Ms. Gigi Pang, a Registered Counselling Psychologist at the Edge Development Centre, hosted a workshop aimed at helping students understand and manage academic stress. The session began with an introduction to mental health trends and the top stressors in Hong Kong, followed by a stress test and an overview of the signs of burnout. Gigi then shared practical tips for coping with stress, including deep breathing and mindfulness practices, and guided participants to identify unhelpful thoughts that might have intensified stress. By the end of the workshop, participants gained a clearer understanding of burnout and were equipped with actionable tools to build resilience and manage academic pressure.

Ms. Esther Yip and Mr. Fung Yin Fung, Counsellors at the Young Men’s Christian Association of Hong Kong, invited participants to look beyond the screen and reflect on their own lives through the series’ rich and moving narratives. Using the characters’ experiences as a lens, the workshop encouraged participants to explore their personal strengths and choices in the face of adversity. Through guided discussions, participants made meaningful connections between the characters’ journeys and their own experiences, gaining fresh insights into resilience, values, and the decisions that shape who they were.

Mr. Hugo Wong, a Registered Music Therapist, conducted a music therapy workshop aimed at enhancing students’ stress management. During the session, he used piano music to guide a ”walking into the space” exercise, helping students connect their emotions with their bodily sensations. Hugo also introduced a variety of musical instruments for students to explore and encouraged them to use these instruments to express and release daily stress. A small-group activity was facilitated, allowing students to interact with one another and collaboratively create a short piece of music in a non-judgmental, open, and relaxing environment.

Mr. Walter Tse, a Registered Social Worker and Founder of Prism Arts Limited, brought energy and creativity to a fun workshop that reminded us that ”Play is never a waste of time!” In the midst of a busy university semester, participants took a well-deserved break from assignments and deadlines to spend some time laughing, creating, and simply enjoying the moment together. Through applied drama and games, Walter created a space where participants felt genuinely safe to let loose, be a little silly, and gradually uncover a side of themselves they may not often show in the hustle of university life.

Ms. Chan Yan Yu, a Wellness Practitioner at The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, hosted a workshop on yoga and Tea Zen. During the session, students practised mindfulness by focusing on their breath, engaging in static yoga stretching exercises, and participating in a tea ceremony. Through smelling, observing, and tasting the tea, students were encouraged to enjoy the present moment. The workshop helped students find balance and tranquillity in both body and mind, guiding them back to the present. They relaxed their bodies through stretching, and the session provided a valuable platform for developing body–mind awareness and balance.

Ms. Christina Yu, a Psychotherapist, shed light on the stress experienced by university students and further discussed the global context, raising awareness of this widespread issue. Throughout the session, she guided participants to engage in mindfulness practices, helping them become fully present in the moment. She also highlighted how social, familial, and cultural expectations could create underlying conflicts for young people, contributing to this broader global issue. By the end of the workshop, Christina provided worksheets with guiding questions to facilitate reflection on participants’ personal experiences. Participants were encouraged to reflect on meaningful moments from the past that demonstrated their ownership of decisions and autonomy in shaping their lives, empowering them to pursue diverse paths forward.

Ms. Vicky Lam, a Registered Social Worker, explained the psychological and biological aspects of emotions and their impact on functioning. She guided participants to name, understand, and gain insight from their emotions in an adaptive way. The session began with relaxing bodily movements and a breathing exercise, encouraging participants to unwind and practise. She then explained how emotions related to underlying needs and introduced four basic emotions as examples to illustrate common maladaptive reactions and their corresponding adaptive behaviours.

Ms. Ophelia Tam, a Clinical Psychologist at Jockey Club TourHeart+, delivered a Zoom workshop focused on practising self-care in daily life. During the session, students explored what self-care truly meant, what it looked like for them personally, and identified at least one self-care action they could begin immediately to support their mental well-being. The workshop helped students understand the purpose of self-care in promoting mental well-being, as well as how to care for themselves and develop sustainable self-care habits, such as breathing practices and taking breaks from social media.

Ms. Melissa You, a Counsellor at St. John’s Cathedral Counselling Service, delivered the workshop using the movie Inside Out 2 as a framework. She introduced the emotion characters to enhance students’ awareness of bodily sensations and deepen their understanding of different emotions. Melissa also explained ‘anxiety’ through the concept of cognitive distortions, helping students recognize their irrational or unhelpful automatic thoughts. By the end of the session, students were introduced to concepts from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and relaxation breathing techniques, equipping them with practical tools to manage daily stress and anxiety while fostering healthier thinking patterns.

Dr. Lo On Ting, the Founder of Lo’s Psychology and an Assistant Professor at Lingnan University, introduced Viktor Frankl’s Tripartite Meaning in Life Model during the workshop. He guided participants to review and reflect on their thoughts, habits, and possibilities in relation to their sense of life meaning. Dr. Lo also highlighted the importance of coherence in life, encouraging participants to remain flexible in their experiences in the digital age and to be selective about the information they consume on social media, as it could shape one’s sense of meaning in life. Lastly, he reminded participants to stay open to change in order to cultivate a clearer sense of coherence, purpose, and significance in life.