Mental Health Days 

Taking a day to oneself is especially important. Sometimes, having a little self-maintenance time to reflect and care for personal needs while balancing out a week is good. The problem is that some students cannot take a break due to schoolwork.

“I think students should have mental health days; sometimes school can get overwhelming and stressful,” said Deerfield Beach High School junior Thiago Codeceira. “Having a day to focus on yourself as a reminder of what you are working towards while getting all your thoughts in order.”

A mental health day promotes wellness and self-care, prevents burnout, improves academic performance, and creates a better school environment. Though people stay home when sick, they miss work and get even more stressed. Their only focus should be to heal, but a day off school for mental health would not have the same focus; it would be a day for teens to evaluate themselves. It can be hard to talk about things like mental health, and sometimes, the idea of maintaining a good and healthy mind can make a real difference. 

“I was constantly overwhelmed last year and went online, but I did not like that either,” said DBHS sophomore Gemma Blakeney. “If we had mental health days, I would want to come to school because it feels a little less stressful and like my mental matters.”

Mental health is essential. If it is not taken care of, it can cause more issues than one would think. Taking those days off is beneficial, and the students feel the same. The idea of less stress, the feeling of being seen and considered by the school and not just another student, can do much good. If days off for mental health were implemented, more students would show up less tired and more ready to learn.

Written by Desiree Ponce | Graphic Designed by Desiree Ponce

Published Spetember 17, 2024 | ePathfinder | Perspectives