Dead week is inevitable. Stress isn’t.
Every year, the University of Oregon puts on a program, called Stress Less, during week 10, which is a string of events that focus on activities to destress the student body.
Meditation is just one of the activities that several departments on campus organized for students to participate in at the Stress Less event today at the Student Recreation Center from 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. There were also massages, acupuncture and dance activities.
Jude Kehoe, a meditation instructor at the UO Health Center, said that as humans we have over one-hundred thousand thoughts a day on average. Kehoe said this figure is likely higher for students, which is why it is important for them to find ways to de-stress.
Kehoe led students through meditation this evening, aimed at inducing the relaxation response within the body. The techniques offered ways for students to learn how to calm their mind. She said meditation helps students become calm observers of their thoughts and puts the chattering of their mind in the background.
Suzie Stadelman, the suicide prevention coordinator at the Health Center and the main coordinator for the event, said the UO Student Mental Health Advocates hosted the first Stress Less event in fall 2013.
Stadelman said the event received positive feedback in the past and so a few campus departments came together this term to collaborate for the event.
“The goal is to provide an opportunity for students to destress and also learn the importance of keeping stress at a manageable level,” Stadelman said.
Because the number of collaborators for the event has continued to grow, Stadelman said they are able to offer more activities.
Juan Rivera, president of Student Mental Health Advocates and a coordinator of the event, said in the past the event only featured meditation and yoga. Rivera said around 60 people turned up. Whereas today, they handed out 550 stress kits.
Hannah Engle, a sophomore and intern at SMHA, handed out healthy foods like hummus, fruit and pita chips at one of the Stress Less stands located inside the entryway of the rec center.
“Students I talked to seemed very thankful that we were here doing this and thought the event was a good idea,” Engle said.
Paul Rohde, a licensed psychologist and a research scientist at Oregon Research Institute, said he approves of the activities at Stress Less. However, he said that activities like yoga and acupuncture take practice and consistent use to be maximally effective.
Stadelman said that since the event continues to expand and receive positive feedback, it is likely that Stress Less will become a week long event next term.