Tips to help CU Denver students cope with stress

DON’T LET MID SEMESTER BLUES GET YOU DOWN

Stress management can be difficult to address. Between work, school, friendships, relationships, trying to eat right, and getting enough sleep, the balancing act of life can carry the burden of a full-time job. For many, the secret to stress management and coping lies within themselves.

Students reflected on how they handle their stress. “I work full time and go to school full time,” Harshitha Adapa, a CU Denver information systems major, said. “It can be really exhausting most of the time, but I find ways to stay sane. I like to hang out with my boyfriend. I like to do Hennas and bake sometimes. They’re simple activities but they allow me to get my mind off of things and just breathe for a minute.”

Ross Kendall-Selwyn, a CU Denver marketing student, elaborated on what he does to deal with the stress that arises in his life. “I deal with stress through eating and working out,” Kendall-Selwyn said. “I like to go out to with friends or family, get a bite to eat, and have a good conversation for a while. It’s a nice way to take a break from school; the same goes for working out. It’s a healthy way to get my mind off of things. Exercise is really beneficial for physical health and mental health.”

CU Denver senior Nik Majik, a finance major, has found his own key to being successful as well. “I work and am in my final semester of college,” Majik said. “I have a capstone class right now, and dealing with my other classes concurrently can be stressful at times, but I try to stay positive. If I get a bad grade on anything I just tell myself to work harder next time and that it’s not the end of the world. I think that prioritizing your life and school helps. For me, I know ‘okay, I have school at this time, and work at this time, so my homework needs to be done at this time.’ When that all is said and done, I like to snowboard and hang out with friends, too.”

CU Denver deals with the stress of students differently in different departments. For example, schedule-related stress is dealt with through individual interaction. The CLAS advising has little physical material on stress management to give students. “We treat everyone on a one-by-one basis, but we don’t have flyers or brochures to give to students,” Susan Laws, a CLAS advising receptionist said.

When asked what process the advising team takes in order to deal with students who are going through immense stress, Assistant Director of CLAS advising Jon Wilson clarified further. “Usually, we send students who are dealing with extreme stress to case management so that they can look at each individual closer and actually have the knowledge to deal with these students,” Wilson said.

The CU Denver Student and Community Counseling Center specializes in providing resources to students in need of stress management assistance. On the first Wednesday of every month, the Counseling Center hosts a Stress Less Workshop, which aims to help students work through stress and frustration, as well as build a stress-busting tool kit.

From student-inspired methods to professional resources, Auraria Campus offers several stress management strategies. Reaching out for help is the first step.