Charli Mclnturff ‘23
If covid wasn’t hard enough for some people at least we have a cold winter to look forward to. Especially on the east coast, we’ve experienced more “winter” than usual with many snowfalls the last few months. With this temperature drop of the changing seasons for some people, winters don’t exactly feel the same. Actually, over 16.2 million Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or more commonly known as the winter blues. Because of the current separation from campus and limited social interaction, this year has been harder than others. Also, we are more focused on our screens not providing many opportunities for going outside to soak in some vitamin D. Luckily students are getting creative and finding out new ways to cope. Someone brought up the idea of looking for the positives in our current situation, it was mentioned using this winter as a “reset”. Being an opportunity to self-reflect and start finding what truly brings meaning in your life. Personally treasured activities are things that make you feel important and accomplished, especially during these times you can’t forget to prioritize yourself. Some examples could be making it a goal to drink a gallon of water a day, or simply just jotting down goals. Another part of that is feeling accomplished when bringing meaning into someone else’s life, like randomly texting an old friend or dropping cookies to a neighbor. It’s not how much we give rather how much love we put into giving, which can have positive impacts on our overall mental health.