How are you preparing for Utah’s winter season?

If you ski or snowboard, you’ve likely cleaned and waxed your equipment. Maybe you got a flu shot in hopes of staying healthy, or stocked up on cough drops for that eventual sore throat.

But have you made a plan for your mental health during the coldest and darkest season?

“I think sometimes students assume that they have to be in dire straits or crisis mode to access Counseling Center services,” said Christina Kelly LeCluyse, associate director of programming and outreach at the University of Utah’s Counseling Center. “Mental health requires preventative care, just like our physical health.”

Listen to a You for U podcast episode with LeCluyse here. 

If you anticipate challenges may arise for you over the coming months—whether it’s resurfacing grief, tension with family, concerns for the new semester or non-specific winter blues—LeCluyse suggests preemptively visiting the Counseling Center.

“If you come talk through those issues, it can be really beneficial and even prevent a crisis,” she said.

The Counseling Center offers students a wide variety of services, including individual and group therapy sessions, skills workshops and mindfulness programs, and of course, visits with the U’s facility dog, Volley. All clinical services offered by the Counseling Center are free of charge; psychiatric services are the only ones for which the center charges.

LeCluyse said that while students might assume individual therapy is the best option, group therapy provides a powerful opportunity to build community and receive peer support.

“Earlier this year, I led a group for female-identified trauma survivors,” LeCluyse said. “As you can imagine, it’s a difficult topic to discuss, but the type of healing that can happen when you’re in the room with peers who have had similar experiences to you, it’s a type of healing that by its nature cannot happen in individual therapy.”

In addition to formal mental health services, there are many anxiety and depression reducing strategies you can incorporate into your life:

Moving your body

Whether it’s regularly going to the gym or taking walks on sunny days, exercise is a mood booster.

Campus Recreation Services offers group fitness classes, which are a great opportunity to learn something new and spend time with others. This semester, class attendance is free Jan. 5-11, March 9-15 and April 24-30. Students still need to pre-register for the classes at least 24 hours in advance. Find more details here.

Intramural Sports can also be good for mental health— offering both social and physical activity. Registration is open from Jan. 2-10. Find more information here.

And don’t forget you can visit Red Butte Garden for free all year with your UCard.

Intentional lighting

In addition to catching the sun when it makes an appearance, inside lighting can also help your mood. The Danish practice of hygge is an effort to create a feeling of warmth, safety and comfort. Lighting plays a key role, with a focus on soft, ambient lighting. If you hang holiday lights inside, consider leaving them up past December. Burn candles if your living situation allows or find a lamp you like (Facebook Marketplace and thrift stores are inexpensive options).

Some people may benefit from a light-therapy lamp that mimics some of the sun’s properties. The Salt Lake County system has a limited number of lights available for check-out, so you can try it before investing.

Nourishing food

Create simple routines to ensure you are regularly eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins. This may include buying a bag of apples for easy snacks, stocking your freezer with quick options for busy days or meal prepping with friends or roommates. If you are experiencing food insecurity, use resources like the Basic Needs Collective’s Feed U Pantry.

Connecting with others

Prioritize regularly spending time with friends and family in person. Build simple, recurring activities into your schedule, such as a weekly lunch or study session, so you have things to look forward to. Making time to call or video chat with loved ones who are far away can also fight loneliness.

Allowing time for joy

College life is busy, and adding work and family responsibilities can make you feel as though you have no time to yourself. Build some pauses into your life by choosing a ritual that makes you happy, such as listening to a favorite playlist while getting ready, reading a few pages of a fun book before bed or spending a little time each week learning a new skill.

Learn more about the resources the Counseling Center offers here.