When a student is physically ill, it is a given that they will stay home from school for the day as it is the responsible thing to do. However, when a student is mentally unable, suddenly they are considered lazy.
Mental health days off of school should be a given, especially considering the state of our society regarding mental health.
Over 2.7 million young people struggle with severe depression as of 2023, one in five teenagers suffer from at least one mental health condition, and 10 in every 100,000 teenagers commit suicide per year.
Yet even with these blaring statistics, society never sheds light on how mentally exhausting life can be for teens and how academics can play a large role in mental illness.
Senior Sahana Aduma, a highschooler in Chicago, wholeheartedly agrees that school can be mentally straining. “I’m a senior right now and am taking 5 APs while applying to colleges and an internship at a hospital. School doesn’t just end after 3 P.M.m, I usually pull all-nighters every night to keep up with my rigorous courses, college apps, and the myriad of other things I have to do outside of school. It’s like a full time job,” she said.
Aduma represents the majority of high school students who try their best to take advantage of educational opportunities to help them excel in the workforce and in higher education. Denying these students occasional mental health days to relieve them from their strenuous schedules seems unreasonable.
Additionally, burnout is very common in high school and can take an immense mental toll on students, as working hard and stretching oneself to their full potential will create dysfunctional regulations of the neuroendocrine stress network, which is a symptom of burnout. It is natural through this period for the brain to have a harder time processing information because it has been working hard, so it is advised during this time to take a break to regain focus. However, when forced to continue to exercise the mind while burnt out, individuals can often feel fatigued.
Even if students attend class while battling burnout, it’s highly unlikely they will grasp any concepts and their time can be spent more wisely resting and refueling their body, rather than exhaust themselves trying to attempt to stretch themselves when they are drained.
Parents and teachers often pressure students to push themselves with advanced placement and honors classes, as well as intense extracurriculars, internships, high test scores and more. With this incredible work load, being a student can seem like a full time job, but the difference is there’s no guarantee pay, as there is no guarantee that all this hard work will end in an acceptance to a dream college.
Junior Jordan Ingram knows the feeling of persevering with anxiety and hopelessness all too well. “Sometimes I’m working so hard but don’t even know if it will meet my end term goal of getting into a good college. It’s like I’m going through all this for nothing.” Ingram said.
Some may argue missing multiple consecutive school days will lead to students drowning in assignments from the missed days, but this is typically not the case. Almost all assignments are posted online, which would allow students to complete their makeup work at their own pace, without feeling overwhelmed by missing assignments.
Furthermore, school and extracurriculars can take up high schoolers’ lives, so the few hours they receive from being exempt from school are treasured and can be spent regaining their mental peace by creating a fun memory with a parent, watching T.V., reading or simply taking a well deserved nap.
While it is crucial to attend school as much as possible, forcing students to show up when mentally unwell is immoral. As mental illness is a form of sickness, we must begin to normalize this as a reason to take a rest day.
Institutions around the nation have noticed drastic decreases in mental health in students. As of February 2024, 12 U.S. states allow students to use mental or behavioral health reasons as a valid reason to excuse an absence from school, and 8 other states have bills that have been proposed. While there is still a long way to go, this is a huge step in the right direction.
Aduma is grateful for this legislation . “Students deserve a break every so often and while it took a while, it’s great that more people are paying attention to teenage mental health. These rest days have really helped me, especially during the grueling college application process,” she said.
Besides mental benefits, mental health days have resulted in increased success in the classroom as educators have noticed a great increase in quality work received from students who have taken days off.Taking a break from a grueling schedule helps them wind down and regain focus and arrive at a head space to learn for genuine interest and submit quality work rather than to treat an assignment as a mere to-do on their list and submit mediocre work.
When schools throughout the nation and globally continue to speak on mental health and acknowledge that students are entitled to take time off for their needs, it will also shed light on this issue to both parents and staff, helping them be more supportive of students’ mental health not only at school, but also at home. Destigmatizing these subjects will help students realize they are not alone.
By offering mental health days, schools and communities help students feel seen; fully legitimizing mental health. Teaching younger generations about the importance of self care and mental stability will help set young people up for future success in college and the workforce, as they will be able to confidently put themselves and their mental well being first.
