Students at ASU’s West campus were given a chance to relax and fight back against finals stress on Tuesday through a “Stress-Free Zone” event.
The campus’ Office of Student Engagement hosted the event under the Sands Breezeway, encouraging students to drop by and participate in stress-relieving activities. The event will continue today.
Tuesday’s event focused on providing students the opportunity to create their own personalized stress balls, said Katie Edwards, who coordinates with West campus clubs for the Office of Student Engagement.
“You fill up balloons with sand, tie it off,” she said. “They work really well, actually.”
The event wasn’t without stresses of its own, however. Heavy winds threatened to blow away items on display.
“It’s not making for a successful event at all,” said Anthony Westover, an administrative assistant for the Office of Student Engagement.
Westover said he hoped the event would still help people, even if the wind did become a problem.
“Right now, people are really stressed, not only with school ... but things in their personal lives too,” he said. “It’s important to be able to find out ways that you can deal with that stress.”
Exercise is another great option for reducing stress, said Keith Munson, director of recreation and fitness at West.
Any type of exercise is good, he said. Such physical activity as walking, running and yoga releases endorphins into the bloodstream, which helps people feel more relaxed.
“That’s just about getting more oxygen in your blood,” Munson said.
Many people, including Munson himself, exercise to feel better, he said.
“An old guy like me, I do it for that reason,” he said.
With finals approaching, some students said they are feeling pressure.
After spending 11 years in the military, biochemistry junior Michael Harris said he knows how to keep finals from getting the best of him.
Harris said his time in the National Guard and Army Reserve taught him that getting plenty of sleep and planning ahead are great at reducing stress. Like Munson, Harris also said exercise is effective.
A smart phone helps Harris keep structure in his life, he said.
“I don’t have to worry about whether I’m going to make it to something on time or what’s coming next because all I have to do is look at a calendar,” he said. “I think that’s a huge stress-relief for me.”
Jennifer Magnusson, a communications sophomore, said classes and family issues can occasionally get stressful, but she combats tension by talking to friends about her problems, going shopping and watching television.
Life can still be difficult, though, she said.
“I’m just ready for the semester to end,” Magnusson said.
Dominique Hankins, an exploratory freshman, said she tackles her concerns by laughing often and not letting problems get to her.
Hankins admitted, though, that peace of mind may be more difficult to find for others.
“It’s pretty easy for me, but I don’t know about other people,” she said.
Reach the reporter at jsnyder3@asu.edu
