{"id":29711,"date":"2025-05-03T13:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T17:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nstem.org\/staging\/?p=29711"},"modified":"2025-10-23T09:20:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T13:20:27","slug":"people-say-that-school-comes-first-but-what-does-that-say-about-our-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nstem.org\/staging\/2025\/05\/people-say-that-school-comes-first-but-what-does-that-say-about-our-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"People Say That School Comes First, But What Does That Say About Our Mental Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever been torn whether or not you should go out with friends or finish an assignment? Or how about going back and forth on whether or not you have time to squeeze in an hour of exercise after school? Have you ever debated if you have time to cram in a power nap after work before starting your homework? Many of you reading this have probably faced some similar type of dilemma before: sacrifice your mental health or finish an assignment for school. Adults often tell children that school comes first, but this reinforces students to neglect key components of their lives, such as socializing and self-care. It advocates that school is more important\u00a0 than taking care of one\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n

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Image Credit<\/a><\/p>\n

Mental Health Comes First<\/b><\/p>\n

Children should be taught at a very early age that they should prioritize their mental health, even more so than their academics. Why should this be the case? It\u2019s because our <\/span>encompasses our overall well-being, which includes emotional, psychological and social well-being. These three factors contribute to how we feel, function, and interact with one another. If we do not take care of our mental health, then all areas of our lives, including academics, become much more difficult to manage. In other words, we need to make sure that we are successful at preserving our mental health if we want to ensure that we are able to be the most successful in other areas of our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental Health and Learning Go Hand in Hand<\/b><\/p>\n

We might not always view our mental health as\u00a0 a direct contributor to our achievement in school, but it is. Both mental health and learning are linked to how we process information. If someone prioritizes their mental health then this will lead to them feeling better and thinking more clearly and\/or rationally. This will initiate a more productive outcome in school because when we feel better, we have a tendency to be more motivated, get less discouraged by small setbacks, and understand things better because our brains are healthier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ways to Promote Mental Health in the Classroom<\/b><\/p>\n