With the winter months coming up, seasonal depression is a huge issue. 25% of college students suffer from seasonal depression. According to a study done at Appalachian State University, seasonal depression can be worse here because the winter drags on. Grand Forks’ winter is such a long one that it is quite common here. There are a couple of things you can do to try to keep your mind occupied and not fall into a winter slump.
The first thing I would recommend is finding events to do with friends through the University of North Dakota, or even on your own. For example, some big events we have coming up are the Rhombus Guys Pizza voucher. This is a perfect and free thing to do with your friends. You can pick up these vouchers from November 6th to November 12th. This would be a perfect night to spend with friends. Just getting out of the dorms, getting pizza, and socializing can help keep you from falling into a winter slump.
Another event that is coming up is DIY Snow Globes, which is on November 29th at the Memorial Union. This event is perfect for coming back from Thanksgiving break. Thanksgiving can also be incredibly stressful from helping family with food to sometimes seeing family if you have not seen them in a while. This event is the Wednesday after break, it can help de-stress from the recent holiday. Along with making a winter, or not winter, snow globe to put in your dorm room.
The last idea I have is to do something off campus. There are a lot of things to do in the winter that can help you stay active and involved. For example, hitting the hills. You can rent snowshoes, cross country skis, and much more from the Wellness Center. There are many trails in Grand Forks, including one called The Greenway. This is a little further off campus but has 20 miles of paths for people to glide on. Also, Grand Forks has a couple outdoor rinks. This is a perfect opportunity to have fun skating with your friends. After that you could have hot cocoa and make it a nice night in. Overall, there are a ton of things to do to help you not fall into a winter slump. Mental health is so important, so if you do find yourself falling into a winter slump there are lots of resources just at your fingertips that UND offers.
Emma Arteaga is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].
