Featured Testimonial About Creighton University
Note: This story has been updated since it was originally published as part of our Creighton Advent Calendar in December.
The busy, and sometimes stressful, holiday season is behind us. Yet it's still cold. The days are still short. Nature and biology are suggesting we embrace a sense of dormancy.
So, it's important to be mindful of your mental well-being.
Jennifer Peter, PysD, senior director for Creighton’s Student Counseling Services and The VIP Center, said there are a lot of reasons why anxiety might surface at this time of the year.
“I think it's a combination of everything,” Peter said. "There are hormones and other chemicals in our body that change during the winter with reduced sunlight and cold weather. This happens (right after we put) all this pressure on ourselves to create the perfect holiday season. The most common thing we tend to attribute our stress to is the holidays, but there are more factors involved."
Creighton’s Student Counseling Services regularly shares self-care tools with students, especially during the winter months. A few tips might very well be helpful to you.
1. Set realistic expectations
In the holiday season, society paints a perfect picture of what it is supposed to look like. And we do that, too. Even once we return to our daily routine in January, we have an expectation of how things should go. But it’s fine if reality turns out differently.
“It's OK if you're not overloading everybody with gifts. It's OK if there's a party going on that you just don't have the energy to go to. And it's OK to say, I can't do this today,” Peter said. “It’s being aware of how you're feeling, how much are you putting on yourself. Is everything totally necessary? It’s OK to let go of a couple of those things.”
2. Take time for yourself
One of the messages that Peter and her team pass along to students — especially first-year students — between semesters: Prepare to set boundaries.
College students who’ve lived independently for the first time return home with different routines, and maybe different priorities. It’s helpful to communicate with parents and friends about that.
The advice applies to us all, Peter said.
“It’s important that you set boundaries for yourself and that you’re able to say ‘no’ to some things, so you can find balance,” Peter said. “So that you make sure to take the time that you need to take care of yourself too. That’s true across the board.”
3. Maintain your healthy habits
Maybe you did sleep in a little longer during Christmas break, or you snacked on some extra sweet treats, or you sat on the couch longer to watch a few more movies or sports on the TV. That’s OK. Just keep monitoring yourself.
“If you feel sluggish and if you feel heavy and if you feel tired, to me, that's a little more significant than the couple pounds we might put on during Christmas,” Peter said. “Because yes, we also should enjoy those things. But it's the balance. I think a lot of it just comes down to the balance and checking in with ourselves to see how we feel physically or emotionally.”
A few suggestions (which could double as mini New Year's resolutions, perhaps):
- Talk a morning walk. If it’s too cold, try an indoor exercise routine. Peter’s experimenting with wall Pilates.
- Try a light box that imitates natural sunlight. “They seem to have a similar effect on our brains and our bodies as sunlight,” Peter said.
- Prioritize eating a healthy snack. Maybe eat one before your big holiday meal.
- Keep an eye on your screen time.
- Try to stay consistent with your sleep.
4. Talk to someone
It can be a professional counselor or therapist, if needed. But also, Peter said, it’s important to make a point to interact with friends and family. Even work colleagues.
Grab coffee. Get lunch. Maybe just a phone call.
“Being so busy, sometimes we lose track of the importance of just checking in on somebody or connecting in some way outside of the holiday ridiculousness and all the parties and gatherings,” Peter said. “So, make time to maintain those relationships, too. Just check in and say ‘hello.’”
