April is recognized as Stress Awareness Month and as discussed in the previous Civic Issues blog, stress has a variety of effects upon the health of young adults, both physically and mentally. With such a concerning number of students reporting feeling stressed or overwhelmed at Penn State, surely there must be measures that are being taken in order to counter these issues. I will go over the current systems and programs that Penn State currently has in place regarding stress management, and by the end come to a conclusion of services that I think should be further advertised or made aware of.  

There is a condensed area of information regarding stress management that comes from a page on the Penn State Student Affairs website. This page comes from Health Promotion and Wellness(HPW), a unit under Student Affairs that includes an overview of the services provided by Penn State to help their students navigate and handle stress. Among the services listed are one-on-one-services with peer educators, stress management 101 (a self-guided course), workshops, counseling, chats, and fitness classes. Not to mention, extra resources and tools for managing stress at home for those who prefer a more isolated environment to handling stress. 

The first service that I will introduce is the HPW trained peer services. These services provided are all free and can cover a wide range of topics such as sleep, mindfulness, nutrition, relationships, and general stress management. These services are offered in sessions in the HUB and Intramural Building by scheduled appointment and are conducted by a trained peer health educator. Scheduling for these appointments can be done in the same way as any other doctor’s appointment or by emailing promotinghealth@psu.edu. 

The next resource I will go over is the “Manage Stress Workbook” also provided by student affairs. To summarize, the workbook is a 20 page online pdf that goes over a multitude of techniques to help deal with stress management. Within the workbook, there are a multitude of activities for students to explore and complete on their own, such as deep breathing exercises and a page for stress tracking. This barely scratches the surface of all the detail and information packed into the workbook, with numerous suggestions and mindful techniques meant to address various causes of stress. 

The third resource is one that particularly piqued my interest. Within the Intramural Building, there is a place called the Relaxation Room. This room is open from 8am-5pm Monday through Friday and features multiple activities designed for students to utilize to destress, take a break, relax, or study. These include software programs on desktop computers to practice breathing exercises, relaxation/stress reduction/mindfulness audio tracks to listen to, coloring books, a zen sand garden, puzzles, light therapy boxes, and a comfortable space to relax in. There is no appointment necessary to show up. 

The next resource comes through the form of a canvas course called Stress Management 101. Within this course, there are several video modules, reflections, worksheets, and readings to complete that, by the end of its completion, should transform students into a more educated and healthier being. Currently there are a total of 6 modules, each taking a variety of time to complete. This course does not count for any real credit, although it holds the format of a usual college canvas page, but the completion of the modules are entirely up to the student in choosing what areas to spend their time focusing on. 

The fourth resource sort of touches back on the previous program of the trained peer services, except this time it is facilitated by professional staff. This resource focuses on workshops which are conducted for academic classes, student organizations, student clubs, and residence hall floors. To sign up for a workshop, a form must be completed in order to make an official request. The topics for these workshops include an alcohol workshop, an eating disorder workshop, and a mindfulness and compassion workshop. There are other workshops available as well, but these are provided by the trained peer educators. These then include workshops for sleep, nutrition, safer sex, and of course, stress management. 

This next service is provided by the Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) and is called the “WellTrack Boost.” It basically is a wellness assessment that can be used either one time, on an as-needed basis, or as a regularly scheduled mood check. WellTrack Boost helps students to understand the activities in their schedule that contribute to changes in mood and motivation and how these tie into their own individual change. Within WellTrack Boost there are also programs or “courses” that have content focused on Resilience, Anxiety & Stress, Depression, Finding Purpose & Meaning,  Healthy Sleep, Inner Calm/Mindfulness, and Public Speaking. Of course, CAPS also provides their usual services which can be focused towards stress such as their informal consultations, virtual library, and mental health screenings. 

The final resource that I will go over is the Fitness and Wellbeing services that are available to all Penn State students. While it does not directly address motivations and thoughts that tie into stress, physical activity and exercise has been linked to reducing the feeling of stress, and turning negative energy into a positive outlet. There are over 100 fitness offerings available for Penn State students, including Group Fitness Classes, Small Group/Instructional training classes, personal training packages, and special events that are hosted throughout the year. Not to mention virtual fitness options for those who would rather like to do workouts within the comforts of their home. Some of the programs listed that I found the most interesting include aquatics, outdoor adventures, and yoga. 

After reviewing the many resources available on Penn State’s campus, it has become clear that all the measures that are offered are plentiful and varied in their options for virtually any type of student to choose a method that best suits their needs. The only issue I found is that for students who feel stressed, finding where to start can be a bit overwhelming because of the sheer number of resources available. Not to mention, some of the most interesting and hands-on approaches that I found to be very useful don’t seem to be advertised that much in the open as I wish they were. Among the resources that I have summarized, I believe that the Relaxation Room and the Manage Stress Workbook should be the ones to be widely pushed for Freshman to be aware of. Although all these resources come with their own downsides or differing methods, I found the Workbook and the Relaxation Room to be the most generalized, and thus the most applicable to the majority of students which should in turn be the most used and advertised. 

Sites: 

• https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-promotion/free-student-wellness-services
• https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/sites/default/files/Accessible-online-version-Manage-Stress-Workbook-PennState-final-2i5sewu.pdf
• https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2079441
• https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/health-promotion/request-workshop
• https://www.psu.edu/news/student-affairs/story/guide-penn-state-resources-manage-stress-stress-awareness-month/