Skipping Class for Sanity: Mental Health Days for Students

In an increasingly demanding academic environment, students often face immense pressure to excel academically while managing their mental and emotional well-being. Recognizing the importance of mental health, many educational institutions have started to acknowledge the concept of “mental health days” to reduce stress by giving students a break from the rigors of academic life. However, mental health days for students come with both advantages and disadvantages.

Just as physical health requires rest and recovery, so does mental health. These recuperative days provide students with a necessary break from the relentless cycle of exams, assignments, and extracurricular activities. They offer a chance to recharge, seek help or support, and engage in self-care practices.

When asked for her opinion on mental health days, Elena Krauss, a junior, said “Mental health days are very important because we are in a very rigorous academic environment, and students need a break to catch up on their mental wellbeing. A lot of us struggle with our workload, and it can sometimes be very challenging to balance this. Especially because so many students are involved in extracurricular activities, and they really need time to decompress.” 

A primary benefit of these rest days is their capacity to reduce stress and anxiety among students. High levels of stress can have a detrimental impact on academic performance and mental health. By providing students with a break to address their emotional needs, educational institutions can help reduce stress levels while promoting a healthier, more productive learning environment.

On the other hand, Sarah Korsunsky, Upper School Counselor, offers a different  perspective on the issue. “It’s a little tricky”, she says, “There are times when we are overwhelmed or stressed and we need to refocus and take care of ourselves. But the more we are anxious about something, the more we don’t do it. If you take a day off, when you come back to school, you still have work you are responsible for.” This raises an important issue of whether students might find it challenging to catch up on missed assignments, lectures, or class discussions, which can create additional academic stress. Perhaps a limit on how many days students can take for mental health could be put into a place. 

Korsunsky also adds an important point highlighting the teacher’s point of view in this matter. “It’s really important that students have space to take care of their mental health, but teachers also need to teach a certain amount, and it’s really hard to teach when students are missing a lot of class.” Matthew Wong, a senior, adds on to this: “I think that mental health days are good because students need it. But, some students can take advantage of these days”. Students misusing mental health days adds to the disadvantage list of this proposal, deterring teachers and making schools against these absences. 

Despite this controversial discussion, there are solutions available. It is essential for schools to establish clear policies and support systems. Korsunsky shares possible ideas to help mitigate this issue, “If a student is going through a difficult time for mental health, teachers can work an individual plan with the student…with reduced workload.” 

Fostering a culture of openness around mental health can help reduce stigma and ensure that students feel comfortable seeking help when needed, both academically, socially, and mentally. Mental health days have the potential to significantly benefit students, but their effectiveness relies on a thoughtful and balanced approach addressing all sides of the issue.