Sprung-ing the Blues Away

Sprung-ing the Blues Away
By Mark Worth
26th January 2025

The End of January is hard; Christmas bills, the weather, the cost of living crisis and the lack of sunshine, it’s no wonder that the last Monday of the month is called blue Monday.

 

For many of our young people at Sprung Youth this time of year also means ‘mocks’. That dreaded moment in the school year when students are put into exam conditions to test their knowledge in their school subjects.

 
If the energy of the young people is to go by the mocks season takes an extra toll on our young people’s physical and mental energy. Last Thursday saw Sarah and I enter our Sprung Youth session where it was visibly weighing heavy on many of the young people’s shoulders.
 
For some reading this, questions may be asked as to why the young people were partaking in such frivolity as going to a physical theatre class when such an important time of the young people’s schooling life is happening. For others however, there is no question why…
 
Seeing the young people’s energy, Sarah and I decided to change our plans and do something ‘even more challenging’ than normal; group lifts and catches, where individuals ran into a group of peers waiting, ready to catch them. There were screams of delight accompanying screams of terror as well, but having come out the other side of the workshop, the over riding sound was encouragement and the upmost level of support for each other.
 
Whether we know it or not, or whether modern day society allows us to realise; humans are society based creatures. We thrive in supportive environments and are desperate to belong to a tribe. No matter if that tribe is left or right, in or out, heck maybe it’s even traitor or faithful, we all want to be part of something and bring others into our group.
 
For those 2 hours, the young people clapped each other, cheered for each other and thankfully, caught each other, regardless of who they were; a bonding exercise that left them high on endorphins and a stronger sense of trust and belonging with their fellow performers, friends….Sprung’s.
 
One parent brilliantly responded to their child coming home from the class;
“My Sprung came home ‘giddy’ with excitement!”
A perfect antidote to the difficult pressures that our young people are facing. Maybe this is the ultimate life lesson for them; to learn that actually life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows but on the flip side it’s not all storm clouds and lightning either; in the best of times we should appreciate the moment, and in the darkest and hardest of times we should look for the things that make us smile… I’m pleased to say we gifted a lot of smiles to some young people feeling the toughest of life pressures.
So, as we hit this blue Monday and for all the unofficial blue Monday’s throughout the year, we at Highly Sprung will continue to try and offer smiles… through our weekly workshops our outreach work and more recently in our pro-intensive workshops.
So, if you’re feeling down, come and join the team for a smile inducing, endorphin capturing journey into the world of sprung, just like our incredible groups at Sprung Youth.

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