Health Center stresses need to deal with pressure

Stress and college: two words that sometimes fit together perfectly. \nTo help students deal with pressure, the Health Center is offering a three-week seminar, "The Body-Mind Connection and Depression: Strategies for Change."\n"This seminar is designed to provide participants with a menu of ideas about ways they can help themselves feel better and less depressed," said Dr. Carolyn Lee, the program's creator.\nBetween the ages of 16 to 24, students are faced with the task of maturing and becoming adults, said Nancy Buckles, director of Counseling and Psychological Services. When entering college, students have to change relationships with parents from adult to child to adult to adult. Another difficult decision is choosing a major, or choosing general direction in life. \n"I don't know how to deal with stress. It's hard to find alone time around here," said Sara Paklaian, a freshman.\nThe freshman year of college is the main transition from adolescence to adulthood. As freshmen in college, students have to find a support system other than their parents. They have to learn to take care of themselves and manage their own money. The seminar offers ways to deal with this stress for freshmen and upperclassmen, organizers said. \n"You don't have to be sick to get better," Buckles said. \nCounseling and Psychological Services sees 100 to 120 students every day, Buckles said. Many of these students feel as if they are the "only ones" with problems.\nLee said she would like students to realize they aren't the only ones, and they shouldn't be afraid to ask for guidance. The Body-Mind seminar is designed to make students feel as if they have group support from their peers as well as a professional. While attending the seminar, Lee will go over various ways college students can reduce their stress level. \nOne of the most common contributors of stress is lack of sleep. People have a wake-sleep cycle that is fairly fragile. If the cycle is interrupted, one can be irritable, fatigued or unable to concentrate. \nA good stress reducer is exercise. Not only does it let you work off the day's stress, but it also helps getting to sleep that night, Buckles said. She recommends college students engage in aerobic exercise three to four times a week. \nLee will also talk about proper nutrition. There are certain foods and eating habits that actually reduce stress. She advises student to avoid caffeine.\nThis program also implies that students should find a peer support system, people away from home that you can depend on. Since parents are miles away, students need someone to help them through hard times.\nFor information on the seminar, call 855-5711. From there, participants be scheduled for a personal consultation and then be advised whether the workshop is right for them.