Mental health disorders burden one in seven 10 to 19-year-olds globally, as said by the World Health organization, and in 2023 more than 5.3 million teens in America have had a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition.
To help combat this growing issue in our own school, Senior Madison Jacob has created a calming room, cocooned in the guidance office between Mrs. Acra’s room and the secretary’s area. Madison describes a calming room as being, “a safe place for someone to use when they need to wind down or relax. It is particularly aimed for those suffering from anxiety or depression who may need a space where they are allowed to break down and put themselves back together.” But don’t think this room is just for people with anxiety or depression, the calming room is for anyone who just needs a break from school or is feeling overwhelmed.
Colors for the calming room
As you can see from the pictures, the walls, bigger pieces of furniture, and lighting are all blue/purple colors- this isn’t just because she liked those colors. When planning how this room would look, Madison sent out a survey to several people who suffered from anxiety and asked them which colors were most effective and helpful when experiencing feelings of panic. A majority of those people claimed that they preferred dark, cool colors, which is what inspired the Galaxy theme.
The whole idea of dark/cooler colors being calming is actually a feeling based on fact. As stated by the National Library of Medicine, “A study about the influence of color of walls in learning environments proved that pale colors caused more relaxation than vivid colors, and that heart rate decreased with short-wavelength colors (e.g., violet, blue and green) in comparison with longer-wavelength (e.g., yellow and red).” The BBC also reports on this fact, saying that the color of the
blue sea can calm PTSD.
Making it cozy
While it may not seem like it now, the calming room used to be a storage room in the guidance office, and the
original calming space used to be the Hope Squad room. However, once Mrs. Kauffman acquired the Hope Squad room as an office; they knew there was a need for another space that people could use to calm themselves.
As stated before, the entire room is a galaxy theme and features an interactive mural where people can use stickers to show that they were there- this being so there is a visual representation that no one is alone in their struggles. She put up led lights along the ceiling and made the remote control for those lights available to use. There are also galaxy-colored blankets and flexible seating; from spinning chairs, bean bags, and even a couch that has charging ports on the side of it.
Madison also got together bins that have several different fidgets and puzzles to use while in there along with a water-based scent diffuser that has a variety of scents to choose from.
Behind the scenes
Now this project was no easy feat in terms of getting it all together. When asked about how long the project took, Madison responded, “So long. First, I spent around 8 hours talking with Mrs. Kaufman and creating a focus group
that I used to discover what the needs for the space were. Then, I spent around 10 hours just coming up with plans and what I would need for the space. After that, I spent around 15 hours searching through what I should buy and added it all to a list, comparing prices and deciding what works best with the theme I had been planning. Then, I spent about 7 hours rearranging furniture and organizing alone. Once all that was figured out, I got a group of friends together to paint. Five of us started at 3 pm, and I left at 10 pm.”
And all this work wasn’t even including the mural, “The mural brought its own issues. My friend Kora and I spent 3 hours starting this mural and had gotten to the point where we were almost done, then I moved a ladder with a quart of paint on top of it. The paint fell and spilled all over the wall. We were thankfully able to recover from this, but it did mean I had to spend yet another 3.5 hours finishing it.” But even though all the painting is she’s still working to gather various different mental health resources for problems like anxiety and eating disorders.
When asked about what will happen with the room once Madison graduates, she said, “After I am gone, Mrs. Kauffman and the Hope Squad agreed to ensure the room remains nice. The guidance counselor team has also given their support by turning the lights on and off and checking in on the scent diffuser throughout the school day. However, for the most part, it is self-sufficient.”
The gold behind the blue.
This whole project was done under the goal of achieving a little something called a Gold Award. For those who don’t know, a Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting, and as described by the official Girl Scout website, “[The award] recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through remarkable projects that have sustainable impact in the community and beyond.” Her completion of this project is an incredible feat because only about 3,000 to 3,200 Girl Scouts earn the Gold Award annually, representing approximately 5% to 6% of eligible Senior and Ambassador members.
But why she chose this specific project is because, “[She] always had a passion for mental health, I myself have had my own struggles throughout my years with feelings of anxiety and so I wanted to make sure that I could help others in this way, especially when Mrs. Kaufman shared that there was this need. I wanted to be the one to step up and make it happen.” The most important part of this project coming to a finish is the fact that she is proud of how it turned out, and she says, “It is far from perfect, especially that poor mural, but I believe that’s what makes it special. A lot of people who are struggling just need someone to care about them, and that calming room, I believe, oozes love and caring.”
So, if you have some free time, or you need it for its intended purposes, don’t be shy and take a peek at what Madison has made for you.
