Description

Maintaining mental health is about finding the balance between social, physical, spiritual, economic and mental aspects of our lives. Our personal balance is highly individual, and our challenge is to stay mentally healthy by finding and keeping that balance. Regardless of whether or not you have a mental illness, everyone has mental health, and it is as important to maintain as physical health. Mental health can be maintained and enhanced through building healthy relationships, stress-management, and other skills and techniques that you will explore in this activity.

Task

1. Read this Mental Health for Life Fact Sheet and explore the Teen Mental Health website to research steps that you can take to stay mentally healthy.

2. Develop a comic strip or piece of artwork explicitly outlining the different things you can do to maintain mental health. The comic strip or piece of art could include such things as diet, sleep cycles, social support, family support, access to government services, responsible decision-making, responsible consumption, and exercise. Artwork can take the form of a comic, a piece of art, a painting, a photo or any other form of media. (If you're stuck for ideas, check on the online arts-related tools from the Mood Disorders and Eating Disorders activities).

3. Hang up your artwork in the classroom or, if you've done your piece online or have it scanned, post it to the Class Gallery. Be sure to select the appropriate assignment from the pulldown menu at the bottom of your submission.

Optional: If art's not your thing (although you don't have to be an artist to get your message across!), check out the Making a Change Guide which lets you create a personalized plan for achieving your goals. Make an academic, social, physical or personal goal and outline a plan for how you will make it happen. Add it to Class Files, remembering to select the appropriate assignment from the pulldown menu at the bottom of your submission (you may wish to select Teacher Only Visibility). Or, print off a copy and hand it in to your teacher.

• Understand that everyone has mental health
• Understand the components of mental health, and the characteristics of an emotionally healthy person
• Explore steps that you can take in your own life to promote mental health, and skills you can develop to enhance your mental health

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