Following Choate’s first Wellness Period, some students felt well-rested, while others still felt stressed.
We can all agree that Choate gets stressful at times, if not all the time. Most of us put on our happy faces and go along with our normal routines without ever having any sort of break. On October 10th from 12:50 to 2:00 p.m., Choate students and faculty finally got their desired and well-deserved break. Choate hosted a community wellness time that ranged from playing with clay, to partaking in a drum circle, to even catching up on homework in study hall. As a community, we generally take good care of each other; however, that does not always translate to taking good care of ourselves, which I think Choate’s wellness time helped achieve.
Every student received an email to sign up for a wellness session of their choosing. While the sessions followed a first come, first serve basis, there were enough activities to choose from that everyone should have been able to sign up for something they were interested in. Even if the first choice filled up quickly and was not an option for students, a 70-minute free period still translated to relaxation. Regardless of whether someone was placed in their first or last choice, it proved to be a win-win situation; I could not find any reason to complain.
I personally really wanted to take part in the ceramics activity, but the attendance filled up by the time I got around to signing up. I still managed to find something I wanted to spend time doing, which was Zumba. For more than an hour, I was dancing around to “Despacito” and more, and not to mention laughing as well. . That day, I had 3 quizzes, which meant that my stress levels were reaching my maximum. However, Zumba allowed me to take a deep breath and take care of myself for a much-needed hour. It was nice and refreshing to take a deep breath and get lost in something other than schoolwork. Spending time with classmates who I wouldn’t have otherwise seen was rejuvenating. I walked out of Zumba with a smile.
Exercise in general greatly reduces anxiety and negative moods, and I was pleased that there were several exercise options on the Wellness Selection List as well as art and music offerings. How many other schools would have a drum circle or ceramics going on during the school day? The selection of activities that the Wellness Time offered was quite vast, and I was pleased that the school cared enough to implement this period on what would have been a typical stressful Tuesday.
As Choate students and faculty, we are expected to do so much, and we are expected to perform at a high level. We are pulled in so many directions, whether it be the sports, clubs, or classes we’re involved in. It was a much-needed break for everyone on campus. I look forward to the other wellness times that will pop up this school year.
