Many students go through their regular lives appearing fine on the outside- turning in assignments, talking with peers, and keeping up with their day-to-day responsibilities. But beneath this facade could lie stress, anxiety, depression, or pressure from school and life. Events like college applications, sports tryouts, and finals can all silently contribute to this without students realizing. Mental health is a common and extremely important issue that affects more students than people may realize.
At Neuqua, anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health challenges students face, whether it be generalized or social. Stress levels often rise during certain times of the year. According to Ms. Beth Packer, Neuqua’s Class of 2027 social worker, October, February and May are when these levels tend to rise. During the earlier months, it can be linked to the rough transition into the school year from summer break. When students begin to struggle, the warning signs may include withdrawing from friends, changes in grades, irritability, changes in appearance, and poor attendance. These patterns can be small or big, but it is important to notice and seek out help for them if necessary.
Many students can become overwhelmed and burnt out not only because of school itself, but also because of everything surrounding school. Academic pressure from themselves and parents, extracurricular activities, social expectations, and procrastination can all build up. Having a healthy balance and a schedule can all help mediate these issues.
“Most students believe that they have a lot of time and push it off, but when procrastination happens, this ultimately leads to more anxiety building up towards the deadline,” said Packer.
Time management strategies, such as spreading out tasks, using a calendar to visualize tasks, and decreasing screen time, are all efficient ways to get work done while also taking care of mental health. But even acknowledging your situation can help, and knowing that some days you cannot get some things done is healthier than trying to cram and finish.
Social media can be dehumanizing or elevating, and it is important to know when to get off platforms. When comparing oneself to others, actively consuming depressive themes and unrealistic standards, combined with school pressure, can foster an even worse mental health environment. It is important to separate our brains from the outside world, even from our best friends, to have time to think and have our own thoughts. With multiple streams of information (usually harmful) constantly moving in and out of your brain, it is extremely easy to get overwhelmed. And dehumanizing media gives our brains easy access to that information. It is important to rest and recharge with entertainment from time to time, but when it creates harmful themes, it is important to take a break.
Being able to get support when things get tense is an important skill that is necessary for being able to achieve better mental health. But sometimes it can be hard. Even scary.
“The first step to getting support is knowing that you need support in the first place,” said Packer.
If students are uncomfortable coming to talk, every class house at Neuqua has notes that you can write to a counselor or email, which are both options easily accessible to students. Every meeting with Neuqua social workers is strictly confidential unless the counselor deems that contact with guardians is needed. Reaching out for support is never looked down upon, and it is a viable resource that is available to all students at Neuqua.
Mental health affects many, whether it is anxiety, depression, stress, or burnout. These challenges are very common, especially during demanding sections throughout the school year. But help is available: by recognizing warning signs, using various strategies, and receiving support, students can take important steps towards better mental health awareness for Neuqua.
