“A day dedicated to all student performers! Learn how to prevent performance burnout or notice the signs of performance fatigue,” read the flyer for the Performer Burnout panel hosted by Students Advocating for Mental Health (SAMH) over the weekend.

From Oct. 16-17, members of SAMH Committee and the Counseling Center hosted their first multi-day event on campus. The Performer Burnout Event, led by Michael Wong ’21, chair of student performance, and Isabella Basile ’21, member of the SAMH Committee, had activities and performances students could participate or listen to. 

The special ceremony consisted of four major events: a screening of “The Weight of Gold” on the quad, a meditation class, taught by Prevention Education Specialist and Instructor of Psychology Doug Jones; a virtual talk and discussion with mental health advocate, yoga instructor and writer Maris Degeder; and the speaker panel discussing performance burnout. 

Open Focus Meditation, led by Jones, was for Hill members to focus on both the body and mind. 

“Student-athletes of The Hill School were able to realize the importance of meditation before games, recognizing physical and emotional pain or stress,” said John Ju ’23, one of the Co-chairs of the SAMH Committee.

In the session, Jones used the phrase “feel the space between your fingertips,” meaning focusing on the physical body and understanding the feeling of pain. 

Maris Degeder’s talk was brought by Lal Yatagan ’21, Student Engagement leader at SAMH. Degener came to raise mental health awareness while removing the existing stigma of eating disorders. Degener suffered from anorexia as a child and has since shared her story. She emphasized that students going through eating disorders or other mental health problems are not alone.  

The panel for student performers was an event where current members of the Hill community gave tips to students regarding burnout. Panelists urged students not to push themselves to the extreme while highlighting the fact that experiencing burnout is natural, and that students are not alone when going through mental suffering. 

“SAMH is a committee to advocate for the students’ mental health and raise mental health awareness at The Hill and in the society. The SAMH Committee and the counseling center is here to help students gain comfort and courage,” said Cecile Wegman ’23, co-chair of the SAMH Committee.

The committee is planning to have a speaker session series during H-term, where different members will be speaking about mental health awareness during the 6-week term, but specific details are not being released to the public yet 

For students interested in joining the SAMH or those who are curious about future events hosted by the committee and the counseling center, follow their Instagram, @mentalhealthathill. Special on-campus activities will be shared to Hill members through the Instagram, dorm prefects, Today on the Hill, and individual posters.