TimelyCare app can help students navigate the holidays

While the holidays often feature time off, excitement, and reunions with friends and relatives, they can also include overcrowded calendars, less sunlight, colder weather, disrupted sleep patterns, and interpersonal tension. Sometimes, people retreat into themselves to deal with the noise and busted routines.

Finding the right balance should include devoting time to address mental health. Kerrie Fineran, chief of Campus and Community Wellbeing at Purdue University Fort Wayne, likes to ask others what they are doing to take care of themselves and is always eager to share a few suggestions.

“One thing I want people to think about is `What makes me feel well, and how do I intentionally invest in that?’” Fineran said from her office in the Center for Student Counseling. “A lot of us stay busy or unwind with things that are fun but don’t truly restore us. I want people to pause and ask, `Am I renewing myself in a way that will genuinely support my long-term wellbeing?’”

That may include stepping away with a good book, meditation, or a workout. It can also mean taking full advantage of the TimelyCare app, PFW’s recently initiated digital self-care option that provides support all-day, every day. Along with mental health crisis and treatment services, TimelyCare also offers self-care resources that are always available by phone, tablet, or computer.

Through the app, students can join the Peer Community, which offers anonymous and secure message boards where they can connect with other students across the country who may be dealing with similar issues. The Digital Self-Care content platform includes videos, medication, yoga, journaling, and other wellness tools that are accessible at any time, even if a student is traveling half a world away.

Students can easily sign in with their PFW login credentials through a dedicated platform. The benefits are free, as no insurance is required. All patient privacy standards are maintained.

“Breaks can be a meaningful opportunity for students to care for their mental health and set themselves up for the semester ahead,” Fineran said. “It’s a great time to build a self-care habit you can continue, even in small moments, like while waiting between classes. You might be surprised by what you find in the app and how many tools are there to support you or help you show up for a friend.”

It also provides an option to sign up for an appointment at the Center for Student Counseling, or simply set a reminder to stop by its physical location on the ground floor of Kettler Hall to spend some time in the relaxation and low-sensory space.

As part of its effort to support faculty and staff, PFW’s Division of Campus and Community Wellbeing will launch a training series during the spring semester designed to strengthen confidence and skills in responding to student needs while also encouraging faculty and staff to care for their own wellness.

The sessions will cover key topics related to student well-being, crisis response, and strategies for navigating challenges with greater clarity and resilience. A calendar will be announced soon.