\/a> has a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An increasing number of adolescents and young people are grappling with mental health conditions, which not only affect their physical health but also pose challenges to their academic success, interpersonal relationships, and overall wellbeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStudents are coming into the counselor\u2019s office more because they are more comfortable talking about it,\u201d says Alison Gimbi, a school counselor for Middle Smitheld Elementary in Pennsylvania. \u201cWe don\u2019t just get the kids after something is already a problem. It\u2019s helped us do prevention, not just reaction work<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How educators are helping<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Educators help students to develop better emotional regulation, self-awareness, and empathy in the classroom. When emotions become uncomfortable and perspectives skewed, it may seem counterintuitive to focus on such feelings. But identifying and labeling these feelings is an essential step in managing overwhelming emotions<\/a>. Sometimes it\u2019s as simple as asking your students how they feel and providing the space to share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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