We students are in a pretty tough spot. As we step out of childhood and enter adolescence, everything seems to get worse. The happy-go-lucky kid you once were turns into someone so conscious of themselves and the world around them, and so suddenly. It doesn’t help that school gets worse along with it. Academic rigor in high school is especially challenging, and it can lead to seeking academic validation, a troubling phenomenon I talk about in my article on it. The kind of stress we face is so detrimental for our mind, which makes mental health day activities for students all the more valuable.
Mental health days are just a day set aside to focus on your mental wellbeing. You can take them at any time you’d like, but probably when you’re feeling stressed or burnt out. If you want to learn more about mental health days and how to take them, check out my article on it. But what can you spend these days doing? That’s exactly what I’m going to be going into today.
#1 – Sleep In and Rest
Sleep is essential for all of us, especially teenagers. It is also incredibly important for your mental health, with dreams being an emotional stabilizer. However, school just so happens to suck that sleep right out of you, leaving you no time to catch up on it.
This is your day off from all the stress keeping you from getting that wonderful sleep you desired as a mental health day activity. You can take a nice 15-20 minute power nap in the afternoon (taking one any longer can actually be harmful). You can sleep in on the day, uninterrupted by alarms and yelling, to wake up when your body desires.
#2 – Go for a Walk in Nature
The great outdoors is always an amazing way to help your mental health. Nature does, in fact, help you be happier and healthier in general, especially in terms of your mental wellbeing. Being outside generates much positivity like joy, low stress, and creativity. Nothing is more helpful than some fresh air and sunshine to cleanse your mind during mental health days for students.
How do you do it? Pretty simple, actually. Just spend time outside. Go on a walk around your neighborhood, play with your dog in the backyard, or sit on your front porch and read your favorite book. Whatever you want to do, do it outside, and you’ll feel better already.
#3 – Journal Your Thoughts
Journaling is always a good way to get your emotions out, especially as one of you mental health day activities as a student. They help you reflect on what’s going on with your life, your mind, and just everything in general. Your mind might feel clouded with stress and thoughts, just a tangled mess of everything. You can slowly unravel this mess by writing about it all. Journaling about what seems to be so complicated can help you reflect on it, and make things seem much simpler. Make sure to check out my article on journaling to learn about its benefits to mental health and the step-by-step direction to making it a daily habit.
All you need to do is sit down in a calm, quiet place, and write. That’s it. Write about anything and everything in your life, getting all feelings out on the page. Read it over a bit, and look back on those feelings with a clear mind. And guess what? You don’t need to find a solution. Some things are solved by just letting it out, and by doing that, you’ve freed yourself, one burden at a time.
#4 – Do a Creative Activity
Creativity is always excellent for strengthening your mental health. Research has shown that by using imagination, we emulate real scenarios in realistic and unrealistic manners to better our response when those situations arise. Practicing creativity is also just and overall very calming and positive experience, allowing you to release your emotions in an artistic way.
There are numerous ways to practice creativity as a mental health day activity, and how you do it is really just based on you. You might think you aren’t artistic enough to be able to practice art forms, but trust me, there is something for everyone. Here are some ideas for you:
- Sketch or paint using paper or an online software
- Write prose, poetry, informational, or blog pieces in a notebook or on a computer
- Play an instrument of choice
- Sing a song you love in any genre (classical, pop, theater, etc.)
- Dance a piece you enjoy, whether you are genuine dancer or online tutorials
- Design graphics of any manner using online softwares
- Create and edit a video of your liking
These are just a few ideas, to get you started, but there might be something even better you come up with for yourself. Just remember, you create art to please no one but yourself. If you enjoy it, then no one else can condemn it.
#5 – Practice Meditation
Meditation has been one of the earliest forms of mental care. It has been used for centuries as a way to calm down and open your mind up to the many possibilities. It’s and easy and proven way to better your mental health, helping people manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even illnesses like asthma.
So how exactly do you practice meditation as one of your mental health day activities? It’s quite simple, actually. Check out some quick meditation videos on YouTube that guide you through a deep meditation process. But, if you want a simple routine you can follow quickly, here are some steps:
- Find a quiet place, where you won’t be disturbed. Here, create an environment for yourself, cozy and dim, or whatever would make you feel calmest. You can play calming music, if it will help with the ambience.
- Take out all electronics and distractions. You need to make sure that meditation is the only thing you focus on. You can keep a phone if absolutely necessary to aid your meditation, but do your best not to get distracted.
- Find a comfortable position. You can sit upright on the ground, or lay down on your bed. Regardless, make sure you are comfortable, to limit as much movement while you are meditating.
- Close your eyes and breathe long, slow breaths. Focus on your breathing, and nothing else. You can feel your heartbeat slow and relax, and your whole body will along with it. Keep going for at least 10 minutes, You can put a timer on your phone for that.
- Don’t open your eyes immediately. Rub your hands together to create heat, and cup your eyes with your palms. Slowly, open your eyes and release your hands.
#6 – Connect with a Friend or Family Member
Being with the people you love is essential for your mental health, and make for great mental health day activities for students. Social isolation has proven to cause mental illness like depression and anxiety. School is also probably keeping you from spending time with others, making mental health days a perfect opportunity to reconnect. Make sure to spend time with those who truly care.
This is probably the easiest of them all for you to figure out. Spend time with your family by playing board games, or cooking dinner with them, just to do something with them when you usually can’t. Catch up with your friends by going to the mall, or eating out, simply having fun, good time. All of this is just to spend time with the people who are closest to you, to maintain those social connections to keep you going.
#7 – Set Goals for the Next Day
You’ve relaxed and reset now. You’ve done everything you’ve wanted to do to support your mental wellbeing. But what now? How about, bettering the day to come so that your future will be as stress-free as possible as your final mental health day activity?
Set up a schedule for the next week or so that balances your studies with your interests. Make sure you get at least 7 hours sleep at set times, so that you can get adequate sleep and keep your mind and body happy with a good routine.
Remember, this one day isn’t going to magically make things better. While mental health days for students are incredibly helpful in bettering mental health, daily change is what will truly keep it healthy. Start planning now to feel your best everyday.
Conclusion
Mental health days for students are incredibly vital. They provide an opportunity to completely de-stress and restart our minds for a future to come. And now, you know all the mental health day activities you need to know. From spending time outside to practicing meditation, there are numerous ways to make the best of your mental health days, and find a way to make sure this mental health day helps your future.
But, as we all must remember, it’s hard for some of us to gain these opportunities. Not every family, of school, is lenient and understanding enough to value our mental health to this extent. But that’s all right, because I outline exactly how you can take mental health day, even with strict parents in my article here. However, even if these steps don’t work, there is still hope. One day, you will have the power to choose how to take care of your mental health. Don’t forget what you’ve learnt here, because there’ll always be a future.
