Managing stress this holiday season
The holidays are a great opportunity to spend time with loved ones and take part in festive traditions. Unfortunately, we may also occasionally experience overwhelming expectations, stressful situations and burnout — not to mention grief or loss — this time of year.
If you are struggling with challenging emotions this holiday season, we invite you to explore available resources to help reduce stress and bring more joy to your holidays.
The UF Employee Assistance Program has three licensed therapists dedicated to serving UF employees. Appointments can be scheduled both in-person or via telehealth. UF employees — including faculty, staff, graduate assistants, non-student OPS employees, housestaff, residents and postdoc associates — may schedule an appointment via the EAP website or by calling (352) 273-1765.
From guided meditations to resiliency toolkits, financial literacy workshops and more — explore the variety of wellness programs and resources available to faculty and staff on the UF Worklife website.
Sign up for a Calm membership and explore pre-recorded audio content designed to help manage stress, anxiety and insomnia. Features include meditation instruction, sleep aides, music for relaxation, video lessons on mindful movement and gentle stretching, audio programs taught by world-renowned mindfulness experts, and nature scenes and sounds.
Explore our guided meditation sessions! Most of the recordings are ten minutes in length and aim to provide a sense of calm and overall well-being.
From stress management tips to podcasts and more, explore the anxiety and stress management resources in our Resilience and Emotional Well-being Toolkit.
Listen to Managing Mental Health Around the Holidays with UF EAP Therapist Devin Shorey.
Watch the recording of Coping with Grief During the Holidays with UF EAP Therapist Allison Rider.
Watch the recording How to Avoid Becoming a Grinch with UF/IFAS Family and Consumer Science Agent Melanie Taylor to learn tips and strategies on how to manage holiday stress.
Watch the recording Managing Holiday Stress with a ComPsych representative to learn how to keep stress from overwhelming you by maintaining a healthy balance.
Learning how to recognize and address stress is key to a stress-free holiday season. Visit the UF Counseling & Wellness Center’s website to learn the four steps for managing stress.
Explore Gatorwell’s stress management and mindfulness resources.
Read this GatorCare article to take a stress test and explore more stress management techniques.
Faculty and staff who encounter students in distress are encouraged to explore the Counseling & Wellness Center’s Faculty & Staff Lounge for a variety of resources designed to educate, improve skills and help support students experiencing a range of challenges.
Visit the Employee Wellness Series for on-demand wellness webinars, and explore the Get Healthy section of the Worklife website for more wellness resources.