Dear Students,
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break and found the time for rest and renewal. Whether you spent the break on campus or elsewhere, please know you and your loved ones were in my prayers.
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving break and found the time for rest and renewal. Whether you spent the break on campus or elsewhere, please know you and your loved ones were in my prayers.
As we near the end of the fall semester, I write to simply remind you about the importance of caring for yourselves and one another. I know very well that when life gets full it can be difficult to prioritize our physical and mental health, but it’s also at times like these when caring for our well-being is most essential.
If you are looking for support in this regard, I encourage you to start by assessing your current wellness needs using the Step Care Model employed by the University’s Student Health and Wellness Unit.
The model, which looks at health and wellness as an always changing spectrum specific to each individual, involves five steps that vary from basic self-care requirements to emergency situations that require immediate help. Wherever you fall on the model at any given time, Student Health and Wellness has resources that can help you with solution-focused treatment. Learn more and assess your own needs through the Interactive Wellness Tool here.
If you are looking for support in this regard, I encourage you to start by assessing your current wellness needs using the Step Care Model employed by the University’s Student Health and Wellness Unit.
The model, which looks at health and wellness as an always changing spectrum specific to each individual, involves five steps that vary from basic self-care requirements to emergency situations that require immediate help. Wherever you fall on the model at any given time, Student Health and Wellness has resources that can help you with solution-focused treatment. Learn more and assess your own needs through the Interactive Wellness Tool here.
Additionally, the following online resources are available to all students—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—so please, utilize them whenever necessary and share them with your friends and classmates.
- TimelyCare: While students are encouraged to visit University Health Services (UHS) and the University Counseling Center (UCC) during business hours, TimelyCare provides 24/7 telehealth access to wellness coaching, medical care, and mental healthcare across the United States with no cost at the time of your visit. Whether you're feeling sick or overwhelmed, you can talk to a licensed provider from your smartphone or any web-enabled device. Visit TimelyCare to register for and access telehealth services.
- Calm: The Calm app is designed to promote health and wellness through the improvement of sleep quality and the reduction of stress and anxiety. Simply click here to learn how you can receive a free premium subscription.
- Hallow: A Catholic prayer and meditation app designed to guide users along their faith journey, Hallow can be used by anyone looking to strengthen their faith while simultaneously improving their health and wellness. Click here to set up your free account.
In my experience, this can be the time of year when physical and mental health most begin to slip, which can also negatively impact other areas of our lives—whether academic, social, or spiritual. As you go about your many engagements and responsibilities this fall, please remember to attend to your physical, mental, and spiritual wellness with the same intentionality as you do your club, organizational, social, athletic, and academic endeavors. And remember, you are surrounded with support that you can reach out to at any time—in your residence halls, classrooms, University offices, or the resources listed above.
Thank you for your resilience and your commitment to your health and well-being and those around you. I look forward to witnessing your success and to working with you in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Know of my prayers as we enter the final weeks of the semester and the beginning of the Advent Season.
In Notre Dame,
Fr. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Thank you for your resilience and your commitment to your health and well-being and those around you. I look forward to witnessing your success and to working with you in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Know of my prayers as we enter the final weeks of the semester and the beginning of the Advent Season.
In Notre Dame,
Fr. Gerry Olinger, C.S.C.
Vice President for Student Affairs