The term mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social well-being. Right now, teenagers across America are kicking off their school years. For some people, that’s an exciting thing to hear. They associate school with fun, sports games, learning new things, hanging out with friends, and laughing. Others associate it with anxiety and find themselves dreading every school day. They view school as stressful and draining. Some people find themselves in between these thoughts. No matter what you are feeling right now, you are not alone!
School can put a lot of stress on teens, but teens also put a lot of pressure on themselves. A lot of students want to get good grades in high school because it seems like their future depends on it. It’s important to remember that your grades don’t define who you are. The need to do great in school, sports, social life, home, and our future can cause us to become stressed. This is where taking care of our mental health becomes crucial!
The stress that school can cause not only affects students mentally but physically. Anxiety can manifest into physical symptoms, like nausea or a fast heart rate. Stress can also cause sleep problems, headaches, high blood pressure, and even lead to anxiety and depression. Anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry or fear, while depression is the constant feeling of sadness and hopelessness that can lead you to lose interest in things. Anxiety and depression are different for everybody, but it is important to know that anyone can struggle with these. We can try our best to avoid anxiety and depression by making sure to take care of ourselves.
One of the biggest reasons for school-related stress is burnout. You might’ve heard the terms ‘senioritis’ or ‘sophomore slump.’ Nearly every student, and even teachers, feel this way at some point. It’s important to know that these feelings are normal.
Some VHS teachers were asked about this topic since they see stressed students often. Stress is normal, but stress is not always a bad thing. It can motivate students to work harder. Teachers believe that it is important to be kind to yourself. It’s easier said than done, but try not to procrastinate homework, and do not take all the AP classes if you don’t have the time. It’s so important to know your own abilities and limitations. Adding lighter classes like art, choir or theater into your schedule can help your mental health and your GPA.
Students can try to keep up with their studies but that doesn’t always help. We asked some students how they cope with school stress. They said that it is important to talk with someone. This can be your teacher, friend, family, psychologist or a random person. Either way, it feels better to talk with someone about your feelings than holding them in. Another way to maintain good mental health is creating systems to keep you organized: Write a to-do list that does not only involve studying but also exercising, hanging out with friends/family/pet, baking or cooking, watching a movie, reading or whatever helps you relax. A balance between studying and relaxing can keep you grounded. Remember that you are not going to be in high school forever, so do not let a bad grade, a mean person or stress stop you from being you.
