Make Rest A Priority

Winter months bring colder weather, less sunshine, and often more ailments. With COVID-19 concerns and additional widespread stressors to manage this season, feeling tired or rundown throughout the day is common for many. Term breaks, dependent care responsibilities, and remote work considerations can also disrupt schedules. Inconsistent and varied schedules along with increased stress can influence sleep patterns. Cold, wet weather can also reduce access to the safe, comfortable outdoor activities that many rely on to naturally de-stress and support restful sleep. Inadequate rest can affect overall well-being and minimize one's abilities to concentrate and feel productive.

Though every one's personal, professional, and community situations vary, everyone is faced with the ongoing need to adjust and adapt this winter as work-life parameters change. Those ongoing adjustments combined with other factors that can decrease sleep and rest quality can translate to fatigue symptoms.

The Health and Safety Committee would like to increase fatigue awareness and emphasize the importance of rest. Community members are encouraged to prioritize their health and take steps to get quality sleep. It is also important to recognize that increased stress and lack of quality sleep are not the only causes of fatigue. Fatigue can also be a symptom of underlying medical conditions.

To explore more about sleep health, medical emergency fatigue symptoms, and tips to improve slumber, check out this fatigue awareness insight sheet. For additional insight on quality rest, visit the online faculty and staff Covid-19 Wellness Resource Guide section devoted to sleep .