On 8 September 2026, Dhruti PEERS conducted an interactive mental health awareness session at Asan Memorial College, Chennai, led by Dhruti Saathis (Student Interns). The three-hour session focused on making mental health and wellbeing practices simple, practical and accessible for students.Through four interactive activity stations, students explored everyday strategies to manage stress, recognise positive experiences, understand personal choices and develop healthy coping approaches.

Four Interactive Activity Stations

1. Stress Ball Reset & Box Breathing

Students were introduced to simple techniques for releasing physical tension and creating a sense of calm. The Box Breathing activity guided participants through a simple 4–4–4–4 breathing cycle, encouraging them to slow down, pause and reset.

The activity encouraged students to recognise physical signs of stress and use simple techniques to pause, regulate, and reset.

2. Gratitude Wall – Little Things Matter

The Gratitude Wall encouraged students to recognise positive experiences, meaningful moments and supportive people in their lives. The activity highlighted how small moments and connections can contribute to everyday wellbeing.

3. Control & Choice

This activity helped students distinguish between situations they cannot control and aspects they can influence. Students were encouraged to identify their emotions, focus on what they can control and choose one healthy next step. The activity reinforced the message:

“I can’t always control what happens, but I can choose what I do next.”

4. My Coping Toolkit

The My Coping Toolkit station introduced students to six practical areas of healthy coping:

Move • Connect • Pause • Create • Reset • Seek Help

Students explored different strategies they could use during stressful moments and identified coping tools they could incorporate into their everyday lives.

The activity also reinforced an important message: seeking support from a trusted adult, counsellor, or mental-health professional is a strength, not a weakness.

Guidance and Support

The activities were planned by Ms. Kalpagam Jagannadan, Director – Dhruti PEERS, who also designed the charts and mentored the students throughout the activity stations.

Ms. Dhanushree, Assistant Program Coordinator, provided on-ground support and guidance to the students during the event.

Because taking care of mental wellbeing can begin with one small action.🌱💙