By Michaela Etienne
Why is mental health not considered a valid reason for an excused absence in schools? Studies have shown that over 45% of high school students reportedly deal with stress on a daily basis. All this chronic stress leads to students panicking and can result in paralysis which causes them to feel trapped and this ultimately leads to more stress. We have all at some point in high school, broken down and felt so stressed and emotionally drained that we give up and just cry. Schools nationwide consider being sick, having an appointment, going to sporting events, going on family vacations, etc. all valid excused absences.
We as high schoolers, who have to deal with the daily stress of trying to maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA, while also preparing and studying to pass different state-wide tests, which include: ACT, EOC, SAT, and AP. It still doesn’t stop there– we are also filling out college applications, doing a variety of community service, being involved in extracurricular activities, all while trying to get to your job on time every day. It gets hard trying to balance all of this out.
When we are faced with this much overload and stress it’s best to take a breather and relax. The benefits of taking a mental break cause your overall physical and emotional health to improve. It also helps eliminate decision fatigue which leads to us constantly procrastinating. Not only that, but taking a mental break improves motivation, productivity, and creativity. The negative downside of not taking a mental break when overwhelmed is that it leads to mental breakdowns. This can cause people to have insomnia, headaches, depression, anxiety, weight loss, alienation of close friends and family, and can even cause suicidal thoughts.
We can eliminate all this stress by allowing mental health to be an excused absence. When students feel pressured or overwhelmed, they should be allowed a day to help regain their right state of mind, so, that they can come to school the next day energized and focused. Should schools allow mental health to be an excused absence?