It has been 245 days since the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the whole world. The walls seem to be closing in as students sit at their desks day after day looking at a screen, isolated from the world. They watch as an abundance of homework begins to pile up and the days fall into a mindless routine. Flaky internet connectivity and rowdy households for some students cause a lack of concentration during classes to add on top of the stress. 245 days. There’s no knowing how long it will continue and the mental health impact it will have on Don Lugos students.

21 out of 23 juniors that were surveyed at Don Lugo are currently dealing with stress and 16 out of 23 of the students said that they are falling behind in their classes because of their mental health decline due to the current circumstances. They all have come up with healthy ways to cope with everything that’s happening and also to calm their rising stress levels.

The survey that they took concluded that being virtually online for the school year while having a massive workload is what is causing the most stress among students. They expressed the same things when asked, for example, Capri Salmon, says, “The stress comes from the assignments and multiple tests the teachers are assigning. With being home teachers act as if nothing else is happening in our lives and assign multiple homework assignments each night. Making it difficult to keep up in every class.” It also becomes more difficult for students when keeping into account their home situation. An anonymous student, says that her stress stems from the amount of work she gets in classes while juggling housework and taking care of her siblings.

Healthy coping mechanisms in response to stress are highly important for high school students’ future success. The Clevland clinic stresses how important healthy coping mechanisms are in their article “Stress: Coping with Lifes Stressors.” They state that stress can lead to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem when dealing with life’s stressors. For students to have a successful high school career it is essential that they can cope in a healthy manner. Students were asked how they are dealing with the stress while in this uncertain time and the most common answers included: art, visual performing arts, TikTok, sports, videogames, and music.

It is very important that every student stays healthy and safe during this mentally demanding time. Physical health is so commonly encouraged but mental health is just as important. Madison Bonadurer encourages her fellow peers and says, “Junior year is often one of the hardest and most stressful years of your high school life but remember that it’s high school so try and find ways to enjoy it, its four years of your life you can never redo, live it.”