Johnson, Class of 2022, is on a mission to universally help students manage the daily pressures of school and build stronger mental resilience with his newly published book, 7 Mental Health Tips for Students: Become a Successful and Happier Student.
Johnson’s inspiration for the book came from his own experiences as a student.
“When I was in school, I loved spending time in the library, reading and talking to teachers,” he recalls.
In 2023, Johnson completed his Community Service Year (CSY), a program where St Jude’s graduates spend a year volunteering in government schools, academic teams or head office at St Jude’s.
While teaching at a government school, he spoke with many students and conducted research to better understand how they coped with stress and balanced their wellbeing alongside academic demands.
Through this process, he noticed a broader gap in available resources. While many books focused on personal development, few addressed the real mental health challenges students faced when pursuing academics.
“When I was at the government school, I asked all types of students about the daily challenges they faced with stress. I saw there weren’t many books for just students on this,” says Johnson.
Motivated to do more, Johnson continued exploring the topic after starting his studies in Business Administration at Ashesi University in Ghana, where he recently completed his second year. It was during this time that he connected with Mariam, a clinical psychologist.
“Mariam was the guest speaker on a webinar about student wellbeing that I was part of. Afterwards, I reached out to her and we connected. She is leading the Wellness Within Hub, which provides workshops and resources for students,” he says.
Mariam was eager to support Johnson in bringing this idea to life, and together, they co-wrote the book over the span of a year. They intentionally kept it short and easy to navigate, recognising that many students are discouraged by lengthy books.
“Before we started writing, I also did lots of research, read books and spoke to lecturers and peers from different countries. But working with Mariam was great because she is very open to feedback and willing to change ideas. She also brought so much experience and credibility. I learnt a lot from her.”
When asked about his favourite tip in the book, Johnson refers to what is known as ‘The Four A’s of Managing Stress: avoid, adapt, accept and alter.’
“This approach is useful for everyone, not just students. There’s no way to be completely free of stress, but you can become more resilient in how you manage it. We also wanted to make the book as short as possible for students to be able to skim through it so they can get the exact content relevant to them,” he adds.
When the hard copy was released, Johnson arranged for fellow St Jude’s alumni, who were beginning university in Ghana, to bring 500 printed copies of the book with them from Tanzania.
“It feels like a real achievement to see this book come to life. Some of my lecturers bought the book, and it’s available through the counselling department and wellness committee at Ashesi as a resource for students,” he adds.
Inspired by this experience, Johnson plans to write more books in the future, noting that this is just the beginning.
“I never thought when I was sitting in the library as a student that I would become an author one day. It was a challenge managing my university curriculum while writing the book. I wrote a lot on weekends. I also wrote in the early mornings and sometimes late at night,” he says.
Just this month, he returned to the very government school where the inspiration for his book first took root, invited by the headmaster to speak with students about mental health.
“This summer, I have also applied for some grants so I can help more students get this book, especially in rural areas like the one I taught at. I want this to be a resource for more students,” adds Johnson.
For now, copies are eagerly circulating among St Jude’s staff and university communities, with hopes to broaden its reach in the near future.
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