Tips for Spring from CAPS
Spring is here! And with it comes the dreaded finals season. Whether you are a senior experiencing a serious bout of senioritis, or a freshman trying desperately to settle in, or a junior or a sophomore that has yet another semester to face with no end or beginning in sight, a new semester can be tough. So here are some wonderful tips from CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) to help combat the spring slump:
Prioritize your Mental Health
Whether it is because of the weather changes, the time change, or the post-holiday blues, the spring semester can be really tough on your mental health. Having overwhelming feelings of anxiety or sadness due to the weather change is real. Darker, colder days can lead to fatigue, lethargy, and depression. Identify what you are feeling, acknowledge that it’s real, prioritize setting schedules that include self-care, and seek out help from CAPS (fill out our appointment request form online: https://www.pacific.edu/student-life/safety-wellness/counseling-and-psychological-services/appointment) or by calling our 24/7 therapist at 209.946.2315 x3.
Stay organized and focused
Staying on top of your workload and managing time is a key factor for academic success. It may be overwhelming at first to write down all the assignments, finals, and deadlines, but you will thank yourself in the end. By organizing your schedule, you’re also keeping track of when you have free time to relax, hang out with friends, and participate in extracurricular activities.
Try new things
Though you might have had more excitement at the start of the fall semester and attended all of the activities and student organization fairs, the spring semester is a time to try out new things. Give yourself permission to join a new club or organization, or attend that musical recital of a friend of a friend – something that is just a little bit outside of your comfort zone. You’ll never know how much you can grow until you try!
Rest well
Once the weather starts getting a bit better, you might find yourself wanting to stay out later to take advantage of the sunshine, and then might feel the pressure to stay up late into the night completing that assignment that’s due tomorrow. To combat the tiredness the next day, you might rely on extra caffeine, crunchy foods, or naps that interrupt your natural sleep cycles. Resting on a daily level means getting enough sleep (at least 7 hours of quality sleep), eating nutritious meals throughout the day, staying hydrated, and taking mental breaks between activities to do something that is rewarding.
Work on being present in the here and now
Dwelling on the past often increases anxiety, decreases motivation, and can cause you to make mistakes in the here and now. Maybe you got a bad grade in the fall semester and it hurt your GPA, or maybe you had a falling out with a friend. Whatever the case, it’s a new semester. Set intentions about how you want this semester to go, and then let others help remind you that you can only control the present moment. The past has already happened, and the future is unknown. Take advantage of the gift of now. CAPS has a great weekly mindfulness program to help you with this, called Mindful UOP. Learn more about our groups here: https://www.pacific.edu/student-life/safety-wellness/counseling-and-psychological-services/group-therapy