As students enter dead and finals week, they also enter a time of high stress levels. To help combat this, the University Health Center, Counseling and Testing Center, Knight Library, PE and Recreation, the ASUO and Active Minds have collaborated to create UO Stress Less.
The program will provide a free break for students to de-stress from the chaos brought on by the end of term.
During March 12 from 6-9 p.m., myriad de-stressing activities will take place in the Browsing Room of the Knight Library. The room will hold a drop-in rest area with yoga mats, a place for chair massages and two 30 minute yoga sessions starting at 8 p.m.
On March 17 from 6-9 p.m, the rest area will reappear accompanied by community acupuncture and two 30-minute meditation sessions starting at 8 p.m. Healthy snacks will also be provided.
“We want to provide an opportunity for students to participate and relieve stress,” Health Promotion Specialist Renee Mulligan said. “We’re all really aware of students perceptions of growing stress. We wanted to have a collaborative effort.” @@ name checked @@
The activities provided are meant to “relax and de-stress” students according to Mulligan.
“Stress has always been an issue,” Mulligan said. The UHC gets their information on student stress from national college health assessments. “Their (students) perception of stress is usually one of the top factors.”
UO Stress Less started with Active Minds. Fall term 2013 Active Minds provided things like meditation and yoga to help with student stress. “It’s about self care,” Operations Chair of Active Minds Sara Van said.
“I think that the UO stress relief is a fantastic idea,” UO freshman Abigail Taylor said. “I think that as students we naturally get so caught up in our school work that we forget to take a small amount of ‘me time’ to just relax and collect our heads before we enter grueling final exams.” @@ name confirmed @@
This is the first UO Stress Less and — if it goes well — it will take place once a term according to Mulligan. Everything offered during UO Stress Less is offered by the UHC. “We want them (students) to know about resources on stress,” Mulligan said. Depending on the attendance, next term the program could be cut down to just one of the weeks according to Mulligan.
“Our approach is to reach students where they are, by offering brief opportunities in the library to take a break from studying and decompress,” reads the event proposal.