Dimapur Government College conducts a workshop on mental health and wellness for educators across districts
DIMAPUR — Dimapur Government College (DGC), with the support of the Department of Higher Education, and coordinated by the Department of Psychology, organised a workshop on "Mental Health and Wellness" on November 2.
Around 60 teachers from schools, colleges, and universities across Dimapur, including Chümoukedima and Niuland, attended the workshop, which aimed to raise awareness of mental health and psychological well-being, according to an update.
Speaking on "Promoting Mental Wellness: Practical Strategies for Well-being", resource person Dr. Lovika P Shikhu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Nagaland University, elaborated on practical approaches to maintaining mental wellness, drawing on psychological concepts as well as her professional and personal experiences.
On work-life balance, Dr. Shikhu laid out the "Four Burners Theory", in which the four burners of a gas stove represent four areas of life: family, friends, health, and work. Since it is difficult to excel in all four at once, she suggested that one must consciously prioritise, drawing on her own experience of balancing parenting and work.
Referring to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, she outlined the progression from physiological needs to safety and security, love and belongingness, self-esteem, and self-actualisation, which she identified as the ultimate aim of mental well-being.
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She also outlined practical measures for maintaining mental wellness, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, which involves becoming aware of one's thoughts without reacting to them immediately; cultivating spirituality; practising gratitude; prioritising adequate sleep; maintaining a balanced diet; and nurturing healthy relationships with family members, friends, colleagues, support staff, and the wider community.
Drawing on her personal and professional experience, Dr. Shikhu also spoke of the mental health challenges associated with motherhood. She noted that women’s well-being cannot be secured through willpower alone, as women are not immune to postpartum trauma and antenatal depression, and she pointed out that awareness of symptoms such as emotional instability is essential.
Earlier, Dr. T Tiakaba Jamir, Principal of DGC, highlighted the growing mental stress experienced by both teachers and students due to changes in the governance system, increasing workloads, and the absence of clearly defined working hours.
Dr. Temsusenla Jamir, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology, urged participants to reflect on three questions: how attentive they are to their own mental well-being, how they respond when someone around them is struggling, and what kind of educational institutions they are helping to create.
The programme concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session on topics such as menopause and mental health, insomnia, parental awareness, supporting students with mental health difficulties, the social stigma surrounding mental disorders, workplace stress, and avoiding burnout in professional life.