Dear CHEERS: Some tips for managing stress
By Kathryn Slezak
Dear CHEERS,
Now that this semester is ending, I am getting really stressed out. The combination of my senior friends graduating, end of the year projects, finals, summer jobs, and internships is really starting to weigh me down. It has gotten to the point where I can’t keep it all out of my mind; I can’t even sleep at night or focus in class. What can I do to keep the stress from affecting me?
This time of year is extremely stressful for everyone, so you are not alone in wanting to pull your hair out. Though it is important to focus on these things, there are ways to take breaks and try to keep your stress level down. Mindless, repetitive tasks like doing a puzzle or doing mindless web surfing can do help reduce your stress level. It might sound like an immature thing to do, but coloring can also do the same thing. Unfortunately, though Facebook or texting can provide a nice break or a way to procrastinate in your paper-writing or homework, neither activity is entirely relaxing because they engage your mind too much. If this doesn’t sound like something you would be interested in, you could doing more physical activity. Though it often is difficult to find the time, the extra endorphins from the physical activity can actually improve your mood and help reduce stress. If you are still having trouble sleeping at night after trying these options, the Counseling Center webpage on the College website has meditation recordings to help you relax during the day or to help you fall asleep at night.
Kathryn Slezak is 
co-leader of CHEERS and a senior at Gettysburg College.
CHEERS (Communicating for a Healthy Environment by Educating Responsible Students) is a peer educators group whose primary goal is to provide students with information to make healthy, informed choices which will facilitate student adjustment to the Gettysburg College atmosphere.
