Mental Health Break and Why It’s Important

The Philippines has been under strict quarantine protocols for two years now, and only now does it feel that covid cases are slowly dwindling down.

Covid has affected every single sector in our society, one of which is our educational system.

Online classes and studying at home might sound like a dream to most students when we were still in face-to-face classes, now this dream has turned into a nightmare.

Although online classes have some perks like lesser costs, more time to spend with families, and home comfort, the disadvantages immensely outweigh the benefits.

Studying online has imprisoned me in my room; I spend all my time facing my laptop or phone, which is really draining. Having no time to go outside, talk to friends, or collaborate with classmates is seriously depressing.

Additionally, most of our professors don’t teach that well; they just send us PDFs of books and expect us to do very well during exams.

Online classes have really taken their toll on every student in the Philippines.

Studying online is much harder than face-to-face classes because we students tend to double down on studying because we can’t comprehend our lessons in one take because of annoying distractions in our homes.

Imagine having to study while you have chores, barking dogs, and attending to the needs of your siblings; it’s such a nuisance. Face-to-face classes gave us a proper learning environment to focus on our studies and not think about anything else.

A mental health break is such a great help to us struggling students. We can relax for a while, do our hobbies, spend time outside, and acclimate to our lessons a bit more.

It’s such an incredible sight to see that a lot more people acknowledge the importance of mental health and why we should take utmost care of it. In the past, that argument would get you ridiculed as ordinary people would label someone crazy or dramatic for having mental health issues.

I hope that lots more people become aware of just how important mental health is. Our mental health is crucial in making rational decisions and helps us get through real-life problems much more systematically.

Mentally unhealthy people might tend to make bad decisions. They might make problems a lot worse instead of solving them.

I also hope that most of our citizens become more aware of mental health problems and actually acknowledge them as legitimate medical conditions like fevers or urinary tract infections.

You can’t treat UTIs by simply saying “get over it” or “man up,” there are tons of medications you must take to help your condition become better. This is the same for mental health issues as well.

Seeking help or counseling is something that we should be more open to and not humiliate.

I once talked to a classmate of mine who once sought out the help of a psychiatrist, and once she got home, her aunts and neighbors labeled her as a crazy/insane person. I could have never known how she must have felt, but I know that that must have hurt like hell, especially coming from people who you thought cared for you.

Asking for help is something we never should be afraid of. It’s normal, and mental health issues should be treated like every other medical condition out there.

If taking breaks is something that you think you should do, then do it. Taking breaks from the hustle and bustle of life tends to work for me, and just playing with my dog seems to make me feel better.

Please do your part and help spread the importance of mental health!