Getting through school is a different experience for everyone. Everyone struggles with their own problems but still have to show up ready and prepared to get stuff done. Mental health is something students most times overlook or don’t take seriously. Taking care of your mental health is something that should be important to everyone, and is a part of succeeding. Ignoring it can have many effects that you don’t even realize, and the more you ignore it the worse it can get. That’s why it is good to take measures to help take care of yourself.
Starting young
Starting as young as pre-school you can tell as a grown-up the kids that struggle and need extra help and the students who can kind of do things on their own. It’s not about if you don’t know something or don’t understand, that’s normal and that is something teachers and parents can help teach. But it is the nervousness, anxiety, and stress that can be alarming. As a young kid, you don’t really know what anxiety is but you can definitely feel it.
Most of the time adults don’t take it as seriously since they’re kids so they just grow up dealing with stress and anxiety thinking it’s normal.
As a child, I remember personally being nervous just about going to school and being around all the other kids and teachers. Getting anxious just about doing work even if I know it. This is something that I should’ve gotten help for so it could’ve been talked about and fixed. Because as you get older it will only be more stress and anxiety.
Growing up
Starting high school is something that can change you as you go on. Bigger schools, more students, and harder classes. At this age, students are figuring themselves out. Going into the year students are learning and getting more comfortable with their new classes and surroundings. But once it hits the middle of the winter, students are in the middle of their semester and can sometimes get too comfortable. Losing motivation and procrastination and just dealing with the winter workload. This can lead to more stress as grades are usually due around mid-winter. Overall in high school, stress and anxiety are common. Students should have some time for themselves and also talk to the school counselor if needed.
Haley- “School is most definitely stressful and can be overwhelming with lots of work. Especially with getting lots of homework and assignments at once and having to do it all at a certain time.”
Dayanara- “School is stressful as well and it can be hard dealing with lots of hard assignments that you don’t understand. But it’s also hard because I have responsibilities after school and not much time to complete schoolwork.”
Aniyah- School is not as stressful for her but she does procrastinate on her work which can be somewhat stressful and make it harder. But it doesn’t affect her mental health as much since she doesn’t struggle with anxiety like some others.
Overall while growing up you feel all different types of emotions and go through many different kinds of challenges that life gives you. You can feel mentally stable for one day then the next come crashing down. But it will all be okay if you acknowledge it and want to help take care of yourself. If you are ever having a really bad time and need someone to talk to but don’t have anyone, don’t hesitate to call the 988 Crisis Lifeline.
