The transition from high school to university is a big change and it can be challenging to practice self-care and resiliency. Finding things that you can control can help work through difficult situations and experiences, like living on your own for the first time, failing a midterm, or breaking up with a partner.

Some of the ideas here may help to find some of that control and help your overall well-being.

Think Well

• Focus on what you can control: When life feels overwhelming, try and find one thing every day that you can control and control the heck out of it. Tidy up your space, hang out with a friend, or read a chapter of a book you’ve been meaning to get to. Focusing on what you can control helps ground you through uncertainty.
• Challenge worry-thoughts: If you have persistent thoughts such as “I’m a failure who will never pass this class”, challenge them with factual statements such as “I was accepted to university because I’m smart and deserve to be here.” Remind yourself that thinking something doesn’t make it true. Access our relaxation and stress management skills training programs and resources [1] to help you stress less, decrease anxiety and reduce worrying.

Move Well

Physical activity can be incorporated in whatever way fits your life best. Some options on campus include:

• The Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre [2] includes a fitness centre, classes, clubs, and intramural teams. Follow them on Instagram @gryphons_fitness [3] for more information! 
• Go for a hike in the Arboretum [4]! The Arboretum is located on the east side of campus and has over 9 km of trails to explore. Go for a walk on your own, with friends, or join Student Wellness on a 50-min Mood Routes walk led by a student wellness peer. Check GryphLife [5] to see when the next walk is happening!
• Walking or biking to campus instead of taking the bus if you live close enough.

Eat Well

Food has a large impact on energy levels, mood, and academic performance. With all the food choices on campus, it can be hard to pick options that make you feel good, especially when there are a lot of other things going on. 

Campus Dietician

Lindzie O'Reilly, the University's on-campus dietitian, offers cooking classes, answers to common nutrition questions, recipes, and resources to help students get reliable information about food and nutrition. Check out all of the campus dietician services [6].

Student Nutrition Awareness Program (SNAP)

SNAP [7] provides nutrition education, support, and resources to help students develop healthy eating habits and adjust to campus life.

Sleep Well

A good night’s sleep is an important part of mental well-being. Sleep often gets sacrificed for staying up late to finish a project, going out with friends, or watching just one more episode of a show. Being well rested helps with concentration, problem solving and decision making. We’re also more likely to do the activities that make us feel good like exercising, drawing, or journaling when we’re not tired. 

Some tools that can help you get a good night's sleep include:

• Stick to a regular sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at a regular time, even on the weekend.
• Limit caffeine three hours before bed.
• Kathy Somers also runs a Better Sleep Program [8] where you can learn about strategies and techniques that promote better and more restful sleep.