Date: 26 October 2019
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Institute of Mental Health (IMH)
What is Smol Tok?
On 26 October, Jia Xi and I volunteered with Campus PSY at the annual mental health carnival, organised by IMH. The name 'smol tok' derives from small talk, which suggests players having a conversation together. The main topic of the conversation can range from light-hearted and cheery to serious, yet meaningful at the same time. Since it is a mental health carnival, smol tok was on the topic of mental health. Smol tok is facilitated by a deck of cards, and the cards range from level 1 to 3, where the topic becomes more serious and personal as the level increases. Members of the public and patients of IMH alike were gathered for the carnival, and everyone could participate in this activity.
Cards for Smol Tok
Facilitation
As it was my first time facilitating such a sensitive activity, I was nervous that I might accidentally make an insensitive comment and hit a nerve in one of the players. Thankfully, my fear did not come true. Players were willing to speak up and discuss the issues together, while being respectful and understanding toward one another. Many players I encountered were from the baby boomers generation, and it was enriching for me to hear them share their experiences and give me advice to ensure I am mentally healthy.
The facilitation also required me to adapt to the situation quickly. As mentioned above, when the level increases the topics become more serious and personal. Some players were uncomfortable with certain questions and I had to adapt by requesting the table to pick another topic. Afterwards, I will check with everyone at the table if they are comfortable with the topic before facilitating the discussion. Hence, this process required me to be sharp and recognise when someone was uncomfortable, which was not easy given that it was my first time facilitating the activity and I was feeling anxious myself. Luckily, I was able to run the activity smoothly and ensure everyone felt comfortable during the discussion.
Stigmatisation against Mental Illnesses
Perhaps, one obstacle I encountered was that some players had stigmas against mental illness, which discomforted other players during the activity. I learnt to manage this by getting people to share their viewpoints, which (thankfully) helped dispel some misconception that people had. Additionally, I also emphasised that while people might disagree with specific viewpoints, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. We can't change all negative opinions people have toward mental illnesses overnight, but we can change a few through this activity and that is enough for now.
A photo of Jia Xi and I at the event!
Conclusion
I felt that to further dispel the misconception that people had about mental illnesses, I could have shared what I have learnt from my course of study. This would have made the conversation more fulfilling and enriching for the players. However, I am overall glad to have volunteered since I got to have a glimpse of how their life is like coping with mental illnesses and have another exposure to the views that people have towards mental illnesses.
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