More often than not, school can be a very stressful place for a majority of students. With AP exams coming to a close and finals almost being upon us, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Most students know that mental health is important, but many don’t realize how much of a difference one day can make in improving it. Mental Health and Wellness day, organized by Ms. Durakis, Ms. Cohen and several others, gave students an opportunity to see this themselves, as they participated in activities to not only learn about mental health, but improve it.
Ms. Durakis explained that, “Mental health is very important in today’s society, so we wanted to put together an event where we could offer different activities to raise awareness for mental health. It is important to take a break sometimes, and find balance.” She goes on to add that the biggest thing that she hoped students would take away from Mental Health and Wellness day was that in the end, “It’s okay not to be okay.”
Not only did the teachers feel that this was a very helpful event, but students absolutely loved it. Several students claimed that they agree with the importance of taking breaks, especially when it comes to school. The most popular activity throughout the day was making the stress balls. Also requiring teamwork, with one person holding the balloon open, and the other pouring in the flour, this event was both fun and collaborative. On top of being fun to make, they also provided a therapeutic salve to stress in other classes throughout the day. Other activities included coloring pages, and journal decorating. Students expressed their appreciation in being given time to sit down to color and draw, because that is not something that they have been able to do as much as they have gotten older. Furthermore, the majority of students in CHS agree that this event is something that they would like to see again next year, with a couple even suggesting that it should become a monthly activity.
Students often struggle with mental health issues, such as anxiety and stress which can be often caused by schoolwork, but this Mental Health and Wellness day proved that there can be simple ways to help calm students, and give them a break.
