The Mental Benefits of Club Involvement

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Today, student mental health is a prominent topic in education. Participating in school clubs and activities can be beneficial to students’ mental health. After-school clubs can provide a healthy social atmosphere, boost knowledge and skills, and increase self-esteem. Battlefield High school offers over 50+ clubs to students.

Students benefit from joining a club because of the safe and healthy social atmosphere. Joining a club of interest can improve students’ social lives by allowing them to meet others with common interests, which can be beneficial to wellbeing. In studies, face-to-face interactions are shown to alleviate depression, stress, and anxiety in students. Juliana Lassiter, a member of Battlefield High School’s Our Minds Matter, agrees with studies that “[students] our age need social interaction and often acceptance; being able to connect and listen to others made me realize that we can truly make a difference in people’s lives.” Over the years, Lassiter has had her ups and downs with mental health, but she feels the global pandemic is especially challenging. Lassiter says, “participating in the club has reminded me to not take life so seriously and to take time for myself… the club has helped me remember that my grades do not define me and shouldn’t affect my day.” The majority of social interactions support a students’ mental health by contributing to development of skills such as communication and time management.

Joining a club is a great way to broaden one’s knowledge of a particular subject. Broadening skills through high school club activities contributes to success in future careers. The majority of clubs focus on a specific topic and all members work together to achieve a common goal. For example, members of an advocacy club learn how to raise awareness and problem solve. Depending on which club a student joins, he or she will always be learning something new, whether it is a new skill or knowledge. Juliana Lassiter has learned to “raise awareness for mental health by being active [on] social media [and] posting positive things.” Raising awareness through social media is always a great way to share information about mental health.

When it comes to mental health, self-esteem is crucial; when people are optimistic, they are more likely to make healthy choices. Self-esteem can be boosted by joining a club that interests

a student. Meeting new members of a club with similar interests can be beneficial. Interaction with other members boosts self-confidence, especially when it comes to speaking. Despite being virtual this year due to COVID, the presidents of Our Minds Matter, Erin June and Katherine Ly, continue to “demonstrate what [a] healthy relationship is and inspire the other members at BHS to strive to help others and themselves,” said Lassiter. It is important to be able to interact with others, hence joining a club in high school is highly recommended.

With Mental Health Awareness Month approaching in May, it is important to focus on one’s health and seek help if needed. The Battlefield High School counseling and student services are located on the Canvas dashboard where students can reach out to get support. Also included on the Canvas dashboard is a Battlefield student resource course to find information about student activities including clubs. Each club provides a short description along with contact information and how to join. Students are encouraged to join a club of interest during their years in high school because of benefits like the healthy social atmosphere, boost of knowledge and skills, and increase of self-esteem.