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Mental Health Mondays: Isaac R. '22
In keeping with the importance of mental health awareness at Canterbury, senior Isaac R. took the stage at Upper School communal time to give a heartfelt plea to his fellow classmates that an open mental health dialogue needs to be reignited amongst themselves.
"Talking about feelings is difficult for everyone, but even more so when there is an underlying feeling that you are being judged," said Isaac. "Here on campus, an open dialogue needs to be restarted so that people can be comfortable sharing their feelings."
Isaac went on to share how talking to someone about how he felt helped him through a difficult time in his life.
"In July of 2020 and January of 2021, I lost my last surviving grandparents," Isaac explained. "These deaths were separated by me tearing my ACL, which put me out of activities that would usually be a release for my emotions. With nowhere to turn, the only thing that helped me was talking about my feelings... sure, call me unmasculine, but nobody, man or woman, should fear the public eye when it comes to sharing their feelings."
Isaac encouraged his classmates to be the change at Canterbury; to listen to each other and be free to talk about one's feelings.
"I hope that by coming up here and talking about this [feelings], the stigma starts to fade. We need to be comfortable talking about these things because avoiding it promotes an unhealthy lifestyle that is hard to climb out of. I strongly encourage anyone who is going through hard times to go and speak with Mrs. Devost or anyone really just to see how it makes you feel. I can assure you that speaking about your feelings helps and will make you feel better."
If you are struggling with a situation or just need to talk, don't hesitate to reach out to someone. It is ok to not be ok.
Issac R.'s speech is a part of the year-long Mental Health Mondays series that will focus on the voices of our students. Once a month, student volunteers will share stories, important information, and helpful tips about mental health. Our goal is to create the space to have candid conversations, which will help reduce stigma and promote greater use of support.
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Isaac went on to share how talking to someone about how he felt helped him through a difficult time in his life.
"In July of 2020 and January of 2021, I lost my last surviving grandparents," Isaac explained. "These deaths were separated by me tearing my ACL, which put me out of activities that would usually be a release for my emotions. With nowhere to turn, the only thing that helped me was talking about my feelings... sure, call me unmasculine, but nobody, man or woman, should fear the public eye when it comes to sharing their feelings."
Isaac encouraged his classmates to be the change at Canterbury; to listen to each other and be free to talk about one's feelings.
"I hope that by coming up here and talking about this [feelings], the stigma starts to fade. We need to be comfortable talking about these things because avoiding it promotes an unhealthy lifestyle that is hard to climb out of. I strongly encourage anyone who is going through hard times to go and speak with Mrs. Devost or anyone really just to see how it makes you feel. I can assure you that speaking about your feelings helps and will make you feel better."
If you are struggling with a situation or just need to talk, don't hesitate to reach out to someone. It is ok to not be ok.
Issac R.'s speech is a part of the year-long Mental Health Mondays series that will focus on the voices of our students. Once a month, student volunteers will share stories, important information, and helpful tips about mental health. Our goal is to create the space to have candid conversations, which will help reduce stigma and promote greater use of support.
