De-stressing your world
For most college students, stress is a familiar concept. Students encounter anxiety-inducing situations daily, from studying for an upcoming test to worrying about a date. This stressful time of life can lead to an accumulation of negative symptoms, but fortunately there are ways students can relax and work toward overcoming anxiety.
Senior Shalyn Maxfield said anxiety can be rough and gets in the way of doing what you want.
“I do breathing exercises, play sports and listen to music to relax,” she said. “I find that taking a step away from what I am doing helps.”
Students have numerous resources on campus to promote relaxation, ranging from the nap-inducing lounge furniture situated throughout campus to USU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for those dealing with serious stress or anxiety. CAPS offers workshops for relaxation, meditation and anxiety skills training.
USU also has an extensive cadre of physical activity options for those looking to relax through playing and exercising. A multitude of suggestions and instructions for relaxation can be found online or in books – several are available at the Merrill-Cazier library on campus.
According to the book “Learn to Relax,” by English author and spiritual teacher Mike George, “The routes to relaxation are winding with many turns.”
His books says that in Tibetan medicine, stress is related to an imbalance of three “humours” – wind stress, which causes muscle tension, bile stress, which shows itself as impatience and irratability and phlegm stress, which leads to depression and fatigue.
“If we are out of balance, then stress is a classic consequence,” George’s books states.
If students are looking for specific activities and classes to regain balance or minimize stress, there are numerous options. USU offers yoga, pilates, tai chi chaun, karate, aikido, tae kwon do, ballet and modern dance classes.
Haley Hayes, a yoga instructor at USU, began taking yoga classes in her freshman year at the University of Utah. She began training six years later; it started as a hobby and said she grew to love it.
Hayes said she began practicing more seriously when her mother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“It got me through a horrendous time and I see how it benefits other people,” she said.
Hayes said it is hard for her to turn off her thoughts, and yoga helps her relax. She recommends taking a step out of ordinary life to “stop and do nothing.” By doing nothing, she said you can “just breathe and calm yourself down.” She said meditation can be hard, and for many people it is a scary place to sit, without distraction, and be alone with your thoughts.
Hayes reads inspirational quotes to her students during shavasna (meditation). She collects quotes from everyday life to share. Some come from well-known figures like the Dali Lama and Mother Teresa, others are proverbs. She said ideally in shavasna you are supposed to quiet your mind completely, but as this is a hard concept to master, she likes to give students something positive and uplifting to focus on.
Meditation can take years for people to master; Hayes recommends guided meditation to achieve a meditative state. She said she likes to pray in meditation; others talk to themselves or go to a higher mind.
Hayes uses her training to help athletes deal with athletic pressures and to prevent injuries. She currently works with USU’s football and softball teams. She said at first, the football players were hesitant to participate, but now, they enjoy it.
Hayes has taught drug addicts, as well, and plans to volunteer for Alcoholics Anonymous and for veterans. She wants to help those suffering from PTSD and addictions overcome their heightened stress and struggles.
Jessica Odland, a junior in engineering, said, “Yoga helps me calm down after a stressful day. I’m not the kind of person that is always anxious or stressed out, but I do internalize everything.”
She said when she is dealing with negative emotions, yoga allows her to let go of bottled up emotion.
“It helps me clear my mind and replenish my strength,” she said.
Odland said regular yoga practice improves her physical health as well.
“I never get sick – not even a cold. It’s amazing,” she said.
To avoid anxiety and reach relaxation can seem a difficult task. George’s book assures the process is possible for any who seek it.
“Relaxation cannot be hurried. We must have faith that our slow journey will take us, in the end, to the land of calm perspectives, the place we dream of in our hearts,” he said.
– natasha.bodily@aggiemail.usu.edu