Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Program
Last Updated (Thursday, 30 June 2022 12:52)
Our mind is the theatre where all drama used to happen 24×7! We learn about all the events in our world, we feel all the emotions; we make choices and control all the actions that we do. Whether we enjoy or become upset, it all happens in our brain. Thus, brain is the most important part of our body and personality. We all want to be happy and avoid suffering, from tiny ants to large elephants. In fact, all of our actions are geared towards this goal, towards what we perceive to be happiness and away from what we view as suffering and yet, we have no real understanding of how to achieve that. By developing awareness of how things really are, by recognizing the impermanent and interdependent nature of all conditioned phenomena, including our very minds and thoughts, we learn to free ourselves.
Covid-19 has hit the world in such a manner that it has affected various aspects in life of every individual. Not only Covid-19 but also in the present scenario many individuals go through depression, anxiety and get mentally stressed to such extent that they end up giving-up their lives. As Young Men's Christian Association aims to put Christian principles into practice by developing a healthy "body, mind, and spirit." So keeping in mind, YMCA, Cuttack conducted a Mental Health Awareness Program on 15th May, 2022.
Making Life Less Stressful Mental Health Program by China Y
Last Updated (Monday, 24 January 2022 18:13)
The public has insufficient knowledge of depression and there is discrimination and stigma against people living with mental health problems in our society, China Y has increased focus on mental health and wellbeing. Hoping to popularize depression-related knowledge, reduce mental health discrimination, help people cope with mental health issues, and build a healthier and more inclusive society. With full preparations, China Y started the depression prevention program Making Life Less Stressful in July 2021, which lasted 5 months and successfully concluded in November.
The program aims to help people prevent depression and mental health, which is one of the key psychological problems these days. During the implementation of the program, China Y not only provided professional psychological knowledge of explanation and guidance for the target group, but also arranged different stress-relieving activities. These prevention programs benefitted participants and their families, friends, colleagues, etc.
A series of three online lectures on professional knowledge of depression were carried out by National Council, covering areas such as standards for physical and mental health measures, origin and evolution of emotions, difference between depressed mood and depression, self-adjustment of depressed mood. By attending online lectures and themed activities, participants understood that depression results from many factors in biological, psychological and social environment. Everyone could experience depressed mood sometimes, yet it does not mean depression.
Benefiting from these lectures, participants obtained a basic understanding of how to manage their moods, and how to plan for positive guidance to people in need. Being diagnosed with depression is not terrible, one can get recovered from effective treatments from support of families and friends. Everyone should pay attention to the signals sent by emotions, learn and improve emotional self-control, and be more sensitive to the abnormal status of mind and body. Timely interventions should be made to alleviate depressive moods before the situation worsens. Participants have learned effective ways to relieve stress and pressure through painting, games, entertainment, sports, meditation, etc.
With a series of scientific learning of depression and emotional problems, the participants’ fear and social stigma about depression were effectively reduced. They were more willing to offer support to people suffering from depression and encourage them to actively seek for trained health-care providers. At the same time, these advanced concepts benefited China Y as well by providing a solid basis for further programs.
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China Y Brings Joy and Warmth to Taxi Drivers
Last Updated (Wednesday, 26 January 2022 12:37)
99 Giving Day raised donations from (the most popular annual charity festival in China jointly initiated by Tencent Charity Foundation and thousands of other charity organizations, enterprises, celebrities and media from September 7 to 9 every year), the National Council of YMCAs/YWCAs of China launched our new round of services—Bring Joy and Warmth to Taxi Drivers.
Taxi drivers have become an important business card of Shanghai and play an indispensable role in our daily life. As an important link in the city's transportation system taxies transport passengers from north to south every day. The high workload and unstable income make them especially vulnerable to physical illnesses and psychological burdens, but the general public lacks concern and care for them.
Through the Bring Joy and Warmth to Taxi Drivers project, China Y hopes that continuous care for the health of taxi drivers will make them feel cared for and respected by society so that they will become transmitters of love and care to other people, creating an atmosphere of love in our society.
On October 28th 2021, China Y started this monthly project—-delivering gift packages to taxi drivers every month for consecutively 4 months. Each time, a group of four Y staff went to the Driver’s Cafeteria and distributed gift packages to taxi drivers during their lunchtime. Our gift packages included different daily necessities, from alcohol disinfecting cotton pads, hand sanitizer, facial masks, towels to nasal sprays for refreshment.
China Y’s activity won the appreciation from taxi drivers and received positive feedback. One of them said, "We don't have time to wash our hands and disinfect in the car, thus the items you sent are very useful. Besides, it could be convenient for our passengers to use as well ” Those valuable experiences also enlightened our staff to better understand the Bible verse “be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
As a social service organization with a long history, China Y’s mission is to serve society and benefit people. We are always on the road to help the people in need and better our communities and world.