Often, students need a place where they can unwind and escape their busy, stressful lives. Sometimes they just want support from their peers. The Well Club offers this type of atmosphere for students who want to enjoy themselves and forget about their worries, even if it is just for an hour one day after school.
Ms. Wess, an art teacher at Severna Park High School, felt inspired to create the Well Club after reflecting on the anxiety that plagues several kids that she knows. “Anxiety seems to be taking such a strong hold on many of our youth, and we need to address it somehow,” said Wess. Her hope is for the club to become a community where students can find happiness, support and ways to cope with the stressors in their lives, not a place where they have to share their personal issues or “bare their soul” to others. “It’s really just a way to relieve our stress and do mindless and fun things that will help us through busy times of the year,” said sophomore Lane Williamson, a member of the club. Wess emphasized that this club is not a therapy or counseling session; it is simply a place to have fun. She believes that there are several kids going through the same things. These kids think they are alone, and they do not realize there are others who struggle in the same ways.
The club has only had two meetings since it began this spring, but they have already done activities to have a good time and get acquainted with each other. “The first meeting we made giant bubble wands and we went outside and we blew bubbles… and last meeting we made stress balls for finals,” said Williamson. Students in the club have high hopes for next school year. According to Wess, members of both the club and her advisory class have been suggesting ideas to her that they think would be positive additions next year. Activities like placing daily reflections in positivity jars, experimenting with meditation apps and playing outdoor games are just a few of the many student contributions. Since this is a fairly new club, Wess encourages any other students to let her know if they have more ideas.
The club may arrange activities that focus on mindfulness as well. “The idea of mindfulness is to live in the moment, not to project on the future and worry about what is to come, and not to worry about what you did in the past,” said Wess. Wess wants to encourage students to live for each day and to not let their futures overwhelm them. The club’s main goal is to focus on the positives, not to dwell on the negatives.
The members of the Well Club hope to build a strong support system within the club. “[The club] is really beneficial to both sides. There might be somebody who needs help and somebody else who wants to share what has helped them,” said Wess. Members also hope to reach out to incoming freshmen next year and offer them a place to release the stress of entering a new school.