Your alarm blaring at seven AM, rushing around because you pushed snooze, packing last minute bags, grabbing homework off the table from last night you spent hours on, running off four hours of sleep, driving to school with your eyes barely opened, having to be fully energized, then drive home just to do it all over again. We’ve all been there: just wishing for a day off school or work to reset and get yourself together, but it's a never-ending cycle. What if there was a way to take a day off school to reset? Mental health days can simply be a singular day with a bountiful amount of beneficiality. A substantial number of people argue that mental health days are a waste of time and put students behind in school; however, it is proven that mental health days promote emotional maturity, stimulate active learning, and lead to overall higher academic performances.
Emotional maturity is essential to overall health and wellbeing while promoting positive coping mechanisms and allowing self-awareness of one's needs. Mental health days as described by Child Mind Institute are, “...A day off of school to rest and recharge'' (Child Mind Institute). Recent studies by National Alliance on Mental Illness have found that suicide is the second leading cause of death of teens between fifteen to twenty-four years of age. With a shocking twenty percent of highschool students reporting serious thoughts of suicide, nine percent have made an attempt to take there lives. A powerful example from UCLA Health is Katie Meyer, who was captain of the soccer team at Stanford University who took her life after feeling despair with no hope or support from her university. Another student who was on the Ohio State University football team, Harry Miller, also attempted suicide. He, however, shared his struggles with his coach and received help. Mental health days create an open door for honest conversation on emotional health, and this makes all of the difference (UCLA Health). The key is feeling supported by the school to feel heard and accepted. The National Education Association discusses the importance of how mental health days make students more willing to talk about their mental health with their parents and teachers (NEA). Some may assume that mental health days slow down the learning process, but sometimes students' lives may be at risk, and that is irreversible.
Mental health days not only create sincere conversations, but they also encourage active learning. An active learner is one who engages in academic conversations and problem solves. According to Cross River Therapy, “61% of teeneagers between the ages of 13 and 17 feel stress over producing satisfactory grades” (Cross River Therapy). With stress comes emotional distress that can hinder a student’s ability to learn. It is concluded that taking a day off of school will benefit the students by resting, leading to more academically engaged students. Child Mind Institute expresses the worry of one who believes students will use mental health days as an excuse and a procrastination-type day, which is why it is vital students feel comfortable talking to their parents and teachers to help them make the best decision. Harvard Medical School describes the importance of rest to be a fully engaged student, “Being chronically tired to the point of fatigue or exhaustion means that we are less likely to perform well. Neurons do not fire optimally, muscles are not rested, and the body’s organ systems are not synchronized. Lapses in focus from sleep deprivation can even result in accidents or injury” (Harvard Medical School). Mental health days leave a space open for students to rejuvenate their minds.
Mental health days are imperative for the highest capacity of academic success for a student. Matt Shenker, a medical doctor declares, “ Giving students mental health days makes teaching and learning more effective as students will grasp concepts sooner and retain them more deeply if they experience less chronic stress” (Shenker). With busy days and little down time, students are continuously going with hardly any time to rest their brains and revive their bodies. In recent legislation by Gale, it expresses how some may proclaim that if students miss school because of “school anxiety,” it may only amplify the problem; but if a student is truly having so much anxiety, they will need a day to visit a doctor for help. Having mental health days is scientifically proven, in many cases, to give students time to recharge for the following days of school. Sleep helps students’ brains retain knowledge, meaning if they do not have enough sleep, the learning can become ineffective. For students to be at their highest learning capacity, at least eight hours of sleep each night is needed. The connection between mental health and academic success is rarely compared, but it's important to at least consider. Doing well on an assignment in school creates a positive feeling for the student and motivates further academic achievements.
In conclusion, mental health days have a profuse amount of benefits to students. Schools who provide students with mental health days have ones who feel comfortable talking about their emotions with adults. The importance of being emotionally intellectual is lifesaving. Students have shown to have an increase in stress levels in recent years, but schools who have implemented a few mental health days throughout the year have shown to be more academically successful. Schools who nurture their students by allowing them to have mental health days create a healthier learning environment, allowing students to reset, revive, and rejuvenate.
- Hanna Hyche