Needa Brain Break? Destress WithFilm

How Entertainment and Mental Health Cross

By Dylan Capozzi

The winter months are a time of great stress for students and staff every school year With holidays and post-holidays, shorter days, and long, cold nights, accompanied by the crossing between Semesters 1 and 2, stress is at a rather high point throughout the year, compounded by issues of seasonal depression

As such, it becomes necessary to seek out a way to destress - and for many students and teachers alike, spending a few moments to relax and watch a movie can be an excellent way to do just this. Finding what film to watch for your mental health can be tough, as “while movies can induce emotional states that release things like endorphins and improve a person ' s mental state,

By Lucy Woomer

Sophia Eufrazio, a North senior, is the school store's student manager “The store helps me connect to real-life marketing lessons because we deal with real money and inflation that affects us just like any other business

We also create different advertisements to promote products that people may not know that we have such as PNHS apparel or phone chargers,” said Eufrazio

She loves being able to work with her peers and practice leadership Students in the program are not limited to learning in the classroom; they’re learning through every student-customer interaction exactly like they would if they worked in a real store

“Seniors are also required to work in the school store during K block one time per month for the duration of the school year Due to the high traffic in Kblock, this is a test grade in Aspen what provokes an emotional response in someone is a unique thing,” said Mr Kelly, teacher of fiction and film

What movie helps a person best is a question that might have a different answer for anyone asked

After all, “Feel-good stories are a subjective thing, so watch what you like Drama, Romance, Horror, whatever interests you,” Mr Kelly said, but he also gives a rather important reminder - “Watch in moderation! Binge-watching ten hours of a series in a day isn't going to help your mental state... ever ”

Just as we ourselves necessarily would need assistance finding our taste and how to help ourselves, many more perspectives can be of assistance in finding out what necessarily works best in regards to film and mental health.

It’s especially relevant during this period of the year, as for instance, “in the winter I usually watch films that take me out of the cold and dark,” said Ms Carrozza, teacher of Intro to Film and Film 2

Genre choice is always important too, since “action films especially are great when someone is feeling low energy or down

Students use the same calendar to pick what shift they work. If a student can't go to their shift, they are responsible for finding coverage amongst one another,” said Sprowl.

Students are learning but also being graded on their work skills, which truly gives them the full experience. Another crucial skill students learn is how to work with others

The marketing program members learn important business skills and engage in hard work Three student managers, including Eufrazio, are taking North Station to the next level

“They will be able to take this SBE (School Based Enterprise) project to ICDC for DECA to compete with in Orlando in April this year! Those seniors are Sophia Eufazio, Kelly Palmer and Emma Richer,” said Sprowl. Working at the school store gives students the opportunity to have an advantage with real life marketing skills when they go on to compete at DECA, which is the focal point of the marketing curriculum

Having the school store is a game changer for customers, marketing students, and teachers

“Students who rotate shifts are often placed with a classmates who they might not know so well This interaction helps create a new friendship or willingness to work with someone you don t know well,” said Anderson

The students play an important role in the success of the store, but general manager Ingrid Anderson ensures the behind the scenes work is continuously maintained

“Running the school store is physical Product is unpacked, organized, and rotated daily to maintain freshness Cleaning common areas, breaking down boxes, moving shelves, and creating a fun environment takes continuous work with staff and students walking through,” said Anderson

I love Christopher Nolan s Inception or a classic James Bond movie like Moonraker or The Man with the Golden Gun,” Ms Carrozza said While action movies certainly get the blood pumping, there are indeed other options for those who may prefer to enjoy other genres when they’re down. It’s certainly more than possible for one person to find very different genres appealing, since “even though most comedy movies are snubbed by film awards they can be great therapy when we ' re feeling down about something”, said Ms Carrozza

The reason, of course, is simply that sometimes all people need to help them is a good laugh It can always be welcome energy since “even if we don t feel like laughing, cracking a smile at a well timed joke can help pump some happy chemicals into your brain! I personally love What We Do in the Shadows or Mean Girls for when I need a distraction or a laugh,” Ms Carrozza said Just as there are so many genres or types of films that might comfort a person, there are also so many purposes a film can serve in addition to just providing a brain break over the wintertime.

Movies can work wonders giving a connection for students or staff to enjoy, due to the fact that “films can serve many purposes for viewers, including providing an escape from reality, an opportunity to get lost in another world,” said English teacher Ms Hildebrand. It helps to catch a break from work or school life when a student can immerse themselves in a fictional universe for a little while.

Of course, there’s a little more to it than simply enjoying fiction, since “a chance to connect to a joy or struggle one is facing that they see mirrored in the film, and just for simple joy and entertainment- all impacts that can certainly assist folks who might be struggling with mental health in various capacities,” said Ms Hilderbrand

It’s once again a very persondependent situation on how someone might appreciate or feel comforted by a movie, but at the same time, this brain break is still all the more applicable to everyone