Keep Yourself Stress-free.
Stress. It happens to all of us, including our kids. As though balancing a full schedule, the welcome distraction of football season, joining news clubs and student organizations, adjusting to college, and trying to maintain a social life is not enough, our students had the added bonus of an uninvited guest, Hurricane Irma. Now students are getting near mid-terms. Fortunately, The University of Miami is on top of it, offering various programs, workshops, training, and suggestions; most of which are free to our Canes. Students can even sign up for a 30-minute massage chair session!
Creating and maintaining a healthy, psychologically-minded student population is the purpose of the UM Counseling Center outreach efforts. The help students achieve academic success, and personal and social empowerment through awareness and knowledge. Outreach includes connecting with students through consultations, workshops, events, informational tablings through their COPE program.
That is not to mention the Online Relaxation Videos available to students. There are four videos addressing deep breathing, guided imagery, muscle relaxation, and mindfulness, all techniques designed to manage stress. Check out Breathe2Relax, a portable stress management tool that provides information on the effects of stress on the body, instructions, and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing. It is available on iTunes and Google Play. There are, of course, the regular standbys, like using the amazing fitness facilities on campus. Amongst the many classes students can take, there are plenty of yoga and meditation classes on or near campus as well. Learn more about yoga options at UM.
You can also remind your students of the basics rules of preventing stress like eating well and getting enough sleep, avoiding procrastination, and staying away from stimulants (drinking coffee and energy drinks to fuel late-night study binges can inevitably lead to a crash later on). Of course, setting realistic expectations is also wise, but they may have stopped listening by the time they hear the word procrastination.
It is obvious that the University of Miami really cares about our Hurricanes and realizes that their lives, like everyone else, can get stressful. The key is learning to work through it. And, with midterms taking place and finals only a few months away, it may be a good time to consider a care package for your student. Read our blog on suggested care packages here.
The University of Miami Counseling Center (UMCC) understands that students may become deeply saddened by recent natural and man-made tragedies and recognizes that this could be a very difficult time. They want you to know if you or other students are experiencing distress related to a particular event, or if events trigger memories of other tragedies in your life, UMCC is available to provide a safe and confidential environment to discuss this with a counselor. If support is needed, please contact them at 305-284-5511, and after-hours press Option 1 for immediate assistance to talk to a therapist.
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