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Dear Domers,

Welcome back from fall break! Whether you visited places as far away as Uganda or as close to home as Rocco’s Pizza, we hope you had a relaxing midsemester break and are gearing up for a great rest of the semester. Let’s be honest, the post-fall break slump is real: it gets darker earlier, the sun tends to come out less and everyone is just a little bit more stressed. Football games are winding down and that final paper deadline seems to be sneaking up even faster than usual. When this starts to happen, it is critical to be extra conscious about taking care of ourselves and those around us. Though there is no perfect formula for the best mental health tactics, when things get a little bit more challenging, we would like to point out a few great resources. Make sure that you explore the McDonald Center for Student Well-Being. With their three inner resource rooms, essential oils and sleep kits, this is the best place to go to recenter yourself. On a more clinical level, the University Counseling Center now offers new drop-in hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The UCC also offers individual counseling and group counseling for social anxiety, substance usage, eating disorders and other target areas. Also, to easily find these resources, the Sakai landing page now has a new “well-being” button that directs students to the university’s health and wellness resources.

Whether it seems like it or not, everyone around you is struggling in one way or another. Do not be afraid to reach out to friends, RAs, professors, mentors, family or your rector for help. Our Notre Dame community is only as strong as each member is, so it is imperative that we look out for each other.

As always, we welcome you all to reach out with any questions, concerns, suggestions or hopes to get involved via email at studegov@nd.edu or at our office in 203 LaFun. There is always a plethora of hot chocolate, coffee (as well as $10 vouchers for coffee with a professor!), tea and friendship. So please never hesitate to stop by and say hello!

In Notre Dame,

Elizabeth & Pat