The Hub Tips for managing holiday stress

Tips for managing holiday stress

By: Connie Covey, AU Counselling Services

The holiday season can be stressful for students for a number of reasons.

Images of the holiday bring to the surface many expectations—expectations of what we believe the holidays should look like and also expectations around juggling busy activities during this time of year. In light of the increased number of expectations, it is good to remind yourself of your priorities and increase mindfulness around time management and scheduling.

Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help you manage your stress and bring you more joy this holiday season.

Set your priorities and manage your time

As you establish your priorities and schedule your time during this busy season, you may want to use a calendar to jot down tasks, assignments, exams, and other commitments during the month of December.

Next you will need to prioritize your tasks and commitments; some tasks and commitments may be fun but are not necessarily a good use of your time. Other tasks such as completing course readings and assignments are important for your overall success. Still other tasks require your urgent attention in order to ensure you achieve your learning goals by the end of December, for instance requesting your exam.

During this busy season you may need to revisit your calendar daily in order to ensure you are focusing on the right tasks and priorities as well as managing your time in a way that will help you achieve your long-term goals.

Seek support

If your life feels chaotic and you are having difficulty coping during this busy time of year, there is support available during the holidays. AU counselling services is committed to providing resources to help you maintain good mental health and wellness during this busy time of year.

Good mental health and wellness is about having the ability to participate freely in the things you enjoy, deal with life’s challenges effectively and fulfill your potential as an individual—ideally while making a positive contribution to the world around you.

There are a number of resource available to support you:

• self-help resources;
• learn more about the Wellness Support Program for AU students; and
• under the Wellness Support Program, contact a Carepath Digital Health counsellor for a free, confidential, and private consultation.

Want to access more services?

Learn more about the resources available on AU’s Mental Health and Wellness page.

We wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season!

Filed Under:
Published:
  • November 27, 2019
Guest Blog from:
Connie Covey, AU Counselling Services