Financial Wellness strategies and resources to reduce stress for students

By Alyssa, a Peer Tutor at the Writing and Learning Centers

I didn’t realize how much school affected my mental health until my Freshman year of college. I was sitting in my dorm, listening to my heart pound in my chest at the mere thought of doing poorly on my next physics exam and wondering how I had let my stress get so out of control.

“Fun Fact: the average person can throw a baseball at least 3 giraffes high”

Unfortunately, this cute giraffe fact that my professor put on our first physics exam did not make me feel any better about my exam grade. I have a tendency to beat myself up about my academic performance. In high school, my friends would roll their eyes and assume I was humble-bragging whenever I complained about missing one or two questions on an exam, but every little mistake made me think, I am lazy and stupid and just not trying hard enough.

My transition to college was hard in many ways I had never anticipated. I was struggling to understand the content in some of my classes, which I never experienced in high school. Every time I bombed a physics test or couldn’t figure out how to make my code work for my programming class, I felt like a fraud and a failure. It got harder and harder to find the motivation to do things I actually enjoyed. Tasks like studying concepts I hadn’t understood in lecture or solving problems that would take me hours to figure out seemed totally insurmountable.

At times, just the mention of school left me spiraling. This is hopeless. Life is exhausting. The only way I kept up with my school work was by leveraging my fear that I will be an even bigger failure to force myself to be productive.

Although college was not the cause of my mental health problems, being in a high-stress academic environment far from my support system exacerbated my underlying depression and anxiety beyond what I could handle on my own. Learning to acknowledge and cope with mental illness has been a long, often challenging process, and I am still figuring out how to manage my mental health with academics and extracurricular activities. Here are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned (so far) about balancing mental health with college life:

Learn Your Low Points

Having a mental illness can be incredibly isolating. My depression makes it hard for me to believe that I deserve help and even harder to find the motivation to seek it out. That means it is important for me to be conscious of signs that I need help and make an extra effort to connect with the resources I need. On the mental health side, I keep tabs on my mood and look for indicators that I need another therapy appointment. More recently, I reached out to my primary care physician for medication to help me manage some of my more severe symptoms.

On the academic side, asking for help means that when I find myself struggling in class, I don’t retreat inward and get stuck in a cycle of telling myself I should be smart enough to figure this out on my own. Instead, I accept that asking for help is part of the learning process and seek out the support I need to maximize my success in every class. If I’m confused about a concept or assignment, I usually start by talking to one of my friends in the class.

The idea of talking to a professor or TA about a problem I’m having can be a bit more daunting. When I start drafting an email to a professor, I always feel a bit afraid of coming across as incompetent. To combat that anxiety, I take care to write a polite, professional email and do my best to remember that most professors are more than happy to support their students.

I also keep resources like Peer Tutoring and Academic Coaching on my radar in case I need extra one-on-one support. Asking for help and making a proactive effort to connect to the resources available to me has helped relieve some of the anxiety I feel about school. Instead of spending hours getting frustrated with myself for not being able to figure out a problem, I seek out support when I need it. Becoming more comfortable with the concept of asking for help makes me a better collaborative learner and helps me view challenging problems as opportunities to grow as a student instead of evidence of my own limitations.

Build Bridges

Before Freshman year, I had never been away from home for more than a week or so at a time. When I lived at home, I was surrounded by people that I could talk to if I needed support. Living at college was different: even though I had close friends, in the back of my mind, I felt like no one can understand what I’m going through. It was easy to give into the urge to isolate myself whenever I was feeling depressed, which inevitably left me feeling even worse. 

For me, the toughest part of building a new support system at college was how big everything felt. In high school, it was relatively easy to make friends, since I was surrounded by more or less the same people every day for four years. It was a lot harder to make friends in a massive lecture hall of several hundred people than it was in a classroom of thirty-some.

Over time, I learned how to reach out and make connections at college. I joined several clubs and extracurricular activities that seemed interesting to me, and I ended up meeting a lot of people with similar interests. I started talking more to the people I share classes and labs with, even if we were just commiserating about the latest grueling assignment. Every friendly face I saw on campus made me feel a bit less alone, and I found several close friends that I really clicked with as well.

When I started being open about my mental illness, I discovered that my friends and family are a more reliable support system than I ever gave them credit for. I tried talking to some of my close friends at college about my struggles with mental health, and they were encouraging and understanding. When I’m having a tough time with depression, I call one of my family members instead of isolating myself, and they always manage to make me feel a bit better.

Connecting with my support system makes it easier to manage the ups and downs of my mental illness, which helps me get back on track to focus on classes and other activities. When I tried to keep my depression and anxiety to myself, I saw the results reflected in my coursework. I often felt too anxious to focus on studying or too depressed to find motivation to get my work done.

When I share some of my struggles with my support system, it feels a little easier to keep my mental health from interfering with the things I want to do. If I talk to my friends about an exam grade I’m upset about, they can usually talk me down from my anxiety and help me put that one grade in the context of a whole semester of opportunities to learn and improve. Having that support makes it easier for me to get out of my own head and focus on doing my best work.

Make a Plan of Action

Between classes, work, volunteering, and other extracurricular activities, my schedule for the week is usually pretty busy. Once the semester starts, the list of things I need to get done every week becomes pretty overwhelming. I spend a lot of time worrying I am never going to be able to get all this work done. Solid time management is essential for helping me manage the anxiety surrounding my to-do list.

At the beginning of the semester, I put all of my major assignment due dates in a Google calendar. I also add in volunteer shifts, club meetings, appointments, and other scheduled events as they arise. At the beginning of each week, I use that calendar to make a list of everything I have to do for that week, adding in chores or other personal activities that aren’t on the calendar. I then split the activities for the week onto seven separate Post-it notes that I stick above my desk, trying to spread the workload evenly throughout the upcoming week.

As the week goes on, I cross off activities as I finish them. When I don’t finish everything I have planned, I move to-do items to another day in the week. Knowing that I have a structured yet flexible plan to tackle the week, I can talk myself down when I start thinking I can’t handle this.

Probably the most important part of my daily schedule is that I make a point of blocking out at least one self-care activity each day. Most days, that activity is something like going for a walk, watching a movie, or reading a book. Anxiety and depression often leave me believing I don’t deserve a break. I need to keep working to make sure I don’t slip up. Scheduling a self-care activity each day reminds me that taking time for myself is important, especially on the days when my mental illness tells me otherwise. When I take time out of my day to take care of myself, I have more energy and focus to get back to work later.

Treat Yourself Right

Even though I do my best to strike an equitable balance between mental health and academics, things are far from perfect. Sometimes I spend days agonizing because I forgot about an assignment even though it was on my to-do list, or I did badly on a test that I thought I was prepared for. I still have a lot of times where depression makes it hard to find the motivation to get work done or I feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future. It’s times like these when I need to remember to practice self-compassion.

Self-compassion means forgiving myself when things don’t work out perfectly. It means treating myself with kindness instead of derision when my depression or anxiety starts to feel insurmountable. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, I am trying my best. I can forgive myself for making mistakes. I deserve time to relax and take care of myself. For the really bad days, I keep a list of coping mechanisms on my phone so I can easily come up with something to do to make myself feel a bit better.

Balancing mental health with college life will probably never be easy. I’m still far from having everything figured out, but I’m starting to feel like I’m heading in the right direction. For now, I will do my best to stick to the strategies that work for me and try to make every day a little bit better than the one before.

Resources:

• Find a therapist
• Mental health helpline
• Suicide hotline
• More mental well-being resources

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This blog showcases the perspectives of UNC-Chapel Hill community members learning and writing online. If you want to talk to a Writing and Learning Center coach about implementing strategies described in the blog, make an appointment with a writing coach, a peer tutor, or an academic coach today. Have an idea for a blog post about how you are learning and writing remotely? Contact us here.

At this point in the year, many of us know Carolina as a place full of things to do. Sports games? Check. Clubs, music concerts, shows? Absolutely. Homework? Unfortunately, yes. You may be asking yourself, “How can I find time for doing things I love while keeping up with classes and taking care of myself?” We know that it can be hard, but it might help to focus on balancing three things: Time, Stress and Sleep. Focusing on these three aspects of your life can help identify priorities, ensure time for self care and make space for the many things that UNC-Chapel Hill has to offer. Read on for tips!

Find Time

It’s common to feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done. Our responsibilities to school, friends, and family can be enjoyable, but can also become stressful. Here are some tips for prioritizing and balancing these responsibilities:

• Block out time in your schedule for well-being activities, study sessions, and daily tasks like eating/sleeping.
• Sit down and list all of the things you need to get done in the upcoming week. It might be helpful to assign certain tasks to specific days of the week.
• For each item on your list, apply the following "test:" Is this something I must get done, should get done, or could complete? Assign each task to a category according to its priority.

Manage Stress

It’s normal to feel stress in our daily lives. But when stress builds up and we don’t have ways to cope with it, we can feel exhausted. Here are some tips for coping with stress that might help the next time you are feeling overwhelmed.

• Plan something to look forward to
• Take a walk outside
• Unplug from social media for one night per week
• Write down your thoughts and feelings
• Meditate, do yoga, move your body
• Watch a favorite movie or TV show
• Treat yourself to something special

At the end of the day, do whatever helps you to calm your mind and feel refreshed. If you are still struggling with stress, feel free to reach out to CAPS or look for resources on the Heels Care Network.

Prioritize Sleep

With everything going on in our lives, it can be easy to put sleep on the back-burner and prioritize our relationships and work. But the reality is, without sleep, it’s much harder for us to function. Our health, relationships, and work all suffer with minimal sleep, keeping us from being our best selves. Follow these tips for better sleep:

• Set up a sleeping environment that works best for you. Many people benefit from cool, dark, quiet rooms. You can use things like blackout curtains or a white noise machine if that is helpful.
• Set consistent wake-up times and bedtimes. This helps your body regulate its natural sleep cycles and will help you feel energized and ready for the day.
• Try to avoid stressful activities immediately before bed. Having a relaxing routine, such as reading a favorite book or taking a hot shower right before bed can help calm your mind.
• Prioritize sleep. At the end of the day, there will always be more things to do. Making sleep a priority will help you get the amount of rest that your body needs – over time, you will learn to complete your work around your sleep schedule. After all, the most important thing is taking care of yourself.

This time of the semester is always busy. You might be stressed about the rapidly-approaching final exams, finding summer internships, etc. – whatever the reason, many people are likely feeling overwhelmed and pressured to work a lot. In the middle of all this commotion, it’s easy to forget to find balance and take care of yourself. You may let the nutritious meals slide, get a couple hours less of sleep, or stop seeing your friends. What many of us don’t realize, however, is that focusing entirely on academic success while neglecting other aspects of our life is the fastest road to burnout. Ultimately, by finding balance between our personal and academic needs, we can have more success while simultaneously feeling healthy and happy. Of course, this is easier said than done, but we know that you can do it. Read on for some tips about how to find balance in our busy lives:

1. Set Realistic Goals: We know that you probably have tons of things on your plate. To make things more manageable, try setting realistic goals and breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This can help you to tackle tasks in small increments, and can help reduce stress and prevent procrastination.
2. Self-Care: Taking care of your physical and mental health is so important to long-term success. Make sure to get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, and engage in regular physical activity. Practicing relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing can also help to reduce stress. Try checking out the meditation rooms in the Student Union, or simply taking walks in the Arboretum when you need a break.
3. Social Connections: Don’t forget to build in time for your social needs during this busy time of the semester. Spend time with friends, participate in campus activities, and ask for support from peers and mentors when needed. Having a supportive network can provide encouragement and perspective during challenging times.
4. Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities can be a good way to motivate yourself to get out of the house and do something unrelated to academics, which could help you relax and have some fun. Whether it's joining a club, playing a sport, or volunteering in the community, find activities that align with your interests and passions.
5. Time Management Strategies: Utilize tools such as planners, calendars, or digital apps to organize your schedule and prioritize tasks. Set aside dedicated time for studying, attending classes, and participating in extracurriculars, while also blocking off time for relaxation and fun activities.
6. Seeking Support: Don't hesitate to reach out for help if you're feeling overwhelmed or struggling to find balance. UNC Chapel Hill offers various resources, including CAPS, Wellness Coaches, and the Learning Center, to support students in pursuing both well-being and academic success.
7. Mindfulness Practices: Incorporating mindfulness practices into your daily routine can help reduce stress and improve your focus. Take short breaks throughout the day to practice mindfulness exercises such as mindful breathing or body scans.
8. Setting Boundaries: Learn to say “no” to commitments that may overload your schedule, and prioritize doing activities that align with your goals and values. Setting boundaries with academic and social obligations can help prevent burnout and maintain balance in your life.
9. Enjoying Downtime: Make time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it's watching a movie, reading a book, or spending time outdoors. Taking breaks and allowing yourself to recharge is key to avoiding burnout and taking care of your body and mind in the long-run.
10. Reflect and Adjust: Regularly reflect on your priorities and how you're spending your time. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or off-balance, reassess your commitments and make adjustments as needed to ensure a healthy balance in all areas of your life.

By finding balance and prioritizing your well-being, you are putting yourself in a position for long-term success. Remember, much of the stress that you are experiencing right now is temporary. It’s important to remember your long-term goals, and how sustainably promoting your physical and mental health can help you achieve those goals. Remember to take care of yourself and seek support when needed – after all, thriving in college is not just about academic success but also about nurturing your overall health and happiness.

The second seminar in the Fall 2023 Mental Health Seminar series, "Finding Balance in a Digital World."

This thought-provoking seminar with Annie Maheux, Ph.D. examined the impact of technology on mental health. Maheux shared insights into the ways technology can affect our well-being and offered strategies for promoting healthy tech use and digital wellness. Discover practical approaches to strike a balance between devices and mental health, and gain valuable insights into cultivating a healthier relationship with the digital world.

Dr. Maheux is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Winston Family Distinguished Fellow at the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development. She received her Ph.D inDevelopmental and Social Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh in the Teen and Young Adult Lab working under the mentorship of Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley. Dr. Maheux's research examines sociocultural and technological influences on adolescent development, with a focus on three key outcomes: mental health, sexual behavior, and academic engagement. She studies how gender roles, societal scripts, digital media, and peers affect development and adjustment, seeking to understand and ameliorate disparities to enhance well-being.

This seminar took place by zoom on October 10th, from 12pm-1:30pm.

The Mental Health Seminar series is open to students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff. The series creates a space for learning, reflecting on, and discussing mental health. This year's seminars focus on research-to-practice, giving the audience both the science behind mental health and strategies they can employ right now. The overall goal is to empower all campus community members to help influence campus mental health and well-being. Join us!

It’s that time of the semester again – final exams are quickly approaching. This can be a chaotic time for many of us, full of deadlines and exams. During such busy and challenging times, it can be easy for us to feel overwhelmed and forget to take care of our health. While it’s normal to feel stressed during this time of the year, there are steps that you can take to balance your coursework, personal responsibilities, and health, which will help you to stay organized and resilient under pressure:
 

Juggling Multiple Tasks:

• Create a Schedule: Develop a study schedule with specific times for studying, attending classes, and taking breaks. Stick to this schedule as closely as possible to maximize productivity and reduce last-minute cramming.
• Prioritize Tasks: Prioritize your tasks based on deadlines and importance. Focus on completing high-priority tasks first to avoid feeling overwhelmed by an excessive workload.
• Engage in Focused Study Time: It can be easy to get distracted while we are studying, which makes tasks take longer than they should. Try turning off your laptop notifications and putting your phone in the other room. You can also try timed study intervals, such as the Pomodoro technique (below) to help you focus.
  • Pomodoro Technique
    • Decide on the task to be done
    • Set the timer to 25 minutes and focus on your work during this time
    • Once the timer rings, take a 5 minute break
    • After four cycles of this, take a longer break (15-30 minutes)

Taking Care of your Physical and Mental Well-Being:

• Get Enough Rest: Ensure you're getting enough sleep each night to support your cognitive function and concentration. Avoid sacrificing sleep to study because it can negatively impact your memory and overall performance. If you’re having difficulty sleeping, you could try the SimplyNoise app, a free app that generates white noise.
• Practice Self-Care: Incorporate activities that help you relax into your routine, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time with friends. Taking breaks to recharge your mind can help to avoid burnout and increase your stamina and resilience during the end of the semester. There are several guided mediation videos out there…if you are looking for some, try the Calm app, which provides free 2-minute guided meditations. This could be a good way to take quick breaks in-between studying!
• Meal Prep: When we are busy, nutritious meals are often the first to go. But without healthy foods, it’s difficult to have enough energy to get all your tasks done. Try meal prepping over the weekend so that you can focus on your work during the week. This will clear up time for you during the week, while still making sure that you can eat healthy meals. Here are some healthy meal-prep ideas to get your ideas flowing!

Seeking Support from Others:

• Connect with Peers: Form study groups or partner with classmates to review course material and share study tips. Collaborating with others can offer different perspectives and foster a sense of community during challenging times.
• Utilize Campus Resources: Take advantage of academic support services at Carolina, such as The Learning Center, The Writing Center, and Teaching Assistants, for additional help with coursework and exam preparation. These resources are designed to help you succeed and reduce stress.

Although this is a challenging time of the semester, these strategies can help you to stay resilient, do well on your assignments/exams, and promote your health. Remember, the end of the semester requires stamina, and it’s difficult to do this if you are not taking care of your mind and body. Finish strong – summer is almost here!

Four dangerous habits that can lead to the breakdown of a relationship and how to repair them

Thanksgiving can be a time that brings up a lot of feelings for people. Be kind to yourself and the people around you!

Gratitude

Thanksgiving often brings up thoughts about gratitude. While just noticing your gratitude makes a difference, you can add benefit to the people around you by expressing gratitude to them. Encourage people around the dinner table to share a story of when they were grateful for someone at the meal. 

You can also write about gratitude, and jot down the little moments of your day that make you feel grateful. If you want to bring this idea to Thanksgiving, create a gratitude tree or jar for everyone to use, or write gratitude postcards to people who are far away. You could also make a collage, Reel, or TikTok to visually express gratitude

However you notice and/or share - take time this holiday to experience gratitude. 

Culture

Your family may have traditions that you invoke for Thanksgiving. Cherish the ones that bring you joy, and don't be afraid to suggest new ways of doing things this holiday to move away from activities that no longer serve you.

Remember that the history around Thanksgiving is complex. Thanksgiving can be a reminder of the genocide and violence that Native communities experienced and continue to experience. Decolonize your Thanksgiving by learning about, listening to, and celebrating Native people.

Food

For many of us, food is central to our holiday. Try to make food a positive experience for everyone this holiday. If you talk about food, focus on the wonderful flavors of the season and gratitude for the land, workers, and chef who helped bring the food to the table. Use mindful eating strategies:

• Stick to normal eating habits, eating consistently and mindfully throughout the day. 
• Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you're hungry. Stop when you're full.
• Be present during meals. Slow down and notice how the food tastes. Feel the pleasure and satisfaction in the eating experience.
• Add foods, don't subtract. All foods fit into healthy eating! Consider how to add nutrient-filled and diverse foods into your body.

Health Care and Mental Health

While Campus Health is closed on Thursday 11/24 through Sunday 11/27, students may visit a local urgent care facility for health needs. Students may also call Campus Health at 919-966-2281 24/7 and be connected to UNC Nurse Connect to discuss their non-emergent health concerns. Students can call CAPS 24/7 at 919-966-3658 for mental health support.

Don’t forget to explore the rest of the Heels Care Network for a comprehensive collection of mental health and well-being resources, including peer support, helpful articles, information about support groups, online self-assessment tools, events and more. 

May your Thanksgiving be full of experiences for which to be grateful. 

One year ago, UNC-CH launched care.unc.edu as its online hub for mental health. To celebrate, we are reminding you of all the ways the website can support you and the entire Carolina community: 

Find support

• Learn strategies to help you and your community like what to do if you’re concerned about yourself or a student, how to set up your organization for mental health success, as well as a myriad of educational content related to mental health.  
• Take an online self-assessment to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional. Think of these as a checkup from your neck up.  
• Discover a mental health resource that fits your – or someone else’s - needs best. The resource hub has over 100 supportive spaces available to folks connected with campus. You can filter by campus affiliation, identity, urgency, mental health needs, and more.  
• Chat with LSN ("listen"). LSNers are students who have been trained in peer support and to help find available resources.  

Get involved

• Join a mental health advocacy organization.
• Sign up for training to better support your community such as Mental Health First Aid or Re-think Psychiatric Illness. 
• Set up your org, class, or workplace for mental health success. 

Help us celebrate one year of the Heels Care Network by exploring the site, sharing it with friends, and getting involved in the community of care here at Carolina.  

Valentine’s Day is today, and it’s time to show some extra love - to yourself and the people around you.

Showing Yourself Love

• Make yourself a care package: Collect things that make you happy. These could be snacks you like, teas, little notes to yourself. Pamper yourself today or keep the care package as a treat for yourself in the future when you’re feeling low.
• Carve out time for activities that you enjoy: Schedule time in your day for something special that you haven’t gotten to do in a while. Whether it’s journaling, spending time in nature, or simply doing deep breathing exercises, find what brings you joy and prioritize it.
• Spend time with your friends or family: Surround yourself with people who care about you this Valentine’s Day. Plan a fun Galentine’s, go to a campus event, or simply relax with people you enjoy being around.
• Learn to say “no”: This doesn’t have to happen only on Valentine’s Day – learn to say “no” to things when you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Recognizing your boundaries and saying “no” to things that don’t align with your well-being is a great way to promote your long-term well-being and avoid burn-out. Often, saying no to someone else means saying yes to yourself.
• Be forgiving to yourself: You are doing amazing! Focus on your accomplishments and the positive aspects of your life. Forgive yourself when mistakes are made and reflect on what you wish you could have done differently. Well-being won’t come from fixating on what you did, but rather what you can do differently in the future.
• Do something kind for someone else: Doing something for others can make you feel fulfilled and happy. Start with little acts of kindness – make someone a homemade card, tell someone why you appreciate them, or volunteer in your community.

Tips for Fostering Healthy Relationships

• Build trust: Keep promises, be reliable, and respect boundaries. Trust forms the foundation of any close relationship.
• Use open communication: Share thoughts, feelings, and experiences honestly. Listen actively and non-judgmentally to each other's perspectives.
• Listen: Practice empathetic and attentive listening. Create a safe space for everyone to share without interruptions.
• Spend time: Dedicate distraction-free time to each other. Engage in activities that foster connection and enjoyment.
• Be vulnerable: Share fears, insecurities, and dreams. Encourage authenticity and openness for a deeper connection.
• Share affection and appreciation: Show affection regularly through kind gestures and compliments. Be each other's support during challenging times.
• Resolve conflict: Address disagreements constructively with respect and empathy. Ensure everyone's voice is heard and considered.
• Seek out shared goals and values: Find common ground in aspirations and values. Shared values create unity and purpose in relationships.
• Grow as individuals: Support personal growth and interests. Celebrate achievements and encourage self-discovery for deeper connections.

Investing in healthy relationships and self-love will help you promote your happiness and well-being in the long-run. Do something special for yourself and others this Valentine’s Day, Tar Heels!

Hours for Campus Health, CAPS, and Campus Recreation may vary over winter break. Luckily, we've got you covered with an adjusted hours calendar. Please refer to specific websites for additional information, as some hours may change.

Campus Health and CAPS will be open weekdays and Saturdays through Friday Dec. 22. Campus Health and CAPS will close on Friday Dec. 22 at 5:00 p.m. and remain closed until Tuesday, Jan. 2.

When Campus Health or CAPS are closed, patients can receive 24/7 mental health support by calling CAPS 24/7 at 919-966-3658 or calling 919-966-2281 for UNC Nurse Connect and on-call providers.

As the holiday season fast approaches, it's crucial to prioritize your mental and emotional well-being. Holidays can bring about complex feelings, so here are some strategies to help that are tailored for faculty and staff at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Look Ahead and Evaluate

As the end of the year approaches, it may feel like there is much to accomplish. Take a proactive approach to your schedule and holiday plans. Avoid taking on too much by evaluating and clarifying priorities to create a roadmap for the upcoming weeks. Based on your priorities, create a to-do list and focus on one task at a time. It’s also helpful to start fresh in the new year! Schedule new projects and meetings to kick off in January rather than cramming them into December.

Practice Financial Wellness

Consider your budget for the holiday season. Factor in travel costs, celebrations, and gifts. Be realistic about what you can afford, aligning your spending with short-term and long-term financial goals.

Acknowledge Your Emotions

The holiday season can be emotionally challenging. Give yourself grace, take a deep breath, and step back if needed. Emotional management will help you stay on track with your holiday plans.

Embrace Gratitude

The holidays are a great time to focus on gratitude. Take a moment to express thanks to those who make your life better. Whether through a note, a creative art form, or a hug, let your appreciation be known.

Respect Culture

Acknowledge and cherish the traditions that bring you joy during the holidays. Consider introducing new traditions that resonate with the present moment. Remember, the history surrounding holidays can be complex, so take the opportunity to learn about, listen to, and celebrate diverse communities.

Enhance Community

Building connections requires intention. Seek opportunities to be with people who make you feel good. Focus on the strengths of family and friends, value diverse perspectives, and engage in conversations that are restorative and collaborative. Prioritize conversation that feels respectful, safe, and encourages trust.

As the holiday season approaches, remember you have agency to set yourself up for a holiday season that meets your needs. Reach out if you need additional support.

Happy holidays!