by Kelly Watson Moss and Kelly Morris O’Neill
Take a look at kids at a bus stop. If - IF- they are standing outside waiting for the bus, you’ll notice something interesting. No, it’s not a granola bar or breakfast item in hand while talking to the rest of the group huddled on the sidewalk or under a tree. It’s a phone. And their eyes are glued to it. Nothing is seen beyond what flashes on the screen or moves with a quick whip of an index finger or thumb. Walk through the halls of any middle school, and you will notice something similar. No one looks at each other; “hello” is rarely exchanged, and, in some middle schools where phones are permitted, they simply stare at the screen until they reach their next destination. Students are more connected than ever through technology, yet many feel more disconnected than previous generations.
As educators and parents, we often hear students say they feel lonely, overwhelmed, anxious, that they have no friends, or that they are exhausted. While there is not one single cause for the rise in youth mental health concerns, research certainly points us to the north star of it all - excessive screen and device use.
Middle school is one of the most important times for developing friendships, learning social skills, taking healthy risks to build confidence, and discovering who you are. Unfortunately, many of these developmentally necessary experiences are interrupted by constant digital engagement. Although kids are so connected, the increase in recreational screen time has made them far more disconnected. There are some rather terrible outcomes to the amount of time kids spend on devices. The American Physiological Association, in fact, advises that social media should never replace face-to-face interactions, physical activity, or sleep routines because these are essential for development. Pediatric doctors constantly remind parents that television and other screen use should be limited to no more than one hour a day, and yet this goes ignored!
Middle school students desperately need us to right their ships and connect them back to an actual North Star to help them navigate through life. Middle school students are in a uniquely challenging time of their lives. They are balancing rapid physical and emotional changes due to puberty, multiple teachers (some for the first time), and a new sense or expectation of developed executive functioning skills. With less opportunities for structured play time, schools need to cultivate opportunities for laughing together, solving problems, inventing games, playing outside, moving their bodies, and creating something from nothing. And just being present.
We need to create an outlet for students to reconnect with their peers, the environment, and themselves. Creating a place and space for students to connect without devices in a safe, structured environment will ensure they learn the necessary skills to build real connections to themselves, others, and the world around them.
So what did we do? We created Health and Wellness Day!
What Is Wellness Day?
Wellness Day is a schoolwide event designed to promote overall health and well-being for students, staff, and the entire school community. This day brings together local businesses, community organizations, school staff, and volunteers to offer a variety of activities focused on the eight areas of wellness. Activities include but are not limited to yoga and mindfulness sessions, a fun run, healthy cooking demonstrations, guided meditation and breathing exercises, team-building games, art therapy and creative expression, sports skills stations, and community service projects.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration defines wellness as connecting all aspects of behavioral health (Swarbrick 2006). Each dimension can affect a person’s quality of life. The 8 dimensions of wellness consider a person’s physical well-being and all factors that contribute to overall wellness:
- Physical Wellness: Movement games, outdoor exploration, relay challenges, and nutrition education.
- Emotional: Coping well with life stress, feelings, and changes while building satisfying relationships.
- Physical: Practicing healthy habits like good nutrition, physical activity, and adequate sleep.
- Occupational: Gaining personal satisfaction, enrichment, and growth from your work or daily duties.
- Social: Building a strong support network and feeling a true sense of connection and belonging.
- Spiritual: Finding a deeper meaning, value, and purpose in your daily life.
- Intellectual: Engaging in creative activities and continually expanding your knowledge and skills.
- Environmental: Living and working in clean, safe, and stimulating spaces that promote wellness.
- Financial: Managing money well and feeling secure about your present and future monetary situation
Click to watch our 2025 Health and Wellness Day featured on WMUR’s Chronicle
Read more about the 8 areas of wellness.
Eight Areas of Wellness - Wellness Wheel
Through volunteers and school staff, each area of wellness is represented. It is a day designed to connect to others and your community by trying new things, showcasing skills, and disconnecting from the familiar to reconnect with what truly matters — yourself, your peers, and the world around you.
Over the last decade of running Health and Wellness Day at our school, the feedback we have received from students, staff, and the community has shown that allowing students a day to focus on their own wellness is a positive one. The transformation was unmistakable — no discipline issues, just relaxed faces filling the halls, laughter echoing across campus, and genuine engagement in every activity. Smiles were everywhere, and we watched new connections form between students who might never have crossed paths otherwise. The day spoke for itself: when given the space to be present, our students didn't just participate — they connected.
Disconnect Doesn’t Mean Never Tech
Our goal is not less technology (but it is!), it’s more living life! Technology will always be a part of our students’ lives and futures, but so will relationships. Curiosity. Creativity. Purpose. Resilience. Joy. It is our goal to show them how to live life and use technology as a tool, not a tether or anchor to one place.
But this is just the beginning. In our blog series, we're giving you the tools to help your students disconnect to reconnect. We're diving deeper with practical guides you won't want to miss. We'll share activities that spark genuine community connection and others that help students disconnect and recharge. You'll get our favorite wellness day activities, plus a step-by-step roadmap on how to build a community-wide wellness day from the ground up. Stay tuned!
Works Cited
Swarbrick, M. (2006). A Wellness Approach. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 29(4), 311–314.
University of Florida Health. “UF Health.” Health Wheel, University of Florida Health, 2026, https://education.health.ufl.edu/community/wheel/. Accessed 1 July 2026.
