Handling School Work

     What's so important about mental health anyway? Throughout history, mental illnesses and hardships have had a stigma surrounding them--putting down those who struggle and devalue its importance. While we as a society place so much importance on physical health, encouraging exercise, eating your vegetables, and other practices that keep us in the top of our shape, we often sacrifice our mental wellbeing for good grades, achievements, social acceptance, and more. It's become increasingly common in our society to struggle with mental health, especially in a society where so much emphasis and importance is placed on achievement and this picture-perfect look that is reflected through social media and celebrities. Not only is it becoming more common, but it is often ignored and those who struggle with their mental health are often seen as weak or told that their problems "aren't as bad as other people's". To raise awareness of the importance of taking care of your mental health in a society that often ignores it, this blog aims to share small things to take care of oneself and how you can help others. 

One of the things that causes the most stress in a lot of students' lives is schoolwork. Huge workloads and pressurizing exams can cause people to stay up really late and forgo sleep for a few extra points. Doing assignment after assignment, especially because everything is online, can be tiring and frustrating. These huge amounts of stress can cause anxiety and even depression in many students. 

While ignoring your work and putting in complaints may relieve some stress in the short term, long term, it's not very practical or effective. Instead, in my own life, I've worked to incorporate small things that make me happy and make the workload a little more bearable. 

It's not a perfect solution to treating/preventing mental illness, but it helps to relieve some of that stress and pressure. I love to create a relaxing atmosphere for my work. Some of the ways I do this is by lighting a candle with my favorite relaxing scent of lemon and vanilla, turn on some low-fi music, make sure I have a drink or water bottle nearby, and grab a small snack (dark chocolate or fruit is my favorite!). In addition, sometimes it's necessary to let yourself take a break from your schoolwork with a short nap, calling your friends, a shower, or a dance break. One of my personal favorite things to do is play a game of Among Us (multiplayer mobile game) with my friends in between study sessions. While it's definitely not the most productive thing, it's a great stress reliever, brightens my mood, and really clears the head to get more quality work done when I return to my schoolwork. 

I think it's really important for students to begin prioritizing themselves and their health--not just physically but mentally. We often put assignments and good grades ahead of our own wellbeing, even if it means finishing that chemistry assignment with tears running down our face. Taking care of your own mental health doesn't have to be a huge thing like therapy (although a good option for some!) but can be incorporated in your own life in some of these small ways.