We all have bad days where it’s hard to get out of bed, let alone go to school or work. On those days, students should be allowed to have mental health days. Schools should allow students to have excused absences from school on days where they just need a break. We all have breaking points and sometimes we need to know when to stop before we pass that breaking point. Although getting up and going to school seems like the correct solution at the moment, in the long run it’s better to take a break now than crack in the future.For students at Spring Valley, taking a break now calls for a regain in energy and productivity, without breaking down in the future.

        As an advocate for mental health, believes that it should be taken seriously. Mental health would be beneficial to give my brain a moment and space. Definitely something that you can say hey i need a break. Further down the road if you don’t take the break I’m just gonna break down more. 

     When learning about mental health you have to take into account the source of the stress and anxiety. Most students stress about school. School is supposed to be where we go to learn and have a safe space but students have been projecting their concerns with school causing stress. Students can sometimes put too much on their plate to the point where they get overwhelmed and stressed, this could be a perfect opportunity to take a mental health day. 

     Students have agreed that mental health days could positively impact the learning environment and their mental health. If they were allowed to take these mental health days then it would be beneficial to give their brains a moment and space. It could definitely be something that you can say “hey i need a break” to recuperate. Further down the road if you don’t take the break you’re just gonna break down more.

     Mental health days should be taken depending on the person and severity of the situation. However many you need, you can’t put time on your depression. You can’t set a specific time for when you’re not feeling good. Mental health days should be able to be taken like sick days at work. Absences from school and work should be excused, especially if it’s truly for the benefit of your mental health.

     These days can be seen as self care and taking care of yourself but they can also be stigmatized as lazy. A lot of people, especially older people, simply do not believe in mental health or depression. Mental health days can be seen as days that teenagers use to get away from school and although there will always be those people that take advantage of such days, there will also always be the students who truly need mental health days. At Spring Valley High School, the students are responsible and honest scholars in which I doubt would lie in such a way to get out of school. 

         You may be wondering, “what does one do on a mental health day?” and it’s all personal. Do whatever you need to feel better. School counselors should reach out to students when they are taking mental health days. It’s a mental illness so you need to do whatever you need to fix your health. Whether it’s laying in bed all day or doing something you love to do, it’s a break that’s personal to you and your mental state.