It is that time of year again: the middle of second semester, the school-year equivalent of a mid-life crisis. For some, like seniors, it is a time to kick back and enjoy the last few months of high school. For others, things are just picking up. AP tests are around the corner, extracurriculars are kicked up a notch, and it’s time to start thinking about next year’s classes as well. Amidst all the chaos, it is easy for us to forget about our own health in favor of catching up on work. Sometimes, we just need a little reminder to take care of ourselves, and luckily, Senior Men and Women (SMW) is here to provide that with its second annual Wellness Week, from Feb. 12 to Feb. 16.

SMW’s Wellness Week is an “event that promotes health and mental awareness,” said Emily Lu, chairman of Wellness Week. Throughout the entire week, there have been different activities for the students to participate in. These include Multi-Cultural Monday with dance performances and games, “Tune In” Tuesday, with a photobooth and live music, Healthy Heart Wednesday with CPR lessons, Thoughtful Thursday, with students sharing positive messages, and Food Fair Friday with healthy food samples.

At Arcadia, there is a lot of pressure placed on students to reach a certain ideal, and sometimes, people let their ambitions get ahead of themselves. There’s a saying, “sleep is temporary but GPA is forever” so many students aren’t getting enough sleep. This movement is meant to spread awareness and promote mental health and be a positive week amidst AP test preparation. This is just calling students to look at the decisions they’re making and decide what’s best for themselves.

“SMW got involved with Wellness Week because we think it is an idea that needs to be addressed at AHS,” said SMW president Arizah Saif. “Too often are students here falling into unhealthy habits due to the pressure of academics. If one person learns how to take care of themselves from Wellness Week, then our jobs have been done.”

Many students are also supportive of the purpose of Wellness Week and are looking forward to a reprieve from constantly working and instead focus on themselves. “I like how they are focusing on self-care because that’s something I definitely forget to do when I’m too busy catching up on homework,” said freshman Charisse Liu. Not only are students taking this week to focus on self-care, but many are also looking for the chance to learn something new as well.

“I think it’s a good opportunity for students who don’t really understand mental wellness to learn about the topic as well,” said junior Kenneth Hsu. Outside of health class, mental health is not something that is heavily focused on in school, and Wellness Week is an opportunity to learn about it and how to maintain a healthy mindset.

Among all the pressures that come with high school life, it is important to remember that health is just as important, if not more so than academics. With the high amount of pressure that comes with being a student at Arcadia, it is definitely more important to remind everyone to take care of themselves, lest health issues arise. SMW’s Wellness Week is a reminder to students that health should not be placed below school and is an opportunity for students to steer their lives back on track toward a happy and healthy future.