After working hard for a long time or a monotonous routine, everyone wants a break to clear their minds. To some students, winter break is an exciting time to go on a vacation, relax, and not worry about school and drama. No one is alone in their anxiety, and everyone can feel stressed sometimes.
“I do feel anxious coming back. These snow days have helped because it made coming back easier since we’re still doing the work, just from home in our PJs and cozy environment,” senior Melissa Olivan said.
OH also offers help for students needing support, such as the new calming corners certain classrooms have implemented, and the Panther Pause Room. The Panther Pause Room is in the back of student services, where students can sit for about 15 minutes and calm themselves down. Drawing, coloring, and other activities other than using technology are encouraged.
“It allows kids to kinda turn off from outside stimuli, not check phones [or] put phones away to hopefully, get them to a state where they can return to class and be productive in the class that day,” OH counselor David Mattes explained. “It’s a short little brain break that lets kids get back to class with as little disruption to their regular school day as possible.”
And of course, underclassmen, especially freshmen who have to adjust to new changes and haven’t experienced the sudden responsibilities of high school, can also feel stressed out or concerned.
“[B]ecause it’s my first year in high school, I’m adjusting to a new environment that brings me new responsibilities,” said freshman Ty Mueller.
For students such as Olivan, winter break is the opposite of relaxing. College and high school students alike can find new anxieties sprouting from a loss of routine and the start of a new one.
“I went into the second semester with three new classes and a switched lunch period,” Olivan explained. “I’m upset about the change in my lunch period. Not only did I lose some of my friends with that change, but I also had to get my stomach used to waiting another hour so I could eat.”
Everyone undergoes schedule changes, some more minor than others. Whether it’s the change of a lunch period or entirely new electives, all can be equally challenging to get used to.
Another reason students can feel anxious is that the beginning of the first semester is an introduction to the class, so second-semester dual credit and AP material (and pressure) start to pick up.
“There are two classes I’m worried about getting harder, one of them being my English class: College Composition and Literature. Only because we’re moving on to English 102, which is a college class. The other one is AP seminar because [my] AP test is second semester,” Olivan said.
There are ways to reduce the stress of winter break, like how teachers can find ways to help students or how students can find ways of coping with new semester anxieties.
“Occasionally, I’ll find someone I know and walk with them to help get the anxiety out of my mind,” Olivan said.
Chatting with familiar faces isn’t the only way students can find some ease in their day, though.
“I mainly cope with stress and anxiety by doodling or listening to music,” Mueller said.
Not every way of calming down will be common, but that’s okay. What matters is that students can find peace of mind, even as changes come at them and things get a little harder.
Hello, I'm Gianna! This is my second year on staff, now as a senior in high school. I'm the head of the News and Artwork sections. I'm currently in Color Guard, B.I.O.N.I.C, NAHS, NEHS, Quill & Scroll Honors Society, and Senior Class Council!
My name is Aster Lasher & I am a Senior at OHS
I use Any/All pronouns
I'm interested in horror, gaming, and various animated series, namely One Piece. I'm in D&D club and participate outside of school too!
You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org with my name at the subject line!! Please leave us comments on our articles!!!
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