Teenagers today are struggling to balance school, personal life and their mental health. While having to balance everything, there is pressure to succeed, making it harder for students to take care of themselves and ask for help when they need it. 

For many teenagers, managing mental health isn’t just about dealing with the emotions that can overrun a person, it comes with learning how to cope with day to day challenges. Within school expectations and personal struggles, it can be difficult to find balance in between  everything. 

Joanna Arevalo (12) states, “ The way I balance everything without stressing myself out is by doing the harder stuff first. For example, if I have college work and high school work, I do the college work first. I feel like doing the harder work is much easier, especially because you’re getting it out of the way and don’t have to worry about it later on.”

We can see that just from one person, everyone handles everything differently. Giving us an insight on how some seniors handle themselves without winding themselves out.

Mental health in most areas is actually not commonly talked about. Studies show that everyone is affected by mental health, but their research shows that the most affected by this are females and LGBTQ+. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “A troubling pattern is on the rise. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are increasing for many high school students. Female students and LGBTQ+ students were more likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness”. This shows us that although there can be ways to handle stress and mental health, it can still weigh down on a person and the emotions can still overtake.

Mental health is a big issue that affects students in many ways, both in school and with their personal lives. As the word about stress and keeping balance takes place, it is important for students and campuses to come together and create a supportive environment. Schools can help by encouraging  open discussions. We can help make mental health a priority for everyone.