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A new school year has begun for students here at CdM and everyone is absolutely thrilled…right? In all honesty, a new year back at school is stressful for most students after a long and relaxing summer. Being put back into a school environment and a need for better sleeping habits is not uncommon for the beginning months of a new year. It is easy to feel overwhelmed when juggling activities, and that’s why practicing mental wellness is crucial to persevering a positive mindset through this upcoming period. Good mental health practices are not only linked to better academic performance but also a happier mindset. This month’s CdM spotlight highlights people on campus actively encouraging wellness with different approaches!
Teachers are important members of a school’s community as they guide their students throughout the school year. A teacher at CdM who does an excellent job of promoting mental health amongst her students is Ms. Bergen. An English teacher here on campus, Bergen knows a thing or two about psychology, and how that could be used to help students with their struggles. During class, Bergen likes to “model the calm and hope that’s what’s going to be reflected.” A calm classroom environment where students and teachers alike feel respected is crucial to maintaining this mental wellness between the two. She states that “most of the time the emotional struggle and the academic struggle go hand in hand.” This shows just how much of an impact mental wellness has, and how important it is to maintain wellness for the mind, especially for students in and out of school.
There’s no doubt that most students feel a certain pressure when it comes to juggling school-related work with outside activities as well as extracurriculars or hobbies. This leaves little time to reflect on mental health or even give the brain a break to catch its breath. Katie Rinker, a senior at CdM and long-time member of PAL, is well aware of the stresses students feel at school. She believes that “it’s important to promote a healthy mindset and awareness on mental wellness so you know how to recognize when you’re not doing well and could use some resources to help.” Simply being aware of one’s mental health could help more than completely neglecting it. She ends with, “If you are doing good mentally, you can do good in other places as well.”
Several organizations on campus spread awareness of mental wellness while providing resources to help combat any struggles. One association that promotes the well-being of students on campus is ASB’s Wellness Committee. Freshman, Cody Packard, describes the committee’s intentions as trying to “promote a healthy mindset.” He mentions that his favorite way ASB promotes wellness is with their “Wellness Wednesdays, a day where [they] invite everybody to come to the ASB room to have snacks and have a place to chill.” Cody mentions how school can be overwhelming with a new schedule and a potentially heavier load of classwork so, these events help promote wellness by encouraging a social and safe atmosphere for students to come and take a break before resuming their school day.
Fostering mental wellness in schools is not talked about as truly necessary. There is a stigma around talking about mental health that is being brought to light by the teachers, organizations, and amazing students here at CdM. Though this new year is bound to have ups and downs, there will be people on campus to help lead a healthier mindset with the practice of wellness.
