In preparation for this fair, our GBLA members undertook a variety of roles to contribute to the team. Some GBLA members split into groups of two to three and planned their activity booth. Together, they came up with activities that would relate to the mental health topic they were given.
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Other GBLA members focused on the outreach portion of our project. These members called a variety of different organizations and invited them to take part in our mental health fair, truly making this event community driven. Calls were made to local stores and restaurants, asking for donations for the ultimate raffle. GBLA members would present our cause, promote our event, and request for contributions from businesses.
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The Impacts of Social Media
PHOTO BOOTH Social media has become such an integral part of our lives. Unfortunately, not all aspects of social media are positive. In fact, our social medias often become platforms for negativity and lead to depression, anxiety, and a sense of loneliness. As a result, a photo booth was prepared to give people an opportunity to post something ENCOURAGING and UPLIFTING on their accounts. |
Anxiety
BALLOON POP Often times, we get into a habit of holding in our worries and anxieties. After a while, the stress builds up in us like pressure builds up in a balloon that is being blown up. The balloon pop exercise allowed people to write their anxieties onto a balloon. Then, they got to POP their balloons, releasing their anxieties with a loud BANG. It got rather messy but it was a powerful step in putting personal health before worries. |
Anxiety
SUPPRESS YOUR STRESS Stress can stem from all sorts of stimuli. However, many of us have a difficult time finding ways to relieve our stress. One simple and handy way to RELIEVE our stress is through a stress ball. Therefore this booth was dedicated to teaching people how to make DIY stress balls with balloons, flour, and rice. |
Self Confidence
BRACELET Living in a society centered around social media, many of us deal with low self-confidence. This arises from constantly comparing ourselves to the people we see on our screens or even the people around us. Therefore, it becomes all the more crucial for people to see value in themselves and love themselves for who they are. As a simple and cute way to remind people of their worth and preciousness, we set up a crafts station where people made bracelets with corny but EMPOWERING messages on them :) |
Depression
TAKE ONE, LEAVE ONE Depression is a very real and serious topic in the current day. The stats on the number of people suffering from depression is alarming and ever-increasing. To make matters worse, there is a growing stigma towards the idea of depression and its effects. Although it did not stand as a cure to depression, our “Take One, Leave One” was designed in hopes to show how valuable it is to receive love and give love. This activity reminded us that HAPPINESS can be found in small but MEANINGFUL things. |
Self Confidence
ABOUT ME Self confidence is directly linked with self love. We often lose self confidence when we focus on all the negative components of ourselves. Therefore, one of the best ways to raise our confidence is to develop a genuine love for who we are. In this booth, people filled out the About Me cards, really reflecting on all the positive components that made them UNIQUE and undeniably SPECIAL. |
Positive Coping Methods
EXPRESS YOURSELF A huge harm to your mental health comes from negative coping methods. Reliance on unhealthy ways of releasing your feelings often lead to the exacerbation of your mental health. This makes finding positive coping methods such a critical step in improving your mental health. This activity encouraged people to write or draw out their feelings onto Post-it notes. Then they posted their note on the Express Yourself wall. It taught people that the first step to developing positive coping methods is to simply EXPRESS YOURSELF. |
Be Mindful
by Ann D'Angelo During our GBLA Fair, we had Mrs. D'Angelo come speak to us about mindfulness. It was not only very informative but interactive as well. She spoke about both negative and positive coping methods that are commonly used by teens. The best way to cope with your mental health is to go outside. Experiencing nature at it's finest. Going out for a walk and planting a garden are great ways to cope with your mental health. At the end of our discussion, we did a fun activity that I found very interesting. She wanted us to close our eyes and imagine a vast, open sky. We envisioned our thoughts as clouds, drifting into and out of that sky. She also wanted us to count the number of clouds we had, and take notice of their shape and speed. As we were closing our eyes, she hit a bell-like object that played a very soothing sound.This activity was very relaxing. The experience we had with Mrs. D'Angelo was phenomenal. She taught us it was ok to ask for help and that there are ways to be mindful when in the state of being. It was a great experience that helped us open our minds more to all the problems we are facing and helped us deal with them in a more positive manner |
Yoga
by Val Sklar-Robinson Yoga is very important for a healthy life. It teaches us to relax, meditate, be more mindful of our own actions and thoughts. It teaches us to link ourselves to life, to breathe, to be more present. We practice yoga to benefit ourselves, our minds. If we have healthy minds, we have healthy bodies and healthy lives. It helps us focus and concentrate. The most important part of yoga is not the exercises but the breathing. The experience we got with Ms. Val truly impacted our team. We loved attending the yoga session that Ms. Val brought to us where we practice breathing techniques and linked it to our movements. We believe yoga is very important for a healthy life. |
Art Therapy
by Seda Grigorian During our Mental Health Fair we had an Art Therapy Class. We set up the booth with lots of art materials. Ms. Grigorian brought watercolors and markers, oil pastels and canvas, clay and collage materials. She set up the booth with separate stations for specific methods in creating art. Some students chose to paint on raw canvas because they liked the more organic and unfinished look of their artwork. Some students chose to only do line drawings with pencils or sharpies. Some students chose bright colors to express their inner feelings. A couple of students wanted to sculpt with clay or only do chalk drawings. Having different materials and supplies for art is very helpful during art therapy because the students can choose what is best for their personal expression. Our team loved the activity and we think it is the best way to relax, be alone and find a happy place. |