As college students, we’re no strangers to stress, which is why the Rose Cafe last Wednesday was particularly interesting. Ms. Rubenstein-Gillis and Ms. Gerding, both from Gannett, discussed stress and its physical and mental effects. Through audience polling, they determined and expanded on the fact that each individual experiences stress uniquely. Some mentioned feeling of tightness in their jaws and/or chests, while others said it’s more mentally draining. I personally appreciated the overall understanding of the unique nature of stress because I believe it’s important to understand the many various experiences and effects in order to develop and improve comprehensive ways to mediate said effects.
The discussion also included potential resources for stress reduction available on campus. The services throughout campus, including EARS and frequent guided meditation sessions, were mentioned. Other techniques mentioned were napping, exercising, meditating on your own, and trying not to procrastinate on work in order to avoid pulling all-nighters. While I always aim to utilize different stress management techniques, I found being reminded of the wide availability of campus resources to also try out will be useful. Towards the end of the discussion, we were led through a 5-minute guided meditation/relaxation session. Already tired after a long day, I found myself nearly falling asleep by the end of the five minutes, proving to myself that meditation, when done correctly, does in fact relax the body and mind. I now look forward to implementing meditation techniques into my schedule as much as possible.
An important segment of the talk was getting enough sleep. What are your thoughts on it? Do you think you can consistently get 9 (?) hours of sleep that is recommended. I try very hard but there is always something that needs to be done at that moment so I sacrifice sleep. Thus, I try to shore up with power naps because I want to stay attentive the next day.
Additionally, do you feel like there is a false perception that sleeping less is more of a “tangible” accomplishment versus sleeping more. I think people find getting work done is more valuable than the boosted mental awareness even though sleeping more is much more healthy. This might explain why all-nighters and such are so common and so hard to move away from.