Thanksgiving and winter break present opportunities to take care of ourselves. We sometimes hear from students that one thing they don't look forward to is catching up with family and friends about events that have been in the news while they have been at school. Although it can feel hard to disengage, it is important to remember that breaks are a time to nurture ourselves and strengthen our well-being. By taking care of ourselves, we will be better able to engage with others and our daily experiences from a place of wellness.

Here are some ways to address stress over break:

1. Identify physical needs for your time during break, including adequate sleep, exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation.
2. Consider your mental and emotional needs during the break, including time to connect with others and/or time for yourself. Choose activities and topics you enjoy, and set limits for thinking or talking about subjects that you know will increase your stress.
3. Set realistic expectations for your time and identify what boundaries or limits you will need to help you meet those expectations.
4. Be compassionate with yourself and others. Everyone responds differently to stress. Your body knows the best ways for you to process emotions and release stress. Trust what it is telling you.
5. Be as open and honest as possible with family and friends about what you need over the break. It is okay to ask for what you need and to set limits on what is not helpful. They won’t know how to be supportive of your needs unless you tell them.
6. Consider taking breaks from social media and the news if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed by topics being discussed. Taking a break does not mean that you do not care, it means that you realize increasing your stress will not help you or anyone else.
7. Allow yourself to focus on areas of interest that you typically don’t have time for during a normal school work week. Take a break from problem analysis and solving for at least part of your break time.
8. You know best what will be fulfilling, restorative and restful for you. Trust yourself and your plan to achieve that.
9. If you do want to open up to family and friends about vulnerable or difficult topics, ask them to just listen rather than respond. It is important to seek support and feel heard. You may then choose to ask them to share their thoughts if that would be helpful.

We hope you have a peaceful holiday break.

Related resources - go to www.studenthealth.virginia.edu/CAPS for information about TimelyCare or services available through CAPS plus a link to other resources curated by our Student Health & Wellness colleagues. TimelyCare offers UVA students 24/7 virtual, wraparound mental health care at no cost*. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare. Through CAPS partnership with TimelyCare, students have access to on-demand TalkNow services, scheduled counseling, psychiatry, group sessions, Self-Care Journeys, and peer-to-peer support. To learn more about TimelyCare and the services available to you visit CAPS' TimelyCare page here.