Some students may know about a club at Saint Joe called the SADD club which stands for “students against destructive decisions.” The club has three main components: Mental Health Matters (MHM), Substance abuse, and Mobility Safety. This is not just a club within our school community; it’s a nation-wide movement.
This month is mental health awareness month. Each year, there’s a different theme that the SADD nation focuses on. This year, it’s prioritizing mental health in the workplace. Statistically, employed adults spend more time working while they’re awake than doing anything else. Although working can bring fulfillment and purpose to one’s life, it can also be a source of stress. SADD’s goal is to focus on the stressful aspect and make work life a bit easier on the working person.
Mental health in a workplace may apply to some people, however a similar subject is mental health in the school building. School can be very stressful with homework, tests, and sports (for student athletes). Here’s some tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance day to day.
Connect with a community
It’s always helpful to have a group that you know you can go to for help or that you can form a study group with. It takes some stress away knowing that you’re not alone or that you can take the stress of studying partially off your shoulders.
Setting goals and priorities
Making a to-do list or planner that you write homework in every night is very helpful for taking control of assignments. It takes the risk of forgetting about an assignment away when you know you have it all written down. Additionally, making a set of goals for a quarter, semester, or even overall class can help you settle in on a driving force for the year, giving you something to work towards.
Making sleep a priority
For many, getting a healthy amount of sleep is overlooked and under prioritized because of how hours are managed throughout the day. Especially with a busy sports schedule, athletes may not get home until 7, 8, or even 9 o’clock. This does not leave time for a heavy workload. Utilizing flex and after school study tables is essential in order to cancel out effects of procrastination and leave time for ample rest before the next day.
Leaving time for what’s important
Although time can slip by quickly, having a designated time to do personal activities like going for a walk, reading a book, or just watching a movie can boost your mood and make you more motivated to do the task at hand. Additionally, exercise and drinking lots of water is important for both mental and physical health. Making sure to take care of your mind also means taking care of your body.
Taking a break in between work
Trying to tackle a big project all at once is not ideal because although you may have a strong start, the drive to work can wear off quickly and leave you spending more time than necessary staring at the paper or computer not focused on the assignment. Taking allotted breaks every 30 minutes or so can help to reset your brain and leave you focused and ready to continue working on the assignment.
Hopefully these tips will help you to prioritize what’s important; your mental health. Remember, the SADD club is always open to new members. Email [email protected] or [email protected] if you’re interested.
