The impending holiday carries different meanings for everyone. It's a time for family, a time for celebration and a time for relaxing. But it also means the end of the semester is here. And the end of the semester means stress.
"This part of the year is horrible for stress," said sophomore Guy Seemann. "I have six papers due before the end of the semester. I can't concentrate on one thing because I start to get anxious about the next thing I have to do."
Seemann said the only way to get through the stress is to realize that once work is done, it will all be over.
Dan Gunstein, a counselor in the Academic Support Center, says many students seek help in order to deal with managing time and their workload at the end of the semester.
"This is a strange time for students," Gunstein said. "Regular schedules and routines fall away. Worrying the holiday alone can be overwhelming - dealing with families is stressful, plus there's stress from finals.
For seniors, the end of the semester means they are getting closer to the end of their undergraduate career, which brings another level of stress.
"This semester is by far the worst of any I've had so far," said senior Tiffany Lyons. "The expectation level from professors and everyone else is ridiculously high, plus there's the stress of what to do in May. I'm just stressed about life."
In addition to the academic strain, stress can have serious consequences, and stress induced illnesses are common on college campuses according to Sharron Frishett, a therapist and AU professor. She teaches a three-credit course called "Strategies in Stress Reduction," to help students manage stress. Chronic stress can bring headaches or migraines, indigestion, insomnia, muscle aches and irritability.
"Stress is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease," she said. "You can lose your sense of humor, or turn to smoking, drinking, stress overeating or illegal drugs to escape your feelings. It's all bad news and it can kill you."
For junior Michelle Reich, it came in the form of stomach ulcers.
"I was diagnosed with them when I was 19, and another one popped up this year," she said. "They are stress-related, but it's an endless cycle. As my health deteriorates, it becomes harder and harder to keep up, which makes me more stressed."
Frishett, who also sees patients in a private practice, said that the majority of the disorders she sees - such as eating disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, panic disorders and phobias - are "either caused by or exacerbated by stress."
"I'm constantly reminding my students to take stress seriously," she said. "Stress has important consequences for health, but once you've learned to recognize the individual ways you get stressed, you can practice bringing balance back to both your mind and body."
Frishett said the trick is to change your outlook by eliminating negative or irrational thinking patterns and perfectionism. In addition to not getting enough sleep and procrastination, intolerance can worsen stressful feelings.
"Intolerance leads to frustration, irritability, and anger," she said. "By focusing on the positives in you and others, you learn to tolerate and forgive."
Besides dealing with the psychological roots of stress, students can also tackle stress through physical exercise. Frishett recommends a fast-paced aerobic activity that requires concentration in order to distract you from negative thoughts, or a more soothing exercise like walking or biking, which can give you alone time to work out hard feelings.
Other methods of de-stressing include meditation, yoga or deep-breathing exercises. According to a link in the self-help library on the Counseling Center Web site "Stress - How Can I Cope?", breathing through the nose with eyes closed while repeating a short, soothing word or phrase can help relax the mind.
Fighting off the desire to procrastinate can also help students cope with stress. Sorting out everything needs to be done helps freshman Jennifer Beras cope.
"I put to-do lists above my bed so I can see them. It feels so good to scratch things off, even if it's a little thing, like 'wake up'."
But when these self-help tactics fail, students can turn to the University to provide professional assistance for stress management. The Counseling Center offers both group and one-on-one therapy for students, both of which are services that Michelle Reich finds beneficial.
"I walked in and said, 'I need help,' and they found a person who would fit my schedule," Reich said. "It has helped me grapple with my health issues, and it offers me some perspective because I know I can talk to someone who is removed from the situation."
The Academic Support Center also offers help for all students, not just those with learning disabilities, which Gunstein said not all students know. Counselors in the center can work with students on things like reading and test-taking skills.
"This university is unique in that is offers support to all its students," Gunstein said. "We can work with anyone who comes in, to talk about how to study or manage time."
On Dec. 1, the WELL Center sponsored a Stress-Reduction Fair in the Mary Graydon Center, complete with complimentary seated massage, energy healing treatment, and aura readings. According to coordinator Kathy Haldeman, about 80 students signed up for massages.
Another Stress-Reduction Fair will be held at the end of next semester, and the WELL Center is considering other such de-stressing services, because those students with the busiest schedules might have missed the first one.
"We were considering bringing massage therapists to campus more often if students would be willing to pay a small fee for a massage," Kathy Haldeman said.
Whether through massage, working out or just breathing, there are many ways to beat stress this holiday season. Frishett recommends seeking out the support of family and friends and "spending time with people who make you feel good." Most important, however, is to make sure you set aside time to de-stress.
"Leisure time, whether you spend it bowling, reading, listening to music or playing with the dog, is not wasted," she said. "Set up time to relax every day. Think of this time as absolutely necessary to recover from the effects of stress attacks on your body and spirit."
Eagle staff writer Megan Slack contributed to this report.
