At the midpoint of the semester, when everyone’s classes are rushing full steam ahead, you can almost feel campus-wide levels of stress increasing in the air.
The Body Project, a group at Bradley that strives to increase awareness and acceptance of the human body in all its shapes and sizes, held a “Stress Free Hour” Monday night to educate students about stress and healthy ways of dealing with it.
Lisa Fix-Griffin, a counselor at Bradley, led the presentation. She showed the students various breathing and stretching exercises to help dispel built-up stress, and additionally gave a presentation on stress.
Some stress is good, Fix-Griffin said, as it motivates us to accomplish what we need to get done. However, there is a point where stress becomes more of a hindrance than a benefit — the point where stress turns into distress.
Allison Gile, a dietetics masters student and event planning intern for The Body Project, said she feels most stressed when she doesn’t know what’s coming.
“I need a schedule, so if I don’t know what’s happening my stress level tends to rise,” Gile said.
If you reach the point where stress becomes too much, Fix-Griffin shared five steps to destress.
The first step is to stay in the moment instead of dwelling on something that happened in the past or the multiple what-if’s of the future. In other words, Fix-Griffin advises to “push the now button” on life.
Breathing is the second step that was listed in the presentation. Controlled breathing allows your body to transition from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows you to let go of built up stress.
Next is thinking about what you have control over in your life. Most things that you feel, such as anxiety, anger and fear, come from your mind and what you are thinking about. It is easy to find control over those emotions because they are coming from you.
Another step in destressing is maintaining social support in your life. Socializing helps to lower stress (in-person socializing more so than virtual socializing). Find a group of friends or people you trust most and reach out to them to talk.
The last and final step that was listed is sleep. It may seem clichéd, but getting a full seven to eight hours of sleep a night is a great way to lower your stress.
Autumn Brown, a sophomore physiology major and event planning intern for the Body Project, said that work and school are her biggest stressors at the moment.
“I feel better [after the presentation],” Brown said. “I think I learned a lot of things from today’s event, like the simple breathing exercises I can do now.”
Giles thought that the tips were much needed.
“I think I knew a lot of the tips, but it was a good refresher and kind of a different point of view,” Giles said. “It was nice to be reminded of those again mid semester.”
If you are struggling with stress, the Bradley University Health Services Counseling Center is located on the lower level of the Markin Center in room 52. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can call them at their regular number (309) 677-2700 or their after hours number (309) 677-3200 to make an appointment.
