April showers may bring May flowers, but December weather and Seasonal Affective Disorder can arrive together. For students going through finals this season, SAD poses a unique challenge.

In anticipation of end-of-semester sickness, Baylor Health Services officials say flu cases rise just as much as mental health concerns do in the final weeks of the semester. They advise students to seek treatment earlier rather than “powering through.”

“We’re really trying to foster and create a new community for students to come to that’s more peer-to-peer rather than peer-to quote unquote ‘adult,’ so it’s more of a comfortable connection,” Villalon said.

Former Baylor volleyball player Emily Huston created HomeTeam, which is “the first centralized hub for athlete-centered care and community,” according to its website. HomeTeam was born to combat the loneliness athletes face after leaving their sport.

As finals approach, Baylor’s Graduate School is encouraging students to slow down, reflect and reset through its upcoming Wellness Wednesday workshop, “Ending Well: Reflect & Recharge.”

Despite the addictive nature of phones, there is a solution to the ever-consuming algorithm — a better way to educate oneself, to engage in critical thought and expand one’s worldview. I propose returning to the original form of entertainment, the humble paperback book.

It’s so easy to blame the phone, but the truth is, the phone isn’t forcing us to do anything. It’s our own habits that are out of control. Technology is neutral; it becomes what we make of it.

In the desert, there was no air conditioner humming, no cars passing or machinery whirring. There were no signs of humanity; I was extremely uncomfortable, and that’s exactly why I think everyone should experience camping.

Human interaction can’t compete with the dopamine spike that social media provides. The attention economy has made focus a rare commodity. Every app is engineered to pull us back in, fragmenting not just our time, but our relationships. Friendship now competes with algorithms designed to hijack our curiosity.

The hardest version of forgiveness isn’t about someone else’s mistakes. It’s about your own. It’s easier to extend grace to people who hurt us than it is to look back and forgive the person we used to be.

As the first wellness-focused TED-style presentation ended, the afternoon’s message was clear: the art of performing begins with taking care of the performer.

At the age of 21, Ph.D. candidate Dr. Cali Werner was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. She began a form of cognitive behavioral therapy known as evidence-based care, and it transformed both her sport and her day-to-day life.

“We wanted to create something that freshmen and people of all grades could come in, find their people, have a little community that’s aside from everything else that we can just move our bodies, get our mental health up,” Piede said.

What is struggle if not the deciding point between failure and success? It is at this inflection point where I believe indispensable value is found. A value that doesn’t only pertain to a moment, but transcends that moment and becomes a life lesson.

For many individuals, art becomes more than just an expression — it’s a lifeline.

Embarrassment isn’t something to run from. It’s actually a superpower, a teacher, a nudge and sometimes even a gift. When we dive into those moments that make us blush, we realize confidence doesn’t come from being perfect; it comes from being real. We mess up, we laugh at ourselves, we bounce back and we grow.

Educators and institutions alike must recognize that more tech isn’t always better. A balanced approach, mixing digital with traditional methods, can help restore the rhythm of learning. Screen-free moments paired with in-person collaboration and intentional tech use can reduce fatigue and encourage deeper engagement.

Balloons popped, coins dropped and students stopped as the Counseling Center and a variety of other organizations created campus connections for Mental Health Awareness Day.

With so much noise in the world today, it is easy to get overloaded. There are many ways someone can escape from the noise, whether it be social media scrolling, listening to music or reading a book. Recently, my favorite way to unwind and relax is sitting on the couch and watching a mindless TV show.

In a fast-paced world where “influence” is king, sometimes the greatest service we can render to our fellow man isn’t our advice, but our questions. All we want is to feel heard, to have influence, to feel needed. But when my speaking, influencing and importance come up against the teachings of Jesus, the choice is clear. I must cede to the one who died for me.

“It’s a really cool opportunity to be a support person and to be somebody that I would have wanted when I was going through my recovery journey,” Lufkin senior Luke Langston said.

Snapchat is a social media platform that should be left in the past, where it belongs. If you want a career after college, do your mental health and authenticity a favor and move on from old habits. Snapchat feeds a self-destroying cycle.

Student health and wellness, the department of communication, students and staff across campus worked together to create HealthyBearsTXT, a new text-message-based initiative for students.

Self-Care September has arrived, and with it come questions about what self-care means and how to implement it effectively in your life. In a culture that’s become centered on self-help and improvement, it’s essential to learn how to take time to take care of your mental health.

To make the jump into college life less overwhelming, the Counseling Center offers advice and resources to help struggling students, including group and individual therapy sessions, dietetics for students needing a personalized meal plan and crisis appointments.

Tapestry of Care, a new $1.76 million initiative, aims to bridge the gap between faith communities and mental health support, helping churches better address crises and connect congregations with vital resources.

Active Minds is doing events for finals such as providing food, self-care kits and activities for students to relax at Fountain Mall. There will also be a trail mix bar in the library on dead day for students to come and get a study snack.

Part of learning how to get over my social anxiety was learning that conversations with strangers could be playful, fun and deeply fulfilling at the same time if I was willing to reject some social norms and shift to topics that brought a deeper narrative, such as the ones I asked the first gent.

By now you have probably seen the newest viral trend, The USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge. This cause, created with good intent, has turned into a trend instead of a way to spread awareness.

The first point of Da’ Shack Farmer’s Market was to tackle food insecurity by educating Waco locals on gardening, given how advantageous it can be because of the regenerative cycle of crops.