Thriving Through the Season

11/17/2025

Katrina Veshi, MSN, RN, Director of the Health Care Center

Simple Ways to Stay Healthy This Fall

As the leaves deepen in color and the air turns crisper, fall brings with it a unique rhythm of life at boarding schools—new routines, after-school activities, weekend trips, and that crisp early-morning chill. As a nurse who cares for adolescents in a residential school setting, I’ve walked these halls and seen firsthand how the change of season can both elevate and challenge health. At a place like Chatham Hall or any boarding school, students are balancing academics, social life, extracurriculars, life away from home, and, yes, their immune systems. Here are practical, evidence-based tips to help students (and the caring adults who support them) thrive this fall.

1. Sleep & Rhythm

As temperatures cool, the body often signals “rest” and “recovery,” but the schedule often signals “go, go, go.” Ensuring good quality sleep has direct effects on immunity, mood, concentration, and overall health.
Aim for 8 to 10 hours of sleep nightly. Teens who function on less (6-7 hours or fewer) are at higher risk of illness, mood disruption, and fatigue.
Keep the environment cool, dark, and quiet. Even in dorms, using a sleep mask, earplugs, or white-noise helps.
Limit screen time at least 30-60 minutes before bed. Blue light and mental stimulation delay melatonin secretion, making it harder to fall asleep.
If you wake up earlier for morning activities, adjust bedtime accordingly. There is no
When students aren’t well-rested, their bodies’ ability to fight off illness decreases.

2. Nutrition for immunity and energy

While we know Yardley offers many great food options, it’s important to stay mindful about what and how much we choose. Throwing in late-night snacks, weekend treats, microwaveable meals, and inconsistent meal times may also disrupt your metabolism and nervous system. Wellness thrives when nutrition supports both immune health and the high demands of academics + physical activity.

Emphasize fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains at each meal. These provide vitamins, minerals, and steady energy. For example, eating vegetables and protein helps maintain focus during long study sessions.
Stay hydrated. Crisp fall air sometimes deceives us, and students may sweat less visibly or feel less thirsty, but dehydration still affects cognition and immunity.
Plan wisely with snacks. Have healthy grab-and-go items (nuts, fruit, whole-grain bars). Avoid simple sugars late at night, which spike energy, then cause a crash.
Limit excessive caffeine or sodas. These may feel like a boost during a busy week, but can interfere with sleep, increase anxiety, and compromise immune function.

3. Movement, fresh air & outdoor time

At Chatham Hall, opportunities for physical activity abound in our new athletic, health, and wellness building, Wag-La. The workout facility is open from 6:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. each day. In addition, we offer winter sports options and a 365-acre campus with plenty of outdoor spaces and stunning landscaping.

Take advantage of the outdoors: crisp mornings, changing leaves, fresh air, all beneficial for mood and physical health. Spending time outside helps reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
Check out any of our trails or take a quick walk down Penny Lane to visit the horses.
Maintain regular physical activity, whether varsity sports or daily “active breaks.” Movement helps circulation, boosts immunity, and supports mood.
Beware of sudden cold/heat transitions (e.g., morning chill, midday warmth). Layers help, and warming properly after outdoor activities matters.
If you have a free period in the day, take a loop around Chatham Hall Circle and explore the changing leaves and landscape of the arboretum.

4. Hygiene, illness prevention & community care

Close living quarters, shared bathrooms/dorms, weekend visitors—all make illness transmission more likely. Fall brings common colds, flu, allergens, and more. At Chatham Hall, we put great emphasis on prevention.

Hand hygiene: Wash hands frequently with soap and water (before meals, after using the restroom, after being outside, after sneezing/coughing). If soap isn’t available, use hand sanitizer.
If you feel symptoms starting, runny nose, scratchy throat, fatigue, visiting the HCC early helps. Early interventions reduce spread and severity.
Consider sleep, nutrition, and exercise as illness-prevention tools. When anyone is weak, vulnerability rises.
For fall allergens (leaves, mold, pollen): Recognize that allergy symptoms may overlap with cold/flu symptoms. Know your triggers, and connect with the HCC for antihistamines or allergy medicine.
Encourage community responsibility: If you’re sick, go to the HCC.

5. Stress, mental health & rhythm of change

As we are more than halfway through the first semester, stress and mental health demands rise, and the body’s physical health is closely linked to how we manage stress.

Recognize that mental and physical health work together. Routines, social life, academics, and rest all interplay. One neglected area affects the others.
Use your downtime wisely. Whether reading, art, music, brief walks, or simply time to reflect, these help regulate mood and support physical recovery.
Sleep is a beneficial tool, but if you are relying on napping every day, there may be a bigger issue going on. Use your free time for studying, walking, reading, drawing, practicing your instrument, etc.
Use peer and staff resources: Dorm advisors, advisors, the HCC, and our counseling services. Students should ask for help early rather than waiting until exhaustion or illness sets in.

Here are a few simple tips I keep in mind for students at Chatham Hall, beneficial as you move into fall, when the weather shifts, weekend trips happen, and the schedule gets busier.

Warm layers and emphasizing time outside for fresh air and sunshine.
Sleep mask & earplugs or white noise, and a schedule that allows at least 30 minutes of wind‐down before bed.

At a boarding school, students don’t only live where they learn, they live where they grow. This fall season is an opportunity to build healthy habits that last beyond one semester. As your school nurse, my invitation is this: view health not as a passive expectation but as an active practice. Sleep, nutrition, movement, hygiene, and self-care are not extras; they are foundational to thriving academically, socially, and personally.

Stay well. Be well.

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