By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

Students at Fayetteville-Manlius High School recently learned the value of taking time for themselves during the second annual Wellness Day, an event which brought a wide range of activities to the school for students to experience as a means to offset the stressors in their lives.

Wellness Day was held on Friday, Jan. 27, a half-day for the students, and was created to teach students to be mindful of the amount of stress they deal with on a daily basis and to give examples of activities one can partake in to de-stress.

It’s a common sentiment that students are stressed — having to balance homework, tests, projects, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs, to name a few.

“We’ve been noticing our students are often feeling anxious,” said Kathleen Deeb, an English teacher and member of the Wellness Day committee. “There’s a lot of stress and often, we don’t take time to relax.”

One big change in today’s high school students, said F-M Director of Counseling Services Heidi Green, is that they are constantly connected to school, work and friends through the popularity of smart phones and social media sites.

“Stress isn’t just an F-M thing, it’s a problem nationally,” said Green. “We’re all so busy. … In the past, students left school at two o’clock and that was it. Now, we’re available constantly and are exposed to instantaneous information. We’re ‘on’ all the time. Kids feel the pressure from all over.”

For this reason, Wellness Day was created last year. Students are given the opportunity to take part in three sessions of activities geared toward enjoying themselves. Over 40 activities ranging from a variety of interests were offered for students to choose from, ensuring that each student would be able to find an activity they enjoy or try something new.

The activities were organized into five themes: laughter is the best medicine; community working together; take time to relax; tap into your creative side; and get healthy — mind and body. Some examples of activities offered were relaxation yoga, knitting, open mic acoustic guitar jam, making ice cream, a trip to the school’s planetarium, putt-putt golf, bowling at Green Lakes Lanes and community service field trips with Clear Path for Veterans and Hopeprint.

Senior Charlotte Monsour, who participated in the open mic acoustic guitar jam, said she appreciated the school giving students time to have fun and experience different activities they might not have thought about before. Monsour is student council president, involved in the musical and in Victorian Literature Club, which she said gives her little time to enjoy herself.

“I really enjoy this day,” said Monsour. “There’s so many option and you get to meet other people you may have known before. … It’s almost like the day isn’t long enough.”

Green believes students look forward to this day, especially since is it a half day and students don’t have a reason for attending other than wanted to participate. This year, attendance on Wellness Day was about 80 percent, said Green.

One thing the committee for Wellness Day hopes is that this event encourages students to find de-stressing activities and continue to take time for themselves after they leave high school.

“We hope this isn’t just a one-day event and that students recognize the value of having fun,” said Green.