Many experience stress throughout their lives. However, teenagers report they have higher stress levels than adults. According to American Psychiatric Association, “Many teens also reported feeling overwhelmed (31 percent) and depressed or sad (30 percent) as a result of stress.”

At Arlington High School, Social Services and Transition Specialist Counselor Ja’Neair Johnson, focuses on helping students and teachers relieve some of that stress. Ja’Neaire has created a “Tiger Rest Room” that is equipped with head to foot massage chairs. She says “Students can come to help deal with those large, uncomfortable emotions. Whether it be grief, anger, frustration, anxiety, or whatever it may be, they can come and deal with that emotion in a safe space.”

Recently, she transformed her room into a “DIY spa.” The staff had the opportunity to schedule a time to go to the Tiger Rest Room and create their own body scrub to take home. Mrs. Johnson had all the supplies including dye, honey, different scents, the scrub itself, and more to allow the teachers to personalize their scrubs in whatever ways they desired. “Teachers can come down and sit in the massage chairs and put their feet up in the massagers and just have their 15 minutes of nothing.”

Mrs. Johnson advocates for mental health, and she encourages her students, and our teachers, to be getting enough rest and provides them with the tools to continuously improve themselves and their state of mind.

Source: www.apa.org