This month’s edition of Finds You Well is all about entering the new semester with compassion and practical wellness strategies. Explore tips for managing the Sunday scaries, building healthier systems instead of rigid resolutions, recognizing signs of SAD and finding small, meaningful ways to support your well-being this winter.

Welcome back to a new semester and to 2026.

Every January, we’re encouraged to start our year off with sweeping goals (or resolutions) for ourselves: work out more, get organized, save money, be happier, among other things. But for many (OK, most) people, resolutions create pressure rather than progress. They’re typically rigid, all-or-nothing and tied to an arbitrary date that doesn’t necessarily match where you are mentally, emotionally or energetically. If they work for you, that’s great! But if they don’t, instead of making resolutions and abandoning them by next month — disheartened and full of self-blame — try these ideas instead:

Caroline Kohl, law student, UT Knoxville

Sundays can be anxiety producing, especially when you have a full week ahead after a long holiday vacation, or you feel like the week ran away from you. Check out the tips below to keep the Sunday scaries away and start the new semester on the right foot. 

As we continue on through the chilly weather season, staying warm is important. Use this time to create a ritual that involves creating time and space to take care of you. Try winding down and cozying up with your favorite cup of hot tea, hot cocoa or even a hot bath! The temperature is actually known to help with stress, sleep and relaxation! Read more here.

Adam Diaz, counseling graduate student, UT Martin

The extra hour of sleep that daylight savings offers is a welcome gift, especially when you are a full-time student. It isn’t until later that day that I ask myself if the hour was worth it, especially when it seems that night time comes faster and faster each day.

This change can hit hard. Aside from the lack of sunlight, this time of year can be stressful for many people as family gatherings during breaks or holidays can bring up old conflicts, or hard issues, including loneliness and grief.

Something to be on the look-out for in yourself and your friends is something called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. It is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, usually starting in the fall and lasting through the winter, though some people have it in the spring or summer instead. There’s also a milder version called “winter blues” where the symptoms aren’t as intense but are still noticeable.Think: More severe than I feel like staying inside because of winter, and less severe than I feel like never getting out of bed this winter.

It is more common in women, younger adults, those who live farther from the equator or anyone with a family history of depression, bipolar disorder or SAD.

What to look for?

What to do?

If these feelings become persistent, worsening and/or severe, please talk to your primary care doctor, your therapist or your psychiatrist.

Still want to learn more? Check out these resources: 

We’re excited to welcome Amelia C. Phillips, DrPH, MPH, CPH, as the new director of systemwide student wellness, effective Jan. 26. Dr. Phillips brings a strong background in public health and higher education leadership, most recently serving as director of well-being for the University of South Florida’s College of Nursing, where she led wellness initiatives across multiple campuses and clinical settings.

At UT, she will partner with Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Jessi Gold and campus colleagues to strengthen inclusive, evidence-based wellness programs, support mental health and substance use prevention efforts, and help guide the first systemwide National College Health Assessment launching in February.

Marlee Sanders, medical student, UT Health Science Center

In the midst of long study days, exam seasons and the constant rhythm of college life, meal prepping and healthy eating can feel like impossible tasks. Especially in the era of social media where our feeds are flooded with wellness influences promoting expensive supplements and rigid diet trends the idea of “eating healthy” can seem even more intimidating. 

Healthy eating does not need to involve elaborate preparation, bland meals or intense restriction. True wellness is not defined by rigid rules but is rather shaped by small, sustainable choices that help you feel nourished in whatever season of life you are in. It also doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated; simple, affordable ingredients can become nutrient-rich meals when built with color, flavor and intention. Some of my grocery staples include beans, lentils, quinoa, tofu, oats, and frozen fruits and vegetables. These foods are accessible, easy to prepare with spices and sauces, and are budget friendly with a long shelf life. 

Mindful eating is most effective when viewed as an effort rather than a standard of perfection. By approaching food with flexibility while leaving space for comfort foods, cultural favorites and the reality of student schedules, we protect ourselves from the guilt and restriction that often undermine well-being. 

A relationship with food rooted in creativity, balance and self-compassion supports both physical and mental health. In this season, I encourage you to shift the goal from perfection to nourishment and discover the foods that support your personal energy, mood and sense of wellbeing. 

Alli Wells, student, UT Southern

Going into college at UT Southern, I didn’t really know much about myself other than that I was an athlete. That was really the only thing I identified myself as up to that point. In middle school, high school and college, I have always just seen myself as a swimmer because when it’s an important part of your life for so long, it becomes an easy label for yourself. 

Being a “student-athlete” took on another meaning when I started on the collegiate level because you’re taking on two roles all the time. Managing time with rigorous training and higher academics can be overwhelming with just that alone. Still, I wanted to be involved in other things like Greek life and SGA. Through these other experiences, I found my best friends and who I am as a person, not just as an athlete. 

What college doesn’t prepare you for is being a full-time student and facing an injury. Getting injured and having surgery puts everything in your life on hold — which isn’t easy as a college student. 

I quickly learned that I am more than an athlete, student body president or sorority sister. I am Alli who loves to be there for everyone. The same Alli I have always been despite how everyone perceived me.

Noah Hamlett, student, UT Knoxville

Struggling with winter blues? One proven way to try to combat this is SAD lamps. SAD lamps mimic natural sunlight and can help reset your body’s clock and boost mood-regulating brain chemicals. Great for when it is too dark outside for natural light at the same quantities even if you try to schedule in time outdoors.

Using a SAD lamp for about 20–30 minutes each morning (for example, while having breakfast or studying) can lift your mood and energy in the darker months. Keeping a regular schedule of use matters, and you want a lamp that emits at least 10,000 lux of light – roughly the equivalent of full daylight — positioned about 11 inches away from your face. Which lamp you buy is up to you. Read reviews just like buying anything else! Research shows many people see significant improvements while using SAD lamps, making them an easily accessible way to feel a bit better in the winter! 

Click to learn more!

If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — free, confidential support 24/7.

Know someone who could use a little encouragement, a fresh perspective or just a reminder they’re not alone? Forward this email and have them subscribe.

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