By CFNN Columnist Sophia Bullard

Lately, it’s been colder, and things are ending and beginning. The first semester is almost over, then I’ll have new classes, new teachers, and new classmates. This year was full of changes for me and a lot of other people. My grades have been pretty decent this year, but that’s not the case for everyone. 

Mental health is something that needs to be checked on more with kids today. We have so many things affecting us and it can be overwhelming for some more than others. For me, school can be stressful sometimes, and when it makes me feel overwhelmed or stressed out, doing chores, cleaning, organization, and tidying things up can be difficult for me to accomplish. This is the case for a lot of teens.

I’ve touched on this subject before but it’s important; having a job at a young age can be equally or even more stressful than being stressed about school. Staying up and out at night and not keeping a good sleep schedule usually tends to be detrimental to mental health. It can also lead to poor performance in academics and sports if the teen participates in them or extracurricular activities.

Parents don’t necessarily help with the situations sometimes. When they ground us, yell at us, even degrade us for how we’re doing in school or how messy we are, it adds to the stress on us. My advice to them is this; when you notice your child struggling and not staying consistent in cleanliness and staying in a perpetual bad mood or simply wanting to be alone, don’t jump to conclusions or start yelling at them. Instead, think about why they could be acting like this. (I promise, most of the time, they’re not just “lazy,” but it could be the case.) Ask them how they’re doing, and if they don’t want to talk about it, don’t press them.

As someone who is around other kids my age, a lot of us are pretty stressed but don’t show it. Even my little sister is stressed, and she’s only in middle school. It isn’t just kids that are stressed, adults are also going through it. I can tell when my mom has something happening with her when her temper gets shorter and she’s quicker to respond to my “attitude”. Some people don’t show how stressed they are, and we have to pay attention to that, because one second they could seem fine, but then snap the next.

If you are feeling like you can’t talk to anyone about how you’re feeling, there’s many hotlines you can call or number you can text. If you don’t want to talk to family or friends, you can go to guidance counselors. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to tell someone how you feel, we’re all human and all go through things and we can’t go through them alone.