A conversation with Mikena Manspeaker, Acting Country Leader for Enactus United States

Money stress is one of the most common (and least talked about!) sources of anxiety for college students. It shows up quietly: a tight feeling when you check your bank account, avoiding emails about tuition or fees, stress when friends suggest plans you can’t afford, or guilt over spending even small amounts. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone! This winter, as we continue moving through the emotional arc of fear → reflection → clarity , financial wellbeing invites an honest question: What am I afraid of when it comes to money?  Because beneath budgeting apps and bank balances, money is deeply emotional.

Most students plan their semester around one thing: deadlines. Assignments. Exam dates. Work shifts. Lab schedules. Club meetings. Everything gets built around what has to happen. But what if you designed your semester around when you function best , not just when things are due? This is the heart of wellbeing-centered planning: recognizing that your energy is not the same at every hour of every day, and that working with your natural rhythms leads to better performance, better mood, and less burnout. This winter’s theme of r est, evaluation, and courage encourages you to pause, look inward, and ask: What do I need to thrive this semester? Not just to get through it, but to feel steady, capable, and clear.  Designing your semester around your energy peaks is one of the smartest ways to begin that shift!

When you think about fear, you might picture danger, stress, or something you want to avoid. But what if fear isn’t the enemy? What if fear is information that’s pointing you toward something meaningful? This winter at the Lifelong Wellbeing Foundation, we’re exploring the emotional arc of fear → reflection → clarity . Fear often signals the exact place where growth wants to happen. Instead of treating fear as a stop sign, we can begin to treat it as a compass.

Rest Is Not a Break from Your Work Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., widely known by his moniker The Sleep Doctor , has spent decades studying sleep, circadian rhythms, and how rest affects human performance. His work emphasizes a crucial point: Your brain is not designed to function at full speed without periods of intentional recovery. According to Breus, sleep and rest:  Strengthen memory and learning Improve focus and decision-making Regulate emotions Boost immunity Support creativity and problem-solving In other words, everything you want to do well in college, from exams to internships to relationships, begins with how well you rest. In his Psychology Today column Sleep Newzzz , Breus often warns that chronic sleep loss can slowly dismantle your ability to perform. And even short-term sleep deprivation (think: finals week!) affects reaction time, mood, comprehension, and impulse control. Why Students Fear Rest If rest is so beneficial, why does it feel scary? Because rest requires trust that the world won’t collapse if you take an hour to sleep, trust that your worth isn’t measured by how tired you are, and trust that your brain can actually do more with less pressure. Students often carry silent fears, including: “If I take a break, I’ll never get back on track.” “Everyone else is working nonstop, so I should too.” “Rest means I’m not trying hard enough.” “If I slow down, I’ll fall behind.” But these are misunderstandings of how human performance actually works. The brain is a biological system, not a machine. It needs cycles of energy expenditure and cycles of energy restoration. Winter is the perfect reminder to shift your mindset. Nature rests, pauses, and prepares. You can, too.

The start of a new year always feels full of possibility. For college students especially, the beginning of January offers a clean slate before the semester ramps up. This is the in-between moment where you can breathe, reflect, and decide how you want to show up in the months ahead. At the Lifelong Wellbeing Foundation, we believe this pause is essential. Because a year of wellbeing doesn’t begin with resolutions, hustle, or pressure. It begins with awareness. This winter, our seasonal focus is rest, evaluation, and courage . Often our guiding emotion as we dive into a new semester is fear —not in the sense of danger, but in the sense of that subtle internal resistance that rises whenever we stand at the edge of something important. This is your invitation to acknowledge and harness that emotion. Fear often shows up when we’re about to grow. When we pause long enough to ask, “What am I actually afraid of here?” we often discover exactly where clarity is waiting.

What if you approached your college years not just as “get through it,” but as a designed life adventure? With the eight dimensions of wellbeing as your compass, you can build a “360-degree Wellbeing Plan” that guides the rest of your college journey. Here’s how… Step 1: Understand the Eight Dimensions Emotional – How you feel and how well you manage your emotions. Occupational – Your learning, work, growth in roles you value. Environmental – Your physical surroundings, campus, dorm, home, and nature. Physical – Movement, health, nutrition, rest. Mental – Cognitive stimulation, learning, mindfulness, curiosity. Social – Relationships, community, belonging. Financial – Money habits, budgeting, future financial health. Spiritual – Purpose, meaning, values, inner life. Step 2: Create Your 360-degree Wellbeing Plan Draw a large circle on paper (or digitally). Divide it into eight equal slices—one for each dimension. Label each slice with a dimension name. In each slice, write: One big dream you have for that dimension (for the rest of college). One small action you’ll commit to this semester to move toward that dream. Example: Physical: Big dream → “Complete a semester of intramural soccer and feel energetic.” Small action → “Attend one rec-center group fitness class each week.” Financial: Big dream → “Graduate with less than $5K in credit-card debt.” Small action → “Set aside $50/month and track spending with an app.” (And so on for each dimension.) Step 3: Review & Adjust At the end of each semester: Check your wheel: What progress did you make? What stalled? Adjust: Maybe your dream changed, maybe your action needs tweaking for the next semester. Use this as your compass rather than just reacting to whatever comes. Why This Works Holistic: Recognizes you’re not just “a student,” you’re a whole person across dimensions. Intentional : Choosing dreams rather than letting life choose them for you. Flexible : As you grow, your wheel evolves. Aligned : Builds your college years into a meaningful trajectory and not just semesters that blur together.  Your college years are a unique season and you don’t have to drift through them. With a plan for the new year that’s built around the eight dimensions of wellbeing, you can design your path, align your actions with your highest aspirations, and make the most of this chapter. Grab a poster-board, some colored pens, and craft your 360-degree plan this week. Let your dreams guide your next move.

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