An event focused on mental health: Let's Talk About Novembrose

The Montpellier Health Tutoring Association (ATSM) is an organization dedicated to supporting first-year health science students. Its primary goal is to provide these students with academic support, while also offering additional assistance in non-academic areas, such as career guidance and reorientation, as well as well-being and mental health.

Let’s Talk About Novembrose is an event organized by the ATSM to raise awareness and encourage discussion about mental health issues, with the goal of implementing concrete actions.

But what exactly is November blues ? It refers to a dip in mood and energy typically observed in November, often caused by physical and mental fatigue, the change of seasons, reduced daylight, lack of sleep, or stress. This condition can be particularly exacerbated by exam pressure, especially in the first year of health studies, where the stress associated with upcoming graded exams and tests can amplify the symptoms of November blues.

For this second edition, we have once again partnered with professionals from the Maison des Adolescents de l’Hérault. A psychiatrist and a psychiatric nurse will lead two workshops on November 28 at the new Montpellier School of Medicine. The first workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the second from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. These sessions will aim to present practical strategies for taking care of one’s mental health on a daily basis. They will also provide a space for dialogue between students and professionals, allowing participants to access useful resources to approach the end of the semester with peace of mind. It will also be an opportunity to take a moment for self-care in a friendly atmosphere, with a light buffet and hot beverages.

“Last year, as a PASS, I took part in the event Let’s Talk About Novembrose. I went there first and foremost because the event looked fun and relaxing, and because it would be interesting to talk about mental health.

As you all know, November can be a tough month for most of us, with winter setting in and the cold weather arriving, and classes starting to pile up and get more demanding. I wanted to talk about how I was feeling, see how others were getting through their PASS year as well, and, above all, get some advice.

I was already expecting an interesting event that would be helpful to us, but I was truly and pleasantly surprised by the activities and the discussions we had.

In fact, I had the chance to talk with many other students, as well as with qualified mental health professionals, and through our conversations during various activities, we were able to discuss many important issues related to mental health. These discussions made me reflect on how I was feeling and what I needed to do to take care of myself during this challenging year.

But most of all, I was able to talk with many other students—some of whom were very different from me, while others were actually quite similar. That really, really reassured me.

We were able to talk about the different challenges we were facing, how to manage our stress, and how we felt in various situations, and I realized that many of us were in the same boat, which “validated” how we were feeling. Seeing that others were stressing over the same things as me reassured me, and I told myself, “This is normal—it’s not just happening to me,” and that helps me believe that we can all make it through, that we all face the same stress, and that just because I’m stressed doesn’t mean I’m not cut out for this or that I won’t succeed this year.

In fact, it allowed us to acknowledge all those concerns, realizing that while this is a challenge we’re facing this year, it doesn’t mean we’re bound to fail.

And this applies to any kind of worry related to all sorts of things (it can range from stressing out about being late for a specific class to worrying that you’re not stressing out enough compared to others: it covers EVERYTHING).

So, I really recommend you go if you’re interested—it’s definitely worth your time. I know we’re all in a hurry and just want to get to work, but it’ll really take a weight off your shoulders and help you work more effectively in the long run. It’s a long-term investment 😉 ”