Hello Yellow Day: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness and Community Spirit at Surval
by Maiia (Grade 9, Russia)
On October 10th, both in Surval and around the world, Hello Yellow Day or World Mental Health Day was celebrated. This day was founded by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992 and has been celebrated every year since then to raise awareness about mental health around the world, mobilise efforts to support those experiencing mental health issues and promote advocacy against social stigma. October was chosen as the month for this observance to align with the autumn season in the Northern Hemisphere, allowing for various activities and initiatives to take place. The specific date, the 10th, was chosen to create a consistent global observance each year.
On this day in Surval, as is customary, everyone wore different items of yellow clothing to show our awareness of mental health and promote the idea of support and compassion.
“The bright colour made everything cheerful, and it was great to see everyone come together to support mental health awareness”
- Paulina.
“It was awesome to see everyone wearing yellow for charity and supporting mental health together” - Renata
During the morning assembly the head and the deputy of the Surval Charity Committee, Maiia and Marina, held a presentation in which they told the school students about this day, mental health and how we can support it. Embracing the spirit of kindness and commitment to mental health we fostered community and inspired girls to support one another.
“From the presentation I have learnt that there is nothing wrong in seeking help when the situation is not right - that it’s okay not to be okay” - Camilla.
“I felt inspired by helping commitment to supporting children and communities in need, and grateful for the positive changes” - Marisa.
Each member of the charity committee participated in the day by creating cards with positive messages for each member of the SURVAL community.
“This experience truly warmed my heart as we tried to show appreciation to each individual while maintaining our connection as a community” - Nicole.
“For me this created a huge positive change in my day” - Daria.
Overall this day is really significant because it informs people on the existence of mental health problems and focuses on the need for care and support. It is a day that reminds people that mental health is as significant as physical health and that any person can take the necessary measures towards helping their mental health. Let’s all appreciate mental health day!