No one really talks about the load of emotions and feelings you feel going from middle school to high school. As a senior graduating high school this year, I was always told to put school first: stay out of trouble, get good grades, and follow school expectations. But nobody ever actually checked up on how I was mentally, and I didn’t realize it until the end of my sophomore year. School felt so heavy and never-ending, a continuous cycle of school work. This encounter shows that high school students’ mental health struggles aren’t often considered, though they have an impact on students every day.
Mental health is important for students because it is part of overall well-being. Good mental health promotes a student’s health, happiness, learning, and academic achievement. Students can learn about improving their mental health, signs of mental health disorders, and where to go when they need help. Learning about mental health wasn’t something I thought I needed to survive high school, always feeling exhausted and feeling as if the work load will never end. I started to develop these feelings, and the first thing I thought was “Why?” Being unaware of what I was going through and not being able to interpret my feelings caused more damage to my mental well-being. Being that I didn’t understand the situation, I didn’t know what to do or how to get help. I didn’t understand why I was stressed or overwhelmed, especially when important assignments came up. Once I learned how these emotions affected me, I began to understand why I would become so irritated over minor situations or even just having the feeling of burnout. Learning about mental health has also taught me how to cope with whatever internal obstacle I face rather it be in an academic setting or in general.
Since I didn’t know much about my mental state and what I was going through, I became afraid to speak up about what I was dealing with or how I was feeling due to the lack of attention about mental health education. I feared that I would be judged or misunderstood. I didn’t want to go through the typical “Oh, you’re just a child, what do you have to be stressed or overwhelmed about?” I didn’t want my feelings being discarded or not taken seriously. Then on top of that, not knowing who to go to and how to get the right guidance, and we all know dealing with problems by ourselves can become difficult especially when we don’t have to. Schools providing students with the information about mental health and the tools to help them when they face situations involving their mental wellbeing can be very beneficial, paving a way for positive mental health and academic growth.
As a student who struggles with their mental health, some people feel it isn’t important and it shouldn’t be taught in school due to limited school time and prioritizing core subjects. I always felt like that wasn’t a fair way to look at it. Just like teachers do everything in their power to provide us with the material and information we need to be successful, they should also be able to incorporate education about a student’s mental health and things that could potentially help them when going through rough times. When I began learning about my mental and health I became very vocal when it came to certain situations, and even when I would just be feeling a negative feeling of emotions, I knew how to express how I felt. I was so much more capable of being able to communicate with others, and I didn’t feel as overwhelmed; I wasn’t carrying the world on my shoulders anymore.
My years of high school were definitely a wave of emotions. Going from not knowing what to expect, to meeting new people, new teachers, different subjects, tests and quizzes, and so much more. I learned that the education of mental health is a necessary subject that should be fed to us because it is something a lot of people struggle with. Students are bound to deal with struggles like depression, anxiety, and stress. When schools provide students with lessons about their well being it can reduce burnout, flunking, and negative feelings that come with being a student in high school. Teaching mental health gives students reassurance for their emotions which is something I know I needed to pull through and be successful in high school.
