Fill Me In
Over the weekend, Beyond the Label, a local campaign by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) to raise awareness about mental health issues in Singapore, organised a virtual festival which included music, workshops and dialogues about how to promote mental wellness. This year’s campaign was launched with the aim of providing greater support for mental health challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What were the highlights of the festival?
The festival, which ran from 26 to 27 September, featured a plethora of activities that were specially designed to help individuals cope with mental health struggles while at home, as well as to educate the public about mental health.
On Saturday morning, Ah Boys to Men actor Maxi Lim kicked off the start of the virtual festival with a 30-minute Tabata workout session. Participants followed Lim’s lead over video and engaged in a short but effective sweat session. Exercise has been shown to have positive effects on one’s mental health, and also helps to reduce stress.
Another useful activity that individuals were able to engage in to improve their mental health was journalling. Red Balloon Therapy, an integrative art therapy service based in Singapore, hosted a creative journalling session, where participants had an opportunity to unleash their creative juices and pen their thoughts down in a meaningful way.
On Sunday evening, the Youth Alliance hosted an online dialogue, Understanding Mental Health Challenges Faced by Youths, on Beyond the Label’s Facebook page. Panelists included Sylvia Lim, Co-Founder of Night Owl Cinematics, as well as representatives from Campus PSY Limited, Health Promotion Board and the Community Health Assessment Team (CHAT). During the dialogue, participants were given the opportunity to raise any questions they had about the mental wellness of today’s youth. Some topics that were covered included tips for parents to check in on their children without being invasive, and useful platforms to seek professional help.
To round up the weekend’s events, a virtual concert was held, which was hosted by local singers Benjamin Kheng and Inch Chua. The concert featured exciting performances from local favourites Tosh Zhang, Stephanie Sun, Kit Chan and many more. A finale video was also aired at the end of the night, with many local figures coming together to show their support to end the stigma against mental health issues.
Will there be more events to come?
For more information about the Beyond the Label campaign, and to find out how you may contribute, visit Beyond the Label’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Alternatively, you may visit the NCSS website to find out more about the Beyond the Label campaign.
