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Finally! Winter break is here. This year, winter break can look different. Some of us are headed to visit our family after living near campus, some of us are staying in Chapel Hill for winter break, and some of us have been living with family this whole semester.
Whether you’re adjusting to living at home again, having less to do, or just two more months of regular ol’ pandemic life, winter break may feel overwhelming. Here are some common issues and ways to address them to help you stay healthy, protect yourself and those around you, and make the most of your break!
Mental Health Strategies
- Manage your free time: We know that at the beginning, the extra time feels like a gift! But the adjustment to free time can be a struggle for some.
- Start by taking time to relax.
- Then consider making a plan or list of things you would like to do over break.
- Fill your time with things that make you feel good!
- Prep for family & friends: Plan ahead for family and friend encounters. What questions or conflicts typically arise?
- Consider how COVID risk tolerance may play a role in conflict this year.
- How do you want to respond?
- Make a list of coping skills that work for you.
- Plan for your mental wellbeing: Many people experience a worsening of mental health symptoms around this time of year. You aren’t alone!
- This break can provide you time to focus on how you’re feeling, what you might need, and how to make a plan moving forward.
- Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common, and treatable. And recovery is possible. For an initial assessment to seek treatment visit the caps site here.
- Take a screening: UNC offers a wide range of online mental health screening tools about anxiety, depression, substances, wellbeing, and more.
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