February is that month of stark reality. Yes, we’ve passed the winter solstice, and the nights are slowly getting shorter while the days grow longer. But it’s slow. And cold. And the tempo of life has fully returned after the holidays. February can feel like a drag.
I find that the day-to-day grind can often mask the progress we’re making when we’re in the moment. This is one of those “yes, and” moments of well-being. We need to be present and attentive to the 1% actions we take each day to advance well-being — both individually and organizationally — and we also need to hold space for zooming out. If we don’t, it’s easy to get pulled into the daily difficulties and start to believe that “business as usual” means nothing is changing.
Like many sustainable health and wellness efforts, the work we’re doing as an organization takes time. Building a culture of well-being doesn’t happen overnight, and it becomes even more complex when layered with leadership transitions, economic uncertainty and the very real challenges people are navigating in their personal lives — parenting, caregiving, relationships, finances and more.
One of my favorite concepts for holding this tension is the Japanese principle of kaizen — the idea that small, intentional shifts, repeated consistently, lead to meaningful change over time. I’m also drawn to wabi-sabi, which invites us to see beauty in simplicity and imperfection. Together, these ideas teach humility, patience and presence. They remind us that progress and struggle can coexist — that we can be working to be better while acknowledging that things are both difficult and beautiful in the moment. As I said earlier: yes, and.
These ideas are at the heart of Struggle Well: Learning to Live and Thrive, one of Clemson’s signature well-being programs. Struggle Well is rooted in both micro- and macro-level health promotion and explores how we shift culture — within ourselves and in how we care for others. The program has received a 4.9 out of 5 satisfaction rating, demonstrated a 20% improvement in posttraumatic growth, and a 9% improvement in life satisfaction among participants. People consistently report a deeper appreciation for life, stronger relationships, greater personal strength, openness to new possibilities and spiritual or existential growth.
So why am I sharing this with you? Simply put, I want you to attend. I want you to be curious about how your own practices of kaizen and wabi-sabi — both effort and acceptance — contribute to your well-being and the well-being of those around you.
Later this month, you’ll hear from Dean Chris Cox, who will reflect on the importance of caring for yourself as a leader and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Struggle Well is one of the ways Clemson is leaning into this philosophy — supporting you in caring for yourself so you can lead, live and connect more fully.
And finally, while the drag of February is something many of us experience, it doesn’t have to be the norm. When we invest in our own well-being, the well-being of others, and the infrastructure Clemson is building to support a culture of care, we give ourselves the chance to zoom out and truly see the impact we’re making together. And it starts with you.
To register for Struggle Well:
Choose from one of the many sessions available in 2026: Struggle Well: Learning to Live and Thrive
