Students are 11 weeks into the fall semester and are trying to cope with the stress that builds up as they get closer to finals week.
Some people can be seen walking like zombies across campus. Some students’ expressions droop with exhaustion and dark bags are visible under their eyes as they carry coffees and smoke cigarettes to try to stay awake and face another day of classes.
Many students attempt to deal with stress in ways that are counter-productive or even
self-defeating; their behavior and attitudes tend to diminish their performance rather than enhance it, according to Dartmouth University.
Elie Nogle, a sophomore education major, said that she doesn’t always handle stress so well and copes with it by oversleeping or stress-eating. She added that when she does choose to use healthy stress-coping methods, that she will practice pranayama which is sanskrit for yogic breathing exercises, or she will make to-do lists and check things off as she gets them accomplished.
Yogic exercises seem to be a popular choice for students dealing with stress. Yoga helps access an inner strength that allows practitioners to face the sometimes overwhelming fears, frustrations and challenges of everyday life, according to the American Yoga Association.
The association also mentions that yoga helps to regulate breathing and relax the body by gently releasing tension from the large muscle groups, flushing all parts of the body and brain with fresh blood, oxygen, and other nutrients and increasing feelings of well-being.
“The repetition of sun salutations is soothing and gives my mind something to focus on. My go-to poses include downward dog, forward fold, cobra and crescent moon. Breathing exercises also divert my attention away from the stress, and fill my body with oxygen which makes me feel better,” said Erin Cook, who has three children, a job and is working on pre-requisite classes for grad school.
Ashley Keedy, a junior psychology major, said, “Sometimes it helps to dedicate time simply to what I like doing—for example: tanning, doing my nails or taking a hot bubble bath; really anything that takes my mind off of the issue. Talking the stressor out with a loved one or playing with my puppy helps me too.”
“I drink tea and light candles and incense while I do my work,” said Sydney Parks, a junior. “Smoking helps, too, as well as self-massage.”
There are many ways to cope with stress, and some students figured out how to manage with their own practices. For others who are looking for ways to deal with stress, Meditation Mondays are offered on campus, and there are two yoga studios in Shepherdstown that offer yoga and meditation classes.
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