Now that winter is over, do you ever feel like it was the hardest time of the year for you? After speaking with teachers and students, The Skyline Post found reasons why this time can be difficult and also discovered some tips and tricks to get through it.
Ainsley Vendola and Phoebe Spadafore (‘25) felt like they were overwhelmed and stressed with work during winter. Spadafore shared that she struggled during second trimester finals due to lack of breaks, having to get in a lot of missing assignments while studying, and dealing with feeling down from the cold weather. “I struggled most around finals with getting in missing assignments and also having to study for exams.” But, Students aren’t the only ones struggling in the winter.
“I would say that the mid winter can be hard because teachers are affected by the weather the same as students and it’s hard to make lesson plans that keep students engaged and excited to learn while also dealing with our outside of school lives,” said Allyson Haywood, one of the Health and Medicine magnet teachers. ”The winter time is difficult for teachers because finding assignments to keep students engaged is hard when we’re all mentally drained from the cold weather.”
Counselor Dave Almassy shared that a common reason people struggle a lot in the middle of winter is from seasonal depression and lack of being outside. According to WebMD, seasonal depression is a “mood disorder that happens every year,” usually during the late fall and winter. Almassy also shared that seasonal depression has a big impact on students and teachers and gave tips on how to get through it.
Almassy shared ideas that helped him stay more positive and productive during the winter slump, such as going outside instead of staying in on screens. He also said to “find things that are productive.” This could mean using your time wisely and in ways that can help you in the future.
According to WebMD, seasonal depression can be treated with medication or therapy. It also says that spending time outside, even when it’s cloudy, can be helpful. Eating a well balanced diet, exercising and staying social is very important for mental and physical health and can help prevent seasonal depression or any kind of midwinter slump.
