Many high school students struggle with their mental health when it comes to balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, and finding time for themselves. Having poor mental health can lead to students having a harder time keeping their grades up or doing well in sports and other activities.

 Obstacles like midterms and sports schedules consume students’ time, leaving them little time to take a break and do the things they enjoy without stress.

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that four in 10 teenagers have persistent feelings of sadness. Poor mental health can also affect how a teenager might think.

Teenagers often make decisions that can impact relationships and performance in school or work.

Sophomore Maria Azpiri-Sudusky says, “There’s not a lot of time during the day, and you know with sports around like 2 hours, homework, there’s not really much time for yourself.”

Azpiri-Sudusky expresses that some classes require more studying, which helps her prioritize her mental health as well, knowing her strengths and weaknesses.

Luckily, there are many ways to improve your mental health. Some ways include building

connections with family or friends, and starting new habits like exercising and doing things you enjoy. 

The Social Emotional Learning committee (SEL) consists of many different teachers who work together to make enjoyable activities for students to take a break from school for a bit.

“We feel bringing additional activities and fun is important to the students at Foran.” Dean of Students Mr. Justin Zywocinski says.

Midterms are a well-known obstacle that teenagers can find stressful and time-consuming, which could interrupt the quality sleep teenagers need or the extra time they want for themselves.

Although midterms are challenging, there are ways to navigate them without stressing yourself out.

“Don’t stress about it and don’t procrastinate your studying until the night before,” senior Andrew Lord states.

Another way Foran likes to advocate the importance of mental health is our Wellness Day, which was on December 22, 2025.

On this day, students chose which activities they’d like to participate in. Some examples included painting, baking, playing games, and more.

This is another way to allow students to unwind and destress before their winter break.

Finding ways to wind down and allow yourself to relax can improve your mental health.

Some resources at Foran include the “five school counsellors in the department”, the “two social workers”, and “a school psychologist”.

There is also an “outside therapist from Bridges who works in Foran High School,” says Lauren Giustino.

Giustino also states that “if students need a therapist and want to talk to their counselors about how they can access the Bridges therapist, that is a resource we have…We have a bunch of resources to help students find their own therapist outside of school.”

For additional resources, take a look at Mental Health Resources for Adolescents and Young Adults.

Mental Health can be challenging, but with so many resources available to you, it can make it just a bit easier to manage.