Recently, the concept and understanding of mental health has become more prevalent in schools, workplaces, and society as a whole.  Awareness to be aware of the state of your mental health is important because it is easy to ignore signs of declining mental health. Students in particular are at risk for more mental health issues according to the CDC, and can have drastically different effects. One major area negatively impacted by poor mental health in students is grades. 

Struggles with mental health impede the ability to focus on anything else. Now imagine having schoolwork to try and focus on in school and at home. Imagine feeling the pressure of either not doing your work and getting in trouble and watching your grades plummet, or doing your work and struggling on the verge of, or even  through tears. You can’t win.

For as many people who suffer from unstable or poor mental health, there are people who are unable to empathize or even simply understand how consuming and life-altering it can be. The misunderstanding and down play of the severity and negative stigma associated with an emotional disability effects those who suffer. 

Here I will express the daily battles someone is experiencing with mental illness and what they face and have to overcome before you even start with schoolwork. It starts off in the morning, you wake up and you think, Why is it that you have to feel so horrible all the time? It might just be a bad day but you know last time you had a bad day it turned into a week and that week turned into a month and that month turned into a year. Then you realize you have to go to school; the place that haunts you. But how can you go knowing you might not make it through the day without due to how bad you feel. But you can not miss school because your grades will suffer and you will just stress yourself out more not going. You just can’t win with grades and mental health. 

Mr. McMicheal, head of guidance here at Audubon, says he too has seen a huge shift in education due to the increased need for mental health support. He said the understanding and professional development the counselors have received in recent years has increased our ability to identify students in need of supports. 

If I can leave you with anything let it be this: Take care of yourself and mental health. Do the hardest thing you have ever done and pick bettering yourself over school. If it is eight pm and you are crying and shaking at the thought of all the work you have to do, take a deep breath and pick yourself not the schoolwork. In the future, being alive and healthy will matter more than school.