ABSTRACT
The study found that, overall, an average of five times as many students in 2007 surpassed thresholds in one or more mental health categories, compared with those who did so in 1938. Just as adults in the corporate world have learned to deal with stress through physical activities, focusing techniques, and other strategies, students need to learn these skills as well. The main cause of the students' stress is too much information crammed into their day. Recess and PE also help our students' mental health by giving time for casual interaction with their peers. As Dr. Marilyn Wedge explained in our interview: Unstructured, the non-goal-oriented play is essential for healthy psychological development as well as for fostering creative thinking in children. Recess is a time where children play, laugh, and converse about things that do not involve schoolwork. It is a time for the brain to take a break from formal learning and engage in social learning.
