For most students, the importance of mental health is not a priority, like sports, homework, and friends are. However, studies have shown that having a healthy mind is of utmost importance since it’s key to people’s overall health and well-being.
Since the pandemic and the nearly two years of isolation caused many students to face mental health challenges like anxiety and depression. This is a problem the school has addressed to support its students through one of the toughest stages in life: adolescence.
“Mental health is important since it’s the base of everything. I noticed that after the pandemic most of us started to live with uncertainty since we didn’t know what will happen. This affected the mental health of many people,” Senior Geronimo Botero said.
TCS has raised awareness about mental health and focused on social-emotional learning. Two school years ago, the school’s Junta Directiva approved a plan for one counselor per grade year. For the first time, the school has a total of 14 counselors.
“Having a total of 14 counselors does not mean that mental health problems have disappeared. It means that now there are more resources to respond to the need for mental health. Currently having these sources of help is a privilege,” Juliana Sarmiento, Coordinadora de Convivencia, said.
Furthermore, the school now includes the CASEL framework in the curriculum that addresses five broad and interrelated areas of competence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
“At school, we (counselors), teachers are here to educate and students to learn. Over the years, humans have realized the importance of mental health. I am here to teach and guide students, providing them strategies and skills that will help them in their future,” Laura Obeso, Counselor, said.
There are important steps everyone can take to reduce the risks of mental health problems. Eating well, regular exercise, and enough sleep can all help improve psychological well-being and reduce the risk of conditions like depression and anxiety.
“During the pandemic, something that worked really well for me was thinking that you can handle everything but not everything at the same time. This has a lot to do with mental health,” Sarmiento said.
Routines can also help build a structure for your day and manage your mental health and well-being. A routine should always have flexibility. Students have many things to do and want to do them all at once.
“Mental health in young adults is one of the most important issues today. It is something that people need to be aware of in life. Each stage of life has its challenges and people have to know how to overcome them in the best way,” Sarmiento said.
