As temperatures drop and snow falls over the campus, jumping back into the start of another semester can feel daunting. The chill along with the lessened sunlight can make it difficult to do most things, let alone things that are hard to do even on a good day. According to Appalachian State University, around 25% of United States college students end up with something called the “winter blues.” This can negatively impact concentration, motivation, and even just getting up in the morning. These challenges can lead to decreased productivity, satisfaction and success within academics. On a more extreme level, these blues can morph into seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, bringing feelings of depression that can severely impact every aspect of life.
So, what is there to do about it when winter is inevitable and so is the second semester? There is no perfect fix, and maybe one will find themselves lucky and avoid it all together, but for those who can feel the winter looming over them, here are some suggested ways to try and manage the effects.
The first, and sometimes trickiest depending on mother nature, is to get enough sunlight. UnitedHealthcare specifically recommends getting early morning sunshine, mentioning it can have benefits on one’s circadian rhythm.
Another strong suggestion is getting consistent exercise every day. This does not have to be extensive; even something as simple as stretching or walking can suffice to help combat the somber season. Hand in hand with exercise are the other usual healthy habits of getting enough water, sleep, and making sure to eat nutritious foods. These kinds of things can prove a bit more challenging when done alone for some, but there are options to explore here on campus. The Wellness Center offers a variety of group activities that are free with a valid student id. There are Zumba and yoga in the evenings, for example, with specific dates and times listed in the UND Events Calendar.
If working alongside others is your thing, there is also a study table regularly held in the Pride Center on Monday and Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that is open for everyone. Having the comradery and accountability of a group setting can be a solid catalyst for pushing past whatever slump the season might be causing. Another helpful event held by the Pride Center is “Wellness Wednesday,” where each week there is a different mental health related topic or activity from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. There are a variety of other regularly occurring events on campus that can act as a good way to help push past the desire to stay in bed during this season. Whatever the event, getting out and staying involved, even if it is not directly productive in terms of academics, is a good way to maintain a functionality that can help when it comes to staying present and keeping those “winter blues” away.
Get some rest, enjoy the sunlight if you can, find a place and people to make the season a little bit easier and, most importantly, stay warm.
Ed Tortorelli is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
