Barely two weeks into the semester and its presence is already palpable. On a trek down Commonwealth Avenue, one spies a sea of blood-shot eyes, fidgety hands, and Starbucks cups. Yes, the big bad monster has reared its ugly head. Stress. Most students accept stress as an unavoidable fact of college life. Instead of attempting to obliterate it, they acknowledge its presence and make do. Michelle George, wellness coordinator for Student Health Services and director of this Tuesday’s “Stress Buddy” workshop, says students need to stop simply coping with stress and learn skills to combat it.
Last academic year, Student Health Services and BU’s student health ambassadors launched the “Flu Buddy” program. A college-wide survey related to the program revealed that stress is the foremost health concern of BU students. Student health ambassador Emily Sanchez called the results of this survey the “main spark” that motivated this student group to help develop the “Stress Buddy” workshops.The program’s mascot of sorts is a female superhero (girl power!) soaring over stress. The light-hearted animation brings a dash of humor to the not-so-funny topic of anxiety.
“Stress Buddy” takes both a hands-on and a personalized approach at tackling stress. At Tuesday afternoon’s workshop, Michelle asked participants to describe a recent stressor in their lives to kick off the hour. Throughout the class, she incorporated these personal examples when doling out hints and tips.
During times of great stress, our immune system is down and our digestive system slows. George emphasized the importance of maintaining a healthy diet despite our on-the-go lifestyle as college students. Sleeping might be the only thing we’d like to do when stressed. Ironically enough, slumber doesn’t always come easy for the overscheduled, under-relaxed college student. The workshop confronted reasons for this as well as ways to overcome them. Participants received a slew of helpful hand-outs on these topics, as well as handy contact information at Student Health Services.
Perhaps the biggest draw to attend “Stress Buddy” is the deeply calming breathing and relaxation tutorial. I walked in the classroom stressed, frantic, and hurried. I left after taking a five-minute mental vacation on a tropical beach. My only complaint was lacking the tan lines to match my ‘vaca’ state of mind. Maybe some students feel a bit like they’re still on vacation and are muddling around campus on these dizzyingly humid days with their heads in the tropical clouds. If that’s the case, I’m jealous. However, in addition to being jealous, I’m advising everyone to head to a Stress Buddy workshop and learn the strategies necessary to cope when midterms hit everyone like a ton of bricks.
The next “Stress Buddy” workshop will be held Monday, September 19 from 12-1pm in GSU 315. For more information about the workshops, visit http://blogs.bu.edu/wellness/stress-buddy/.
