Life can be challenging. Considering all factors, such as school, work, sports and clubs, burnouts can come quickly and unexpectedly. 

You may be asking yourself: Why is mental health important? It is our thoughts, actions, and emotions as we go throughout life. Taking care of ourselves is the best thing we can do for our futures. Countless teenagers struggle with underlying problems they are unaware of or do not know how to get help. During the pandemic, the mental health crisis was at an all-time high that left many feeling hopeless. 

Melia O’Brien, a sophomore, voiced, “It seems as if now I struggle more than I did before.”

After the pandemic’s peak, going back to school was even more challenging. The new schedule that everyone was used to just got rattled around again. The workload was a lot different from being home and doing all of the schoolwork online. This caused many to feel overloaded with work, not knowing what to do.

Thomas Smith, a senior, shared, “I didn’t know anything about the class or school work.”

Teenagers face so many obstacles, and living through a pandemic only added to the worries and wonders. Although COVID-19 left us feeling tired and defeated, most of us were able to make new friends and discover our personalities without the influence of others shaping us.

Learning how to take care of your mental health was also a silver lining to COVID. Some essential things you can do to make sure you are putting your mental health first are going to therapy, listening to music, working out, journaling and talking to your friends. Self-care is a crucial step.

Personally, learning how to take care of myself was one of the biggest stress relievers I did to power myself throughout the school year when I became depleted of energy to keep going. My favorite things to do were taking long showers or bubble baths and listening to music. 

When feeling lonely or like you can’t do life anymore, know you are not alone. It is okay not to be okay. You are worthy of love and happiness. If you or a friend are struggling in any kind of way due to COVID-19 or any other underlying problems, contact your CFHS guidance counselor or The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988, 1-(800)-273-TALK(8255) or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. Text HELLO to 741741 to speak with a crisis counselor.