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Wellness Between Terms

Managing Stress Between Academic Terms

While the transition between academic terms and the holiday season can bring a welcome change of pace, they can also be associated with financial pressure, loneliness, and anxiety. Many in our community also are experiencing varying degrees of emotional distress due to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis in the Middle East as well as other parts of the world. For all of these reasons and more, there has never been a better time to focus on kindness, care, and compassion for ourselves and others.

Here are some strategies to help manage through the break and cope during challenging times.

Pause and check in with yourself.

Take a moment to S.T.O.P. Self-awareness raising practices like mindfulness and meditation can bring benefits beyond stress management. Paying attention, without judgment to what your mind is doing, can bring clarity and give you information about your needs.

  • Students interested in learning and practicing self-awareness raising skills over the break are invited to register for a special edition winterim Koru Mindfulness course (hybrid format).
  • As a Dartmouth student, you also have premium access to the Headspace app at no cost, in addition to a library of mindfulness recordings and resources created by the Dartmouth community for the Dartmouth community.

Simply noticing how you are feeling is a powerful first step.

Choose what you need.

What will be most supportive to you during this winterim? By exploring different aspects of your wellbeing during the break, you may discover practices or resources that can help you in times of turbulence. Tuning into

  • physical wellness (sleep, nutrition, movement, preventative care, sunlamp, connect with nature),
  • social wellness (reconnecting with family and old friends, checking in on friends, or creating space from others),
  • intellectual wellness (exploring world issues in moderation, reading for pleasure), or
  • spiritual wellness (connect with a faith community, engage in interfaith dialogue)

are just some examples of how some people may choose to explore. 

Seek help.

Need support? You're not alone. There are a variety of resources available through Dartmouth to help you with your winterim wellness plan, such wellness check ins, spiritual counseling, self-paced challenges, and mental health support, and more—even between academic terms.

The Student Wellness Center office in Berry Library, Suite 178-79, is open weekdays 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM through Wednesday, December 20. Staff are working and available during regular business hours (8:30 AM - 4:30 PM) by phone or email through Friday, December 22.