Mental Health Matters Club Passes on the Positivity
Apr 11, 2022
Taking Niles West by a very peaceful storm, Mental Health Matters club works hard to spread positivity throughout the school and educate students on healthy ways to practice good mental health habits.
Junior Maggie Burns is the main organizer of the club and founded it this year.
“Our first couple of meetings, we started planning things to do throughout the year. We usually start with a stress release activity or coping strategy,” Burns said.
“In 4th grade, I was diagnosed with OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder] and then anxiety shortly after that. Then sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with depression. Mental health has been a really big part of my life and I’ve learned more about it and wanted to educate others because talking about it can help a lot.”
A typical meeting for Mental Health Matters club starts with a stress release activity. Then students will put together positivity grams, make stress balls or do another activity related to mental health.
“At one of our most recent meetings, we made a presentation on depression and talked about it and how to get help. This semester we’re really focusing on education and how to get help and what these mental health disorders look like,” Burns said.
Due to the pandemic, Burns feels that teens have been struggling with mental health more than ever.
“By spreading awareness and creating community where people can be together and share time, my goal is to create a safe space,” Burns said.
Junior Dania Khan finds a lot of value in Mental Health Matters Club because the club is dedicated to educating people on mental health and helping students.
“Joining the club is a great way to educate yourself and others on different kinds of mental illnesses and what to say or do when you know of someone who is struggling with their mental health,” Khan said.
Mental Health Matters Club isn’t a club exclusively for those struggling with mental illness. Anyone can join the club whether it’s to find help or learn how to be the help.
“I think the best thing about the club is just the general community you find when you join. You don’t have to have mental issues to join, you can just join because you want to help the people around you. No matter what, you know that the people there are there to help and that’s just a comforting feeling,” junior Sadie Kintner said.
“My favorite activity was definitely making our own stress balls with orbeeze and balloons. It was really fun and chaotic. Totally stress relieving,” Kintner said.
As MHM continues to spread awareness and positvity throughout the school, Burns invites anyone and everyone to join MHM. Mental Health Matters club meets every other Thursday in the morning in the student commons.
