High school students’ mental health remains a hot topic, but students continue to find ways to manage stress within their busy schedules. Receiving help or assistance with mental health is extremely important and is nothing to be ashamed about. In order to improve mental health, students should prioritize staying active, getting enough sleep, eating healthy and practice other self care that helps them, and this can vary from individual to individual.

First of all, it is known that sleep is vital to student mental health. Quality sleep for a teenager is about eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.

As a student athlete, “when I’m in season, I just make sure to prioritize sleep, because that can really help with my mental health,” junior Lyla Polehna said.

Next, healthy habits such as meditation, exercise and involvement in favorite activities can also improve teenage mental health. Taking deep breaths and meditation is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

“I like to take deep breaths when I am overwhelmed and stressed to calm down,” junior Ava Noah said.

Also, prioritizing activities that teenagers enjoy including sports, working out, youth group and family time can also positively impact mental health. Besides school, many teens value spending time with friends.

“I always put school first, and then when I have sports, I attend them, but in my free time, I’ll prioritize family and having time with friends,” Polehna said.

Social media usage can be connected to mental health concerns. When teens see what their peers are doing on social media but they are not invited, it can lead to negative thoughts and stress. According to Mayo Clinic, social media can be unhealthy because it may “lead some teens to form views about other people’s lives or bodies that aren’t realistic.”

“Kids are growing up on their phones on social media, and typically, people are only really going to display the positive side of their lives on social media, and people in general, can’t help but compare themselves to others. And if all we see is the positives, it’s hard to see the battles and the things that are going on that people are struggling with, to know that not everything is always going great, and so when you try to compare yourself to others that can kind of start negative thoughts, negative emotions, negative feelings, that can negatively impact people’s overall mental health and state,” Unified physical education teacher Nick Hoff said.

Eating healthy has a huge impact on health. It is important to be getting the correct amount of nutrients that people need each day. When bodies are physically healthy, it often leads to being mentally healthy.

Lastly, there is a lot of different research about diet, what is eaten and how it affects mental health. There is not only one diet that every person should follow but figuring out what works for each individual is important, and it can lead to positive mental health Hoff said.

Teenage mental health is a commonly discussed topic and will likely continue to be talked about. Teenagers are already dealing with a lot of challenges and maintaining mental health is important. Busy schedules, pressure to get good grades and social media all affect stress levels in teenagers. Getting enough sleep, prioritizing preferred activities and practicing self-care are all ways to improve mental health.