By Lucius George

Over the years, our interest in mental health and education has grown tremendously. As the topic of stress becomes more prevalent, we are faced with many contradicting opinions and points of view. In the past, people have been called “snowflakes,” dramatic, and attention seekers for speaking out about their struggles and emotions. Nowadays, mental health has become less stigmatized, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about a new discussion surrounding therapy, diagnoses, and vulnerability.

In response to the newfound clarity around stress, school boards began to consider the workload their students were receiving. This was essential, as they began to recognize that some children don’t know when to stop, while others don’t know how to. 

Often, the overwhelming amount of work children receive is dependent on the cooperation of a teacher. There are also instances in which parents are not involved in their children’s education and don’t remind them why it is important to stay dedicated; other times, they push their kids too hard. As we discuss the patterns present in students’ grades and commitments, it should become apparent that we must continue to change the approaches we take on mental health. 

In June of 2021, Connecticut passed a law that allowed students to take “Mental Health Days” as excused absences. While the policy aims to reduce stress, many students say it does the opposite. “As a high schooler taking honors and AP classes, I’m already under a lot of stress daily,” said junior Magnolia Eno. “When you factor in relationships, extracurriculars, and simply having time to rest, it becomes a challenge to do it all.” She then added that she typically avoids taking mental health days, as she is afraid of how far she might fall behind if she were to take a day off. She then elaborated that “Assignments are still expected to be turned in on the day of, or immediately upon returning to school. In my experience, this results in more stress for me, eliminating the purpose of ‘Mental Health Days’ altogether.”

As we examine the added stressors of “Mental Health Days,” it’s clear that our educators and departments must take a different approach to the mental health and well-being of their students. Administrators and teachers should give students more time, as it would be more beneficial to those who need to complete work. This can be done by arranging clubs and programs that can aid them in their struggles, and allow for compromise between student and teacher. It may even be more beneficial to allow students different environments to work in, so that way, they won’t need to take days off to get back on track. It matters that teachers and administrators start to make changes that actually benefit students’ mental health, such as being thoughtful about the balance between the course flexibility and the other work students have.

It is important that, as adults, teachers speak with their students directly, rather than conversing amongst themselves about what the “best” decision would be for a group they are not a part of. Sympathy and respect are absolutely necessary when addressing this issue. The mental health crisis and the stigma around it is very different now than it was when current educators were teens. It would be in the best interest of students to not only speak up about their personal feelings and ideas, but for educators to listen. It is entirely possible to create a life for students not built around constant stress; a day off will do nothing if their workload dismantles any possibility of recovery.