What Do You Do During a Mental Health Gap Year?
Based on why you’d be taking a mental health gap year in the first place will determine what you will do during this time off from school. There are a lot of reasons why someone might take a mental health gap year. No gap year is the same. You can enroll in preexisting programs, or you can create your own experience based on your needs. Below are some potential experiences you may have during a mental health gap year:
If your mental health symptoms are persistent or severe enough to impact your ability to be a student, then taking a break from formal classes will be likely a part of your experience. You can still participate in activities that are educational, just outside of a traditional classroom setting.
Volunteering is commonly a part of a gap experience, whether it be for mental health or not. Volunteerism is tremendously important for the emerging adult population. We need to understand that the world is bigger than ourselves, and sometimes the only way to help with that perspective shift is to be put in a situation where you are empathic to others’ lives, and are being relied upon for help. These are often non-stressful experiences too, which is important for mental health
Continuing to meet with clinical and medical professionals on a weekly basis to help with ongoing stabilization of medication, resourcing and skill-building, and connecting a student with peers who may also equally be struggling with similar situations. To know you aren’t alone is sometimes a path to healing.
If you have a new or budding diagnosis, or your mental health isn’t currently well managed. An example of a situation not being well managed is if there is cycling (i.e. mania or depression), or medications that are not helping and creating adverse side effects.
Being near medical facilities if your child is gravely struggling with their health, especially if they are continuing to self-harm or attempt suicide. It’s a scary situation and yet you want to make sure they have quick access to stabilization and safety if their mental health is at this point.
Being given opportunities to learn and demonstrate executive functioning skills. What better way to learn this than outside the classroom? Once learned and starting to master, it’s a easier translation to academic success in the classroom in higher education. This could look like participating in gap activities, working a job, planning a trip, etc. The options are endless!
The three key points of a mental health gap year include support, less-stress, and intentional skill-building. What you to do achieve this may feel overwhelming. There are resources out there to help you figure it out. Even if you do it on your own, there is no “wrong” gap year experience. Everyone’s experience can look differently depending on what they need.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
