Dear Students,
We hope this email finds you well. As we near the end of the fall we recognize the days are getting a little shorter, which might mean we’re spending a bit more time indoors. Additionally, it’s a busy time of the semester, which may be creating some additional challenges.
While our first fall with a full return to activities as a community could serve as a source of great joy, it is also okay and important to acknowledge that this might not always be the case. Experiencing a range of feelings during times of transition, adjustment, exploration, and challenge is quite normal. Excitement for end-of-semester activities, anticipation for upcoming plans, stress around juggling coursework and other responsibilities, or even some disappointment or sadness when things have not gone to plan or worked out how we had hoped—all are valid arrays of emotion.
Consider this short note a chance to check in with yourself and those around you, and see what you might need to best navigate the final weeks of the semester.
It’s not always easy, but in ways that resonate with you, we encourage you to prioritize your overall well-being—take time to notice your internal experience, and wonder about what it’s trying to communicate to you. Sometimes talking with others to gain understanding can be a helpful step in this process.
Some additional ways you can help yourself might include—allowing time to get enough quality sleep, moving your body in whatever forms of exercise feel good to you, eating well, spending time with important others (peers, family, faculty, teammates, classmates, etc.), practicing self-compassion (we are all too often our harshest critics), and taking time to reset and recharge. If you are looking for interactive ways to take a break, the wellness events calendar has some interesting options to explore.
If you could use some assistance in prioritizing or figuring out how to engage in this reflective recuperative process, try connecting with the variety of Lehigh resources that are here to help.
And if you think some extra support might help—try checking in with one of our UCPS counselors, MySSP on-demand counselors, and/or try out some self-guided tools like Headspace—all are free resources for Lehigh students.
Sincerely,
Katherine Lavinder
Dean of Students
Aaron Sterba
Director, Lehigh University Counseling and Psychological Services (UCPS)