Waking up to a snow covered ground, finding out there is no school and going back to bed to get those few extra hours of sleep is one of the best feelings for students, teachers and even parents. Having snow days can help so much with mental health, just being able to have a break from everything even just for a day can be so beneficial.
Many students feel a lot of stress during school, whether it is a test or the build up of assignments or just the fact that some go from school straight to an activity or sport. Having a snow day can help with reducing some of this stress because they do not have to worry about any of that, even if it is just for a day or two.
Some schools, like ours, have AMI Days, Alternate Methods of Instruction, so even though students are still required to do a little work it is not as much as they would normally have to do had they gone to school. Which for some can make things a lot easier.
For teachers, having a snow day can mean they have time to catch up on some things. Like grading, planning or even just having a well deserved break.
Since snow doesn’t happen all of the time, whenever it does happen it allows us to enjoy the moment a little bit more. And playing outdoors like when we were little kids can help our emotional and mental wellbeing.
There have also been many studies to show that sleeping in a colder room can help you get to sleep faster and have a better sleep than you would in a warmer room. Getting enough sleep, especially when you are used to having to wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning for school can really help boost your mood and just allow you to have a better day.
So the next time you see snow in the forecast or your school gets canceled for that day, enjoy it, sleep in, play in the snow, do whatever you can to feel the most relaxed on your day off.