Breathe in, breathe out, check in with yourself and others

Sasha Hatinger 

Staff Writer

January is National Mental Wellness Month. So, there’s no better time to check in on those you love who may be struggling mentally, including yourself.

The holiday season can be a tough time for many. As college students, obligations run as deep as the guilt students may feel for not meeting all the real or imaginary requirements.

Personal counselor at WCC, Karolyn Lehn, explains why the holiday season may be more stressful for WCC students, “First of all, I think that during the holidays, a lot of stressors come together at once,” Lehn said.

“For WCC students … Usually that holiday time kind of coincides with the end of the semester. And [the] end of the semester means final exams, final projects, classes that are going to be finishing up, and so those deadlines can definitely compound stress,” Lehn said.

That’s just school itself. Lehn went on to break down why the holiday season, specifically, can add additional pressure to students. 

“Compounded with that, is holiday stress. So the stress of maybe having to try to see a lot of people during that short gap of time, trying to make all the schedules work. And for students, that might mean trying to divide time between school stuff, seeing friends, seeing family, also, too, with that is … the holiday gifts themselves,” Lehn said. 

So, what can students do to help themselves during a particularly stressful holiday season?

“I think first of all, as WCC students, I always like to advocate using the resources that they have,” Lehn said. Lehn went on to mention a service available for WCC students, which is called,”WCC-4-YOU.” 

“That is available for WCC students, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be for students who are in crisis, but it can also be for students who just need somebody to talk to. Maybe they’re just feeling stressful emotions … especially since the holidays or this break time can be more stressful,” Lehn said. 

There are also skills students can utilize when having stressful times, whether during the holiday break, at school, or in their day-to-day life. Lehn suggested taking breaks to allow time for relaxation and to “give your brain some reset time.”

Techniques like “square breathing” or “box breathing” are also helpful for students to do some breathwork and focus on their breathing to help relax. It is a simple way to help ground yourself during stressful times. 

The steps are as follows: breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, and hold your breath again for four seconds. Repeating this can help students realign themselves to hopefully feel better.

According to WebMD, there are many benefits of square/box breathing, including: developing a coping skill to help reduce panic and anxiety, lowering blood pressure and it can help with insomnia.

Lehn also suggests that students fill out the “Care Team form,” when struggling mentally. She also encourages students to keep an eye out for events from the counseling department–including Welcome Day during the winter semester, which is on Jan. 22, 2025, in the Student Center. 

“I would encourage students … if they’re struggling, to reach out. I really do feel that WCC is not just a college, but it really does want to support the community,” Lehn said. 

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