13th workshop: Mental health

1. Opening circle (10 min)

Big circle: How do you feel now, what happened to you during the last week? 

2. Body positions (15 min)

The participants take up various positions according to the facilitator’s instructions and remain in that position for 3-4 seconds.

– stand to;

– sitting cross-legged on the floor;

– sitting on a chair with back straight, hands on knees;

– sitting on the floor in pairs, with backs supporting each other;

– bending forward with hands touching the floor;

– any position in which they feel comfortable reading.

Participants discuss in a big circle which was the most/least comfortable position. Tha facilitator encourages discussions about whether changing their body positions helps in times of stress and what they usually do when they feel stressed.

3. What can we do? (20 min)

Participants works in groups. They try to remember and relate occassions when they …

– felt awkward;

– were sad;

– were angry.

They choose one of each and write a short and legible summary of each situation on separate pieces of paper.

The groups exchange the pieces of paper so that each group has the situations described by one of the other groups. They read the situations and discuss what they would have done in such a situation. Each group present their advice in a big circle.

4. Laugh! (10 min)

The participants all make sad faces. Volunteers compete trying to make them laugh. Whoever makes the others laugh first, wins.

5. Closing circle (5 min)

What are you taking away from this workshop? What was the best/ most difficult? 
Which school subject would you connect this workshop to?