Take Care: Back to school tips for UNMC students

“Take Care” is a series of wellness-themed educational articles that run occasionally in UNMC Today. The articles are intended to remind us of the need to make self-care a priority.

Welcome back, students. Starting a new school year is simultaneously exciting and stressful, filled with the promise of learning interesting new things, engaging in exciting opportunities and plenty of hours studying and preparing for projects and exams.

Here are some tips for maintaining health and wellness as you get back into academic life.

1. Pace yourself. When you’re preparing for an exam or big project, it can feel daunting. It’s often useful to break down big projects into smaller goals and steps. Set a reasonable study goal for each day when you have several weeks before your next exam, break big projects into its components and work on them one at a time and find ways to make papers easier to complete. (Maybe start with an outline, or complete one section at a time.) This helps with getting things done, managing the anxiety that can accompany schoolwork and prevents cramming the night before.
2. If you don’t manage to pace yourself, practice self-compassion. Sometimes a student’s schedule is packed, and it feels like you’re addressing things as they come. Don’t judge yourself when things don’t go according to plan. If you feel that your pacing is becoming too difficult to manage, do some problem solving and get help when you need it.
3. Work to maintain your physical wellness. Physical wellness often can get sidelined when our to-do lists get full. But when you’re healthy, it’s much easier to work through that to-do list.
   • Get regular physical activity, even just little things throughout the day. Ten-minute dance parties always are recommended.
   • Proper sleep is essential for learning and stress management.
   • Eat enough and eat a balanced diet.
   • Visit the doctor and dentist. Whether it’s an annual visit or you need help with something specific, your health matters.
4. Just as important as physical wellness, maintaining your mental health also is an active process.
   • When possible, engage in valued activities, including ones that aren’t school related.
   • Spend time with friends and family; don’t lose your important connections.
   • Seek therapy when needed. A therapist can help you learn to manage stress, set reasonable goals, manage mental health disorders like depression or anxiety and should become part of your health care routine when needed.
5. Utilize the resources available to you when you need them:
   • Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): free and confidential mental health counseling, located discretely at the Student Life Center. Call 402-559-7276 for an appointment.
   • Take advantage of the UNMC smartphone app, which has a mental health screening function.
   • The Division of Student Success has many other support services available at all UNMC campuses. Check out this site for more information.

Steve Wengel, MD, is UNMC’s assistant vice chancellor for campus wellness and a professor in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. Sarah Fischer, PhD, is an assistant professor in the UNMC Department of Psychiatry. Both Dr. Wengel and Dr. Fischer are with the UNMC Wellness Office.