Understanding How to Manage Mental Health at University
South Tangerang - Airindya Bella Kusumaningrum, a Master of Public Health student and experienced professional in the mental health field, led a sometimes uncomfortable but always important conversation about the struggles within our minds. On an idyllic Thursday evening, 30 May 2024, while people everywhere were going about their usual routines, students at Monash University, Indonesia were inspired to stop, take a break, and look within during a thought-provoking discussion about mental health.
The students participating in the event enthusiastically
Facilitated by the event series MuSE (Meet up, Share and Engage), Bella and the audience engaged in an insightful dialogue on the changing perceptions about mental health and the necessary personal introspection to nurture your inner self. "The complexity [about how society perceives mental health] is still there, especially around vulnerable people," Bella shared. "We need to engage people, especially the people surrounding us. For institutions like Monash University, it is good for having workshops like this, so we can expose the issue of mental health itself."
Airindya Bella Kusumaningrum (right), sharing her experience in the mental health field
On the topic of under-discussed aspects of mental health, Bella highlighted the importance of emotional expression in uncovering mental health issues. "We barely know what our current situation is because we grew up to hide our feelings back then. Now, usually we don’t know what kind of emotion we actually feel and struggle to describe our feelings."
To identify and manage symptoms of anxiety, depression and burnout - which are often faced by students under the pressure of university and career - Bella encouraged the audience to assess and acknowledge their emotions. "Do we tend to be sad or crying almost every day?" Bella asked. "Look at our sleeping and eating habits. Do we tend to hide ourselves or not be socially active anymore?" To manage these struggles, Bella stressed, "Don’t judge yourself, your feelings are valid. If any of you feel symptoms like that, please seek professional help as soon as possible."
Members of the audience then contributed their questions and experiences to the conversation in the Q&A section. "What is your best advice for me as a sister?" asked a student in the audience. "I’m afraid my sister shares her feelings more to her friends instead of me, her own sister." "If she talks to her friends about her feelings, that means she’s comfortable enough with her friends," Bella answered. "Maybe because her friends have similar situations or actively listen without judging. Sometimes I don’t need any advice, I just want someone to listen to me actively. That’s the important thing you can do."
Another student asked for Bella’s thoughts on alternative medicine and the mind-body connection. "I know holistic care and connecting mental health and physical health is a big thing right now." To this, Bella responded that there is an important relation between mind and body. "From mindfulness and yoga, we usually implement a good thing like exercise, which is recommended by some psychiatrists to help reduce anxiety or panic attacks. Whenever I got this panic attack coming at me, I try to do breathing exercises, inhale for 3 seconds and exhale for 3 seconds. So I agree that alternative therapy is helpful to build resilience."
From there, the audience continued to raise interesting questions and contributions until the end of the talk show portion (which is also available to listen to via podcast). Bella and fellow students from the audience enjoyed donuts and mingled with one another. Many carried on the conversation around mental health, sharing their experiences and support. With renewed inspiration and insights to nurture their inner selves, students returned home with a stronger sense of the community around them and reassurance in the support and care that Monash University, Indonesia offers to their students.