Finals week is swiftly approaching, and tension is rising in PSU students who are trying to make all their deadlines. Luckily the folks at the Lamson Learning Commons, the Adventure Education Club, the Campus Ministry and the Wellness Center want to provide relaxation techniques to help students.
Outreach Librarian Anne Lebreche has taken part in organizing some of the stress-busting activities that will be held in Lamson during finals week. “I got the idea for stress-relief activities in the library last December when I saw all the tired, stressed-out students working hard in the library on those last minute papers or preparing for exams,” she said. Monday through Wednesday on the week of May 16 there will be many activities for students to choose from.
Have you heard about eustress? According to Mentalhelp.net, “[Eustress] motivates, focuses energy, is short-term, is perceived as within our coping abilities, feels exciting [and] improves performance.” It is something positive to feel in your body as opposed to the anxiety due to negative things you can do nothing about. The Adventure Education club is ready to induce eustress to help students relax Sun. through Wed. evenings. According to a PSU press release, “Through play, the brain can access a stage of relaxed alertness that helps subdue anxiety, mental fatigue, and emotional distress.” Being stress-free can really help you function well on those exams.
Another uplifting event occurring will be massages. Students can sign up for an appointment and be rubbed down by Plymouth-area professionals. Chair massages and reflexology will be scheduled for late afternoons and early evenings. Another relaxing form of stress relief, meditation, will be offered from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Need a munchie for brainpower? On the main level, snacks will start at 3:00 p.m. There will be a reflection/relaxation room to escape the clamor of cell phones and sit in a peaceful area to clear your cloudy mind. This will be available all week.
Lebreche got the idea for the relaxation techniques from UNH. “I saw a list of activities done at Dimond Library at UNH and I knew Plymouth had to do it better,” she said. It is a nice idea to give students another way to relax on such a stressful week. “Wouldn’t it be great to have a 10-minute chair massage just at that moment when you couldn’t face the thought of typing even one more word into that smug computer screen with its persistent blinking cursor?” Lebreche added.
An event occurring May 5 in the HUB FPL from noon to 2:00 p.m. will also show students how to manage stress. According to the PSU FYI, “From relaxing music to therapeutic resources to calming foods, come and see how stress free is the way to be!” The PSU Counselor Education students will be offering techniques that could help students who are at the end of their ropes. For more information, contact gmears@plymouth.edu.
For more information on any of the events occurring in Lamson, students are encouraged to contact Anne Lebreche, Outreach Librarian at 535-2833 or via email at amlebreche@plymouth.edu. Don’t go nuts on finals week, but take a break before life gets too crazy.