Your Student Life: Winter Break Wellness Tips (Grad/Prof)

December 3, 2024

Winter break can be a time of rest, relaxation, and celebration, but it can also come with its own challenges to mental health and well-being. As just a few examples, you may deal with loneliness, complex family dynamics, grief of celebrating holidays without loved ones or impacts of current events. Multiple resources are available for you no matter where in the world you’ll be over break.

Let’s Talk is a free, confidential resource for students to meet virtually with CCS counselor. These 15–20-minute, informal consultations are a great option for students who may not need ongoing counseling, but who could benefit from one-on-one support and consultation.
Uwill provides free access to 3-5 sessions of teletherapy and is available to all current Ohio State students. Students can request a therapist based on their unique needs and preferences (focus area, gender, language, ethnicity), at a time that best fits your schedule.
Several self-guided resources are available on-demand for you to work on wellness skills at their own pace.

Here are some winter break wellness tips:

· If you’ve typically experienced concerns during the winter months, try to plan. Consider scheduling an appointment with your existing counselor, identify new resources, reach out to friends and family, and make a few plans you can look forward to throughout the month.

On days where you have a blank square on the calendar, try your best to maintain a somewhat consistent sleeping and eating schedule. We know that getting enough sleep and nutrition is a major factor for our ability to regulate emotions, and sometimes we unintentionally let those things go when our routine changes.
Be intentional about spending time with others, whether that’s visiting friends and family back home or connecting virtually! It can be nice to decompress alone, but scheduling some time for connection over break helps combat the feelings of loneliness when it’s dark and cold.
Sunlight is good for our mood and our circadian rhythm, so if it’s not too cold outside, try to take some time outdoors, whether it’s a winter hike at a local park or a 5-minute walk break during the day. Not a fan of the snow? Many people who struggle with seasonal depressive symptoms find light therapy helpful as well.
Make sure that your break is exactly that—a break. You may still have important goals and projects to keep up with, but leisure time has benefits for our mental and physical health. Leisure time is ultimately a “win” for productivity, too!

Counseling and Consultation Service
Office of Student Life