Services available to students, Craft Center has weekly free events

Only three weeks into the spring term and stress is already building for some students at Oregon State University.

Stress is not an uncommon occurrence at college. According to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at OSU, stress is one of the top three reasons why students go to them for help.

CAPS is located on the fifth floor of Snell Hall and provides a multitude of services for students who need help and support, according to CAPS.

Because stress is so common there are many different ways to manage and eliminate it. In order to manage stress, one must first understand what stress is, representatives from CAPS said.

“Stress is a very complicated concept,” says Bonnie Hemrick, a Mental Health Promotion Coordinator for CAPS.

According to Hemrick, stress can mean a variety of different things to different people, but overall stress is seen as something that has a negative impact on health and wellness.

According to Michele Ribeiro, a licensed psychologist for CAPS, one of the easiest stress management exercises for someone to do is to write down three things every day that went well and why. Doing this regularly will help to build up self-confidence and self-worth with an overall stress-reducing effect.

The Mind Spa at CAPS is another stress reduction resource that’s free to all students, faculty, and staff. The Mind Spa features Day-Light Bright Light Therapy, Yoga and Meditation, Biofeedback programs, a Library of mindfulness resources, and even a full body massage chair.

Appointments to use the Mind Spa can be made for up to an hour in length, and can be made by going directly to the CAPS office, or by calling their office at 541-737-2131.

The Craft Center, located in the basement of the Student Experience Center, also provides stress relief activities. There are free activities available to all students, faculty, and staff to participate in.

On Mondays, there is Mandala Monday, where anyone can go to hand color and create Mandala designs. Most Mandalas contain intricate shapes and patterns to fill in with color.

Wednesday’s event is Watercolor Wellness, which uses watercolor as a stress relief and management tool.

According to those at the center, all of the materials are provided for everyone at both events.

If anyone is unable to attend these events, but still want to try watercolor painting or Mandala coloring, supplies can be purchased from almost any kind of store, including Oregon State’s own Beaver Store.

Hemrick said other ways to manage stress are regular exercise, being out in nature, meditation, and sleeping.

“Anything that brings out positivity in a person can be used to combat stress,” says Hemrick.

On Friday, the “Stress Out Day,” will take place in the Memorial Union Quad starting at 11 a.m. The event will go until 5p.m.

The CAPS office can be contacted for more information on the “Mindfulness Meditation in Corvallis” events being held throughout this term.

[email protected]