WKU News

LIZ SWITZER, The Daily News
Published: December 3, 2010

With finals around the corner, Western Kentucky University students hit yoga mats Thursday afternoon for some de-stressing, relaxation and help with time management in preparation for the busy days ahead.

While the Knock-Out Stress - Finals Edition Workshop at the Downing University Center was tailored to students, anyone can benefit from basic anti-stress techniques, especially this time of year, said Kathryn Steward, WKU assistant director of health education.

"Stress is a lot about perception," said Steward, whose workshop included yoga, progressive muscle relaxation sessions, massage and scheduling assistance.

Jessica Bagwell, a graduate student in public health, found the time management element particularly effective.

"Knock-Out Stress gives us a break from studying and from all of the craziness that is going on right now with finals coming up, but it also gives us time to sit down and get organized and plan out our projects and everything that we have coming up," she said. "Everyone sees different levels of stress. My level of stress may be nothing to someone else or it may be more."

Steward agrees that everyone deals differently with stress, but added that there are simple techniques that anyone can take away from the workshop to make the holidays a more enjoyable experience.

Progressive muscle relaxation is one very effective technique. The goal is to learn what your body feels like tightened and then relaxed by isolating different areas of the body and tightening then relaxing them. Passive relaxation often uses images, sounds and words to reach a level of deep relaxation.

Steward also recommends a new anti-stress concept called laughter yoga, the brainchild of a physician in Mumbai, India, who in 1995 launched the first yoga laughter club, an idea that has spread to some 6,000 social laughter clubs in about 60 countries, according to the website of one Louisville enthusiast, Melanie Rudolph, who has taught the class in previous WKU workshops.

Laughter yoga is based on the concept that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter and gives the body physiological and psychological benefits, according to Steward.

"Laughter yoga is slowly coming to the U.S. as more people are trained to do it," Steward said, adding that Rudolph wants to train people and spread the technique throughout Kentucky, including Bowling Green. For more information, see Rudolph's blog at www.wellnessforyoufirst.com/ Melanie Rudolph.

Art relaxation is another anti-stress tactic Steward recommends.

"A lot of people find that going back to childhood type activities like drawing and playing games helps reduce stress," she said. "You might think about having a family game night, just sitting down with family and doing something fun that takes away from the normal day-to-day activities and rush."

For many people, the biggest stress factor is time management, particularly feeling like there is not enough time to get things done. So effective time management can make life a lot easier, especially for women who often find themselves taking on the lion's share of holiday shopping and meal preparation, Steward said.

A to-do list is good practice, but not if you make it too long and intimidating, according to Steward, who breaks her tasks down into smaller categories such as work or home and sets aside a little time each day to deal with each.

"That way everything does not pile up and have to be done on the weekend," she said. "For example, you might sit down on Sunday night and plan meals for the week so you know each day you have that taken care of. And you are not spending more money on fast food. Money is a huge stresser anyway, especially during the holidays when you are spending more."

Organization is a smart way to deal with stress, but it can backfire, Steward noted.

"If you get behind what I notice with a lot of people is they let things go and get stressed, don't eat right then get sick and run down. It becomes a perpetual cycle," she said. "Just as a working mom and woman, one of the things I tell people is you can intimidate yourself with a to-do list if you make it too long. But if you do fall off the stress wagon, don't beat yourself up about the fact that you screwed up."

The National Mental Health Association also has some helpful tips for reducing stress as well as depression during the holidays, and Steward recommends reading resources at the NMHA website, http://www.nmha.org/.

A few basic tips from NMHA include keeping expectations manageable by not trying to make your holiday the best ever, and don't be disappointed if your holidays are not like they used to be. Each holiday is different, so don't be afraid to try something new or celebrate in a different way. And last but not least, spend your time with people who are supportive and care about you and find time for yourself, she said.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)